Those
that are looking for ways to cutoutrageous cable costs may be able to do just that and simultaneously give their fancy (and expensive) television sets the boot thanks to the ever-growing popularity of online streaming programming. Last week Amazon was added to the likes of Hulu and Netflix—companies that offers customers an alternative to traditional cable-viewing. If you already own a lab top/desktop and are looking to save a few bucks, look at what these different online streaming companies have to offer:
Hulu
The online programming offered through Hulu is completely free.
While there are a variety of different shows offered, a good chunk of
them are from ABC, NBC, and Fox. Typically TV shows aren’t posted until a
day after its regular programming air date and only stays online for
about a week or so, but it’s an easy and cheap way to catch your
favorite shows on the weekend, for example. There is also a database for
free movies—be warned that these movies are typically outdated. In
addition, since programming and movies are free, viewers must watch
30-second commercials throughout the programming. If you want to have
access to past seasons and episodes, viewers can pay a $7.99 monthly fee
and upgrade to HuluPlus. The downside? Commercials and ads will still
flood your programming.
Netflix
While Netflix is well-known for movie rentals, it is also another
great way for viewers to catch up on their shows. For $9.99 a month
viewers can have unlimited access to old and new recently released
movies and shows and can have some on instant streaming—no 1 to 2 day
wait required. Instant streaming programming is commercial and ad free.
Amazon On-Demand
Unlike its competitors, Amazon’s online “free” video streaming is
only offered to its “Prime” costumers, which technically makes the
“free” part non-existent. This is because in order to gain access to
about 4,000 TV episodes and 1,600 movies and become a prime member, you
need to pay a $79 membership fee. This may seem a little steep, but
compare it to the average cable bill which can be as much as a whopping
$150, and this deal seems like a steal. If you aren’t particularly an
entertainment junkie but just want to get your fix every now and then,
you can also opt to purchase or rent recently released movies and TV
show seasons individually. With this option, prices will vary depending
on whether you are buying or renting and how new the show/movie is. But
just for measure, prices usually range anywhere from $3.99 to $14.99 per
download. There are no commercials.