Streaming

When cable TV was first introduced to people in 1950, it blew people’s minds away, bringing regalement and world events straight to their homes through merely a glass screen. Cable TV companies wore the crown in the video transmission domain for decades until someone put a finger on its weak spots and tossed off streaming services in the form of on-demand TV, almost 40 years later. Netflix was one such company that took the lead and gained walloping stardom like greased lightning.

Greatly acclaimed as a trailblazer in the video streaming biz, Netflix quickly became part of everyone’s social routine and even inspired the buzzword “binge-watching” amongst millennials. Binge-watching essentially involves the act of viewing multiple episodes of a TV series in one go and that’s one of the main features of a streaming site.

How Netflix Came Into Existence?

Been drowned in work? You can evade your stress over the weekend by “binge-watching” your favorite show on Netflix. Traveling and faced with a 24-hour layover? Killing time isn’t an issue anymore, again, thanks to Netflix! Movie tickets burning a hole in your pocket?

Subscribe to Netflix at about the same price as the ticket and get unlimited access to their content! No, Netflix hasn’t paid us to slip in an elevator pitch, and yes, all this sounds too good to be true. Only, the truth is that it’s actually that good.

The American VOD megacorp is the brainchild of two gentlemen – Reed Hastings and Marc Rudolph, that was created in 1997. Initially, they offered online DVD rentals and finally adopted online streaming technology in 2007 which is the Netflix we know today. So without further ado, let’s look at how Netflix works, what plans do they offer, their range of content, and how to get started.

How Does Netflix Work?

Netflix primarily works on a subscription-based model wherein users are charged a small fee on a monthly basis to get unlimited access to their content. Unlike a few other streaming/torrent sites, Netflix is totally legit and doesn’t require you to have any VPN subscription. To boot, it enables you to watch TV shows and movies whenever and from wherever you wish, so long as you’re connected to the internet.

What Do You Get And For How Much?

Netflix’s plans are a bit convoluted but certainly offer the best value for your money. Furthermore, they run a free trial period of 30 days that helps you to experience their service. You can choose from any of their three plans depending upon your budget and requirements:

• Basic – The most basic plan is priced at $8.99/month and allows you to watch the content in Standard Definition (SD) on one screen at a time.

• Standard – Priced at $12.99/month, this is the most popular plan that allows viewers to access content in High Definition (HD) on two screens at the same time.

• Premium – At $15.99/month, you can watch TV shows and movies in High Definition/Ultra HD on four devices at the same time.

Note that the aforementioned pricing structure is for the American audience but it is more or less the same in other parts of the world. Also, you can cancel the subscription or upgrade your plan anytime you wish.

Where Can You Watch Netflix?

Netflix was initially available only in the U.S but gradually expanded to all the other continents due to its popularity and high demand. You can enjoy their services from literally any part of the world except the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, North Korea, and China.

However, Netflix curates its content carefully to cater to the users of a specific country. Therefore, the content in the U.S. will differ from what’s available in India, or France, or South Korea hinging on the languages spoken in that country.

Range of Content

Netflix has the mammoth library of TV shows, movies, and documentaries to choose from. The genres range from Comedy to Horror to Drama to Indie films. It boasts of popular movies like Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Inception, Batman, etc. and popular shows such as Breaking Bad, Gossip Girl, Naruto, and The Walking Dead.

However, Netflix sets itself apart from its rivals by producing top-class shows under the “Netflix Originals” category. Some of the most loved Netflix Original series include Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Narcos, and House of Cards. The VOD service company has also come out with several original movies like The Do-Over and The Ridiculous 6, and they’re working on many other exciting projects that would be released sometime this year.

Although it may take a while before the latest movie or show gets added to the library, you’re still spoilt for choice.

What Device Can You Use To Access Netflix?

Netflix offers both, a website and an app, supported on most devices across various platforms. You can use your laptop or desktop running on Windows or Mac OS, tablets & smartphones running on iOS, Android or Windows, streaming gadgets such as Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku TV, and even gaming consoles including Sony Playstation and Xbox one.

How Friendly Is The UI?

You’d absolutely love using Netflix, thanks to its smooth, clean, and easy-to-use interface. The homepage shows the latest Netflix Originals, the trending shows, top picks based on your browsing history, popular movies, etc. in a thumbnail format, making the layout all the more appealing. You’ll also find shows/movies that you didn’t finish watching and resumes playing from where you left off the last time.

Another useful feature is that when you point the cursor to a show or movie, it displays all the essential information such as its user ratings, plot summary, runtime, which year was it released, and the star cast. Once you hit the play button, you’ll see a media control bar at the bottom which lets you pause, forward, choose subtitles, or move onto the next episode.

If you’re worried that your kids will somehow get access to A-rated content, don’t worry. Netflix enables you to select who’s watching upon logging in, whether you or your kids and displays content accordingly.

How To Get Started?

Simply download the Netflix app or log onto their website and create an account using your email address. Add your payment details, select a plan, and begin watching! Just hot on the buttons and download or visit their web portal.

| Android | | iOS | | Web Portal |

Contemplating on cutting the cord but don’t know your options? Your search for an honest and comprehensive review about Hulu ends here. In a world where people have no time to stop and stare, there’s little scope for small joys like bonding with family or simply laying in bed on a rainy day. Even though the good old TV has been castigated and stamped as an “idiot box” for the longest time, we can’t deny that entertainment plays a huge role in knitting relationships and taking the edge off our stressful lives.

Furthermore, it saves us from being sucked into a cyclone of monotony and helps us experience the deepest emotions that we may otherwise not. But our busy schedules put a stopper on watching TV as per broadcast programming. This is where streaming sites like Hulu come into the picture.

Hulu: A Modern Era of Television

While video-on-demand giant Netflix has always been in the limelight for pioneering streaming services, people know very little about its rivals such as Hulu. Similar to Netflix, Hulu is based out of America and offers subscription-based VOD services in alliance with The Walt Disney group, 21st Century Fox, and Comcast. Their primary focus is on TV shows which are made available for viewing by obtaining rights from the concerned TV channel.

Initially, the online streaming company came out with two subscription plans – a free version (Hulu) and a paid version (Hulu Plus). However, the free version has been discontinued due to loss of network partnerships and Hulu is now Hulu Plus.

Hulu Plan & Pricing

• Limited Commercial – At just $7.99/month, you can get unlimited access to Hulu’s content in high definition with short commercials in between. If ads don’t bother you much, this is probably the best deal available out there.

• No Commercial – By paying roughly $4 extra, you can get rid of those annoying ads and enjoy watching your favourite shows in HD. This plan costs $11.99/month which is still cheaper than many other similar services.

Hulu also offers an add-on feature called “Showtime” at $8.99/month which can be bundled with either of the aforementioned plans. This feature gives you access to premium content including Hollywood hits and critically acclaimed shows like Homeland.

Ps: Note that you can cancel your subscription or switch plans anytime you wish.

Choice of Content On Hulu

Hulu boasts of a behemothic library with over 86,000 TV episodes belonging to approximately 2,900 TV titles, and about 2,500 movies. This is still smaller in comparison to Netflix but beats all its rivals in terms of freshness of content offered.

Hulu has tied up with highly popular TV networks such as ABC, FOX TV, NBC, Comedy Central, TLC, BBC, CBS, Viacom Media Networks, Time Warner, A&E, Disney, and Discovery Communications and many live sports online package. The company also spins out in-house TV series like The Morning After, Battleground, The Path, and Casual. They’re coming up with an exciting show this year called The Handmaid’s Tale which is based on the famous novel written by Margaret Atwood.

Some other popular shows that are available on Hulu include The Daily Show, Southpark, Vikings, the Star Trek series, etc. Hulu also has a fairly decent collection of movies like Interstellar, Cloverfield, all James Bond flicks, When Harry Met Sally, etc.

Supported Devices

In the beginning, Hulu could only be accessed through a computer or a laptop but today, it is compatible with a host of other devices such as – Blu-ray players, Roku TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS & Android handhelds, Smart TVs, etc. However, you must be informed that you can watch content on Hulu only on one device at a time.

Why Choose Hulu?

Firstly, Hulu recently announced a launch of a Live TV streaming option that allows users to watch TV shows or games as they’re being aired, on two devices simultaneously. Although the pricing is a bit higher ($40) compared to its other plans and rivals like SlingTV, it’s totally worth signing up for. Hulu Live streaming has a significantly improved user interface, enabling users to filter their favorite shows, genres, and TV networks thereby resulting in better suggestions.

Secondly, Hulu sets itself apart by adding the latest episodes of a TV series as soon as it has been released whereas other companies like Netflix take eons to update their library.

Getting Started

Using Hulu is as simple as ABC. All you have to do is log onto the official website and create an account using an email ID and a unique password. Then, select a plan, enter your payment details, and start watching.

Although, we can help you to download their official app. Just follow below links and download their apps for Android or iOS devices.

Links | Android | |iOS| | Web Portal |

The Big Caveat

No doubt, Hulu is one of the best media streaming sites available but there’s one major drawback. Their services are currently restricted to the American and Japanese audience. Securing rights from content owners for every region can take a lot of time and effort but have said that Hulu definitely has plans of expanding their services to other parts of the world in the near future. At this point, we don’t have an exact schedule regarding their plans but as soon as we do, we shall update you.

Also, as we mentioned earlier, Hulu’s focal point is on TV shows and therefore, their movie library is not up to the mark compared to the competitors. However, if you’re a small screen video person, Hulu should be your top pick. Hulu is perhaps the best alternative to Cable TV!