Asking the hivemind: Streaming video services

[firecat]

I am mad at Netflix but I want to be able to watch on-demand TV/movies from time to time. (I don't have cable or dish.) Is there any other streaming service that's good?

Comments

[foxfirefey]

Your only real option is a pay-by-play. iTunes does it, Amazon, Blockbuster too, I think. It's going to be much more expensive than Netflix and definitely not all you can eat.

[foxfirefey]

Unless you're into anime, I've heard http://www.crunchyroll.com/ has a pretty good thing going on there.

[ursula]

Add Zune to the list of pay-by-play services. Amazon & Zune will both let you "subscribe" to a particular TV season. (The entirety of my TV-watching is composed of streaming Dr. Who on an XBox, which is why I know this.)

[ysobel]

Hulu Plus might be good?

[elainegrey]

We have Amazon Prime and that does some streaming. It's not as rich as Netflix, but i'm pondering whether between that and PBS's pool of streaming content and TED talks whether we'll have all the on-demand we *need*.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Depends. There's Hulu, and some stations have their own streaming portals, like CW.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

I use Hulu, but only watch their free stuff. Once or twice, I've ordered movies via Amazon.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I've used Hulu and Hulu Plus in the past, and just accepted a free month from Hulu Plus begging me to come back. Selection not nearly as good, but it's improving.

I've also bought stuff through Amazon, and am considering paying for their "Prime" service, which will get me access to some streaming content.

The thing I love about Netflix, which is not at all as good in either of those services, is the way it allows you to manage the queue manually. Just not possible with Hulu or Amazon as far as I can tell (and from what I hear, you can't queue the Amazon Prime Instant watching stuff at all). Also, I use my Roku box for most of my watching, and both Amazon and Hulu are frustrating in how many clicks it takes to get to what you want to watch.

As far as selection goes, I guess that depends on what sorts of things you like to watch.

I'm also mad at Netflix, but am not sure what I'm going to do about it. At the moment I've dropped instant from my plan and am working through what's left in my DVD queue. Once that runs out (which will probably happen at about the same time as my free Hulu Plus month runs out), I'll have to decide what to do. I think for a while I might just kick about from one to the other month to month to get the best of what each has to offer.