Top Streaming Services To Look Out For in 2022
Are you a fan of entertainment? Movies and TV shows are a primary source of entertainment for many people around the globe; people who prefer indoor activities, people who are stuck in their homes because of this pandemic. Television can keep you enamored for weeks if you are a huge fan of entertainment. With the evolution of technology, the way we watch TV has changed a lot. The introduction of streaming services has brought a paradigm shift. People are now more concerned with getting access compared to ownership in the past.
The growth of the streaming market has been tremendous in the last decade, with new streaming services launching now and then to compete with industry giants like Netflix and Hulu. People now have more options than ever to watch their favorite entertainment shows, and we are seeing the production of more original content too.
However, this abundance of options has made it challenging to choose one streaming service. Since every streaming comes with a price, it can be difficult to maintain your subscription to multiple services simultaneously. You have to consider a few factors before making your choice including your family, preferences, and budget. To clear your confusion, we have compiled a list of top on-demand streaming services to look out for in 2022.
Netflix Streaming Service
With over 200 million paid subscribers globally, it is no doubt that Netflix Streaming is the best service. Who would have fathomed a few years back for this service to become a top-tier streaming service predicted to overtake Hollywood?
This streaming giant is known for producing original content, including the topic of every conversation these past few days, “Squid Game”. With a huge library and plethora of options, Netflix caters to everyone, including children. It has a separate interface for children that lets them choose without running into programs for adults.
Its availability on every streaming platform is also a plus point. It lets you watch your favorite shows in HD with Dolby Digital sound.
Price
Netflix is a bit pricey compared to others. Depending on your chosen plan, it can cost you $10 to $20 per month. However, you can create multiple profiles or even watch up to 4 screens at once with its pricier plans. This lets you share your plan with your friends, which is an ideal way to lower its price.
Pros:
- Compatible with all the streaming devices
- Strong search engine
- Original content
- Extensive collection of movies and TV shows
- Availability of offline downloads
Cons:
- A bit expensive
- Region-specific content
- Takes time to add new movies
Amazon Prime Streaming Service
With 110 million subscribers, Amazon Prime is also another largest on-demand service and a close competitor of Netflix. Amazon Prime is known for creating many award-winning original shows and successfully importing many BBC series and Bollywood films. This streaming service also offers an impressive library of movies and TV shows and a back catalog of older favorites. It also offers a streaming service as a bonus with the subscription.
This platform also offers HD streaming with HDR10+ playback support on a specific title. One thing that gives it an edge over Netflix, is how you don’t have to pay extra to get the best audio and video quality.
Price
Amazon Prime Video is offered as a standalone service or as part of an Amazon Prime subscription, and it costs about $9 per month. You can also create up to 6 separate profiles, and you can also add channels including Starz, Showtime, Discovery Plus, Paramount Plus, and MLB.TV for an additional fee.
Pros:
- Extra movies rental and purchase options
- Extensive international content
- Option for adding streaming channels
- The base plan includes HDR
Cons:
- Weak library compared to others
Hulu Streaming Service
Although limited to the States, Hulu remains one of the most affordable options with various plans and mixed content. Its two main packages include a basic option with commercials and a premium plan without commercials.
Hulu is known for its remarkable wide-range library of new and classic TV shows compared to other streaming services. This streaming platform also offers next-day streaming access to specific shows, from channels like NBC, Fox, and ABC.
Compared to other streaming services, its 4K lineup is limited, but you can still stream specific titles in 4K and even avail HDR on some devices.
Price
Hulu is one of the most affordable streaming platforms. You can avail of its basic plan with commercials for $7 per month and its premium plan without commercials for $13 per month. Although it only allows two streaming devices at the same, you can always upgrade to a Hulu+ Live TV subscription and pay for a $10 add-on for unlimited screens to remove this limit. You can also add other channels like Showtime, HBO, and Starz for an extra price.
Pros:
- LIVE TV option with On-Demand library
- Discounted Hulu’s on-demand service bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+
- Additional channels with an extra monthly price
Cons:
- Only two streaming devices allowed
- Ads in the basic plan
Disney+ Streaming Service
Are you a fan of Marvel or Star Wars?
Disney Plus is the best streaming platform for these giant franchises. With 118 million subscribers just after 2 years of its inception, its rapid growth has made it Netflix’s closest competitor.
Disney Plus is known as a family-oriented streaming platform. It has a huge catalog of Disney and Pixar content and also features every Star Wars, Marvel movie. It also features National Geographic, documentaries, and 31 seasons of The Simpsons. Its original content lineup compared to Amazon and Netflix is still small. It also supports 4K streaming and HDR.
Price
If you prefer family-oriented content, you can always subscribe to Disney Plus at $8 per month without any commercials. You can also save $8 a month if you bundle Disney+ with ESPN+ and Hulu for $14 per month compared to paying for these services separately.
Pros:
- Extensive collection of Disney’s movies and shows
- Family-oriented
- Blockbuster movies like Star Wars and Marvel movies
- Low price plans without commercials
Cons:
- Limited content
HBO Max Streaming Service
Who doesn’t know about Games of Thrones?
If you are a fan of this series, then HBO Max is the ideal streaming service for you. HBO Max has the entire catalog of HBO as well as every Ghibli movie, DC and Lord of the Rings movies, and some well-known crowd favorites like Friends.
Although not applicable recently, HBO Max was also known to release debut movies on their theater release dates without any extra cost, back in 2021. It also features a huge collection of kids’ movies and is a primary place for Warner Brothers’ films. The one downside of this streaming service is that it doesn’t offer much support for 4K streaming and HDR.
Price
It is one of the expensive streaming platforms charging $15 a month but you can also choose a cheaper, ad-supporting alternative at $5 a month. You won’t be able to stream new movies with this plan though.
Pros:
- Includes entire catalog of HBO
- Releases movies after 45 days of their theater release
- Extensive content
Cons:
- Expensive
- Limited 4K streaming
Conclusion
You can watch content anywhere and at any time with on-demand streaming services. With their extensive libraries, viewers can access their favorite shows with ease, and they don’t have to worry about missing new episodes.
A stable and high-speed internet connection is a major requirement for watching videos on streaming platforms. You need at least a 25 Mbps stable internet connection to watch these videos without any buffering. If it is slower than that, you’ll experience poor quality video and buffering. If your internet is slow, check out other reliable ISPs available in your area. You can always choose Spectrum Internet Ultra speed plan for a reliable internet connection or you can contact your preferred internet provider to opt for the best bundle deals for tv, internet and phone.