Amazon may raise Prime prices.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by MeSue

You may find this of interest:
http://lifehacker.com/tv-streaming-h...-pr-1536006625

They compared the most popular shows on Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu.

Thanks. My interest is in older material (1970s and earlier), though, so I'm not the typical consumer.

[Fbone]

Barbara Stanwyck search results
http://dvd.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/B...4i5IEgWTHTo%3D
Marlon Brando
http://dvd.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/M...WOlm83rezK8%3D
Quentin Tarantino
http://dvd.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Q...OMohh0XYSas%3D

[Fbone]

The "Classic" results:
http://dvd.netflix.com/Genre?sgid=306

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I cancelled my Canadian (free) prime membership as for me it is not worth the 88.95. But I appreciated the free trial although I only ordered one item. If Amazon.ca had half as good selection and prices as the US website I would sign up again in a heartbeat.

Helen

The Amazon.ca web site is still pretty lame, and they won't do second day to my location regardless of Prime or not, so I've passed on Canadian Prime. OTOH, I love my US Prime, since I have a mailbox in Washington state. And it really helps being able to predict when the stuff will get there so we don't need to overload the poor Pony Express guy.

Originally Posted by Blossom

We have both Netflix and Hulu Plus and I think Netflix is what we use most of the time. Hubby has just finished off the entire series of Eureka. The best way to go for streaming shows is get a Roku. Netflix will never be current you have to wait months for new seasons to be added but Hulu Plus makes up for that as that's where the new stuff is added each week then there is Amazon Instant Video that sells pretty much all TV shows episodes for $2 NonHD and $5 for HD. Netflix and Hulu Plus both have a PayPal option while Amazon uses the Card on your account but you can add gift cards to your Amazon account and it will come off of that. Other places like Vudu or M-Go which uses Ultra Violet which has the walmart program where you can take your DVDs to walmart and they add the digital streaming version to your account for like $5 bucks a video.

I find Amazon Prime very seldom has anything that Netflix or Hulu Plus doesn't always have. Sometimes they have exclusive content but it's rare to not find it on one of the other services for free.

I'm not a big fan of Netflix, though my DW likes some of the stuff they have. OTOH, we both agree that Hulu Plus is just lame. I wouldn't mind paying for it if we could get it without commercials. But paying AND commercials? And worse, ones I can't fast forward through on the TiVo. No thanks.

My renewal date is March 22, so I've got any entire extra year at the $79 fee. My fees won't go up until March 22, 2015.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I'm not a big fan of Netflix, though my DW likes some of the stuff they have. OTOH, we both agree that Hulu Plus is just lame. I wouldn't mind paying for it if we could get it without commercials. But paying AND commercials? And worse, ones I can't fast forward through on the TiVo. No thanks.

For my money, the value in Hulu Plus is the myriad of shows that are available for streaming 24 hrs (or a few days or even week) after they first air on network TV. Everybody's perception of value differs, of course, but I see it as a fairly even trade: Netflix -- no commercials, but year(s) old episodes ... Hulu Plus -- commercials, but yesterday's episodes. That, and I'm discovering that the "commercials are to be avoided at all costs" bug seems to have skipped me. *shrug*

I use them all (including Amazon Prime Video) fairly equally (of course I have no cable/satellite bill, so less than $30 bucks a month for my TV entertainment is still pretty cheap in my book).

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

For my money, the value in Hulu Plus is the myriad shows that are available for streaming 24 hrs (or a few days or even week) after they first air on network TV. Everybody's perception of value differs, of course, but I see it as a fairly even trade: Netflix -- no commercials, but year(s) old episodes ... Hulu Plus -- commercials, but yesterday's episodes. *shrug*

That's how I feel about it too. The commercials on Hulu Plus help keep the subscription costs down and they're very brief. Getting the latest episodes for how little it costs is well worth it. If you were buy the episodes they would be $2-$5 a piece on Amazon and cable is just way tooo expensive. Here for just basic digital cable runs around $90 a month! so $17 a month is well worth it.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by Fbone

The "Classic" results:
http://dvd.netflix.com/Genre?sgid=306

You only get the results if you are signed into an existing account.

According to instantwatcher.com, there are only 152 streaming classic movies.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

You only get the results if you are signed into an existing account.

According to instantwatcher.com, there are only 152 streaming classic movies.

My search displays 210 classics available for streaming. Of course, everyone's view of classic varies. Netflix believes The Longest Yard is one of them.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Everybody's perception of value differs, of course, but I see it as a fairly even trade: Netflix -- no commercials, but year(s) old episodes ... Hulu Plus -- commercials, but yesterday's episodes. That, and I'm discovering that the "commercials are to be avoided at all costs" bug seems to have skipped me. *shrug*

Originally Posted by Blossom

That's how I feel about it too. The commercials on Hulu Plus help keep the subscription costs down and they're very brief. Getting the latest episodes for how little it costs is well worth it.

I tried Hulu Plus on a free trial, but cancelled it when I realized that I still had to watch commercials. No way am I paying for a streaming service that includes commercials.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I tried Hulu Plus on a free trial, but cancelled it when I realized that I still had to watch commercials. No way am I paying for a streaming service that includes commercials.

That's cool. Different strokes and all. I just wanted to point out that it works for quite a few people who like having an alternative for watching current network shows (on demand). And that not everyone sees advertisements as "the enemy," that's all.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That's cool. Different strokes and all. I just wanted to point out that it works for quite a few people who like having an alternative for watching current network shows (on demand). And that not everyone sees advertisements as "the enemy," that's all.

I know.

With so much diversity on the net, I can afford to be very picky about what I'm willing to pay for. For example, I absolutely refuse to buy ebooks, apps, music and videos. If I can't get a specific title for free, I'll find something else instead. For audiobooks, my upper limit is $1. For streaming services, the only thing I'm willing to pay for is commercial-free video.

[CRussel]

I've had a TiVo since the second month they shipped. I don't do commercials. If I could fast forward, I'd be fine with it. But there are too few network TV shows I actually want to watch to pay to watch commercials with them. Right now, I think the only regular, non-cable, non-PBS, show we watch is Justified. And I buy that from Amazon because I'm not willing to wait for 6 months till it shows up on Canadian cable.

[Catlady]

Some commercials are better than the shows.

[eschwartz]

I believe Adblock Plus will cause Hulu movies to skip over the commercials, except for the first one (which gives you a 90-second "please turn off your adblocker" message) but I cannot be sure, it has been a while since I last saw anything on Hulu and judging by how much they play around with it, they must spend more money on anti-Adblock Plus technology than they do on buying the rights to content.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I believe Adblock Plus will cause Hulu movies to skip over the commercials, except for the first one (which gives you a 90-second "please turn off your adblocker" message) but I cannot be sure, it has been a while since I last saw anything on Hulu and judging by how much they play around with it, they must spend more money on anti-Adblock Plus technology than they do on buying the rights to content.

Hell, 90-seconds is longer than most of my commercial breaks ever last to begin with!