The debate about which streaming service is better is an endless one. Netflix or Hulu are two of the biggest streaming services. Both services have evolved over the past decade and have made sure that paying $35 a month for cable is not necessary. So you decided to ditch the cable box and go for one of those streaming services and can only pick one. You ask yourself which streaming site is better? Netflix or Hulu below are my list of pros and cons.
Netflix
Netflix started in 1997 as a video-on demand service where they sent DVD’s of movies and later tv shows by mail. Netflix added streaming to their services and this led to them creating their own original content, with shows and movies like “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Black Mirror,” “Stranger Things,” and “Bright.” Having a Netflix account has become a social norm for people all over the world. The app itself has made it to television, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, as well as other devices. There are many advantages and disadvantages to Netflix.
Pros
Bigger selection of movies
Original Content
Multiple Accounts
No Commercials
Cons
Not up to date shows
Always ask “Are you still watching “
Only two people can watch on one account
$10 a month and no student discount
Hulu
Officially started in 2008, Hulu had some free content like episodes and clips of popular shows and new trailers. In 2009, there was a conference held where many people thought that Hulu should have a subscription service. In 2010, they launched Hulu Plus (Beta) where they put shows that air on television and put recent episodes.Hulu is rapidly growing into being a top competitor to Netflix. Similarly to Netflix, Hulu has made its way to TV’s, gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets.
Pros
More shows that if a new episode aired last night, the next day it would be on Hulu.
Student Discount instead of paying $8 you can pay $4.
Comes free with a subscription to Spotify.
Live TV.
Cons
Commercials
Not as good original content
Episodes can expire, meaning that they can get taken off of Hulu.
Not that many Movies.
Final Verdict
There are things that Netflix provides that Hulu doesn’t, like not having commercials. However, Hulu puts the recently aired episodes for shows the next day. If you have Netflix but don’t have Hulu, or vice-versa, then there is no argument. But for someone like SUNY Plattsburgh junior Brian Fabian, who owns both services, it is hard to choose. Fabian said that both have their ups and down but overall, he likes Hulu more than Netflix.
“I prefer Hulu over Netflix because they have more shows and are up to date with their shows,” Fabian said. “The only downside to Hulu is the fact that they have commercials, but its not that bad.”
SUNY Plattsburgh junior Luke Roderka, said that he prefers Netflix over Hulu because he wants something different.
“I like Netflix more than Hulu because Netflix has original shows than that are not aired on television,” Roderka said. “I like shows on Netflix because I do not have wait every week for a new episode and sometimes the plots of certain shows are so unique that you have to watch it straight through.”
Netflix and Hulu are two very similar streaming services but their sole purposes is very different. If you want a service where you have a wide selection of shows and you keep up with those shows, then you want Hulu. If you want a service where you can watch great original content or a show to just binge watch, then Netflix is the service for you. It all really depends on what you are looking for. Each service has good and bad features.
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