How to choose the best streaming service for you
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Value for money and price
With several options available, it can be difficult to know the best streaming service. Each differs in price, membership options, available content, and more. Before you commit to a service, it’s important to know what works best for you – so here are a few things to consider.
1 Family membership settings
If you plan to share your subscription with others in your household, I recommend setting up different profiles. You probably don’t want to have suggestions for movies and TV series that are more suitable for others, and this is one way to solve that problem.
Before you sign up for a streaming service, make sure the family options meet your needs. For example, Disney+ allows you to create up to seven profiles, including your own. Max, on the other hand, only lets you do five.
If you plan to share an account with people outside your household, you should check whether the service allows this. While the Service may allow multiple concurrent streams and family sharing, it may block you from accessing your account if members outside of your household are using the account.
2 Available content
You also need to make sure that the streaming service you choose has the content you are looking for. I have to admit that a lot of the bigger services have disappointed me with their selection these days, and for that reason I also recommend looking at some niche streaming services with more focused content.
Think about the types of movies and TV series that interest you the most. For example, if you love Marvel movies, Disney+ is your best bet. Max, on the other hand, is great for big TV series like Game of Thrones. Netflix is many people’s preferred choice for original titles.
Choosing a streaming service based on content can be very challenging, as many of them change what’s on offer from time to time. Because of this, many people subscribe to streaming services and cancel when something they like is offered elsewhere. Consider getting a streaming package to save money.
You should also keep in mind that some streaming services may not make all titles available on some plans. For example, if you are based in the US, Netflix will lock some TV shows and movies to it Standard with ads plan. Live event streaming services are also worth checking out if you’re a sports fan.
3 Value for money and price
Something is not necessarily good value for money just because it is cheap. At the same time, though, you’ll probably want to think about price when choosing a streaming service. So you should treat both with equal importance.
When looking at pricing, consider whether you’re willing to tolerate ad-supported tiers. I personally am not; the biggest reason I choose most subscriptions is to avoid seeing ads I don’t want. If you see a streaming service you like but don’t want to get an ad subscription, paying for the ad-free version is a better option.
Choosing a service within your budget is also important. You’ll also find plenty of movie streaming services with a student discount if you’re in school or college.
Value for money is more subjective than price. Weigh the pros and cons of each platform based on your needs and determine if you think you’ll get enough use out of the service.
4 Device accessibility
Most major streaming platforms allow you to use their services on mobile, laptop and desktop. However, before subscribing, you should double-check that you can access everything you need from your most frequently used devices.
It’s also worth checking how many devices can use the same subscription at the same time. This will vary depending on your pricing tier, and you can usually find this information on your streaming service’s pricing page.
5 User friendliness
You also want to choose a streaming service that’s easy to use, and you’ll probably have to try a few options yourself. Personally, I like Disney+ best for ease of navigation, but your opinion may differ.
When testing different services, think about how intuitive you find the user interface. You should also have very little trouble finding the shows and movies you need. The learning curve is usually not too big, but you should consider whether you think it’s worth sticking with.
Choosing the right streaming service requires thinking about multiple aspects. Of course, available content is important. But beyond that, you should also consider value for money and what devices you can access your movies and TV shows on. It’s also worth determining whether the service will be good enough for your family.