As the blog winds down for the holidays–don’t forget! blog before next Wednesday if you’re seeking quiz credit–I have an important media question and could use your expertise.
I’ve gotten bored with my current entertainment options, which revolve around Hulu Live with Netflix, ESPN+, and Disney+ added for sons and spouse. If I were to add one more service, what should it be? A video streaming service? Kindle Unlimited? Should I just buy individual movies I think I’d like? I actually plan to binge watch/read every minute I can during the holidays…
From personal experience, Kindle Unlimited actually doesn’t have that many options. Every time I would think of a book that isn’t Harry Potter or the Hunger Games, it wouldn’t be available on Kindle Unlimited and I would have to pay for it. I would suggest a streaming service instead. However, you seem to have all the basic covered, and I assume you already have Amazon Prime (which includes Kindle Unlimited so I’m not sure why those are considered separate entities Dr E), so I’m not sure what to suggest. HBO is a good streaming service though. Their movie selection is a bit sparse, but the movies they do have are really good. Renting/buying movies could probably work too. If you do actually plan on watching lots of movies, buying them could end up being expensive over time. Over the summer, my family rented a lot of movies and that seems like a viable option if you’re willing to pay $5ish per movie. Honestly, it just depends on what genre of movie you want to watch. If you’re planning on reading a lot, there are free pdfs of most books online if you just google “book name free pdf,” though I’m not sure if that’s the best way to support the authors of such books. An MSMS alumna opened a book store downtown in Columbus if you’re looking for real copies though (rip books a million). Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure it’ll be fun. However, I greatly suggest you watch Little Women (2019) again because it’s actually a good movie, regardless of how painful the book was for you in the fifth grade.
Firstly, I would suggest HBO. You could watch Chernobyl, Game of Thrones, or His Dark Materials, all of which I would recommend. I would also like to add that I have stock in AT&T, so you would be doing me a favor. HBO actually added 4 million subscribers last month, so it’s on the come up. However, if you are talking about books, I would suggest shopping in real local bookstores. I hate pdfs. Also, Dr. E., you are absolutely correct. Little Women sucks. I hope you have an amazing holiday break.
Personally, I suggest purchasing individual movies..well sort of. Although purchasing movies can become expensive, some movies are not available on streaming services, or the service removes them from their selection. Netflix has a bad habit of removing the shows that I enjoy. If you are looking to watch shows on specific channels, the apps (CW, Freeform, ABC, etc) are available. Most of the time, the apps post their most recent episodes as soon as they release, unlike Netflix. Sometimes, I wonder if purchasing Youtube Premium would be worth it. I am not entirely sure how their system works, but I do know the Youtube Premium includes ad-free video, the ability to keep a video playing in the background, and access to Youtube original movies and TV series.
I have a few suggestions for you. First I suggest HBO Max. I’ve recently signed up for it. They have some really great tv series. I’m really into scientific fiction tv shows and movies and HBO Max has just that. If you are into drama, Zeus Tv is a good streaming site for reality tv shows. I also would suggest purchasing individual movies. Sometimes streaming apps are missing some of the greatest shows.
Even though you already have most of the mainstream streaming providers. I would highly recommend you get Youtube TV. It allows you to have access to tons of channels, you’re able to save movies and watch them later, and if love cartoons. Youtube has the best cartoons and it is always great to purchase individual movies. Redbox still allows you to rent movies and you can always go to Walmart to buy the best ones.
To be honest, I’d say 99% of my watching comes from Netflix and Hulu, but I definitely understand the need for more since both of them are relatively limited when it comes to variety. One thing that I would suggest would be to check out Amazon Prime video if you have an Amazon Prime account because while I don’t use it much, the rest of my family loves it. Another thing I would recommend for movies would to just check out your local library. I used to work at the library in Oxford and I was actually quite surprised at the wide selection of DVDs they offered there, and they’re completely free to check out! Now, this wouldn’t be a good option if you want to see new movies, but if you’re looking to rewatch some classics or see some films that have been out for a while that you just never got around to watching, I would definitely recommend checking that out first before you pay for another subscription service.
I definitely think you should get HBO max. In my opinion, HBO has the best TV shows and movies out of another streaming service. It is more expensive than most streaming services, but I personally think that Game of Thrones, Euphoria, and a lot of comedy shows really make the streaming service worth the price tag. Just like Luke said, I personally hate reading PDFs and think you should get actual books. Thriftbooks is a really good website to use for inexpensive books.
You should probably invest in HBO Max. There are a lot of TV shows and movies out there than other streaming services. I’ve heard from others that it’s typically more expensive. I’m also not a fan of online books and think the actual copies are easier and more enjoyable to read and have fun with.
You know Dr. E, how about you do something different. I see a lot of comments saying go HBO, YouTube, and the like, but I say you should go big. I think you should get another streaming service that is dedicated to watching foreign films. Sure there are some on Netflix, but they just have the basic ones. You need to explore the world more and see the other films out there. Is this advice coming from first hand experience? Well kind of because I have watched foreign films but not anymore because I have other preferences, but you should still spend some time watching some Chinese, Korean, Indian, etc. films when you have the time. For what streaming service to use then I would just google some popular ones that many people use. Foreign films can give insight to the culture and perspectives that may not been thought of or understood initially. (My favorite foreign film by the way is Bahubali, and it has two parts but warning it is like 5 hours in total)
I think you should invest into HBO as well, and if you don’t like it, you could just end the free trial…that’s what I do. I’m a cheapskate, so I like to get streaming services for the free trial, and then I usually end my subscription once its over. I’ve only watched one show on HBO, and I ended up finishing the entire season within a week, so I unsubscribed because I didn’t feel like paying for it. I think it really depends on how invested you are into binge watching shows.
If I am being totally honest, I do not have all that much experience with streaming services. I have Netflix and that is it. Personally, I enjoy watching historical shows on Netflix. These include Reign, Medici, The Crown, Peaky Blinders, The Borgias, and The Last Czars. Obviously, I am a huge history fan. I think with the options you have, you should not invest in any other streaming services. I doubt that you have watched everything there is that could possibly interest you on all three of your streaming services. I would suggest changing the way you look for things to watch. On the book note, I suggest getting all the classics that you have not read(which I imagine isn’t many) and downloading them. They are free on iBooks. I would also look into purchasing books on there that you know for sure that you would be interested in. You could also get a free trial to audible and get one free audiobook.
You seem to already have all of the primary video streaming services that exist, and Kindle Unlimited is fairly sparse in its selection. Although this is very controversial, something like Audible might be an option. Although I don’t quite know your stance on audiobooks, they have plenty of good reads, and they have a new (albeit rare) feature where certain audiobooks come with their respective texts, you can just play the book, turn off the audio, and your off to the races. Perhaps another option might be not buying anything at all! There are many interesting and surprisingly high-quality mini-shows by individual creators on Youtube, from interesting history from channels such as “Biographics” and the aptly named “The Great War” and “World War Two”, to educational science channels such as “SciShow”. There is so much good content on youtube for free if you know where to look.
I agree with Kate. In my personal experience, I found that Kindle Unlimited didn’t fully meet my expectations. Although I found gems every once in a while, I think that I would have better spent that time watching some of my favorite shows or movies. And because I haven’t had much of an experience on Hulu, Disney+, or HBO, I’ll recommend shows and movies that I thought were really entertaining. I personally enjoy watching horror movies and hiding behind my dog during jump scares, so I’ll recommend a few horror selections that you might be interested in. On Netflix, I thoroughly enjoyed The Ritual, Hush, Bird Box, In the Tall Grass, and one of my all-time favorites is Before I Wake. If you’re feeling a kinky horror movie, you could try Gerald’s Game, but I find it too long and drawn out. I haven’t explored many of the horror shows on Netflix, but I found American Horror Story quite entertaining. Outside of Netflix, I also enjoyed watching Chucky, a newer movie. I hope you have a great Christmas break Dr. E, and I hope some of these selections find their way to your tv screen these next weeks!
Netflix and Hulu are of course my top choices, but if you are looking for something new I would suggest Peacock, HBO Max, and Apple TV + if you use apple products. Crackle is also a good one for certain movies, but it’s free with no options to upgrade so you have to sit through SEVERAL ads. Some other good movies from Netflix and Hulu are A Simple Favor, Angel Has Fallen, Olympus Has Fallen, Django Unchained, and Instant Family.