What’s the best TV streaming service? – CNET

Amazon has spun out its Amazon Prime Video service into a standalone monthly subscription, just like Netflix and Hulu currently offer.

Instead of paying a flat $100 fee every year for Amazon Prime (which includes free two-day shipping on most items, cloud storage, streaming music and video), you can opt to pay $8.99 monthly to watch movies and TV shows from Amazon’s catalog.

Amazon’s looking to compete with its two biggest streaming rivals, Netflix and Hulu, both of which offer similarly-priced monthly plans. However, Amazon’s monthly option seems to be the weakest deal since it’s cheaper to just buy a year Prime membership than pay the monthly fee.

With Amazon’s new plan, we wanted to check in on all of the streaming services available to see what they offer now and for how much.

Streaming showdown

Basic ($8), Standard ($10), Premium ($12)	Free, Limited commercials ($8), No commercials ($12), Showtime add-on (additional $9)*	$8 monthly alone or included in yearly $100 Amazon Prime membership. Channel add-on ($9 per month)
HD on Standard, UHD on Premium	HD with a paid plan	HD, 4K and HDR (on select devices)
Basic: No, Stardard: 2 screens, Premium: 4 screens	No	Yes, two screens max
Android, iOS, Windows, Kindle Fire, Playstation 4, PS Vita, Nintendo DS, Xbox, Wii, Roku, Apple TV and smart TVs	Android, iOS, Windows, Kindle Fire, Playstation 4, PS Vita, Nintendo DS, Xbox, Wii, Roku, Apple TV and smart TVs	Android, iOS, Windows, Kindle Fire, Playstation 4, Xbox, Wii, Roku, Apple TV and smart TVs
130 countries, including US, UK and Australia	US only	US and UK

*Showtime is owned by CBS, which is the parent company of CNET.

Netflix

Netflix is a strong contender for movies and killing it lately with plenty of original shows. It’s also completely commercial-free and available in hundreds of countries.

Basic plan:

• $8.99, £5.99, AU$8.99 per month
• Can stream on only one screen at once
• Does not include HD video

Standard plan:

• $9.99, £7.49, AU$11.99 per month
• Stream on two screens at once
• HD video

Premium plan:

• $11.99, £8.99, AU$14.99 per month
• Stream on up to four screens at once
• Ultra HD video

(Note that if you’re a long-time Netflix subscriber, your pricing may differ from what you see. Be aware that will change soon, though.)

Hulu

The big draw of Hulu is that you can watch the newest episodes of current shows the day after they air on broadcast. It’s good way to keep up with current TV without cable. The downside is that unless you pay more, you’ll see commercials. Sadly, Hulu is not available outside the US.

Free plan:

• No cost, but you’ll see commercials

Limited commercials plan:

• $7.99 per month
• Fewer commercials than free TV
• HD video, where available

No commercials plan:

• $11.99 per month
• No commercials, except on select shows
• HD video, where available

Showtime add-on:

• Additional $8.99 per month for Showtime content, including “Homeland” and “Masters of Sex.”

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon’s making a name for itself with original shows like “Transparent” and “The Man in the High Castle” and if you’re into older HBO shows like “The Sopranos,” it’s also a good pick. Sorry Australians, Amazon Prime Video is not available for you.

• $8.99, £5.99 per month or included with a $99, £79 one-year Prime Membership
• HD video
• Commercial-free
• Watch on up to two screens at once.

 

Streaming TV ServicesCreate line charts