Best Service for Streaming TV Shows

[toxsic]

thinking about finally cutting the cord with comcast for television as they just keep going up in price and am looking at streaming options. so what's everyone's opinion about which service(s) offer the best option for tv shows? we watch a ton of shows with movies mixed in, so don't really care about streaming movies since i'd rather buy those on blu.

how often are new episodes of shows added to the services like Netflix, Hulu Plus & Amazon Instant Video?

are all shows available to stream over devices like the roku from say Starz & HBO?

[Tony208]

Hulu Plus for current on air shows, like something that aired last night

Netflix and Amazon for older stuff or old seasons of current shows

[chris_sc77]

Netflix is all you need

[EricJ]

And Netflix for the "mixing in"--
There's absolutely...utterly....NOTHING in Hulu's movie section except for the Criterion Collection (which alone makes it valuable as a 12-step for Criterion blind-buyers) and while there's a random smattering of a few classic reruns (a couple sampler seasons of Mary Tyler Moore) in Hulu's TV section, they've put all their eggs in the basket of Next-Day Reruns.

So if you're a current-show watcher and just want an A-B TV/Cable substitution to cut the cord, Hulu caters almost exclusively to that--I don't watch current series, so I don't need next-day Glee reruns; the majority of network-streamed series show up on Netflix, so I keep a good sampling there.
Basically, remember how everyone like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster was trying to come up with a competing service to Netflix's disk-by-mail and they didn't know how? Things haven't changed since.

[toxsic]

Originally Posted by Tony208

Hulu Plus for current on air shows, like something that aired last night

Netflix and Amazon for older stuff or old seasons of current shows

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

Netflix is all you need

well, after browsing hulu, i see a bit of a dilemma. a lot of the stuff that we watch (suits, covert affairs, justified, sons of anarchy, continuum, defiance and possibly others) are not available for streaming through such devices like the roku. i want to watch them on my tv, not on my pc.

[kallima]

Originally Posted by toxsic

well, after browsing hulu, i see a bit of a dilemma. a lot of the stuff that we watch (suits, covert affairs, justified, sons of anarchy, continuum, defiance and possibly others) are not available for streaming through such devices like the roku. i want to watch them on my tv, not on my pc.

Can you use an Hdmi cable to stream from a mobile device like phone or tablet? I'm not familiar with the Roku but know that's what I've done when babysitting my nieces and their Internet is down.

[toxsic]

Originally Posted by kallima

Can you use an Hdmi cable to stream from a mobile device like phone or tablet? I'm not familiar with the Roku but know that's what I've done when babysitting my nieces and their Internet is down.

that's not the problem. if you go and look up sons of anarchy on hulu, this is what the page says.

FX is no longer making episodes available for streaming.
We currently don't have the rights to make this show available on your TV or mobile devices — request to be notified if it becomes available in Hulu Plus.

the one in bold comes up on about half of the shows we watch, which means the only way to watch these shows would be on a little pc screen. or is it just showing that because i'm not currently subscribed to hulu plus?

[chris_sc77]

Originally Posted by toxsic

well, after browsing hulu, i see a bit of a dilemma. a lot of the stuff that we watch (suits, covert affairs, justified, sons of anarchy, continuum, defiance and possibly others) are not available for streaming through such devices like the roku. i want to watch them on my tv, not on my pc.

Get netflix. Netflix carries most of those shows and adds new episodes about a month after the DVD release of said show. They have most in HD and is an insane bargain. They got about all the good shows besides HBO or SHowtime shows.
Try it free for a month . U won't b disappointed.

[kallima]

Originally Posted by toxsic

that's not the problem. if you go and look up sons of anarchy on hulu, this is what the page says.

FX is no longer making episodes available for streaming.
We currently don't have the rights to make this show available on your TV or mobile devices — request to be notified if it becomes available in Hulu Plus.

the one in bold comes up on about half of the shows we watch, which means the only way to watch these shows would be on a little pc screen. or is it just showing that because i'm not currently subscribed to hulu plus?

Oh, I don't have Hulu, just thought that was the one you were leaning towards. I have and love Netflix, even though some months it never gets used, the months where I do use it, it's a binge and all evens out.

Honestly, I would choose Netflix over any other streaming service.

[toxsic]

Originally Posted by kallima

Oh, I don't have Hulu, just thought that was the one you were leaning towards. I have and love Netflix, even though some months it never gets used, the months where I do use it, it's a binge and all evens out.

Honestly, I would choose Netflix over any other streaming service.

So Netflix doesn't post new episodes for tv shows until a full month after the blu/dvd release, is that correct?

[djariya]

Originally Posted by toxsic

So Netflix doesn't post new episodes for tv shows until a full month after the blu/dvd release, is that correct?

Yes, Netflix is on a 1 season delay. They don't get the rights until it hits home video.

The only way to stream Covert Affairs, Suits, Sons of Anarchy and other basic cable shows the day after it airs on your TV is to buy the episodes a la carte from Amazon Instant. $3 for HD, $2 for SD.

If you commit to buying the entire season, they will normally give you a small discount like 10-15 cents off each episode.

If you watch a lot of TV, your looking at spending $35-45 per season depending on episode count.

Hulu has select cable shows, but they have delays ranging from 1 week to 30 days. And they are web only. And a lot aren't available.

Forgot to mention, Amazon Prime also streams select shows. It's $79 per year. They have the exclusive streaming rights to Suits, Covert Affairs, but on a 1 season delay. So Netflix won't get them.

Just so your not confused Amazon Prime is primarily for free shipping on Amazon.com. The streaming is just an added bonus. They give subscribers access to back catalogue shows, older movies.

Regarding Premium channels like Showtime, HBO etc. you need to be a subscriber to access their online streaming sites. Only HBO Go is on Roku and again you need to be a subscriber to access it.

[djariya]

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

Get netflix. Netflix carries most of those shows and adds new episodes about a month after the DVD release of said show. They have most in HD and is an insane bargain. They got about all the good shows besides HBO or SHowtime shows.
Try it free for a month . U won't b disappointed.

As he said, he wants to keep up with currently airing shows and new episodes. Netflix is on a 1 season, 1 year delay.

[kallima]

Originally Posted by toxsic

So Netflix doesn't post new episodes for tv shows until a full month after the blu/dvd release, is that correct?

Yep, what Djariya said. One month minimum. Netflix still doesn't have Fringe season 5 even though it's already been released to home video.

For what you want, it sounds like Hulu is the way to go since it has the shortest delay time with current seasons but unfortunately, Hulu doesn't offer all the shows that interest you.

Netflix only has 2 of the shows you listed (Sons of Anarchy and Conituum). Amazon Prime has all but Continuum and Defiance but again, with the latter two, you'll still have to deal with lengthy delays.

[3DinAK]

What do you pay for comcast?I pay like 130 for directv.