There truly is no preferred pastime like watching TV. Whether it be snuggling up with a loved one for a romantic comedy or just chilling with your friends to hopefully catch some laugh during a standup act, there is no shortage of options available today. This is especially true when you factor in today’s streaming options.

 

Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu are just a few that most families immediately think about. With these 3 heavy hitters alone, it would probably take several lifetimes to watch every second of available content.

 

On top of this, there are even tons of other streaming options that offer just as much. How could one possibly choose? Despite the available content, most of these streaming services are fairly affordable, so it is probably no surprise that most families are subscribed to two or three.

 

That certainly is one strategy to ensure you are fully apprised of everything available. That said, you likely don’t have the time to watch it all. How can one ensure they are truly taking the best advantage of what’s available to them? Simply put, even if you could afford them all, you could never watch everything offered. How do you ensure you and your family get the most?

 

Amazon Prime

 

With more and more people working from home, the first mention here must be Amazon. Now, just because you are working from home, it doesn’t mean Amazon will benefit your family the most. However, if you are ordering from Amazon regularly enough, it might be worth the purchase just to take advantage of the other benefits that come along with the membership.

In addition to gaining access to thousands of hours of streaming content, you’ll also get free two-day shipping and potential access to become a Prime member.

 

It’s also at least worth mentioning that Amazon is one of the oldest online retailers and has been offering streaming services for nearly 13 years. No business could stay afloat this long without offering a worthwhile service.

 

While there are plenty of diverse streaming options for adults and older teens, there are also lots of parental controls. Everything is rated accordingly and owners will have the option of restricting content based on these ratings. Administrators of the account can even go a step further and add a required PIN to online purchases. Ensure you never unwittingly end up with a front door stoop loaded with drones, video games, or action figures.

 

By curating your family’s personal preferences, you’ll be able to customize family stream nights while also making the event easier and more enjoyable than ever. The attached YouTube streaming option offers even more streaming possibilities for all viewers. Kids and younger viewers, however, reportedly get the most from these offerings. Either way, they are there and fully available for the taking!

 

There are several cheaper packages available, but the $12.99 a month, which includes the upgrade to a Prime member, is truly the most sensible way to go, especially if you are an online shopaholic. Some of the more mentionable series viewers will have access to are: Bosch, The Marvelous Miss Maisel, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Fleabag, Vikings, Good Omens, Mr. Robot, Carnival Row, The Night Manager, The Man In The High Castle, The Tick, Hanna, Justified, The Invincible, and this is not even the tip of the streaming empire.

 

Netflix

 

As a Netflix member, it’ll become easier than ever to understand why they are easily one of the top providers in the United States. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best for your family, but even one month would be fruitful for most. Does anything other than Stranger Things need to be said? That’s an exclusive Netflix series and alone more than justifies the monthly purchase.

 

You’ve probably seen a lot in the news as of late about the company dropping employees and losing stock, but everyone is hurting a little bit these days. In its defense, the negative press hasn’t seemed to touch the quality of streaming and diverse viewing options. If anything, it has sparked newfound inspiration in the company.

 

In 2021, the vaunted streaming service claimed the honor of seven Academy Awards! The service’s ability to keep things fresh and exciting is always one step ahead. Enrolled members will tell you this plainly, as the service just recently added a host of useful features. And these are features the users actually use to make their streaming experience more robust. Features like Play Something, Downloads For You, and the revamped Kids Profiles were extremely popular.

 

Families especially enjoyed and took advantage of the Play Something feature, which is kind of like a blind spin based on your previous viewing preferences. It’ll randomly spit out shows, movies, and other streaming offers that might interest you based on your previously viewed content. If you are stumped for something to watch, this is a nice and interesting way to shake things up.

 

The Download For You is much handier when you regularly find yourself out of service areas. This feature automatically downloads potential shows, movies, and services that you might enjoy. It downloads them directly to your mobile, giving users even easier and quicker viewing when they are away.

 

The revamped Kids Profile should be obvious, as it just added a whole slew of new unique customizing features for kids to take advantage of. The enhanced options were designed and offered to keep kids enthralled while also better-helping parents keep watch over the kid’s viewing proclivities. There has been mention of an N-Plus feature in the near future that will allow users to create individualized playlists for any mood of the week. These lists will also be completely available to share with others. Viewers can also search other consumers’ lists for viewing suggestions.

 

With packages starting at just $6.99 and the guarantee of at least one new movie every week, it is more than easy to justify the purchase.

Don’t forget to check out Netflix Movie Streaming 2023, which is just around the corner. Unfortunately, the basic plan won’t offer as far as avoiding ads. The $6.99 price may sound tempting but the ads may be too much to tolerate for hardcore streamers.

Hulu

 

Just like Netflix and Amazon, Hulu offers a quality subscription-based streaming service with a whole host of original content that you will only find through them. Hulu’s most noted contribution to the streaming universe is its ability to keep users in tune with what’s currently playing on cable networks. If your biggest fear of cutting the cord is losing access to your favorite shows and movies, Hulu could very well offer the necessities you need.

 

They’ll ensure you never miss out on a second of your favorite shows and viewing pleasures. Along with their long list of originals and available streaming options, users can enjoy content from Roku boxes, gaming consoles, Apple TVs, tablets, web browsers, and mobile devices, as well as many others.

 

You ask any current subscriber to list their biggest complaints and you’ll likely no doubt see the streaming of commercials on most people’s top 5 lists. That’s right; unfortunately, Hulu will sneak commercials in the middle of your streams when and where they can. You can, however, spend a bit more, upgrade your subscription, and get the commercial eliminated.

 

It’s easy to understand the need to advertise and market, but this tactic seems a bit underhanded to many. Nonetheless, Hulu offers a quality streaming service with many viewing features and customizations as well as a huge selection of original and non-original content. The provider even offers a package that includes live TV access. Although this subscription can total nearly $60.99 a month, it might be a cheaper alternative for some of today’s streaming families.

 

Apple TV Plus

 

You better believe that anything Apple puts its name on is going to bring it. The company’s contribution to the personal computer revolution of the 80s was iconic at the time with their sleek Mac PCs. Still popular machines today, they have nonetheless contributed greatly to the music industry in the 2000s with iPods and iTunes. They completely jump-started the mobile industry with the iPhone, and this is not to even mention what they accomplished in the world of fashionable tech wearable devices.

 

Now, they have the chance to forever change the streaming industry and it’s no big surprise that what they have already done is nothing short of remarkable. That said, a lot of people get confused when it comes to talking about Apple TV Plus and this is because they’ve already released what’s become known as Apple TV. So, what’s the difference, and why just throw a plus on the end of a title and pawn it off as something entirely different?

 

It actually is something entirely different, as the Apple TV Plus takes a whole different approach to streaming today. First off, Apple TV Plus doesn’t require any additional hardware, unlike the original Apple TV. While the service does claim to be commercial-free, it does advertise add-on streaming options within the platform. To many, these are just as good as commercials.

 

The real genius theory behind Apple Plus is that it gives viewers a single place to set up and build and organize all their steaming proclivities, eliminating the need to keep track of multiple accounts, usernames, passwords, and fees. In the most simple of explanations, it’s a subscriber-based service just like another of the other mentionable services with access to Apple Originals series and films. Simple enough, right?

 

Well, here’s the real kicker with Apple Plus, and this is a huge deal breaker for most. They typically focus on originals. Viewers won’t have access to the new, biggest big-budget blockbusters. They also won’t have access to their most cherished classics. This may very change in the future because it is said this original dedication is causing them to hemorrhage money, and it’s easy to conclude how that could be the case.

 

The service does have some undeniably intriguing originals like Ted Lasso, For All Mankind, Severance, The Afterparty, and their hit Morning Show, but if current content is your family’s thing, Apple Plus just might not be for you.

Learn more by visiting each streaming service. Do not forget to conduct a comparison to see which is offering the best deal.