With the coronavirus leaving everyone in quarantine, people spending time watching and binging tv shows and movies have increased drastically. 

“My consumption of media has gone up by a crazy amount because of quarantine,” said Aryaman Arora (21’).

Netflix

In this age, Netflix is practically a household name. They provide a wide variety of shows, films, and original series that cater to all ages and genres. There are original Netflix shows exclusive to the streaming site which includes favorites like Bridgerton, Big Mouth, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and much more. 

They also provide a variety of international films and shows. Their basic plan costs $8.99, their standard plan costs $13.99, and their premium plan costs $17.99. 

“I like Netflix better than other streaming platforms because of the variety of TV shows and movies. It’s so easy to binge watch classic TV shows like Breaking Bad and also find entertaining movies for the whole family. I also like how multiple people can watch at the same time,” said Ritika Ghosh (‘23).

Hulu

Hulu offers more when it comes to current network TV programming. It’s a great alternative to Netflix as its starting plan is cheaper and they have their own originals as well like The Handmaid’s Tale. Though Hulu is cheaper than Netflix and HBO Max, the downside to Hulu is that viewers will see some ads if you are on their basic plan. 

The basic plan starts at $5.99, the basic plan with no ads is $11.99. They also have plans that feature live TV as well. 

“I use Hulu because it gives me good recommendations and has shows that Netflix doesn’t have,” said Hulu user Aryaveer Dua (‘23). 

HBO Max

HBO Max is a streaming platform from Warnermedia so essentially it provides all the contents from HBO, DC, and Warner Bros. They have the latest popular shows like Euphoria and Game of Thrones that can’t be streamed on other popular streaming services. HBO is perfect for movie lovers and binge watchers at the price of $14.99.

“They have different stuff compared to Netflix like more variety. They partner with DC, Adult Swim, Studio Ghibli, Cartoon Network, Looney Toons, and some other ones,” said HBO Max user Aryaman Arora (‘21).

Crunchyroll

It’s often difficult to find favorite animes all on a generic streaming service. However, Crunchyroll specifically provides just anime. It’s perfect for a consumer who binges anime rather than Hollywood productions. The monthly price starts at $7.99. 

“I can see my favorite shows when they come out. You can watch anime and korean anime,” said anime enthusiast Sam Wolf (‘21).

Prime Video

One of the biggest pros of Amazon Prime is that it features Prime Video. Prime video is overall pretty decent for what’s being paid; it has less variety and lesser quality compared to Netflix, but in return, there are benefits other than streaming movies and shows if you have an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Prime is $12.99 per month or if you just want Prime Video, it’s $8.99. 

“You have to pay for the subscription and also pay to watch the actual good movies on the platform, but it’s sometimes nice as it is also connected with Amazon’s other services,” said Prime member Adi Lankipalle (‘23).

Disney+

Many Disney fans were excited when Disney+ launched in November of 2019. Unlike other streaming services, it provides all the classic Disney TV shows and movies that many people at Amador grew up watching. They have all the cult favorite princess movies and childhood Gen-Z TV shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and Suite Life on Deck. They even have all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies! 

Each streaming service is different and works for different types of people. My personal favorite streaming service has to be Netflix as the experience is overall best for a high school student with interest in different genres.