Netflix Streaming Alternatives

39 thoughts on “Netflix Streaming Alternatives”

1. I am debating if I’ll keep my Netflix streaming account, I still like them for getting “new” movies but I don’t watch a lot via streaming on Netflix. So far I haven’t been overly impressed with the quality of movies/shows on Amazon but since it’s included in the Prime Membership I won’t complain. As for Crackle I really enjoy it on the iPad they have a good mix of shows. HBOGo also has good quality and I like all their show mix.

   It will be interesting to see how Netflix responds after all the backlash, personally I may go from 2 movies at a time to 1 movie at a time and that’d cost the same as I pay now.

2. Given HBO’s late start in this space, and my perception of them because of it, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with their offering. There’s movie content of course, but all episodes of perhaps all their original programming is where it shines and is quite generous. HBO on the set-top and HBO Go for $16/mo is a much better value to me than the new $16 plan Netflix pitched.

3. Coincidentally I got an email from Amazon that my 1 year of free Prime for being a student expired just yesterday and that I could renew for $39/year. The free year did not include instant videos but the $39 rate would. I was on the fence until the Netflix announcement, at which point it sounded rather reasonable to me so I paid up.

5. Agreed that Crackle is worth a look. I only wish they would bring a dedicated app/channel, vice browser based viewing, to the PS3. Amazon VoD as a feature of Amazon Prime, is a great deal for $79/year for folks like me that regularly purchase items from Amazon. However, they REALLY need to improve the UI. And while folks are down on Netflix, it might be a great time to offer Amazon Prime/VoD at a reduced price ($40 -$50?) for an annual subscription and push to expand to more devices/platforms.

6. You might want to look at Vudu’s streaming service as well.

7. I did mention Vudu in the article above. Not only do I possess the original Vudu device, I’ve accessed the newer versions of the service via a former PS3 and current Vizio television. However, I unloaded the PS3 and don’t care for the Vizio. And that’s why I find myself more frequently using Amazon VOD or Apple.

8. I only do streaming Netflix.

   That’s going down in price? Or did I read it wrong?

9. Streaming-only plans debuted in the US last fall at $7.99, which remain available and unchanged. However, most folks who choose to rent DVDs and access online video will see Netflix rate hikes. But that’s being discussed elsewhere… whereas this post specific to compelling or promising online streaming services other than Netflix.

10. Sorry, I skipped right over your mention of Vudu in the article. I really like their interface for exploring their content, and their $0.99 movie-of-the-day is worth keeping an eye on. I also love that they offer an option to adjust for overscan on your television (something Hulu desperately needs). It’s really my favorite of the paid streaming services right now. If you don’t have a PS3, I guess there aren’t a lot of good options for using it, though. I really wish they offered a Roku app.

11. Yah, I’ve mentioned Hulu’s overscan issues a few times. It’s better now, but I do like the ability to just on my own as Vudu provides. Some Blu-ray players offer Vudu. And while I’m done with Netflix streaming, I wonder if I need a Blu-ray player in the bedroom (and a disc-only plan) to replace a Roku. Hm.

12. I’m trying Hulu+ again (free week – $8 to keep).

    I’m still scratching my head about what I get. Regular hulu on my Mac Mini connected to my TV gets me pretty much what I want except that the interface is a web browser which really doesn’t work on TV.

    Hulu+ gets me what I want as far as interface (PS3 + I get iPad/iPhone for on-the-go viewing) but then most of what I want to watch says ‘web-only’.

    At this point I really like the idea of the better interface on my PS3 (would prefer it to be on my AppleTV) but I don’t want to pay $8/month for an interface that tells me: Web Only.

    Sometime next week my deal with the cable company will be over and I’ll return their box and go locals only for $25. I don’t have an easy way of putting up an antenna where I live. If I weren’t to give the box back my basic cable bill (well, what we all consider ‘basic cable’ – locals + the regular cable channels, no extra tiers, no premiums) would be $85 (cable + DVR + HD fees) which is just stupid.

    If ‘basic cable’ were under $50 (all equipment included) I’d just stick with cable because it’s far more convenient than streaming.

    I’m going with locals-only mainly for local news/weather.

13. I tried Crackle out last night. On the iPad I was impressed, though I wish I could just hide all programming for which they lacked full episodes. There were quite a few mirages. Given there is no free Hulu Basic app on the iPad, Crackle has a niche wide open to it.

    Hearing it is owned by Sony, I tried it on out on my PS3. I had my doubts when I heard it ran in the PS3 browser, which is, well, just dreadful. In my opinion, Vudu and Netflix work wonderfully on the PS3. Alas, my doubts were justified. It…was…awful. The web page looks like a thumbnail and it was very hard to read on 46″ screen; I had to find it on a computer and move to that same position on the ‘thumbnail’ on thr tv. UI aside, the quality was equally awful. Just awful. Sony should release a native app for PS3 if they want people to use it…on the PS3 browser, it is little more than a proof of concept, proof positive that the PS3 browser shouldn’t be used for streaming, that is.

14. Crackle’s quality is its downside. Perhaps, I tried some bad movies, but it looked pretty bad when blown-up to full-screen on iPad 2.

    VUDU is a really great service with, arguably, the best streaming quality (HDX tier). Like Dave, I actually own two standalone boxes from back in the day, but now also get it on Boxee Box and PS3. They have 99-cent and $2-2 nights promos and in the last couple of weeks they had 5-cent rentals which was pretty great (like most services, you can pre-pay and not start a movie right away, so it’s easy to take advantage of specials/promos).

15. First, canceling Netflix is pure insanity. There are no other services with the same value. Even at the increased price for DVD’s, and who still watches DVD.. No body I know rents DVD anymore, they all stream. And the price of streaming did not increase at all. Second, there are companies likes WhiteHatt that are changing the dynamic of this market. Cable and Satellite are as reported, on life support.

16. On life support? That’s funny. The cable/sat industry churn is still relatively low and these companies are raking in BILLIONS. Is there a transition underway? Absolutely. But those very same cable and satellite companies have the studio relationships and are taking their content mobile. As far as companies like Whitehatt, they are stealing content and will be crushed as soon as or if they gain any critical mass. Hopefully you don’t represent them.

17. “But those very same cable and satellite companies have the studio relationships and are taking their content mobile.”

    Not to mention that they deliver the IP connection as well…

18. I too tend to live a High Tech bubbleverse and play a lot with streaming etc. But unlike many of my geek buds, my eyes are wide open for what is happening in the real universe. Streaming is definitely a real market now, but Cable/Satellite are far from being on the ropes. Combined with a DVR, it is still by far the easiest solution with quite good quality (720p/1080i) and you never have to worry about loss packets, routers and assorted nonsense. And while far from the cheapest solution, Cable/Satellite still has local monopolies and incredible ‘local’ (house to station) bandwidth for really reliable VOIP (packets never hit the open internet like Vonage or Skype) and there are tons of growth for things like VOD over IP. I personally find Cable way more reliable than anything streamed, and only Vudu delivers better quality. Regular people are still jumping on Triple Play deals like crazy and getting great value that way with a lot less work. Cord cutting is actually really hard work and won’t appeal to most people for a long time to come. I totally understand the cord cutters and the potential to save a bundle though you need to factor in hardware costs and your time, but as Monty Python might have said about the Cable industry, “I’m not Dead yet!” Far from it.

    As to DVD and physical discs, yes Blockbuster IS truly dead. Maybe this Netflix fiasco will save it, but nah. But I will continue to use Netflix for BD discs only (in a downgraded plan) because still nothing beats Blu Ray for quality. Most HD streaming can’t touch BD (Vudu is not typical of “HD streams”). And also nothing can touch the selection of movies/shows in Disc. I am completing True Blood Season 3 in BD right now. No one is streaming that for less/same money at 1080p than I am paying for the BDs. (I find iTunes streaming to be VERY pricey. Amazon however has real potential here).

    Finally, I believe RedBox has given the disc new life. As a Techie, I haven’t used RedBox— it is “Normal people” I see flocking to it. They LOVE $1 rentals and it works with their existing equipment and doesn’t require them to learn ANYthing new! What’s NOT to love about that? And my grocery store w/ RedBox is just around the block! Convenient AND cheaper than streaming. DVD: “I’m not Dead yet!”

19. @Dave — not that I agree with FrankJ on his main point, but I thought WhiteHatt hasn’t even launched yet? Do you have some inside scoop on how it’s all supposed to work?

20. Perhaps I’ve misread their materials. It looked similar to some remote, hosted solutions that essentially retransmit without retransmission rights (like ivi.tv). However, upon closer inspection, it looks more like a Sezmi-esque solution and/or hardware with aggregated online content similar to some unofficial Roku channels (without the owners knowledge or permission). So I stand possibly or partially corrected on the swiping point. :)

    Yet, Sezmi hasn’t done very well thus far and changed course in some respects. TiVo’s well positioned to go after the cord cutters, given their name recognition and broadband features – save some cash by dumping CableCARD and cut the monthly fee in half. But TiVo won’t do that. I’m kinda counting on Boxee to introduce a tuner and DVR capabilities. But they’re still obscure unless you read Engadget.

21. Vudu is fabulous – outstanding video and sound quality, reliability, friendly interface (much better recently). For new movie releases it’s my go-to solution, and i’ve got everything imaginable available (least favourite by a VERY long way is iTunes). Don’t know why Vudu doesn’t get more attention – it’s in more TVs and devices than people realise, also PS3 and on PC via Boxee (only SD though). For us, Netflix streaming is really for our kids – back series of Dora etc. Never watch the 2 discs we have from Netflix sitting on our bluray player. Netflix’s move comes at a strange time – up to now it’s been both for the price of one, now it’s a choice of either streaming or discs. I’ve been on the fence for a while but have chosen Netflix over other pay streaming libraries like (for example) Hulu plus. For many, and perhaps me, the answer to the Netflix either or choice now is going to be “neither”, because there are better alternatives to both and Netflix’ only real advantage to date has been that two for one pricing model.

22. Had Tivo, so already buying Amazon Instant Video downloads.

    Already had Amazon Prime, streaming is just icing on the cake.

    My new Blu-ray player streams Amazon videos just fine (Prime videos + what I’ve already purchased)

    Already using Redbox as well – so while I’ve had Netflix I never thought it was worth the price I paid.

    I have the feeling my next set-top box will be a media center computer – I’ll be able to play on my TV everything from OTA to torrents.

23. Just a minor point about something @streampunk said — Vudu can be viewed in SD/HD/HDX on all devices except computers where it’s SD only (due to imagined security risks). They are owned by Wal-Mart but, unlike many other start-up acquisitions, it’s only gotten better (the main change WM made was removal of “adult” section).

    @Dave – WhiteHatt is kind of vaporware-ish. I think, it’s a skinned Linux-based system that will have a Blu-Ray player, two-tuner DVR (2TD HDD; probably, OTA-only, but no info), and an interface to deal with online video. I’d guess, playback of user media as well. Not really going to get my hopes up. Even a popular VC-backed company like Boxee is innovating slowly.

24. @ DaveZatz I’m not sure I’ve read this right…

    “Perhaps I’ve misread their materials. It looked similar to some remote, hosted solutions that essentially retransmit without re-transmission rights (like ivi.tv). However, upon closer inspection, it looks more like a Sezmi-esque solution and/or hardware with aggregated online content similar to some unofficial Roku channels (without the owners knowledge or permission). So I stand possibly or partially corrected on the swiping point.”

    I just read 50 pages of the Wh website and I didn’t see anything mentioned that puts them with Sezmi or anyone else. Perhaps you should take the time and read the site properly, (and understand the value prop) that is if you want your comments to hold any legitimacy. You should pay special attention to the 10 page section that breaks down the comparison between every machine on the market and explains all the differences with each. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but don’t misrepresent the information because your to lazy to read it all. Never Assume dave, it makes you an ass. All the best.

25. What I’ve not seen any discussion about is the search or finding of content. I come from the position of a technology-laggard. It’s necessary in my house where I type my wife’s emails and the 3 kids are all under 10-years old. We have a TiVo S2, an S3, and Roku, all connected to analog cable. Go ahead, roll your eyes. It drives me nuts too.

    From the many comments about Netflix’s pricing change, it is interesting to see the many, many different customer careabouts for streaming and content. You’ve got Jon above who “lives in a high tech bubbleverse”. There are other people just happy with NetFlix’s catalog streaming anime, cartoons, and older content. Then there’s the group who must have 1080p or bust. My family, on the other hand, wouldn’t know the difference between Blu-ray and Betamax.

    For lots of the mid-range population (the 80% in the middle), they are just not going to go to look on a Hulu interface, then Crackle, then Vudu, then Amazon. It’s got to be as simple as remote-control, 10 foot channel surfing to find content.

    And that means some sort of learning, adaptive universal search. I’d love to see a “channel” (on all devices) that was nothing but a universal interface. It would not only have a search engine, but also recommendations based on past use (ala Netflix). And the search should (optionally) include Redbox inventory.

26. @DaveZatz @ Ivan Y @JohnPaul

    Took at look at the site your chatting about. I’m not sure what you all are looking at. I don’t see anything about Linux being used, it looks like Windows, in addition, in case your not up to speed. Blu-ray will not work on a Linux based system., which makes Linux impossible. (Despite popular belief to the contrary, only unlicensed Blu-ray will run on Linux) So your comment is inaccurate, I think I agree with John Paul that you all haven’t read the site and are sitting here chatting about it like you are on the development team at the company. Perhaps you work at Boxee’s online marketing department and are trying to knock the WH product down… hahaha

27. John Paul,

    Actually, I did re-read the site after Ivan’s comment and it sounds like Sezmi – a hybrid OTA DVR supplemented by online content, which may or may not be theirs for the taking, plus Blu-ray and the ability to offload. If/when Boxee releases OTA/DVR functionality, as they’ve alluded to, it’d sound like them as well – again minus the BRD but plus the iPad app. Many are going down this path, with some variation, but few have found success and this product doesn’t seem to exist in the market. Also, I’ll add that Whitehatt’s description of Sezmi is outdated and incorrect in a few ways.

    I owned up to misreading Whitehatt as Ivi. However, in regards to legitimacy and asses, if you don’t like the nature of my commentary or appreciate the forum I provide, you know where the door is.

    Update… “Frank J” “John Paul” and “H Ray” are posting from the same exact Florida IP address. And I don’t take kindly to crap like that. So there goes his “legitimacy” argument. ;) Coincidentally, or not, Whitehatt is based in Florida.

28. Oh, noes, ZNF is being astroturfed! That happens what, monthly, Dave? ;)

    At least, you know I’m real :) And, for the record, Linux supposition was taken from an AVS thread I looked at after reading comments here. Astroturfers/PR people @ WH mustn’t be doing a good enough job as I haven’t heard about the device previously, so had to go look it up.

    Getting back on track, I liked George’s comment. Even for techies, it’s annoying to keep up with which site/service offers what. I guess, there’s some progress in this area, but not much. TiVo’s HD UI points out Netflix & Amazon episodes; Boxee pulls in Vudu episodes in addition to local copies (don’t think it does Netflix); think there are some online sites that try to compile everything but can’t remember their names.

29. Yes, George’s comment is an important reminder. And why folks are fighting for “input one” – currently and predominantly controlled by the cable and satellite companies. And one of the things that makes TiVo interesting as they offer some over-the-top services and a universal search of both broadcast and (some) online content. There’s work to be done, but that’s what civilians want – whether they know it or not. Conversely, it’s also why some don’t graviate towards TiVo (for now). There’s a ton of freely available “on demand” content via the cable providers – especially the children’s programming which many are after.

    As far as astroturfing, spam, and trolls, well it comes with the territory. Some are more subtle and insidious than others, but this dude blew it with his third comment on an obscure, unlaunched product. Should have quit while he was ahead. The Whitehatt link has been removed and all new comments from that IP now sit in purgatory until I ever decide to approve them. He may or may not represent the company, but the antics are not appreciated regardless. He could try commenting from another location, but there’s probably easier targets to hit. As I do my best to keep the comment area a stimulating yet safe environment… and I enjoy wielding the spam hammer.

30. Dave, thanks for nice summary and especially the info on Crackle. I tried it last night on my iPad. I watched Episode #1 of All in the Family, and if there were ads I didn’t notice them.

    I think that I could exhaust all of Crackle’s content that interests me very quickly, but Crackle does seem to have potential if they can beef up their content.

31. “TiVo’s well positioned to go after the cord cutters, given their name recognition and broadband features – save some cash by dumping CableCARD and cut the monthly fee in half. But TiVo won’t do that.”

    The market isn’t big enough yet to justify the customer confusion it’d cost them, even if they had a more nimble product development schedule. (I know there would be no genuine confusion, but it’d disturb the TiVo = Multicast + OTT brand they’re trying to build. And that would cause some amount of real PR / brand confusion.)

    Check back sometime between 3 and 30 years when multicast starts to genuinely slip in relevance, and then I can well imagine TiVo doing that.

32. “this dude blew it with his third comment on an obscure, unlaunched product”

    I’d argue he blew it by not being polite. If he refrained from rudeness, you’d have been less likely to go looking at IP addresses…

33. Dave–you said “if Amazon . . . updates the TiVo app to support streaming.”

    Is it really possible that my TiVo HD (not premiere) may someday get the Amazon Prime Instant Video that I already pay for?

    Thanks!

34. First, given the apparent abandonment of the Netflix app (compared to all other Netflix apps), I’m not sure we can count on TiVo or their partners for timely updates. But, given that Netflix streaming (versus current Amazon downloading), I’d say the S3/HD platform is technically capable. If or when Amazon Instant happens is anyone’s guess and I suspect most development work is reserved for the Premiere platform.

35. The Netflix app is indeed the same for the Premiere and the older S3 machines.

    So if it is updated (don’t hold your breath) it should work the same no matter the machine.

    Don’t know if the above applies to the Amazon app.

36. Man, there’s a lot of threads here…

    1) Like others I’m using a LOT of different services now. I like Crackle on the iPad. I have Tivo’s with Tivo to Go set up on my Desktop computer. I run Air Video so I can watch anything from my computer on the go without having to sync. I have Apple TV’s in both rooms. I sometimes use Amazon Video On Demand thru the Tivos. I have a couple of SlingBox’s and iOS clients too. I have HBO Go. I have the Comcast Xfinity app on my iOS devices and can use it on my laptop. I sometimes access Hulu on my laptop. I’m really not wanting for sources of material in general given the limited number of hours I’ve got to watch TV these days. I’ve even recently added a Roku to our living room setup so we can watch the Sesame Street stuff they added recently. Oh, and my latest laptop supports WiDi so I can watch things like Hulu on my TV if I want without paying for Hulu Plus. Jeez, even listing it all is exhausting.

    2) Like most people I still watch more cable than anything else. Anybody who says cable is in its ‘death throws’ is uninformed. Sure cord cutters will eventually impact these guys, but so far they’re barely aware of the impact.

    3) Despite all these services my wife really doesn’t use any of them. She just watches what’s on cable and can use the Tivos. Everything else she only uses when I’m there initiating it.

    When we do watch something other than cable though, the go to service is iTunes. Yes I have Vudu access in both rooms, in one via a Samsung TV app, in another via a blu-ray player that I never use. Tried it a few times, but really just can’t be bothered. As far as I’m concerned the iTunes 720p content is just fine quality wise and they have more of what I’m looking for. Plus of course I think Walmart is a bad thing, so not inclined to support them.

    Like others what I really need is to get rid of some of these boxes. If Tivo for example added Amazon Prime streaming I’d probably never turn the Roku on again. And even with a reasonably recent TV in the living room I’ve only got 3 HDMI inputs on it, which means I’ll probably have to get a switcher soon. At the moment there are a couple of devices that aren’t even connected…

37. Does anyone recall all the Blockbuster bashing that would always happen? It looks like quite a few people are ready to jump from Red to Blue ships (or, stream from Red and rent from Blue) — http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3111254

    (Basically, BB came out with two promo offers for Netflix customers; offers include game rentals as well, but – as Dave had pointed out – there’s a delay in availability of games).

38. Yeah, Blockbuster, err DISH Network, has sent out at least two press blasts targeting Netflix defectors. But I obviously didn’t cover it – some of the value they’re pushing doesn’t apply to folks without a nearby brick & mortar outlet. And all of mine have been shuttered. Also, Blockbuster’s base plan is more expensive than Netflix’s. Granted, you get (delayed) games and Blu-ray without any sort of surcharge.

39. Has anyone looked into the DirecTV Cinema yet? I am currently a Directv subscriber but have yet to look into the Directv option yet. (I do not have it connected to the internet yet). They claim over 6K shows and movies “at no extra charge”. Whats your opinion on that?

40. It will be interesting to see how Netflix responds after all the backlash, personally I may go from 2 movies at a time to 1 movie at a time and that’d cost the same as I pay now.

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