That said, if you want to watch next-day airing of network TV shows from ABC, NBC, and Fox for one price, Hulu is a must. And its original shows are only getting. Before the Oscars start, there's still time to catch up on several nominees without leaving your home. Here's the nominees you can find on Netflix. 35 Ways To Watch Television for Free Without Cable Or Satellite. At my house, basic digital cable TV cost over $69 per month (plus taxes) and I watch maybe 10 or 15.

Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Amazon Prime: Streaming Showdown. The advent of mobile devices, set- top boxes and powerful game consoles has made online video- streaming services easier to access than ever before.

While the market for DVDs and Blu- ray discs is still going strong, instantly streaming the movie or TV show you want to watch beats a trip to the store and a high- price tag for a disc nine times out of 1. For one thing, you don't have to change out of your pajamas.) Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have established themselves as the three most popular subscription video- streaming services, with more than 1.

While programs like i. Tunes, M- Go and Amazon Instant Video (Amazon's non- Prime video streaming service) sell a la carte content, the big three services charge you a flat monthly (or yearly) rate for as much content as you care to consume. MORE: Best Streaming Video Services.

Subscribing to all three services, however, would cost at least $2. While each one of the services is worthwhile in its own right, each one also presents a slightly different value proposition. Watch Angelique, Marquise Des Anges Tube Free there.

The best service for legally streaming new and classic domestic and international TV programs, Hulu offers up some excellent films as well as a notably. Family Guy Streaming Free Online Episodes. Hulu unveils its Live TV service: Cord cutting app offers over 50 channels and an online DVR for $40 a month. Hulu is offering over 50 live TV channels for $40 a. While Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime are all worthwhile, each one presents a slightly different value proposition.

Netflix is the great- granddaddy of streaming services, providing a robust selection of movies and TV shows, although there's nothing too new. Hulu's selection, by comparison, is much smaller, but you can often find shows just a day after they air on broadcast TV. Amazon Prime is part of a much larger service that also nets you free shipping on Amazon products and a streaming- music library. Which one stands out above the crowd? Tom's Guide put all three services to the test to find out.

How We Tested. To test content selection, I compiled four lists of top 1. From Nielsen, an organization that monitors home media consumption, I examined 2. TV shows (excluding sports, news and reality genres) and the most popular movies (based on DVD/Blu- ray sales). From IMDb, I used the top 1. TV shows of all time.

Then, I tallied the availability of each movie on the service, as well as the number of seasons for each show (if available). Each service received four separate scores, one for each list, which were averaged to find out which service offered the most content that, in theory, people want to watch. The results firmly favor Netflix.

Netflix had 7. 0 percent of Nielsen's top 1. Hulu scored a similar 7.

Amazon Prime did not possess a single Nielsen top 1. Amazon Prime and Netflix traded blows in the IMDb shows: Netflix provided 4. Amazon Prime scored 3. Hulu scored only 1. No service did extremely well when it came to movies, either modern or classic. Netflix had only one of 2.

How to Train Your Dragon 2), while its competitors had two apiece (Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire). From the IMDb list, Netflix and Amazon Prime had one apiece (Pulp Fiction), whereas Hulu had none.

All told, Netflix provided 2. Amazon Prime came in at 1. Hulu at 1. 3 percent. While it may not provide exactly what you want to watch, from a general standpoint, Netflix stands head and shoulders above the competition. Content One of the most important, but most difficult, areas to measure is how much content a streaming service offers. If you're looking for raw numbers, Hulu told Tom's Guide that it has about 1. TV episodes and 5,3.

Amazon is currently investigating this number, while Netflix declined to provide numbers. Even so, raw amount of content is not generally a reliable metric; having hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows isn't worth much if they're not what you want to watch. Similarly, all three services have massive amounts of niche content and — if we're being totally honest — tons of titles that just aren't very good. If there's something in particular you want to watch, consult Can I Stream. It? This search engine trawls popular streaming services (both subscription and a la carte) and tells you where you can find your TV show or movie of choice. Each streaming service offers a cluster of original programming.

Jessica Jones' is a recent Netflix exclusive. Note, too, that each service offers a number of original shows, such as Daredevil on Netflix, Deadbeat on Hulu or Mozart in the Jungle on Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime's shows generally get the most critical acclaim, whereas Hulu's tend to get the least. Netflix's shows tend to be the most popular. Winner: Netflix. Although no one service can offer all content for all people, Netflix seems to have the most TV shows and movies that cater to the broadest selection of tastes.

Interface. All the content in the world won't do you any good if you don't have a way to track it down, which is why interface is so important. A good UI should be pretty, intuitive, snappy and put as little space as possible between you and what you want to watch. I tested each service on an i.

Pad, a Windows 1. TV (a Play. Station 4). No matter the platform, Netflix's interface is modern, minimal, and attractive. Netflix offers the most striking design, full of dark reds and grays. The search feature is also much better than its two competitors'.

Rather than entering a full phrase and searching one title at a time, the Netflix algorithm automatically suggests titles. I could also rate titles once I'd finished watching them, which means that the service gets quite apt at recommending new titles. Hulu's interface provided a moderately good experience, with large graphics to represent shows and movies against a white background with a few green flourishes. Searching for shows can be a bit of a pain, though. Hulu does not autocomplete search queries, and while it does recommend shows based on what you watch, there are no ratings. This means if you watch a show once and hate it, it will still factor into which shows Hulu thinks you should watch next.

Of the three programs, Amazon Prime easily has the weakest presentation. On set- top boxes and game consoles, the layout is gray and utilitarian.

Finding content is not easy, as the search tends to put a lot of Amazon content front- and- center, and make users dig around in sub- menus for something as simple as genres. Amazon Video's web interface is lousy with blocky layouts and outmoded side menus. The interface on a computer, however, is like trying to search for content on a late '9. The Amazon Prime video search works just the same as the rest of Amazon's site: plain white interface, orange text and lots of confusing side menus. It even separates out seasons of individual shows for maximum confusion.

Hulu Review & Rating PCMag. As the competition between streaming services gets hotter, Hulu is keeping pace, with its deep well of art- house and import films, and a strong selection of anime series and movies.

The company is also making new deals that promise an intriguing future for current shows and even live TV offerings, in addition to developing quality original content. Unfortunately, Hulu also delivers commercial interruptions and sometimes sub- HD quality video, as though we were still living in the world of broadcast television. Netflix remains our top pick for video streaming services, and Crunchyroll wins for anime- specific streaming, but Hulu is a valuable companion to either service. Features and Pricing.

If it's been a while since you considered a Hulu subscription, know that a lot has changed. Hulu Plus is no longer a thing, and gone is the free version, which offered a limited smattering of streaming options and only the most recent TV episodes. Now you need to fork over $7. You can, however, shell out $1. New since our last review, there's also the option to subscribe to Hulu's live TV offeringfor $3. You may be outraged to discover that even the "No Commercials" price tier still displays some ads, but to Hulu's credit, it explains that "A few shows play with a commercial before and after the video," right underneath the plan details.

When you click on Learn More, the popup explains that Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel's Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D., Scandal, New Girl, Grimm, and How To Get Away With Murder are currently bookended by commercials due to streaming rights. Plan name aside, Hulu is pretty transparent about the way this subscription works. The ads in the $7. Each ad is 3. 0 seconds long, and they are generally grouped in threes. The ads come at the same points as they do in broadcast television. Films run uninterrupted, with ads before the movie begins.

The ads can be a bit unpredictable, however; you may find that shows run with more or fewer ads, occasionally. Another issue to note is that Hulu's record with HD content is a little spotty. We were unable to confirm how many shows were available in HD, or what other restrictions might apply. Part of this issue is that many of Hulu's older shows are simply not available in a high- quality format. Netflix and even Crunchyroll are better at providing high- quality HD content.

A basic Netflix subscription costs $7. Hulu account, but Netflix doesn't have advertising on any of its content. Higher Netflix tiers let you stream in better- quality HD and on more devices simultaneously. Netflix also continues to offer its excellent disc- by- mail program for an additional fee, giving you access to more and often rarer films and TV series. Netflix is struggling to keep its service stocked with the latest films and shows, and so is Hulu, but deals with Fox, Disney, ESPN, Time Warner, and Turner Properties could give Hulu a decisive edge in the sports and entertainment space.

Recently, Hulu also reached an agreement with HBO and Cinemax, which lets users add on these channels to existing Hulu subscriptions for $1. These subscriptions are not yet available on Roku devices, Samsung TVs and Blu- ray players, or Macs and PCs via hulu. Where to Watch. Hulu has a capable, if cumbersome, Web interface. Netflix does a much better job presenting content, and we feel that Netflix's recommendation engine is more attuned to individual tastes. Hulu, however, has a social component with comments powered by Facebook. Regardless of where online comments are located, however, we recommend that viewers not read them. It's just not worth the heartache that inevitably ensues.

TV and movies are best viewed from the comfort of a couch on a big screen. Cord cutters can find apps for Hulu on a variety of streaming devices, from the Roku Premiere+ to the Apple TV. Some users may not want to spring for a standalone streaming device. For those people, Hulu apps can be found on game consoles and smart TVs.

Smaller, portable devices like the Google Chromecast Ultra and Amazon Fire TV Stick also work with Hulu, letting you take your favorite shows with you when you travel. You can also enjoy Hulu on your tablet or phone, with a Hulu i.

Phone app and a Hulu Android app. The experience on smartphones and tablets is superb, with smooth playback and crisp resolution. We experienced very few instances of video sputtering on any of the number of devices we used for testing. Previous glitches like blank screens and low volumes have thankfully been eliminated. Hulu now lets you download videos for offline viewing.

Netflix, Amazon Video, and i. Tunes all offer this feature as well. If you don't choose to download content beforehand, it's best to make sure that you're connected to a Wi- Fi network when streaming on your mobile device, unless you have an unlimited data plan. TV Shows, Movies, and Cult Classics.

From its inception, Hulu has been about TV shows, and that emphasis remains. The service offers hundreds of seasons and thousands of episodes from the major networks, including some premium cable networks, such as Showtime. Note that the CW recently pulled all its shows, and CBS has greatly curtailed its contributions. However, Fox recently started to pull shows from Netflix, including Futurama, while keeping content on Hulu. This makes perfect sense, given that 2. Century Fox is a minority owner in the service.

There's still enough good TV content that we're not downgrading its rating—yet. But if the trend continues, it will definitely be a problem for Hulu. The service offers many current TV shows, which appear on Hulu sometimes as little as a day after airing on traditional outlets. Hulu shares this day- after availability with Amazon and i. Tunes. Netflix, by comparison, only releases complete seasons, which is great for bingeing, especially when it comes to the service's original shows. It does mean that regular network seasons don't reach Netflix for as much as a year after the first episode is shown.

For some newer shows, only the most recent season or two is available on Hulu. If you're starting from scratch, you'll have to get the earlier parts from a competitor. Some very popular shows only offer the most recent few episodes, so it's important to stay current, or you'll have to go to a service like Amazon Video or i.

Tunes to buy the ones you missed.