Poll: Which streaming service is your favorite?

Now that the presence of cable television has seemingly become obsolete in the modern American household, we need to find the answer to an almost decade old question: Which streaming service is the best?

NETFLIX

Starting off with perhaps the parent of on-demand streaming, Netflix was launched in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Originally, the company acted as a site for the rental and sales of DVDs which could be mailed to people’s homes, according to Netflix’s home page.

It wasn’t until 1999 that Netflix would introduce the subscription service many of us are familiar with today, offering members unlimited DVD rentals without the due dates, late fees or monthly rental limits that competitors included.

Over the years, Netflix has done away with DVD’s and has implemented useful features such as a personalized movie recommendation system, a skip intro button, top ten lists and Netflix’s own original series, movies and comedy specials.

The site currently has around 200 millions users and, according to Netflix, has brought its service to devices in more than 190 countries and can be watched in 21 languages around the world.

With numbers from streaming hub Reelgood, we can see that there are around 3,600 movies and 1,800 series available at a time, right at your fingertips. Netflix has a lot to offer subscribers, with a price ranging from $6.99 to $19.99 a month, depending on your plan.

Its standard plan has a price of $15.49 a month which subscribers can watch on two devices at a time and access Netflix’s entire film and television library without ads. With the ability to download content and all of the features it has to offer, the site delivers a pretty good deal.

MAX

Previously known as HBO Max, Max was announced as an entry into the world of streaming services by entertainment juggernaut WarnerMedia. Max serves as a home for movies, shows, and programs across WarnerMedia.

This parent company calls for work from a complicated number of channels like the Warner Bros. film studio, the HBO network and the Turner broadcasting system. The Turner system acts as an umbrella network that hosts channels like TNT, Boomerang, Adult Swim and even Cartoon Network.

Acting as a one-stop shop for anything WarnerMedia, Max has a lot to choose from when it comes to content, but it doesn’t offer as much original content as other services.

Max only offers a few choices for plans at $9.99 or $15.99 a month, the cheaper of the two having access to the site with ads. Depending on your love for all things WarnerMedia, this service might be the one for you.

HULU

Born in 2007, Hulu was bought as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal, only to eventually give full operational control to the Walt Disney Company along the way.

Hulu launched its streaming service Hulu Plus in 2010, bringing TV to consumers on multiple platforms and was the first of its competitors to create original content in Aug. 2011, with “A Day in the Life.”

The site created its own new features with ad-on networks like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and STARZ. In May 2017, Hulu introduced Live TV with live sports and award shows available.

With this site being a combination of live and on-demand TV, Hulu comes with a price tag of $14.99 a month, ad-free.

DISNEY+

Disney+ probably acts as the most simple of all the services with media powerhouse Walt Disney Company cultivating a site that holds Disney studio content in one place.

It acts as the sole home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and a few other materials.

According to Disney, its services are currently available in more than 150 nations across North America and Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

Depending on your plan, Disney+ can cost you up to $10.99 a month with no ads and the ability to download content. However, Disney did announce that beginning on Oct. 12 the price for the ad-free premium plan will rise to $13.99 a month.

All of these sites offer their own library of content and features, whatever franchise series or interfaces you prefer will determine whether or not you add these monthly subscriptions to your budget.