Never before has it been so easy to choose the content we consume on our screens. Nowadays, sitting down to watch a movie is just a matter of opening your favorite streaming app on your smart TV or mobile device, if you’re not at home However, while the process is now easier, it has also become more confusing with the abundance of streaming service options currently available. With so many options for content, features at varying price points , one might not even know where to start. A good place to start is focusing on those services that generate their own original content. Below we try and give an easy to digest breakdown of the most popular streaming services that have their own original content available .
Disney +
Disney + freatures most of of Disney’s massive catalog of media properties, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic and packs them all into a full-featured streaming service. In addition to classic Disney content, you can also watch originals like Encore !, High School Musical, Prop Culture, and more.
Disney is the best example of the original content as they have a long history of creating their own films and tv shows and have also acquired many other famous intellectual properties such as STAR WARS and the MARVEL comics universe. Original productions include almost all of the available content that is steamtable via their service including Loki, The Mandalorian , Monsters at Work, and Timmy Failure.
Though not the cheapest streaming service it is a must have for families or anyone looking for family friendly content.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video offers access to your video content in two ways: A standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription or included as part of a Amazon Prime subscription. An Amazon Video subscription only includes access to the Amazon streaming library, while an Amazon Prime account includes Prime Video content and a ton of other shipping and shopping benefits.
In recent years, Amazon has increased the amount of self produced high-quality original shows, such as Bosch, Catastrophe, Fleabag, Hunters, Tales From The Loop, The Man in the High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Patriot, The Boys, The Expanse, The Grand Tour, Undone and Upload to name a few . Since many other streaming services use AMAZON’s cloud services it is careful not to grow its streaming service to much as to eat away market share from some of its biggest clients, NETFLIX being one of them.
Many of these shows are great and on par with Netflix’s offerings, although the latter has a much deeper library of content and will most likely stay that way due to the business relationship between the two companies. Prime Video also features the best shows from other networks, though you can add additional Channel subscription to your account for full access to the HBO, Starz, Showtime, CBS All Access, and Cinemax libraries., for an additional cost of course.
Amazon’s video library also includes many popular movies at no additional cost. Users also have the option to buy or rent movies and TV shows, similar to Apple’s iTunes, Google’s Play Movies and TV shows, and the Movies and TV section of the Microsoft store
Prime Video supports 4K and HDR, as well as downloads for offline viewing. The Amazon streaming service is unique as AMAZON also has its own streaming devices ( FIRETV , Firestick ) but like the rest of the streaming services works on a web browser, as well as on Android and iOS devices, Fire devices (TV, TV Cube, TV Stick, smartphones and tablets), game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox and Wii), smart TVs and conventional televisions.
Netflix
Netflix has set the standard for streaming content. Despite losing many of the shows it once licensed from networks who have chosen to create their own streaming services it still boasts an impressive selection of movies and series , with new titles replacing older ones on a monthly basis. We also have Netflix’s ever-growing library of original programming, which still outperforms any other competitor .
Netflix’s impressive catalog iof original content includes shows like Altered Carbon, Black Mirror, Bojack Horseman, Dead to Me, Mindhunters, Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll, Stranger Things, The Crown, The OA, The Umbrella Academy, The Witcher, and Unbelievable.
In addition to its original films, such as El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and The Irishman, Netflix also currently offers some of the highest quality movies of any streaming service, matching those of its competitors such as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO.
Hulu
HULU continues to impress as one of the best all-in-one options for cord cutters, given its diverse set of streaming options. In addition to a strong library of classic shows and a good selection of movies, HULU offers a great live TV option (60+ channels of news, sports and entertainment programming)
HULU remains focused on having its own identity than that of rival NETFLIX , deciding to its mix of live TV and maintaining deals with partners such as FX that allows them to premiere new seasons of original shows on Hulu, in addition to having seasons of current and past shows to the platform.
HBOMAX
HBOMAX is HBO’s standalone streaming service available for anyone to subscribe to on a monthly basis . Most cable users with an HBO subscription could get HBOMAX for free at launch. If you are a paid HBO subscriber, you can easily use HBOMAX for free. Otherwise, you can get Max without the need for a cable subscription.
HBOMAX included 10,000 hours of premium content at its launch, including the entire HBO service, past and present TV titles and movies from Warner Bros., the DC Expanded Universe, and a host of new Max Originals. If you love HBO’s premium content like from Curb Your Enthusiasm to Game of Thrones then it should definitely be considered as a service to have .
HBO MAX also features original content from creators like JJ Abrams, Studio Ghibli, Greg Berlanti, and more. HBOMax will also exclusively release Zack Snyder’s Justice League, known as the Synder Cut, during 2021.
SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME has brought all of its original content from not just its broadcast days but also has pulled their original content from other streaming services and now all of their original series like Dexter, Vice , Billions and the rest of its strong lineup . Like HBO and other once premium cable only channels SHOWTIME has levered decades of original content into a ready to stream on demand platform that can match any of the newest streaming players.
PARAMOUNT+
PARAMOUNT+ is a new streaming service that leverages all of the films from Paramount Pictures as well as thousands of episodes of your favorite shows on any device. Paramount+ includes on-demand and live content from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and other popular networks. In short Paramount’s plus original content is anything and everything under the Paramount Pictures company its also a great family friendly services that kids love aside from great Nickelodeon shows such as Dora the Explorer , Nella the Princess Knight and Paw Patrol it also has great family films like Clifford The Big Red Dog, Sonic the Hedgehog and Rugrats the movie.
DISCOVERY+
Discovery Plus offers 50-Plus Original Series available on networks like Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, A&E, History and Lifetime that’s allot of original content that’s not available any where else. The service launches with 150 hours of exclusive content and plans to add thousands of hours of original programming to add to yearly.
AppleTV +
Like other streaming services AppleTV + offers original content with Apple having invested millions to lure talents such as Oprah Winfrey, Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston, Chris Evans, Reese Witherspoon, and Jason Momoa for shows like The Morning Show, Servant, Dickinson, and For All Mankind
AppleTV + ‘s first big win came with Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s anthology series Little America, chronicling what it’s like to be an immigrant in America
The best service will depend on what and how you want to see it. If you are looking for original content and movies, Netflix could be your best option, while if you are looking for recently broadcast TV series you will probably prefer Hulu, in addition to the live television service of this platform. Given the recent additions to the streaming landscapes In the end, the best option might be to mix and match a few services to achieve the best result that is most suitable for your needs.
