Forest bathing is the best thing you can do in your down time (the Japanese do it, it’s a thing!) but if not nature then a good nature show on Netflix, Amazon or… ? Where to choose?
The technological advancements influence us. Why do they have such a great pull on us? Our smartphone is a treasure we can’t lose. Binge-watching your favorite TV series is a popular sport. How did we get here? We get the answer to all these questions from psychology. The reason why we are drawn to tech is that they provide easy ways to meet our psychological needs. These needs are autonomy, relatedness, and competence. This is why we relate to the Chandlers, Sheldon Coopers, and Michael Scotts.
How did we get here?
The days of cable TV with a limited set of channels playing selected shows at a particular time are long gone. In the US, there is a growing trend of streaming TV services like Amazon Prime and Hulu and people are cutting cords. People follow preferred content wherever it goes regardless of the cable service provider or platform. A few years back, the geographical boundaries locked us with single service providers. We could only be serviced with content from a single cable company with limited choices.
Various cable companies used to lure us into buying their services by giving limited offers bundle. On top of that, we have to pay rent for the equipment, broadcast fees, other surcharges, and taxes for the basic cable TV service. Then there were contracts and cancellation fees to intensify our misery. The cost associated and a limited choice compelled us to move to cheaper and better avenues of entertainment. Thus Netflix and co. came into existence.
Now that streaming is all the rage, many stakeholders have jumped into the bandwagon. So any company that owns the right to some content that people want to watch, launches its service. Netflix started this trend and now we have services like Amazon Prime and Hulu.
Netflix is leading the race. Period!
Netflix originally started as a DVD rental service. Now, it is the most dominant streaming service in the market due to multiple reasons. It is a storehouse of content and includes movies, documentaries, and TV series from every genre.
Secondly, customers have to pay a flat monthly fee for endless entertainment and streaming. However, the main reason why it’s so popular is that it offers series producers and showrunners a contract to create an entire season. The producers are given a creative leeway to make content without any notes from Netflix. Therefore, the shows on Netflix are so diverse and many critically acclaimed TV shows came out of it instead of the established networks. Shows like “The Crown”, “Black Mirror”, “House of Cards”, and “Orange Is the New Black” created a separate fan base. The original content mixed with shows/content from the past makes it very successful. Netflix subscription currently ranges from $9 to $17 and entirely depends upon the video quality you want to get.
Amazon Prime is winning us by its numbers!
Amazon Prime is probably the only streaming service with a cost that gets you shipping included in the package. They flex tons of movies to choose from and are in the original programming game. Amazon Prime has a library of more than 14,000 movies and 2300 TV series. Amazon has played very smartly and offers Prime Members additional perks. Amazon announced that all the Prime members will get free Amazon Fresh deliveries. Previously, customers had to pay $14.99 for this fast delivery service. You have to pay as low as $8.99 – $10.99 per month for the service.
Hulu is keeping up with the pace!
Hulu is only available in the US but is slowly keeping pace ever since the streaming wars started heating up. It has close connections with CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC. Hulu streams all the big-name shows from these networks after the premiere. On top of that, you get the likes of Comedy Central, Bravo, and FX. Hulu is home to popular shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Saturday Night Live. The library has more than 1400 movies and 1800 TV series.
HBO
HBO is well-known for its premium originals. It introduced us to the amazing world of Games of Thrones, Westworld, Sopranos, and The wire. You can get HBO in $14.99 a month. Although HBO Now is the most expensive service among its competitors and has less to offer the quality of series and specials you get on HBO are worth every penny.
New competitors are stepping up their game!
Disney+ will be launched in November. Apple is launching its streaming service. NBC is running for 2020 with its Peacock service. Even Discovery is coming up with a streaming option to feature BBC content. All these streaming services have locked down popular shows to force people to add their service. Disney+ is getting Marvel Universe, HBO will be getting Friends and Doctor Who, and Peacock will have The Office.
Final Verdict!
Amid these streaming wars, we are looking at a $100 bill per month to get the most of it. This is just the beginning though and the number is likely to be increased in 2020. So which one are you going to get?
