Video Streaming: Reviews

Netflix charges a flat fee and lets you stream as many movies as you want as often as you want. The library of full-length movies is ample, but titles tend to be somewhat older than those available via pay-per-title video… expandstreaming sites, like Vudu. Netflix also has deals in place to stream some titles currently showing on the Starz and Epix premium cable services, and that helps beef up the service's lineup of more recent fare. Netflix also has lots of TV programs available for streaming, but as is the case with movies, most are past rather than current season episodes. In addition to a streaming-video-only subscription plan, you can opt for subscription plans that include unlimited rentals of DVDs or Blu-ray Discs by mail (from one to four at a time). Netflix video-streaming compatibility is available in a wide variety of consumer electronics equipment, including Internet-capable TVs, Blu-ray players, digital video recorders, video game consoles and set-top digital media players. collapse

If you are looking for recent episodes of TV programs, Hulu Plus is your best bet. Hulu Plus is a subscription-based version of Hulu.com, and it offers content -- such as complete seasons of shows -- that are not… expandavailable there. However, reviewers note that some shows and features found on Hulu.com have yet to appear on Hulu Plus. Still, the Hulu Plus app is the easiest way to stream TV programs and other video from Hulu directly to your living room TV, and it is available on a growing number of connected Blu-ray players, HDTVs, game consoles, set-top boxes and more. The movie library isn't very large and most of the titles are obscure, but Hulu Plus is also adding the complete library of films from the Criterion Collection, which is highly prized by movie buffs. collapse

Vudu earns kudos from experts for delivering top-quality streaming videos. Three levels of service are offered. Standard-definition and high-definition movies look slightly better than similar fare offered by other… expandstreaming video services. However, Vudu's high-quality HDX format is widely praised for producing the only streaming video that significantly outperforms standard DVDs, and approaches -- but doesn't quite beat -- the video quality of Blu-ray Discs. Vudu is also the first streaming video service to offer content in 3D, though the selection is slim right now. While a proprietary set-top box was once required for Vudu, it is now primarily a streaming video service that's available on Internet-connected Blu-ray players, HDTVs and other electronics gear. collapse