The video streaming services have indeed been one of the prominent options for those who love TV shows and movies. Of course, we have had several options for viewing our favorite shows so far, but the strength of the streaming services has always been unique. However, with a host of services being available – it is definitely quite difficult to find the best video streaming service that exactly meets your requirements.
In this post, we will compare the three best services – Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix in today’s post. Do check the post till the end to find the tabular comparison between Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime!!
How many people can watch Hulu at once?
Well, Hulu lets you connect to three devices simultaneously. That would indeed make it a little limited when compared to Netflix as we will be finding in a little while from now on.
The strength of Hulu lies in the fact that it is one of the prime choices for the best in TV shows. No other competitor can beat Hulu in this sphere. Ideally, the service updates its library with the new shows and their episodes exactly a day after the airtime. You would indeed not need to subscribe to the cable service for the updated shows.
Hulu hosts more than 1300 shows, and that should make it a good choice by almost every standard. The video streaming service has everything for practically every genre of the user.
Recommended Reading: Apps like Hulu
Some of the features we loved with Hulu include the following –
Manual Control Over Video Quality
Hulu is perhaps the only streaming service that offers you the option of manual control for video among the three major players we are discussing here. The choice is limited in the competing apps to a greater extent. Not that other shows do not let you change the video resolution and quality, but with Hulu, you can do it while streaming without having to stop the live streaming.
Pretty faster HD
Hulu can offer you really faster HD connectivity. Of course, if you are streaming on a cellular connection, it may take a while to get into the HD mode, but n any case you should be back to HD in just under 5 to 10 seconds.
Cast Compatibility
You can decide to continue watching your shows on a large screen such as a TV with Hulu. You can either go with the Chromecast or AirPlay depending upon whether you are using the iOS or Android operating system. However, the picture in picture feature is not yet fully implemented.
The Pricing
Hulu offers you three different plans. The choice of the plan will be dependent upon the exact choice of service parameters you choose. If you are comfortable with watching your favorite shows with commercials, you can indeed subscribe for much lesser than $15 per month.
The plans include
- Hulu Live TV – $47.99
- Hulu Commercial Free (without Live TV) – $11.99
- Hulu w/ Commercials – $5.99
Please note that you will need to subscribe to the above prices for a period of one year. The Live TV option is relatively newer offering, and they are still trying it out. However, we assure you of a better service indeed.
How many people can watch Netflix at once?
Netflix perhaps needs no introduction. If you are into binge-watching, Netflix is the best you can go with. It comes with its own original content and a considerably great library of popular TV series. Of course, over the recent few months, Netflix appears to be focusing on the original content, and thus the content library offered by the streaming service has been shrinking compared to what it used to be in the past. Even then, it maintains its popularity and variety intact as things stand as of now.
Coming back to the fundamental question of how many people can watch Netflix content, it is one of the best as e have already stated. Netflix supports up to four users per account simultaneously. The multiple profiles feature was recently introduced and has been touted to be one of the best that Netflix offers.
The exact count of the shows available on Netflix may not be easy to find out. The service comes with geo limitations and as such the number of shows and titles available vary from region to region. Netflix works on the basis of territorial licensing regime, and as such, you will find it differing count across different regions. However, the count that we could recently find was close to 1270. That is almost equivalent to Hulu.
Some of the features worth mentioning would include
A Huge number of original content
A whopping 25 percent (or even more in some geo locations) of the content available on Netflix is originally produced by Netflix and this is exclusive to the streaming service. Apart from that, there are several shows that are acquired by Netflix. This would ideally make Netflix an excellent option for all those fans who look for original content.
No Ads policy
Netflix excels with its zero ads policy. That would indeed be one of the best features of the streaming service as you can concentrate on your favorite show or movie without having to worry about anything disturbing you. That should be something many of the streaming services may not emulate.
Best in Class HD Quality
Netflix even offers you 4K HDR video quality. Of course, you will need a compatible device to work with. If you are on iOS, most of the Apple devices should support the quality with Dolby AudioVision. In the case of Android, however, there are not many devices that support the functionality. At the time of compiling this post, we could find that LG G6 could support Dolby AudioVision.
Download Options
Netflix lets you download the shows for offline viewing. This can be one of the thoughtful options that let you watch the shows when you are in an area with slow speed internet. However, there is a limitation on whether a particular series or show can be downloaded. Not all shows support downloads option.
Netflix does support Chromecast and AirPlay. You can even use the Picture in picture mode if you are on Android 8.1 or above.
The Pricing
Netflix comes with three different plans based on your preferences. Here are the three plans you can go with.
- Basic – $ 7.99
- Standard – $ 10.99
- Premium – $ 13.99
The choice of the best plan should ideally be dependent on your choice of the number of users you would want to make use of the service simultaneously. The Basic Plan offers you the option of only one user at a time. The Standard Plan comes with the option for two users simultaneously, and the Premium Plan lets you four users at a time. The last plan also offers the 4K HDR functionality for the compatible devices.
How many people can watch Amazon Prime at once?
What if you are looking for the best original content ever on a streaming service? Amazon Prime Video should be one of the prime choices for all your needs. They have created some of the best original titles – though not as powerful as Netflix.
One of the unique points we found interesting enough with the original shows produced by Amazon Prime Video is that it crowdsources the pilot episodes of the shows. Based on the reception of the pilot episodes and based on the ratings the pilots are converted into full seasons. This will bring up the community experience rather than being just streaming service in itself.
Now, coming to the content on the service, the estimated shows and titles available on Amazon Prime Video reach up to 1440. They have over 100 different original series in the US. The number may differ from one country to another depending upon the geo limitations. The 7 percent original titles among the total shows available should indicate a good performance – though not as excellent as Netflix.
And yes, coming to the basic question that we had, Amazon limits the simultaneous number of users to two. However, there is no official confirmation available, but user reviews suggest they could access two instances at a time.
Some of the features that we indeed like the most include
Faster updates of the shows
Amazon Prime gets the latest episodes just after a day that they have been aired on TV. That should make it a great option for the binge-watchers out there. There is no waiting period for your favorite shows and episodes anymore.
Easier Download Options
The service lets you download the shows and episodes without having to suffer buffering speeds. This can be quite useful for binge-watching without having to use the data. However, please note that you need to be an Amazon Household member to be able to download the shows. Else, you can only download the pilots.
Support for 4K HDR
Just the way Netflix does, Amazon Prime Video lets you watch the shows in 4K HDR quality. Of course, you need to have a supported device for the functionality to work. The list of smartphones supported is quite limited, but Amazon promises to add support for a wide range of devices quite soon.
The cast capability is limited to AirPlay, and there is no support for Chromecast. The support for the same is not likely in the near future as there is a feud between Amazon and Google.
The service does not live up to expectations. Of course, they do have a good video library. Another advantage is the access to several other perks that come with the Amazon prime membership.
The Pricing
The Amazon Prime Video is not a standalone streaming service, but you can signup for an Amazon Prime Service for the option. As a Prime member, you are allowed to watch a host of your favorite shows and movies without any additional cost to you.
The prime subscription comes with a $ 119 annual or $ 13 per month. The pricing may change from one region to another. Please check the exact prices in your region by visiting the official site. In addition to the Video streaming, you will tend to get more than that with Amazon Prime membership.
Should I get Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime?
Several of us would have definitely got thoughts that should one buy Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime?
Having understood that the different services here above, we thought of listing out the best features that each of these offer you. A side by side comparison should be one of the best options for arriving at the right decision.
Features | Amazon Prime | Hulu | Netflix |
Base Price | $8.99 per month | $7.99 per month | $7.99 per month |
Student Plans | Yes | Yes | No |
Free trial period | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Max. number of users per account. | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Ads | Amazon branded | Yes, in some plans | No |
Titles | 1440 approx. | 1300 approx. | 1270 Approx. |
Maximum streaming quality | 4K, on supported devices | 1080p | 4K, on supported devices |
Original series | 100+ | 40+ | 300+ |
Downloadability | Yes | No | Yes |
Option to adjust the quality | Through Settings | While Streaming | Through settings |
Support for HDR | Yes, available | No | Ys, available |
Support for Chromecast | No | Yes | Yes |
AirPlay Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
In essence, we will wind up the comparison with these inferences –
- Pricing – Amazon is the winner. Netflix and Hulu come with affordable pricing, but Amazon offers you affordable options with added features and functionality.
- Content library – Netflix blows off all the other competitors. Of course, the library is dwindling over the years but still manages the first spot.
- Accessibility and device support – Netflix is available on almost all devices and platforms. Even Hulu comes as a close second. However, Amazon is too far in terms of device and OS support. It is not available on Chromecast devices.
- User Interface – Once again, Netflix and Hulu steal the deal with the intuitive interface. Amazon Prime Video comes a distant third and has a scattered interface.
Concluding Thoughts on Comparison Between Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime
That was the complete comparison and discussion between the three most popular and capable video streaming services. We assume we have been able to address the doubts you may have with respect to each of these services.
Almost all the services come with their own plus points. However, we would consider Netflix a clear leader in most of the aspects. If you can afford it, you can give a thought to opting for more than one services so that you can reap the benefits of the salient features that are important to you.