While either service might not be all things to all people, there are many people who find that a streaming subscription is a great (and extremely affordable) way to enhance their entertainment options. So which one is right for you . . . Netflix vs Hulu? Let’s take a look at what both services offer first:
- A legal(!) way to view content online, which will become extremely important once internet providers begin tracking illegal online activity and communicating this with their subscribers beginning this July 2012. If you ignore their messages, by the way, you will eventually experience serious throttling issues, and possibly cancellation of your service.
- A safe(!) way to view content that doesn’t involve malware, trojans, and other nefarious bugs being planted on your computer.
- A very decent selection of movies, and entire seasons’ episodes of practically any TV show you can think of.
What makes them different:
- Hulu Plus wins hands down when it comes to TV shows, as it has a more expansive television library with more seasons and more episodes of TV shows, especially more recent shows.
- Netflix’s movie library beats Hulu Plus, and has far more categories/genres available.
- Netflix has parental controls; Hulu Plus is not appropriate for children within direct parental supervision. In other words, don’t hand over the remote control to your kids if they can click on the Hulu icon.
So who’s the winner? It depends on your preferences. If you are an avid TV watcher, you’ll wan Hulu Plus because they will have the newest episodes of your favorite shows. But Netflix has far more movie selections. I’m guessing that Netflix will continue to beef up their TV show selection as well, making them a far more formidable opponent. And, if Netflix gets serious about parental controls, watch out, Hulu Plus!
If you are serious about cutting the cord, you can make do very nicely with either one of these services (depending on your bent – movies or TV shows) and supplementing with a digital rental service like iTunes, VUDU, or Amazon Instant Video. Compare stream services to see which one is available on the device you own (or wish to own).
Source: http://nyulocal.com/entertainment/2012/03/28/netflix-vs-hulu-plus-the-showdown/
