Streaming Services with the Best User Experience

In times when technology has taken over all major facets of our lives, streaming service has taken over cable TV effortlessly. 

Life has become fast, simpler, and accessible. Similarly, streaming has made it very easy for viewers to access the content as they are on the go. The best part is – the choice of no commercials. 

Albeit, www.howtostream.co.nz is a nice place to watch the content you like. The libraries, titles, and additions that keep coming each day can make any viewer swoon. 

Coming back to streaming, there is a constant tug-of-war between the giants, winning the consumer with user experience, application interface, price plans, and other features. 

Let’s dissect each! 

Netflix

The service sure earns its rightful place to be first to dissect, as the service is a pioneer and legend in bringing the digital revolution — from cord to wireless. 

Here is the ranking of the platform on the following website: 

• Tom’s Guide # 3 
• US News # 1 
• CNET # 1
• PC Mag # 1

These ratings depend on three factors — price, content library, and user experience. Firstly, everyone is quite cozy with the interface of the application. You can create several profiles on the application for each family member. 

Second, Netflix has by far the biggest content library amongst all. It is true Slovakia, Singapore, Canada, and America have the biggest content library.

The last and most important selling point for viewers across the globe is no-ad and unlimited downloads. It keeps the consumer entertained and accessible content while they could be out and about.    

Also: How competition between streaming services is good for the user. Read on how you, as the consumer, can benefit from it.  

Hulu 

The American streaming service is becoming famous rapidly and for all the right reasons. Firstly, the content that is released on the platform is refreshing, new, and creative. The service was initially created by NBC Universal and News Corporation, which collaborated with Comcast and Walt Disney. In 2019, Disney took over all the operations of the streaming service. 

Recently, the service came with a UX/UI update, which mainly revolves around user experience. Most users feel it is better than before but not as good as other contemporaries. 

The biggest con for every user is the download feature which is only available in premium accounts. In the basic plan, the user cannot download the videos for later use. 

When ads don’t bother you, the with-ad plan is very economical. Here is the ranking of the platform on the following website: 

• Tom’s Guide # 2 
• US News # 4
• CNET # 3
• PC Mag # 2

Amazon Prime Video 

The content on Amazon prime video is very different from other services. For instance, if you are a fan of the NFL, Yankees, or MLB, you can stream the sports content live and often recorded. Also, content like The Rings of Power, Outlander, Downtown Abbey, and Fleabag — are titles for people with different tastes. 

Moreover, the price plans are very flexible, with ads, no-ads, and for students. However, video quality is great for all plans without any discrimination in price plans. 

What bothers the user is that free and premium content is mixed in the library together. For ease of use, premium content can be in a different section; meanwhile, the free content with a basic plan can be separate. 

Amazon Prime has taken note of this confusion and is soon rolling out a new update that will be simpler and less ambiguous.  

• Tom’s Guide # 9
• US News # 2
• CNET # 5
• PC Mag # 4

Disney Plus 

The service is fairly new but has captured a great audience for its content. The edge that gets Disney Plus its 130 million subscribers is Pixar and Disney libraries, Star War movies, Marvel titles, all 31 seasons of The Simpsons, and National Geographic.   

The price plans are ridiculously expensive when we compare them with the competition. Also, the availability of titles post-release is longer than other streaming services. That put Disney Plus at a disadvantage among its users, as often, the consumer is not willing to wait that long for content to release. 

However, the application is very easy to navigate. All options and features are placed thoughtfully for viewers to access depending on use and preference. 

• Tom’s Guide # 4
• US News # 2
• CNET # 2
• PC Mag # 6

HBO Max 

Recently we found many new titles coming HBO Max original makes waves in the news. Half of the Gen Z population is waiting with bated breath for the next season of Euphoria. Other note-worthy titles are The Sopranos, Sex, and The City, Big Little Lies, Chernobyl, and Westworld, among many others. 

The prices are very high if you aren’t picky with the ads plan. But if you go towards the ad-free plan, it gets very expensive. 

However, some aspects may be a downer for some subscribers, such as the absence of 4K, except for a few titles and no downloads. For downloads, you need to buy the premium ad-free plan, which is expensive unless you buy it in combination with other services. 

• Tom’s Guide # 1
• US News # 4
• CNET # 4
• PC Mag # 5

Take Away 

We have discussed 5 major streaming services with their primary features that a user looks at when buying a subscription plan. There is no winner here when it comes to user experience. User experience boils down to six important aspects: 

• Price plan
• Content Library 
• Audio/Video Quality 
• Ads 
• Download Feature 
• Application Interface  

For some users, ads pose to be not such a deal; meanwhile, not having a download option is a huge turn-off for many. But this can also be fixed by buying the premium plan if cost is not a problem. 

All in all, it is relative to what is important for a user and different for each user. But generally, Netflix and Hulu are high in preference for users for their ease and content.