On Nov. 12, Disney released their take on video streaming with their own mobile app, Disney+. This newly created application is a strong competitor for already established streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Disney+ includes various movies from different franchises, including Marvel movies such as The Avengers, Pixar movies such as Toy Story, classic Disney movies such as Cinderella, Star Wars films, and also different programs from National Geographic. With these well-known titles on the app, many people have purchased the membership, which comes in at $6.99 a month. In comparison, Netflix ranges from $9-$16 a month, while Hulu ranges from $5.99-$11.99 a month. With these streaming services ranging at different prices and deals with their services, there are multiple positives and negatives for each of the apps. 

Disney+

To start, Disney+ is relatively new, yet according to Disney, it has over ten million subscribers. With the increasing popularity of the service, many have switched over from other streaming companies because of the programs that are offered. With the cheaper price point of $6.99 a month, it is affordable for people of all economic backgrounds. Along with the low price, it also does not include a contract, meaning that the membership can be canceled at any time. The service also gives access to Disney’s original shows that cannot be found on any other services. For example, some shows exclusively on the app are DuckTales, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Boy Meets World, the Simpsons and many more. 

“I feel like there are a lot of good shows on Disney since I like the older shows that aren’t on Netflix or any other apps, but I don’t like that there are some shows that I like to watch that aren’t on Disney+,” said junior Robert Newland.

On the other hand, the app expresses some downsides such as a limited range of shows, as there will only be shows that are made by Disney and companies owned by Disney. For this reason, there will be no DC films or any movies other than those already listed. 

Netflix

Netflix has been around for a much longer time than Disney+, coming out in 1998. The platform has Netflix Original shows such as Stranger Things, Daredevil, House of Cards, Luke Cage, along with shows that are quite popular with the public, such as The Office, Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and over 8000 other shows and movies. Netflix’s user-friendly interface- its feature that allows users to download and save videos- and the older shows on their platform gives the app a step up from other competition. In addition to the older programs offered , Netflix also has shows and movies in multiple languages from all around the world.

Some of the disadvantages of this app include, but are not limited to,  the use of geolocation, limiting the shows that are on the platform based on the location.This can be exhibited with shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, created by the American Broadcasting Company, or ABC, which can only stream in the United States. This can be a major inconvenience to viewers who may want to watch shows that are not offered in their area.

“I like the variety of shows that it offers and how you [can] watch an unlimited amount of shows and movies for $10 a month, but I feel like they should upload shows and different seasons faster,” said junior Kaitlyn Huff.

Hulu

Compared to other streaming companies, Hulu offers the most flexible streaming plans; hulu has a couple of different plans, including a basic plan with ads for $5.99, an $11.99 plan without ads, and finally, the live TV plan that costs $54.99, and all of these are monthly prices. With the different ranges of prices, it all depends on what users need from the service. 

Some of the pros of Hulu include their large library of programs, their live TV shows, and their compatibility with multiple devices. The cons of the streaming service include a lack of “offline” options to download shows and the geo-locked feature, similar to Netflix. Further,, there is a separate additional fee to remove ads from film, as the basic plan displays ads in all of the application’s content. 

“I like how there are a lot of movies and TV show options that are more recent and updated, but I don’t think they have a large number of movies that people can browse through and watch. I also don’t like how I have to watch a lot of ads while trying to watch some shows since I don’t have the premium package,” said Newland.

All three of the streaming services have their ups and downs, as they are meant to appeal to different groups. The services all have different listings on what they offer to the public, and based on the needs of the viewers and what they need in their services.