Those years are long gone.
In the past year, numerousstreaming services have raised priceson subscription tiers.
And while bundle prices have also increased, Warner Bros.
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Discovery decided tocombine its HBO Max and Discovery+ platform under one roof.
The Walt Disney Company has been working to do thesame thing with Hulu and Disney+.
Also, check out our other lists oflittle-known streaming servicesandfree channels for every streaming unit.
What Does Streaming Look Like in 2024
The cord-cutting dream is well and truly dead.
As some companies havetaken hitsin recent years, theres a good chance some streaming prices could go even higher.
But hey, at least wellstart seeing some WWE content on Netflix.
Ad-based tiers have becomesome of the fastest-growing servicessince theyve come on the scene.
Soon, there likely wont be any major streaming service without an ad-based tier.
Hell, evenYouTube might be aiming for a new, ad-supported linear streaming service.
There are a number of bundles on offer that help users save.
Crunchyroll, which Sony owns,announced price increases earlier in 2024.
Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. are reportedly talking up apotential $50-a-month sports streaming service.
Premiere drama?Nostalgia?
Netflix is in a tenuous position.
But for now, Netflixs variety remains its greatest strength.
And we should mention one other benefit that so few still know about.
Anyone with a Netflix subscription can get access toa growing selectionofmobile games.
As long as these games remain free, its honestly a great reason to maintain a Netflix subscription.
It also includes unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices.
Alternatively, the Trio Basic tier offers all three services but with ads.
Disney+ with ads is distracting but manageable.
As we noted before, Disney, Hulu, and ESPN will soon combine under one app.
Some of the add-ons are relatively cheap.
It now costs more than Hulus service, though YouTube did bring down the price of the 4K add-on.
You might not find exactly what you want, but isnt that half of the point of live TV?
You have to consider both numbers and quality, as well as the variety on offer.
Unfortunately, Max will likelystart restricting password sharing, so keep using your friends account while you still can.
According to Paramounts May 4earnings report, the company said Pluto has 80 million monthly active users worldwide.
That puts it in league with other major paid services like HBO Max.
Theres a good reason why it has such a large user base.
Like FreeVee, Paramount likes to cross-promote its Paramount+ service with a few drops of premium content.
The standard $5.99 pass gives you access to Vikis selection of shows, movies, and some originals.
Or at least mine did.
However, if you appreciate cinema, you cant go wrong withThe Criterion Channelstreaming service.
All the old-school series are there, plus the most recent movies.
Its a big hole, nonetheless.
Still, Paramount+ is nowhere near the best service, strictly speaking.
Evenwith Showtime content, the best use youll get out of Paramount is likely the Star Trek shows.
Hulu does have a pretty wide selection, but its nowhere near the full gamut.
Plus, the subscription offers the platforms digital manga.
No other service really comes close to offering Crunchyrolls anime slate.
Meanwhile, CuriosityStream is already a solid and relatively cheap place to access historical and other nonfiction documentary content.
So, why not combine the two?
CuriosityStream andNebulacost $4.99 a month, so you wont go wrong if you want one without the other.
Of course,Primecomes with its enormous lexicon of quality movies and shows and even some pretty great originals.
But if all you want are high-quality documentaries, then theres a lot to pick from on Prime.
In January,Plex finally released its long-awaited movie and TV rental service.
For more, check outGizmodos guidefor putting all your streaming services into one place on Plex.
If only more streaming platforms gave you as much as you get with Disney+s service.
Disney still allows ad-based users to view content in Full HD, HDR10, and 4K Ultra HD.
Instead, Netflixs standard subscription, the services mostpopular plan, is most peoples best bet.
But, inevitably, you will be looking for something lighter or perhaps a bit schlockier.
HBO Max with Ads is a solid choice for saving a few bucks a month.
Want more of Gizmodos consumer electronics picks?
Check out our guides to thebest phonesbest laptops,best TVs, andbest headphones.
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