Where to Stream

I have Netflix, and I love it! But it is missing some of my fav stuff. So where do I go? I'm sooo new at this, and thanks to Askmen.com I now have a few more options.

1- Netflix: The Reigning Monarch

Cost: $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming, $9.99 and up for plans that include disc by mail.

Content: Netflix boasts 20,000 titles and has deals with major content partners that ensure a supply of new and old titles are constantly being added to the service.

Quality: Good to great. Netflix has begun offering streaming HD on some titles, and while it's not available for everything, the normal quality is acceptable. Netflix is also bringing 5.1 surround sound streaming to the market. It's already available on the PS3, with more devices to come.

Device support: All three major gaming consoles support Netflix streaming; dedicated streaming boxes like the Roku are well under $100; and there are set-top boxes, DVRs, Blu-ray players, and even “Smart” TVs that all have built-in Netflix support. There are dozens of ways to get the content to your home TV, and Netflix has also gone mobile. The streaming app for iDevices is already released, and a leaked (nonworking) copy of the Android version has already hit the web.

Amazon.com: The Challenger

Cost: Amazon's big gamble is pricing. At $79 for the year, Amazon's pricing model is $6.58 per month. Netflix's cheapest plan of $7.99 comes out to $95.88 per year, and while that's hardly expensive, there's no denying Amazon's price advantage.

Content: It only offers 5,000 titles. Amazon needs to shore up more content to compete. To be fair, Amazon is doing that, and given its good relationship with the studios as far as paid streams and downloads, so the company will probably get it worked out.

Quality: Not much is offered in HD (300 at this writing), and most is in 480p. That'll look fine on your computer or a tablet, but in the living room? Not so much. Amazon's paid rentals are offered in HD, so this may change soon.

Device support: It's possible to hook up an older device to your computer using your computer's media ports, but the new generation of internet-ready TVs and set-top boxes makes it dead simple. If your TV is older and doesn't have a web connection, pick up a Roku Box if you're committed to Amazon's service. Cheap, highly regarded and the easiest way to sling Amazon content to your TV.

The trick(s) up its sleeve: First, while Prime streaming includes only 5,000 titles, Amazon's pay-per-rental streaming library has over 75,000 titles. With new releases hovering around $3.99 and older content even cheaper, it's a good option if you can't find something free. Amazon is also forever running sales and offers on this paid content, so good deals are easy to get. Amazon's second value-add is the Prime service itself. In addition to unlimited streaming, Prime also gives customers free two-day shipping and dirt-cheap one-day shipping on everything Amazon sells or fulfills (note: third party sales through Amazon's site don't qualify). While bundling free, fast shipping with video streaming is an odd pairing, there's no denying that both for $6.58 a month is a great deal. Maybe Amazon hopes to lure more subscribers, or maybe it hopes Prime subscribers will buy more things through Amazon. Either way, its prices are lower than Netflix's, and the provider throws in fast, free shipping all over the site, to boot.

iTunes: Have You Heard Of It?

Apple is trying to do for movies and TV what it did for music: fast, one-click shopping in a huge marketplace that's available from any computer and most of Apple's other devices.

Cost: $3.99 for new release rentals, and $4.99 for an HD copy. You can also purchase movies outright, but at $19.99 for a digital copy, it's no cheaper than a physical copy. TV shows are 99 cents an episode to rent, the same price Amazon charges to own.

Content: It has loads of current TV shows and movies. Movie selection is good, and because of Apple's relationship with Disney, Disney content appears on the iTunes store before anywhere else.

Quality: SD or HD depending on what you pay, but the HD is only 720p. So you can't get full 1080p, though it's not as big a deal as you'd think. Bit rate is more important than resolution when it comes to streaming Apple's slinging a high bit rate to the device, and the average viewer is going to be duly impressed with the picture quality.

Device support: Besides allowing you to watch on your computer, an Apple TV device will sling it to your TV. You can also watch from your iDevice, and Apple's smart system means your rental time won't start till you start watching. True downloads instead of streaming also means you can watch on an airplane or anywhere else where streaming isn’t possible.

The trick up its sleeve: Apple is aggressively building its AirPlay framework, which will let you sling media from one compatible device to another. Go from watching your movie on your iPad to your big screen, quickly and seamlessly.