Which is Better Amazon Instant Video or Hulu Plus?

May 13
11:36

2015

Jason Kassel, PhD

Jason Kassel, PhD

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Watching all of your favorite movies and television shows is easier than ever before these days. You can watch current and old shows and movies online, on your mobile devices, or on any media streaming device that you own. This makes it easier for you to enjoy your favorite content at all times. Of course, to enjoy all of this content, you need to choose a service.

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You will want to choose the one that is the right fit for you. With so many options on the market,Which is Better Amazon Instant Video or Hulu Plus? Articles though, this feels harder than it should be. Two options to consider are Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, especially when taking into consideration Amazon Prime. To figure out which one will give you the most for your investment, and which one you will enjoy the most, you have to compare the facts. Understand how they differ.

Content is your first concern, obviously. You want to have the best content available to you at all times. With Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus, there are quite a few differences. They both have a large selection of movies and television shows, but not all the same ones. You might find a larger selection of complete seasons of shows and recently released movies with Amazon Instant Video, while you will find a larger selection of new shows with Hulu Plus. Hulu typically has all of the shows right after they air, giving you access to some of your favorite shows in their current seasons. That is not the case with Amazon Instant Video, however. It offers full season shows and movies, including new titles, but there is not a large selection of shows in their current season. The difference in content is a rather big one, and something that you have to keep in mind. If you prefer a good movie or show at any time, you may prefer Amazon Instant Video. On the other hand, if you want to keep up with new shows, Hulu Plus is more your style.

It is important to keep in mind that Hulu Plus does have commercials with their content. Even if you pay for their membership, you will have to sit through commercial breaks. This means an extra 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on commercial break length, of commercials. It is not a big deal to everyone, but it may annoy some, especially if you pay for their service.

Watching your videos from anywhere is important, as well. Whether you ride public transit to work and want to watch a show on the way or you like sitting in bed and watching a show before you sleep, you may want to make use of the service. Both services are available on numerous media streaming devices so this is not that difficult. You can find both on most major devices. If you have a Roku streaming device, as an example, you can watch either one on your television. With Amazon’s own devices, it is even easier to switch between the two. Both are available on a variety of devices, allowing you to enjoy your movies and television shows at any time.

Amazon is not readily available for most Android devices, though. If you have an Android phone or tablet, it may not be easy to watch Amazon Instant Video on the go. This is because the application is not on the Google Play store and is not compatible with tablets. You can download it through the Amazon web store, but it does require you to download a second application. Even then, it does not work properly for everyone. Hulu, however, does work just fine on Android devices.

Price is what may make the decision for some. Hulu Plus comes in at $7.99 per month, though you can access most content free of charge. Amazon Instant Video does not charge you anything to use it, but you will have to pay to purchase or rent the available videos. Prime members do have many titles available with their membership, which is $99 a year. Hulu is a little cheaper here, but not by much. If you plan to purchase or rent movies or television shows on Amazon, as well as pay for Prime membership, though, the price will start to go up.

They both have some major benefits and drawbacks. Choosing the right one for you means knowing what you want. While Amazon Instant Video will give you major titles as they are released and will offer a large selection of both movies and television shows, it will not give you access to new shows like Hulu Plus does. They both have a large selection and they both have their unique benefits, so it is best to approach this decision with your own interests in mind. If you prefer new shows, Hulu is best. If you prefer renting or purchasing new movies and full seasons of shows, Amazon Instant Video is best.