Even if it feels like it's been going on for a century, we're only three months into 2020. Chances are, wherever you are, you've spent more time with streaming services. time than you normally do. These days spent indoors really put these subscriptions to the test. We decided to take a look at each streaming service and how it works. While some of the streaming services here are only in the United States, we also discuss what each service does internationally, if any. With Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, there is also some regional parity in original content. I hope this helps you understand what is worth subscribing to now. We'll also give you an overview of streamers launching in the coming months and how we assess their prospects. "Samsung 43" "Class Q60R QLED...TCL 55" Class 6-Series 4K UHD...
The winner so far? Netflix
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(Image credit: Netflix) The release schedule for Netflix Originals is still unmatched by other streaming services, and this rate of content means you can always find something to watch. More recently, the Tiger King true crime/documentary series has become the big talk on Netflix. But before that, everyone was talking about the reality sentiment Love is Blind, where contestants fell in love before actually seeing each other, a reality show that blew everyone out of the water with its absurd premise. People loved it and Love is Blind season 2 is on the way. In addition to real entertainment and reality television, Netflix can still include you in scheduled programming. The horror-infused Locke and Key didn't grab the attention of the general public like Stranger Things did, but it only got a second season, so it's clear it found a happy fanbase. I'm Not Okay With This, another teen-focused supernatural show but in a very different tone, was another Netflix hit we enjoyed this year. The Stranger is a well-edited British drama based on a novel by Harlan Ellison. The number of returning series is also huge: BoJack Horseman ended this year, we had more seasons of Jon Favreau's The Chef Show, the Jason Bateman drama Ozark, more dark episodes of the animated hit Castlevania... The list goes on. You will never like everything on Netflix, but you will always find something to like. Still worth the subscription in 2020.
Amazon Prime and Hulu are not left out either
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(Image credit: Hulu via Twitter) One of the main benefits of the Disney/20th Century Fox merger has been the merger of Hulu and FX, making the streaming service a de facto location for acclaimed original FX productions. The Alex Garland (Ex Machina) Devs drama is the first to come off the show, which means you can air episodes after they air on FX and FXX in the US. The next show to launch in the two will be Cate Blanchett's April miniseries, Ms. America. The deal also means there's a deep archive of FX content on Hulu, with everything from Atlanta to Nip/Tuck available to watch. We also appreciate the new version of High Fidelity on Hulu, which swaps Jon Cusack for Zoë Kravitz as the lead. Little Fires Everywhere, another high-profile Hulu series with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, would go on to be one of the most-watched shows for streamers in the United States to date. Amazon closed out 2019 with a bang with new seasons of critical favorite The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and sci-fi cult The Expanse. This year he made his debut in Hunters with Al Pacino, a pretty decent drama that was embroiled in controversy after the Auschwitz Museum criticized the fictional version of the show set in the real Nazi death camp. This week presents Tales From The Loop (April 3), a thoughtful sci-fi series based on the stunning art of Simon Stålenhag, with a pilot episode directed by Never Let Me Go's Mark Romanek. If you're outside the US, Amazon Prime also has the international rights to Star Trek: Picard, which beats hell to get another subscription to watch it (in the US, of course, it's on CBS All Access). Amazon will have more firepower later in 2020 with shows like The Boys season 2 and Upload, a sitcom from The Office creator Greg Daniels. And in the US, all James Bond movies are 4K in April, a great infusion of movies perfect for overeating, although UK viewers will miss it.
Disney Plus and waiting for the great originals
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(Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus) Your expectations for Disney Plus may vary, but we think the year is going well so far. The new streaming service has mostly served up lower-end originals for kids like Diary of a Future President and The Clone Wars. But Disney showed new content soon enough: Bigger Originals after The Mandalorian would always require a longer wait. Instead, Disney Plus has created big, flashy moments by releasing blockbuster movies on the service. Aladdin, The Lion King, and Toy Story 4 all arrived in the early months of the year, and then Disney really went to town a few months before Frozen 2's release date. Pixar's Onward, meanwhile, was doomed for a bad return to the box office when theaters shut down the world right after it came out, came soon after for another big leap. However, a bigger problem Disney Plus will face will be if we go deeper into 2020 and its biggest content is delayed by production stoppages caused by the ongoing health crisis. All three Marvel shows in production, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki (slated for 2021), have been put on hold due to the ongoing global health crisis. We don't know when they might resume filming. The Mandalorian season 2, however, wrapped production before the shutdown. And so far, Disney hasn't indicated that any of its big originals have been pushed back from their original dates. The streaming service certainly still doesn't have the lineup of originals like its competitors, but by ditching these Disney movies early on, they successfully cater to an audience that wants to get excited about Disney worlds and characters. In the UK, Disney Plus has just launched and viewers should watch The Mandalorian every month after its US release. The cast range, however, is very solid.
What about the rest?
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(Image credit: CBS) HBO continues to be a driving force behind original television, and this year's shows have already proven that. The Outsider is a slow-burn Stephen King adaptation of a killer who was seen in two places at once during the crime. It's slow, but it has a fantastic overall layout. Less successful, HBO served up the sci-fi comedy Avenue 5 from the makers of Veep and The Thick of It, which we abandoned after a few episodes without a laugh. The Curb Your Enthusiasm, always reliable, yet retains its shape for ten seasons. HBO is currently airing the third season of the surprisingly whimsical sci-fi drama Westworld, which has moved far enough from its original Wild West theme park setting at this point. CBS All Access served up Star Trek: Picard, a somewhat divisive return for Patrick Stewart's Star Trek captain, years after The Next Generation. Picard: Season 2 is on the way. The next big original from him is the fourth season of The Good Fight, a spin-off of The Good Wife. But he didn't stop filming his last two episodes before production on Coronavirus was halted. Two more Trek series are scheduled to follow this year: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Discovery season 3. The limited selection of Apple TV Plus is growing this year. Mythic Quest, a game-based comedy from the Philadelphia-based creators of It's Always Sunny, is too early, but it's a high-quality show on a subject that's otherwise unheard of by the TV and movie industries. . The Amazing Stories anthology show didn't leave the best impression on us. Upcoming Apple shows include the dramas Home Before Dark and Defending Jacob (both in April), while the British comedy Trying will premiere in May.
Coming soon: Quibi, HBO Max and Peacock
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(Image credit: HBO Max) Is now a good time to launch a new streaming service? It's really hard to say. Of course, people are much more inside now. But jobs are being lost around the world to foreclosure to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Not everyone desperately wants to spend more money on shows they don't have time to watch yet. The three new streaming services launched in the United States this year are HBO Max, Peacock, and Quibi. Launched in May, HBO Max has a lot of great stuff, including the complete Friends series and the complete HBO archive, but it costs $14.99 per month (existing HBO subscribers probably won't be mistaken). Quibi is a streaming platform only. for mobile launched on April 6, offering personalized content on the go in daily 'quick bites' for €4.99 with ads. If people are traveling less, where they are more likely to watch video on their phones, it will be interesting to see if the content resonates. Peacock, for its part, will have a lighter free streaming tier, as well as paid options. An ad-supported version is $4.99 per month (this tier is free for Comcast customers) and an ad-free version is $9.99. Ultimately, it will be the exclusive home of the mega-hit The Office, currently on Netflix. This service will arrive on July 15. Who knows what the world will be like by then? Each streamer will feature their own original shows, and they all have exciting things in the works. But Hollywood production stoppages are also affecting these new streaming services, with Quibi's Varsity Blues, Peacock's Rutherford Falls and HBO Max's Tokyo Vice among those on hold. Existing streaming services are undoubtedly better equipped to deal with production shutdowns than those yet to launch, as they already have subscriber bases. Again, in the cases of HBO Max and Peacock, the two rely equally (if not more) on high-value old content. For people who love The Office, there will never be a time when they don't want to watch this. And HBO's acclaimed lineup automatically gives Max a big boost right from the start.
Our Verdict: Spend Smart in 2020
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(Image credit: Netflix) You don't need every streaming service all the time, and you can be selective if money comes to mind. Take full advantage of free trials on sites like Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, or CBS All Access. We think if you need to get a streaming service, Netflix still offers the widest range of programming and the best value, but these free trials are there for a reason. Is there only one show you want to watch on a particular service? Give it a try and record every episode, then unsubscribe. You can also find other shows you want to watch after the trial, which will make the service worth paying for. You don't have to look at everything, and increasing streaming services isn't really your problem as a customer. Spend on television the amount you want to spend. You will always find something to look at.