Recommendation: Tracking these picks takes effort but saves money. Any streamer can fit this category, depending on your tastes, but services with just a few original hits like Starz or Epix might be most appropriate. Star Trek fans, for example, can wait until every episode from the latest season of Star Trek: Discovery is available on CBS All Access, then sign up for a monthlong binge. Seasonal picks: Some platforms may only have a few series you enjoy, so it may make sense to subscribe only when those shows have fresh episodes. DC Universe, for example, may wind up sharing a lot of content with HBO Max. Recommendation: Be careful that these services offer content you can't get anywhere else. The anglophile platforms Acorn and BritBox, the comics-oriented DC Universe, black-focused Urban Movie Channel, horror-movie focused Shudder and more. Quirky faves: There are some streaming services focused on specific tastes. Recommendation: Find only the services that feature the ongoing programs you want, and don't be afraid to tweak the mix every so often. There are also newer channels like ESPN+, BET+ and Apple TV+. Here, I would put the streaming apps for premium cable channels like Showtime and Starz, alongside established services like Amazon Prime Video, PBS Passport, CBS All Access and YouTube's subscription services (including Premium, Music and YouTube TV). Recommendation: A smart consumption strategy would include one to three of these services as a baseline.Īdd-on services: These platforms don't offer enough content to handle all or most of your TV consumption but still may feature material important to you. In this tier, I put established services like Netflix and Hulu, along with new platforms like Disney+ and HBO Max. These are services with extensive libraries, including lots of original and repurposed content. Megaproviders: TV platforms that want to provide all or most of the programs you watch. I group them into five tiers an effective TV strategy will involve a mix of them. ![]() Sometimes knowing a streaming service's purpose can help you figure out if it fits into your life. It's the best way to figure out what you're actually watching and what you're willing to spend to see it. It will be different from what you imagine you watch every day, I promise. One tip, borrowed from the dieting world, involves writing down what you watch on TV every day for a week or two. One big question: Do you need cable TV? Many people don't I keep it mostly for ready access to live events and broadcast TV stations without an antenna, but you might feel differently.Ĭreate a TV diary. Ask yourself: What TV shows, channels and platforms do I actually use the most? Which broadcast channels, cable services and streaming platforms include most of what I like? You wouldn't fill a bookshelf with books you might read, so don't crowd your media diet with random services, either. Researchers say consumers are terrible at this kind of purchasing decision, which requires sorting through lots of difficult-to-compare information. Wrapping your brain around all the choices will take time. For decades, you put up an antenna, maybe bought a cable package, and that was your TV universe. Assemble Your StrategyĪccept that this will be overwhelming at first. But in this new era, we're giving you information to make those choices yourself. Usually, a guide like this would just tell you what services to buy. Even if your pocketbook can handle signing up for every streaming service, you can't possibly watch all the programming. ![]() Frustration and "subscription fatigue" are growing. ![]() But there's so much to choose from that it can feel overwhelming. ![]() It's a new TV universe, one where you, the viewer, have never had more power to choose what you see. To see what an average menu of services might cost, click here.) (If you just want to see the costs and features of each streaming service, you can scroll to the bottom or click here. They will serve an audience where 69 percent of people have at least one streaming subscription, with the average consumer subscribing to three. In fact, over the next six months or so, at least five major new streaming services will debut, bursting with original shows, reboots and well-regarded reruns. ("Turn it on?") But there will soon exist so many high-profile streaming services that the concept of watching TV - and how to do it without breaking your bank account - will be redefined.Īpple TV+ debuts Friday with episodes from nine original series and plans to release much more. That might sound like an obvious question. The " Newer Services " section of this story was updated at 2:55 p.m. Jim Corwin/Photolibrary/Getty Images Plus
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