To Subscribe Or Not To Subscribe, That Is The Question: Paid Streaming Services

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I have been able to log on to Netflix at both home locations without trouble.  I haven't been asked for the I'm traveling code lately. 

As noted above, I initially didn't have do, and then I did.  But it supposedly only lasts for seven days, and I'm on day eleven.  I suspect my parents haven't been watching anything at their house, and the next time they do, I'll get bumped out.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 10/10/2023 at 8:47 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

For reasons too long to bother telling, I moved out of my house, and turned in my Spectrum gear.  Then, I'm moving back, and went to the Spectrum store again, and found out my previous tier of channels was grandfathered in, but once I gave it up, the channel lineup was history.    So, the best I could do was either get boxes, that only stream the Spectrum app, or get a certain tier of Spectrum One, and the entertainment package, but get Roku tvs. 

I opted for the steaming Spectrum package plus entertainment.   I added up the other services I would have to get for local channels, You Tube tv, Hulu plus, Philo or Peacock, and added up the price after intro fees, and decided the Spectrum TV app will probably be cheaper and easier.   I can always use my Amazon Prime video too.     I don't even need a box of any kind, and that means I can put the TVs where ever I want.    Being a big chicken, I'm getting the modem setup for $25.     

The worst part for me is I decided I need a better modem, so I have to program that in too.   

So, I guess I'm going to have to learn what to do.  Everyone says it's easy, and I guess I'll find out.   

I got the Spectrum Choice plan. It has a modem and I use my own router.  Got a package with phone and internet.  I’ll have to look into the plan you describe.  I have all my streaming apps separate.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wrote down the streaming services I would want, added up the actual cost (not the introductory discount costs), and it came out to more than I'm paying Spectrum for the Select package, and the additional $12 a month for Entertainment view (yes, Entertainment view is a group of the channels that isn't available though the basic packages), plus internet, and home phone.   It's under $200 a month.    

One of the streaming packages would have duplicated the other streaming offerings, except for one channel that the others didn't offer live.   

I'll try the app method for now, and if it's not worth it, look at the streaming packages again.   With all of the services merging in the past few years, a lot of what I watch could end up on the same service.   However, local channels are an issue, so I would have to get Hulu plus for the local channels I watch, so that would put the cost higher than Spectrum.    

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wrote down the streaming services I would want, added up the actual cost (not the introductory discount costs), and it came out to more than I'm paying Spectrum for the Select package, and the additional $12 a month for Entertainment view (yes, Entertainment view is a group of the channels that isn't available though the basic packages), plus internet, and home phone.   It's under $200 a month.    

One of the streaming packages would have duplicated the other streaming offerings, except for one channel that the others didn't offer live.   

I'll try the app method for now, and if it's not worth it, look at the streaming packages again.   With all of the services merging in the past few years, a lot of what I watch could end up on the same service.   However, local channels are an issue, so I would have to get Hulu plus for the local channels I watch, so that would put the cost higher than Spectrum.    

Mine is about $130.00 per month.  One reason I went that way is I need service at my second home for weekends, summer, etc.  I get a separate internet there and log in to my choice networks with main account id.  Prime, Netflix, etc, work both places, so far…..lol.

Edited October 26, 2023 by SunnyBeBe

[andromeda331]

Does anyone know when Xfinity dropped the Olympic Channel to ondemand? I tried to find it to watch the Pan-American games since it's suppose to be airing. Nope, it's now just ondemand and doesn't have the games.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Does anyone know when Xfinity dropped the Olympic Channel to ondemand? I tried to find it to watch the Pan-American games since it's suppose to be airing. Nope, it's now just ondemand and doesn't have the games.

Looks like NBC shut the channel down on September 30, 2022. 

The PanAm channel has a streaming option but it’s not in English. It says free but I don’t know if there are any restrictions. 
https://www.panamsportschannel.org/main

[Unclejosh]

Just got email that Max is going up $4 a month to keep 4K streaming. That is a huge jump.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Unclejosh said:

Just got email that Max is going up $4 a month to keep 4K streaming. That is a huge jump.

I got it too. I was expected it since they eliminated that plan for new subscribers but was hoping we would be grandfathered in for a little while longer.  They are offering the 4k yearly subscription at the non-4K price so I’m probably going to take that option. Its works out to less per month for now. 

[Unclejosh]

Yeah sadly the yearly amount is not an option for me currently so I have no choice but to pay monthly.

[SVNBob]

YouTube Premium is also increasing prices.

This is after attempts to prevent ad-blockers from working on the site.

[SoMuchTV]

Because I'm sure everyone is wondering, I just want to say that after a long relationship, Netflix and I are on a break.  It was great fun at first when we were both young, then we settled into a comfortable long-term thing, but lately I've started to feel like I was putting more into the relationship than I was getting out of it.  I'm not ruling out hooking up for a mutually beneficial short-term fling at some point in the future, but at this point I'm seeing other services.

I could have sworn I came back to edit this and say, hey, maybe at some point I'd be open to getting back together for some stranger things...

But that edit didn't show up, so maybe the universe is trying to tell me, enough already.

Edited November 11, 2023 by SoMuchTV
Added the last 2 lines

[shapeshifter]

I just signed up for this Hulu deal at $0.99/mo. for 12 months:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/black-friday-2023-hulu-99-cents-month-year-104880222

[Bastet]

On 11/20/2023 at 11:33 AM, shapeshifter said:

I just signed up for this Hulu deal at $0.99/mo. for 12 months:

Hmm.  I don't love that it has ads, but for that price?  There are a few things I'd like to watch on Hulu, so I'll probably do it.

Can anyone who has the ad-supported Hulu plan chime in with how bad/good the ad situation is -- are they excessive and/or placed at odd places within the programming?  Because if not, that's probably too good a deal to pass up.  Look at me -- paying for a streaming service myself instead of using someone else's account.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Bastet

[Ohiopirate02]

15 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Hmm.  I don't love that it has ads, but for that price?  There are a few things I'd like to watch on Hulu, so I'll probably do it.

Can anyone who has the ad-supported Hulu plan already chime in with how bad/good the ad situation is -- are they excessive and/or placed at odd places within the programming?  Because if not, that's probably too good a deal to pass up.  Look at me -- paying for a streaming service myself instead of using someone else's account.

I personally do not find the ads to be excessive or placed at odd times on Hulu.  For the shows that already air on network, the ads feel like they are placed where the ads would normally be.  The only thing I do not like is when you pause the show on the ad.  When you hit play it jumps back to the 10 or so seconds before the ad break and you have to sit through it again.

[peachmangosteen]

Hulu's ads usually tend to be like 5 minutes for their originals and then quite a bit more, but still less than if you're watching live on cable, for the shows that air on the networks.

I don't love having ads and I don't find that Hulu has a ton to offer for me personally but I will still probably do the black Friday deal again this year. I think it's easily worth $11.88 for a year.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Can anyone who has the ad-supported Hulu plan already chime in with how bad/good the ad situation is -- are they excessive and/or placed at odd places within the programming?  Because if not, that's probably too good a deal to pass up.  Look at me -- paying for a streaming service myself instead of using someone else's account.

Ads usually bother me but with Hulu it’s never been a big issue. They are a little more frequent than I would like but usually aren’t too long. Sometimes I wish they would be longer so I could walk away and grab something like I would with love tv. I have never noticed awkward placement since so many of the shows on Hulu are network or FX shows with built in commercials breaks. 

They only really annoying thing is that tend to be repetitive and often include local ads. Most of time I just mute the ads as soon as the pop up. 

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Hmm.  I don't love that it has ads, but for that price?  There are a few things I'd like to watch on Hulu, so I'll probably do it.

Can anyone who has the ad-supported Hulu plan already chime in with how bad/good the ad situation is -- are they excessive and/or placed at odd places within the programming?  Because if not, that's probably too good a deal to pass up.  Look at me -- paying for a streaming service myself instead of using someone else's account.

Ads are 90 seconds long and there are a few. I always have ad filled Hulu I’m used to it.

[oliviabenson]

Ad free Hulu is $15 a month. For $1 I can live with ads.

 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Can anyone who has the ad-supported Hulu plan already chime in with how bad/good the ad situation is -- are they excessive and/or placed at odd places within the programming?  Because if not, that's probably too good a deal to pass up.  Look at me -- paying for a streaming service myself instead of using someone else's account.

I suggest if you're on the fence, to go for it while it's still this cheap and see whether or not you hate it.

Is Hulu the one where the ads are a *LOT LOUDER* than the program? That does annoy, but mostly it makes me mute, and I can't be the only one, so whichever streamer it is, I can't imagine they won't wise up and stop it. 
Or are the LOUD-volume ads (on whichever streamer it is) only because I have a Roku TV? 

Regardless, OTOH, if you do leave during the commercial, the absence of the *LOUD* commercial might alert you when the show it back.

[ebk57]

I don't find the ads on Hulu overly long or tedious or loud.  They're definitely there, but not too intrusive.  I say go for it! 

[oliviabenson]

And I added Disney plus for $2 a month. 
 

hbo $5+$3 Hulu , pretty good price 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Is Hulu the one where the ads are a *LOT LOUDER* than the program?

Yes. My tv and Roku have settings that level out the audio but by coworker has that problem. 

[SoMuchTV]

3 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I canceled hbo and they sent me an email to resubscribe for $4.99 a month for 6 months. Yessss! 

I sure did resubscribe. 

 

3 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

4.99/month or 4.99 for all 6 months?  Either way that's not bad.  You may want to post that in the streaming thread - I imagine some folks there might be interested.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

$5 per month. It’s a 1 time use code only for me. 

Bringing this over from the Everything Else/Chitchat thread. $5.00/month for Max sounded good but shortly after, I saw this:

https://deadline.com/2023/11/max-slashes-ad-tier-price-70-percent-streaming-offer-1235617390/

(Max Slashes Price Of Ad Tier To $3 A Month In New Streaming Offer)

 

[Bastet]

Thanks for the feedback on Hulu's ad length and placement.  I'll definitely sign up for the .99/month deal, then, since it can be canceled any time -- there is nowhere near a year's worth of stuff I want to watch on there, so I could wind up watching everything I want for $1.98 and canceling.  Now that's a deal, even with ads.

[peachmangosteen]

15 hours ago, Dani said:

They only really annoying thing is that tend to be repetitive and often include local ads. 

This is my biggest problem with Hulu's ads. It's the same like 3 ads over and over. 

Now that I see Max is doing a deal, what are the ads like on there? I had ad-free for a year but ended up cancelling because it's just too expensive.

 

[oliviabenson]

58 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

This is my biggest problem with Hulu's ads. It's the same like 3 ads over and over. 

Now that I see Max is doing a deal, what are the ads like on there? I had ad-free for a year but ended up cancelling because it's just too expensive.

 

About a minute and a few of them. A little less ads than Hulu. I have been on hbo ad plan for a while.

[oliviabenson]

HBO ad free is $16 a month. I’d never pay that lol. 

[oliviabenson]

https://www.paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-07-10big3h&utm_campaign=30894678&placement=380920267&creative=204375430&utm_source=N485401.3122870FACEBOOKUSA&geo=ct=US&st=NY&city=13275&dma=3&zp=&bw=3&dclid=COmCkba91YIDFUUIiAkdS1sLGw
 

$1.99 a month for 3 months 

[shapeshifter]

15 hours ago, Dani said:

Yes. My tv and Roku have settings that level out the audio but by coworker has that problem. 

Can you easily share here the settings that you use?

[AheadofStraight]

21 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I just signed up for this Hulu deal at $0.99/mo. for 12 months:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/black-friday-2023-hulu-99-cents-month-year-104880222

I've been doing this every Black Friday for a few years now. Have to use a new email and the PITA about it was resetting up my queue but worth it for the price. Last year though, they got smarter and looked at my credit card and told me it was already used. I may be out of credit cards for it to continue working this year!

[oliviabenson]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

This is my biggest problem with Hulu's ads. It's the same like 3 ads over and over. 

Now that I see Max is doing a deal, what are the ads like on there? I had ad-free for a year but ended up cancelling because it's just too expensive.

 

On Hulu it’s all car ads/ medication ads lol

[oliviabenson]

43 minutes ago, AheadofStraight said:

I've been doing this every Black Friday for a few years now. Have to use a new email and the PITA about it was resetting up my queue but worth it for the price. Last year though, they got smarter and looked at my credit card and told me it was already used. I may be out of credit cards for it to continue working this year!

I had to make a new email and use a new CC! Hulu is too much lol. They really cracking down!

[peachmangosteen]

I have been alternating between 2 payment methods/emails for years with Hulu lol.

[oliviabenson]

Peacock is $2 a month. 

[shapeshifter]

29 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Peacock is $2 a month. 

Just FYI, December 8th "Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie" airs on Peacock.

I will probably watch the new season of Poker Face too.

My 1st world annoyance with Peacock is that they do not always air NBC shows the day after. 

Wikipedia has a well organized list of Peacock's original programs.

[oliviabenson]

And Starz is $1 to add to hulu for 6 months.

So for $4 a month I got Hulu/Starz/Disney.

$5 hbo

$2 peacock

$11 per month for 5 services. 

[ABay]

Thanks for the heads up re: Hulu. I added Disney+ for an additional $2 so I can see Dr. Who and Loki.

[Miss Anne Thrope]

I've been a Hulu subscriber in the past but not since at least April 2023.  They sent me an email re the Black Friday offer of $.99/month;  I clicked on the "Get this deal"  button with no result.  I read the fine print and it sure looks like I qualify for the offer. 

It turns out many others on various internet fora are in the same boat.  Did anyone here run into this issue and find a workaround?  (It's certainly not the end of the world but it's made me kind of pissy.)

 

[shapeshifter]

41 minutes ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

I've been a Hulu subscriber in the past but not since at least April 2023.  They sent me an email re the Black Friday offer of $.99/month;  I clicked on the "Get this deal"  button with no result.  I read the fine print and it sure looks like I qualify for the offer. 

It turns out many others on various internet fora are in the same boat.  Did anyone here run into this issue and find a workaround?  (It's certainly not the end of the world but it's made me kind of pissy.)

Did you try a different browser? 
These days I use Chrome on my laptop, so I went with Safari to get the Black Friday offer. 
Or you could clear your cache and cookies on your usual browser, but then you have to re-enter passwords here and everywhere.

[ABay]

Firefox was the only browser that worked for me. The Hulu deal page wouldn't load for me in either Chrome or Edge.

[Miss Anne Thrope]

18 minutes ago, ABay said:

Firefox was the only browser that worked for me. The Hulu deal page wouldn't load for me in either Chrome or Edge.

Thanks for the tip -- unfortunately, it didn't work for me.  I've cleared cookies, history, etc.   It's not a big deal, and I might try doing it at work, making sure to use a spare address.  

I did get the Paramount Plus deal -- thank you all for mentioning that, I look forward to using the crap out of that at least.  

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

I did get the Paramount Plus deal -- thank you all for mentioning that, I look forward to using the crap out of that at least. 

The Frasier reboot is excellent, IMO. 
So don't be put off by the first couple of episodes, which are mostly set up for the series.

[Zella]

Paramount Plus is also airing the uncut versions of the BBC Ghosts episodes. CBS is playing them on Thursday nights, but they're cutting several minutes off them to fit American air times. I am not watching on either because I've already seen them, but I thought people might appreciate the head's up. From what I've read, the cuts do include some funny lines and moments. 

[opus]

On 11/22/2023 at 7:40 AM, oliviabenson said:

Peacock is $2 a month. 

New customers only ☹️

[oliviabenson]

On 11/22/2023 at 8:41 PM, Miss Anne Thrope said:

I've been a Hulu subscriber in the past but not since at least April 2023.  They sent me an email re the Black Friday offer of $.99/month;  I clicked on the "Get this deal"  button with no result.  I read the fine print and it sure looks like I qualify for the offer. 

It turns out many others on various internet fora are in the same boat.  Did anyone here run into this issue and find a workaround?  (It's certainly not the end of the world but it's made me kind of pissy.)

 

Get a new email address/use a different credit card that will work.

[oliviabenson]

41 minutes ago, opus said:

New customers only ☹️

Get a new email/use a different credit card.

[Miss Anne Thrope]

9 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Get a new email/use a different credit card.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I can't even get that far -- the process stops at the landing page where you click "get the offer" or whatever the language is.  I do keep a collection of email addresses for occasions such as this. 

Maybe it's picking up my IP address (? I dunno, semi-Luddite here), so I mayl try it from a work computer this weekend. 

[oliviabenson]

8 minutes ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

Thank you for the suggestion, but I can't even get that far -- the process stops at the landing page where you click "get the offer" or whatever the language is.  I do keep a collection of email addresses for occasions such as this. 

Maybe it's picking up my IP address (? I dunno, semi-Luddite here), so I mayl try it from a work computer this weekend. 

For peacock I used same email it worked. For Hulu I had to make a new email. Hope you figure out why it’s not working for you. 

[ABay]

It's not your IP, because I didn't change mine when I tried all 3 browsers and I use a VPN for almost every site I visit. What if you go directly to Hulu.com without going through the link posted above? Maybe you already tried that. Here's a link from techradar: https://www.techradar.com/black-friday/black-friday-hulu-deals

[krankydoodle]

Most of the channel deals Amazon offers during the holidays look like they went from 99cents  to $2.50-3. Still a good price, though.