design: Mackenna Miller
When television was first introduced, cable TV gained popularity immediately as it provided people with a source of entertainment. At the time, it was a major luxury to have television and cable.
Fast forward to the mid 2000s, when the rise of streaming services began. Today, consumers have an infinite number of television shows and movies at their fingertips, giving them the freedom to choose what they want to watch at any given moment.
However, with more choices, it becomes a responsibility to choose the best streaming service to subscribe to. Two of the most prominent streaming services are Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Although Netflix was founded in 1997 and initially sold and rented DVDs by mail, the company introduced streaming media on demand in 2007 (britannica.com). By 2013, Netflix had debuted as a production industry, too.
I have a Netflix subscription and have had one for almost all my life. I have been watching shows from them from a young age so it has definitely been a constant streaming service in my life.
Netflix has a wide range of movies and shows suitable for all ages, from cartoons for pre-schoolers to thrillers, horror movies, and romantic comedies for the older and more mature audience. The service also has a considerable amount of international films for viewers outside the United States.
As a kid I watched many shows from baking competitions to shows like Jessie and Good Luck Charlie as many Disney series were on Netflix at that time. Now, some of my favorites are Stranger Things, Outer Banks, and Shadow and Bone, which are all getting new seasons in the near future.
However, Netflix has been taking off popular shows and adding more Netflix original productions to their feed. And although there are some good original additions, it is frustrating when a classic movie or show is taken off.
In addition to the ability to download movies and shows, Netflix has added some helpful additions to their service, such as the watch together feature so that viewers can watch movies with friends without having to be together. This was extremely beneficial to the viewers during COVID when there were social distancing regulations.
The price for a Netflix subscription varies, with a basic plan at $9.99 a month, standard at $15.49 a month, a premium at $19.99 a month, and a new basic with ads was introduced in 2022 for $6.99 a month.
Overall, I rate Netflix a 3.8/5. Although the subscription has been increasing in price, I can always count on finding something to watch or re-watch.
Amazon Prime Video was launched in 2006, according to encyclopedia.pub, and has maintained a growing collection since then. My family usually gets Prime for the fast shipping and deals, but the streaming service is definitely an added benefit.
Similar to Netflix, Prime Video has a variety of movies and shows for kids and adults, as well as international films. I don’t watch Prime as often as Netflix, though, as I usually just browse through occasionally and find a random movie to watch.
One of the cons about Prime is that many of the movies and shows are originals. Usually, I haven’t heard about any of them so it can be hard to find something to watch.
The current Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, but just the Prime Video membership is $8.99 per month. Unlike Netflix though, Prime does offer a student discount which decreases the price to $7.49 per month or $69 per year.
But, one of my peeves about Prime is that even with the membership, many of the movies and shows are only available to rent or buy, which drastically reduces the options. For this reason, I rate Prime Video 3.4/5.
