Watching a football match or news on the television is a custom that is fast deteriorating. The days when a person would sit in front of the television for hours following a game or settling on the couch at exactly 8pm for a TV show or at 9 am for the morning news are long gone with quickness and convenience the priority. Watching television offers a number of inconveniences such as the restriction of channels, only being able to watch something at the time it is broadcasted etc. Streaming on the other hand broadens horizons with channels available from all over the world and usually the convenience of watching whatever, whenever you will. In this regard, a number of streaming services have sprung up to provide to this want of the common man. Two very famous services in this category are Netflix and Hulu that have provided the solution to most people’s entertainment needs and usually show the episodes a day after they are aired. Hulu (Plus) and Netflix have become two of the best choices for streaming videos and it can be a headache choosing one of the two.
There a number of differences between the two, some of which may help you to decide which one is better for you. To begin with, Netflix has the larger archive of the two whereas Hulu is ahead in terms of the number of new TV shows available. The preferences are the key to which one of the two is the right choice for you. If you want to watch an old series which has ended then Netflix is the best. It has an unbelievably huge library of entire series of shows that have ended as well as the previous seasons of shows currently being aired. What’s more, Netflix has a library that is continuously increasing and that includes all genres. Hulu on the other hand is a better option if suspense gets the better of you and waiting even a day for the latest episode of your favourite show isn’t possible for you! Hulu promises to stream the shows the very next day that they are aired.
Moving on, Netflix will certainly be the right choice if you want content for children. It’s exclusive ‘Netflix for Kids’ allows the youngsters amongst us to navigate their way on the site to whatever content they want to watch. Hulu also has content for kids but its priority remains showing what is popular and trendy.
If you do not like the TV shows that are currently going on, Hulu and Netflix have some of their own shows for you to choose from. In this regard, Hulu has the larger collection having released 10 new shows recently. Netflix, although currently behind in the race of its own original shows, is gathering pace and has some exciting shows coming up. So you better be alert for some amazing TV coming your way!
Both Hulu and Netflix have very friendly websites and ensure that you find what you need in a matter of seconds. However, Hulu ensures that as you use the site frequently, the home screen remembers your choices and gives you what you might like. Also, it gives the option of logging in through Facebook so you can see what your friends are watching.
For those of you to whom video quality is the priority, Netflix is your saviour. You obviously need the right hardware and you may also have to wait a bit longer for the latest episodes, but you can be sure that you will view your favourite shows in HD quality. Hulu also has very good video quality but you might have to compromise on it if you want to watch an episode the very next day that it is aired.
Summary of differences expressed in points
- Netflix-larger archive; Hulu-greater number of new TV shows available
- Netflix-has enormous collections of old series and previous seasons of current series; Hulu-focuses more on what is trending, shows are available the very next day of being aired
- Netflix has a better and larger collection for children
- Both have their own original series with Hulu ahead in the number of series running at the moment
- Hulu has a better website experience as it links up to your Facebook account and remembers your choices
- Better quality videos on Netflix in most cases, HD quality; Hulu also has HD but not for shows that are showed the next day of being aired