What’s the Best TV Streaming Service For You?
Streaming services initially had a very limited library and were usually used as an add- on to another service for DVD and digital download offerings. As the Internet became faster and we moved forward in technological advancement these streaming libraries began to grow and take on lives of their own. Soon they were even adding their own original content, and thus we have many of the shows on Netflix and Amazon.
You probably know that there are a lot of movie and TV streaming services out there. The big names are Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video, but the truth is that there are a number of others in the competition too. Every service has its unique set of prices and content. Depending on your budget and your tastes you will probably prefer one provider over another.
This article will delve into the more popular options on the table when it comes to streaming TV services. Beyond this list, however, there are a number of other providers that you can certainly look into. Being that these are the big names in streaming television, the services are generally dependable and offer some of the best content online.
Netflix
The leader in original programming, and one of the biggest names out there, is Netflix—so it is a good place to begin. Netflix offers a fairly solid selection to choose from, however they do rotate their titles on a monthly basis. You may not like this, as you could be in the middle of a series and find it gone the following day. Still, Netflix is continuously replenishing their selection.
If you like Marvel’s Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, or House of Cards, Netflix is the provider that you want. These shows originated on Netflix, so it is the best place to watch them.
Netflix has rates that begin at $8 a month, but this is for a standard-definition stream. Prices slowly go up from there depending on the content you want and the number of accounts you need. Of course they also have a DVD service, which allows you to view certain content that isn’t available on the streaming library.
Amazon Instant Video
If you use Amazon a lot to buy books or other merchandise, the Amazon Prime may be the best way to get Amazon Instant Video. This route will cost $99 a year, but you can also choose a monthly subscription for around $8 a month.
Amazon features an astounding 40,000 streaming titles, and this is definitely an impressive selection. Unfortunately many of these titles are not actually included in Instant Video, meaning you will have to purchase or rent them.
One great advantage of the Amazon streaming service is the fact that you can now download content and view it offline. This is something that competitors like Netflix don’t offer.
Hulu Plus
If you just go to the Hulu website you can watch certain titles free of charge. This is nice sometimes, but for classics and full seasons you will have to subscribe. The pricetag is about $8 a month, which is in league with competitors.
Hulu receives their content almost immediately after it airs on TV. This is something that Amazon and Netflix definitely lack, as they often don’t get new TV series for months and sometimes even a year after it has already debuted.
If you absolutely hate ads then this is another thing to keep in mind when considering Hulu, but they do offer a new ad-free tier. It costs around $12 on a monthly basis.
Showtime
The premium service you know as Showtime now has a streaming service. The subscription costs about $11 a month but those who love the network will be able to catch up on episodes they missed or watch live streams. It can be used on most mobile devices. It can be accessed on the web, iOS, and Android.
HBO Now
Before Showtime took the big step HBO took the very first initiative. With HBO Go people have been able to easily access content online for a while. Of course HBO GO must be used with a TV login, so if you have friends who will share the password then you are in luck, but if not then HBO GO may not have been worth it to you.
HBO Now is different from HBO GO. It is a subscription-based online-only version and the rate is about $15 a month. If you adore HBO programming it could be perfect for you.
Starz
The standalone, streaming app was recently launched for Starz and it costs about $9 a month. If you want the great shows featured on Starz without having to pay for an entire TV subscription this is a really good choice for you. You will be able to enjoy shows like Outlander, American Gods, Power, and of course some of the hottest movies including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Sling TV
For $20 a month you can get access to a number of real television networks, like TBS, TNT, CNN, The Food Network, and AMC. These traditional TV channels are all viewed live, just like cable. What’s great is that you will even have access to sports. You automatically get ESPN and ESPN2, but if you want more then you can get nine more sports channels with the Sports Extra package.
Sling TV is one of the perfect choices for people who want a range of channels without the pricetags or contracts associated with cable and satellite. If you want a good balance between cable and a streaming service then Sling could be perfect for you.
You will also be able to enjoy a “multi-stream” option with Sling. This tool lets you watch shows on several different devices all at the same time. With the multi-stream option you will, unfortunately, lose out on a few channels, however—for example Disney Channel, ESPN, and ESPN2. If you want the multi-stream and the extra channels the price goes from $20 to $40.
Gilmore Girls Revival: Sookie is Back on the Show and She Couldn’t Be Happier
With Netflix’s announcement in January of the release of the next and final season of Gilmore Girls in the second half of this year, Gilmore Girls fans are understandably ecstatic! What is admirable is that most of the members of the original cast managed to find time out of their busy schedules to be part of the last season of the show, including Melissa McCarthy! Melissa donned the role of Sookie St. James, Lorelai’s best friend and one of the co-founders of The Dragonfly Inn. Yes, after a lot of rumors and speculations about her not being of a part of the show’s last season, Melissa has finally cleared the air with her official announcement and confirmation that she is one of the last members of the original cast to make it to this season.
Melissa, who has been on a massive weight-loss spree since the show abruptly ended, was supposedly not expected to be a part of this season of the cult favorite series, because of her extremely tight schedule. But just last month, she officially confirmed that the much adored and ultra-cute Sookie St. James will make an appearance in the show, much to the delight of her fans. She even stated how she was sure that the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, would have anyhow convinced her to appear on the show. Even her co-star Yanic Truesdale, who reprises the role of the absolutely snooty, impatient, and humorous Michel Gerard, confirmed Melissa’s association with the revival, bringing joy to her fans.
McCarthy couldn’t obviously contain her excitement during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. She revealed that the revival season will consist of four 90-minute installments, with each episode representing one of the four seasons, namely Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall, and she just had to make time for the revival. She was visibly excited to be associated with a show that has always been really close to her heart. She further added that reuniting with the entire cast of the show was nothing short of magical and almost like a trip down memory lane. In the same ballpark and sharing the same thoughts were her co-stars who were equally excited to be associated with the final season. The creator of the show Amy was as excited as Melissa and said she really wanted Melissa to be a part of this season.
The filming of the series has almost been completed and the show is expected to go on air in the second half of this year. Fans and lovers of the show are ardently and desperately waiting for the show to kick off. Given the successful stint and religious following the series has generated, it isn’t really going to be an uphill battle for the creators and the entire production team to far-exceed the expectations of the audience.
Is Amazon Fire TV Right For You?
Amazon Fire TV is not a television set despite what the name would lead some to believe. Much like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV is in fact a small network appliance in the form of a small black box. The device comes with the standard features you might expect, like access to Amazon’s store and other video streaming capabilities and outlets. It includes a fun new feature called predictive streaming in which Amazon Fire TV will auto-buffer the next thing it predicts you will watch. You will also find voice search and other interesting functions designed to give you a better experience watching your favorite shows and movies.
The predictive streaming feature which Amazon Fire TV offers is called ASAP or Advance Streaming and Prediction. This features allows Amazon Fire TV to anticipate or predict what you are going to watch next, then, it then begins to buffer the program so you can watch it immediately as soon as you press play. Although it may not be accurate at first, over time ASAP is designed to learn your entertainment preferences and become better at accurately predicting your tastes. If you don’t care about a tech company following what shows you like best, this feature can add a lot of efficiency to your streaming experience.
There have been a lot of problems with voice searches in the past, but Amazon Fire TV’s voice search is supposed to actually work. Embedded in the remote control is a small microphone which users can speak to when they are looking for a title. This new and intriguing feature may be one of Amazon Fire TV’s top selling points. Anyone who has ever had to search for a title online knows the frustration and the time it takes to track down each and every little key on the screen. When you want to search for a keyword or actor’s name just press the little button on the remote and speak. There have been some limitations reportedly about this feature, as it won’t work for every app—meaning results from Netflix and other similar providers won’t show up.
Amazon Fire TV lets you do other things, too. It works great for gaming and has a expandable USB storage and a fast quad-core processor. The Amazon Fire TV has multi-player capabilities, first person shooters, and many others features. It has 2GB of memory and allows you to use your favorite apps and mirror your devices on your television screen. With Prime Instant Video, Prime music, and the HBO collection you have a free range at a variety of entertainment.
Reviews call Amazon Fire TV powerful and innovative. Amazon.com gives the product 4.2 out of 5 stars, which is pretty good. Buyers say that the interface and hardware are speedy, and that the appearance is appealing and sleek. They state that video quality, gaming quality, and voice search are all pretty good. Some also stated that it was easy to set up. On the downside, critics say it is difficult to find free movies on Prime, there is a lack of organization, and that there is not enough storage for games.
America’s Got Talent Back for Another Season
Arguably one of the most entertaining shows on reality TV, America’s Got Talent is coming back for yet another season. With Nick Cannon as the host and judges like Howie Mandel and Howard Stern, the show is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Every week, the national audience gets to watch a variety of acts as people battle for a $1 million prize. The show, now in its tenth season, has produced hit musicians, comedians, actors, and a variety of performers in many other fields.
America’s Got Talent quickly climbed to the top of many lists that highlighted the best shows on TV, and it seems it still holds its place after all of these years. Critics have reportedly complimented the show on not only entertaining viewers with the various acts, but also with the comedy provided by the judges and their reactions.
America’s Got Talent has received 20 nominations and 4 wins, including one Primetime Emmy. Out of the hundreds of performers on the show, many have reached new heights in the world of dancing, music, and stand up. Even those who don’t win still get a boost of publicity unlike any other.
And, those who don’t succeed on America’s Got Talent have a tendency to participate in the series’ rival shows like American Idol. A few of those who hopped across talent shows ended up making it into the finals with a second chance, most notably Phillip Phillips although his audition went unaired.
Whether contestants succeed or not, viewers and critics agree on one thing: the show provides family-friendly entertainment for everyone. While it seems the majority of winners tend to be musical acts, there have been a good amount of winners who were part of a comedy team or animal act.
Perhaps the success of America’s Got Talent sprouts from the sheer variety of every episode. While the vast majority of talent shows focus on one thing, such as singing or dancing, America’s Got Talent opens its doors to virtually any act. Most of the episodes see an abundance of singing, dancing, or comedy, but there is also a significant amount of performances that involve magic tricks or animal acts.
No matter what type of entertainment your family is in to, you’re likely to find it on America’s Got Talent.
The show has repeatedly produced stars that seem to gain fame practically overnight. All of the show’s winners and even those who get voted out early on tend to find themselves with a lot of media attention and a growing fan base once their audition airs.
America’s Got Talent doesn’t focus on single-person acts, either. The show has featured full choirs, dancing groups with dozens of performers, and even entire classrooms to showcase various talents.
Of all of the contestants, it seems every fan has their own favorite from the series. While not all have found their way to fame, many have received a great amount of support and exposure thanks to the show. Even those who were unsuccessful in expressing their talent have told about the fun experience they had appearing on the show.
Throughout the series’ history, auditions have always been held in both Los Angeles and New York. While thousands try out for every season, only a select few make it on the air. With the majority of those who do being extremely talented or very entertaining, it’s clear that the show has an abundance of talented people auditioning for every episode.
Critics have complimented the show on its comedy, variety, and even the cast of judges. Host Nick Cannon has become a favorite among fans, and so are many of the judges.
Over the years, the series has produced an assortment of winners, and it appears that it will continue to do so on into its eleventh season. The show has continuously gained viewers, and as the ratings get higher and higher, there seems to be no end in sight.
Fans of the show hold it in high regards, and many more people have recently begun watching for the tenth season. Even those who are just jumping on board seem to only have good things to show about the series, its judges, and the performances. America’s Got Talent has proven itself as one of the most successful and most entertaining talent shows on air today, there’s no doubt that it will be continuing far into the future. If you like this type of entertainment, just go to this website to make sure that you don’t miss any episodes.
OLED Television Technology
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diodes. Although mobile phones have been utilizing OLED technology for some time, it is only relatively recently that TVs have started to incorporate it. It is considered by most to be the most advanced display technology which is currently available, and there are televisions which are made using this technology. OLED TVs are considered to be quite different from LED TVs.
Even though LED and OLED are only different by one letter upon first glance, they are actually very fundamentally distinct. LED stands for light-emitting diode. LEDs are used as the backlight to televisions which are LCD; this is due to the fact that LEDs are too big to be used as the pixels of a TV. This is not the case for an OLED television. Each pixel holds its own light on an OLED TV, which is not true of a simple LED television. OLED TVs are more flexible, lighter, and thinner when compared to LED TVs because they don’t require backlighting. Put in the simplest of terms, OLED offers better quality than LED.
OLED TVs are made with one conductor on each side of organic thin films. When the electric current is introduced the organic substance that is red, green, and blue, and is designed to glow. Of course, those three colored lights are all that are needed for a television image. Because each individual pixel produces its own light and can be shut off, this OLED television technology can produce an absolute black. Because there can be an absolute black the contrast ratio is truly infinite.
The other good thing about OLED TVs is that they are pretty energy efficient, especially when compared to LED. OLEDs are light-emitting surfaces while LEDs are more like tiny light bulbs. While utilizing only two-ten volts an OLED TV can still be up to 160 degrees.
There are two types of OLED television technology: “White” OLED and RGB OLED. White OLED works in a rather different manner that is somewhat difficult to understand in a few words. The three colors, blue, green, and red, are all put together. It is called “White” OLED because these colors come together to make a white light when powered. The colored subpixels are created when this white light enters a color filter. RGB OLEDs on the other hand have individual green, red, and blue subpixels, so they function rather like plasma TVs.
OLED, despite being rich in very quality and recent technology, are certainly not the cheapest option on the market. While Samsung started off selling OLED televisions at $9,000, LG started at $15,000. fortunately it is true that the price has dropped since the TV initially came out. Now OLED televisions can be seen starting at around $2,500, but many are still on the higher end of the price spectrum when it comes to a new TV. OLED TVs will work with Blu-ray players and other streaming devices and they are also available in Smart TV and 3D Display.
The Blacklist Insights
The American crime drama television series, The Blacklist, premiered September 23rd 2013 on NBC and it was created by Jon Bokenkamp. The first season was filled out on October 4th of 2013, when NBC ordered a total of 22-episodes. NBC renewed the show for another 22-episode second season on December 3rd, 2013. The executive producers of the series are Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath, and John Davis for Davis Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television, and Universal Television. The second season of The Blacklist premiered on September 22nd, 2014, which was a Monday. On February 5th, 2015, the series was moved from Mondays to Thursdays at 9 pm. On that same date, February 5th, The Blacklist was renewed by NBC for a third season.
In the second season of The Blacklist Raymond Reddington realizes his enemy is the former KGB officer Milos Kirkoff. Milos believed that Red had something to do with the death of his daughter, but this isn’t true, and Red proves Milos wrong by finding his daughter alive. After doing this, he works with the FBI and Kirkoff in order to discover who was behind the lie. Elizabeth Keen held Tom Keen, her now ex-husband, prisoner for four months on a ship. After she releases him Tom meets with Red who helps Tom out with some money and a passport for a new life—as long as Tom never sees Elizabeth again. Now the leader of Alan Fitch’s faction, The Director sees Red as a threat to his objectives. The Director does not think Red truly has the Fulcrum and sees Red as standing in the way of his plans.
The Blacklist has been fairly well received by most people, but some reviews are mixed. Rotten Tomatoes gives the series an 83% approval rating and Metacritic gives it 7.2/10 stars. Fans call the series a badass fast paced action show that isn’t afraid to take chances. There is some debate revolving around the second season. While some reviews claim that the second season is a continuation from a great first season, others say it is better than the first, and some say they liked the first season but not the second. Of course there are those who don’t like any of the series. Spader is one of the biggest attractions about the series, and even many critics admire his work. Critical reviews claim that the series is unrealistic and that it is bringing up new mysteries without solving old ones. There is also some discussion about the quality of the characters and some of the actors. Certain people strongly dislike Elizabeth Keen and some also judge Megan Boone for her acting.
Why It Matters That Downton Abbey Is Inaccurate
Downton Abbey has come under criticism for its historical inaccuracies since the first season of the show. Many people—the creators of the show included—roll their eyes at the mention of the inaccuracies and often dismiss people discussing them as being overly nitpicky. And while one would be hard pressed to say that showing yellow parking lines on the road is a terrible historical offense, there is a reason to care that the show is so inaccurate in one particular aspect: the servant’s lives.
The show’s depiction of the lives of an early 20th century servant is very much romanticized. In the show, the servants have a life that is a far cry from the reality of a servant in the Edwardian era. The servants in the show are very clean, well-groomed, given spacious living quarters, a lot of free/relaxation time, and have a very personal, open and even caring relationship with the inhabitants of Downton Abbey. The servants are treated almost as an extended member of the family in the show.
However, the reality of life for an Edwardian servant was very different. Living quarters for servants were small and often far too cramped. Servants did not bathe regularly and often had to make do with using kitchen water to wipe off dirt and grime. Servants did not have much free time and were often worked from sunup until late at night; an excerpt from a letter written by a real Edwardian-era maid noted that she worked from 5 in the morning until midnight with hardly any break and often felt the need to “have a good cry” because of her work load. And they certainly did not have personable, open relationships with the people they worked for—in fact, it was social etiquette for servants to face the wall if they encountered “their betters,” unless those ‘betters’ were giving them orders. Female servants also faced a much higher risk of sexual assault from male members of the family, due to their position in the household.
The trouble with romanticizing this type of life is that it gives the impression that the vast social and class differences between the characters had no impact on their lives—when in reality, the class differences meant the servants lived a cramped, grueling life full of backbreaking work dedicated to providing comfort and care for the people who considered themselves their ‘betters.’ . Learn more right over here.
3 Reasons Why the Walking Dead Shouldn’t Be Explained
There is one question that most fans of the Walking Dead hope will never be answered: just how, exactly, did the zombie virus start? Is it some form of disease mutation—perhaps some sort of rare animal disease that hopped onto human hosts? Was it caused by chemicals or government testing? There are many different theories as to what, exactly, the ‘walker virus’ in the show is and how it was started—they remain, however, theories because the show has yet to explain the real origins behind the outbreak.
And that is exactly how it should be. Why? Because explaining the Walking Dead would negatively impact the show, likely beyond repair. The following are three reasons why The Walking Dead should not ever be explained in the show.
It would get in the way of the more important aspects of the show
Once the real origins of the outbreak are discovered, the show would naturally shift its focus towards that concept, while ignoring or at least downplaying the other aspects of the show—including relationships, morality, group decisions, and how people deal with such a tremendous event.
A legitimate hunt for a cure wouldn’t fit with the show’s tone
It’s one thing for characters to have a goal of escorting a supposed scientist to a safe place so that he can work on a cure for the virus. It’s another thing to actually know what the disease is, and have a real hunt for a cure with definitive goals—it simply would not fit with the show’s overall tone.
A real explanation would break the heightened reality of the universe
The Walking Dead exists in a universe with a tenuous, heightened reality that only needs a bit of pressure in order for it to break. As the viewers, we accept that when people die in the show, they are reanimated into flesh-craving monsters that will stop at nothing to eat other people. We also accept that there are pockets of survivors who do things like keep zombified heads in emptied out TVs or resort to cannibalism.
If a real explanation was given for the virus, it would bring the show down to a grounded reality that would break the previous heightened reality of the storyline. The ‘CDC’ plot in season 1 managed to avoid this by being just vague enough to work.
Best Brad Pitt Performances
Brad Pitt is one of the most famous—if not the most famous—actors in the world. He has done dozens of films and created numerous memorable (and some not so memorable) roles during his cinematic career. Under his career belt he has notches for just about every type of film, ranging from comedies to thrillers to romance and more. But which Brad Pitt performances can truly be counted as his best work? Let’s take a look at the very best of Brad Pitt’s acting performances—the films that truly showcase why Brad Pitt is the most well-known actor on every corner of the globe.
Honorable mention: Thelma & Louise: J.D. (1991) |
Thelma & Louise wasn’t exactly a starring role for Brad Pitt, but even early on in his career, Pitt was able to take a relatively small supporting character and make him into a memorable, charismatic character that audiences would not forget. |
Interview with the Vampire: Louis (1994) |
Supernatural characters are not always easy to portray, and often veer into the realm of overdramatic. Yet Pitt was able to take this character of a vampire, pining away for his lost humanity while he becomes more and more inhuman, and provide a well-rounded, emotional performance alongside a stellar cast. |
Seven: David Mills (1995) |
The role of David Mills in Seven is one of Brad’s finest roles. It gave him the chance to show his chops as an actor in a gritty thriller, plagued by death and horror. Yet the role itself allowed Brad to explore a darkness that many viewers had yet to see in him. Throughout the film, Brad Pitt’s character begins to disintegrate piece by piece–with every murder, with every new terrible sight, Pitt is more than capable of showing the audience that his character, despite living through the end of the film, will never be the same. |
Fight Club: Tyler Durden (1999) |
Fight Club would not exist without Tyler Durden. Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden is arguably the most enigmatic, charismatic–and yes, violent–of Pitt’s roles. This particular role was designed to trick the viewers, but it was also written as a satire of stereotypical, aggressive behavior. Tyler Durden is the stereotypical “anarchist.” Charismatic, convincing, yet ultimately selfish and self-serving. In a lesser actor, the role could lean towards ridiculous, but Pitt creates a character that gave the film an incredible amount of depth. |
Are the Walkers in The Walking Dead Inconsistent?
The Walking Dead sure has spawned a lot of memes. Some ridiculous, some hilarious—and some strangely on point. One in particular, created during the last episodes of the show’s second season, refers to the inconsistent strength found in the “walkers” of the Walking Dead—one zombie is strong enough to take down a 1-ton cow, another is strong enough to rip open someone’s stomach, while the third can’t hold onto young Carl’s leg.
It may seem like nitpicking, but if we look at these details regarding the strength of the walkers in the show, there is something a little “off” about the strength of the zombies in The Walking Dead.
There have been multiple scenes in the show which depict an awful death for anyone unlucky to be pinned by a walker, or multiple walkers. The person is eviscerated—in other words, their stomach is torn open and their guts are eaten by the hungry dead. Not a good way to go. But think about it closer: how are the walkers tearing open people’s stomachs? Human nails are not sharp enough to slice through skin, fat and flesh—nor are human fingers strong enough to rip open someone’s body.
But let’s pretend that a human could do these things. If the walkers can hold someone down and tear them apart—why, then, can’t they seem to hold onto people’s legs? A scene in season 2, where Carl confronts the zombie stuck in the mud, shows that Carl only had to kick a little to get free from the zombie that eventually went on to pin down and eviscerate Dale.
Why couldn’t the zombie capable of pinning down a grown man and tearing him open keep a hold of a pre-teens leg? Or why didn’t the zombie’s hands simply shred Carl’s leg to pieces? If the show has decided that the walking dead suddenly have the strength to take down cows, which typically weigh over a ton, or rip open people’s stomachs… why are people who get grabbed by the arm or the leg not immediately ripped open by the zombie’s strength?
The zombies seem to have “selective” strength which, naturally, only shows up when the show’s plot line demands it. Despite these sorts of flip-flopping details, however, the show’s dead are still downright scary—even if they’re not the most consistent of zombies.
