Amazonprime vs Netflix

We're looking for a general consensus re the question of what service is better, Amazonprime or Netflix. Don't watch a lot of current tv, - we like older shows and movies.Comcast and especially Comcast on demand are really bad so we're going to go the streaming route but there's so many services out there, it's difficult to decide. Seems Amazon and Netflix may be the best, but!!!! Input would be really appreciated here.

ExTownie
Jul '15

I can't help much - I use both and like both

5catmom 5catmom
Jul '15

We have Netflix and love it. Thought about going streaming as well but what about internet service? We have Comcast and I'm thinking that internet only will be expensive?


We do not have tv service (only phone and internet thru comcast). We have Amazonprime, netflix and hulu. Like all services for different reasons. We have found shows we really enjoyed on Amazon, but to be honest we have the service for shipping, music and for kindle books. Hulu has next day airing of a lot of currently airing shows we really enjoy. Netflix has so many series to get interested in. My suggestion would be to take advantage of the free trial periods that are offered.

nancy nancy
Jul '15

I had amazon prime free for a month and nothing on there interested me - had seen most movies before and wasn't impressed . Netflix has great shows like their own series , movies , and tv series that rotate in and out and would be far and away my pick - the biggest problem is finding stuff you have to search for that they don't list as favorites - but 7.99 per month for a vast video collection ain't bad . Why not get a free 30 day subscription for both and decide for yourself ? That's what I'm waiting for from Vimeo when Con Man debuts on there . A must watch for every Firefly-Serenity geek !

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/09/comic-con-2015-firefly-stars-nathan-fillion-and-alan-tudyk-spoof-themselves-con

Zombo Zombo
Jul '15

I have all three, with no cable. I find myself watching Hulu most of all. Netflix second. AmazonPrime third. I am glad to have AmazonPrime though. Will be renewing when the time comes.

LeRoy Grimace LeRoy Grimace
Jul '15

Netflix - sucks.

imo


I have both, we don't really watch regular tv, and I find that somethings are good about each. Amazon prime often has some of the less popular shows, while netflix, eventually has most others...

pmnsk pmnsk
Jul '15

Neither, I have KODI, you will ask what's that? it's a media platform that's let's you watch ALL MOVIES, TV Shows, ...you can install it on your PC/MAC or get an android tv box ( I recommend the amazon fire stick even tough you have to tweak it a little)

Pay me $25 and I will show how to kiss netflix goodbuy

TinkoDinko TinkoDinko
Jul '15

We've used Prime and we didn't care for it as much as Netflix. We use Sling and Netflix What I like about Sling is that it is month to month so since everything is repeats in the summer, we won't resubscribe until September or October. Gotta have my Walking Dead! ;)

Weebiekins Weebiekins
Jul '15

Oh yeah something named KODI will be here 5 years from now . By all means pay this guy 25 bucks for something that won't be around for very long ! Wasn't there recently a basic channel internet service called aereo.com that the Supreme Court ruled illegal ? I miss project free tv - whoops here's the latest version is providing you have software like adblock plus to block out the spam/viruses .

http://projectfreetv.so/

Zombo Zombo
Jul '15

Amazon prime for 2016. They just signed the Top Gear boys!

Makeitstop!
Jul '15

+1 Makeitstop! Very interested to see the new 'TopGear'.

We have both prime and netflix. Like both but prime is mostly for the free shipping. Don't use it too much for TV/movies, so they're a bonus. One thing that I use all the time on Prime is the $1 credit if you choose regular shipping. I probably get ~half the annual fee back in credits. The shows on netflix are pretty good and I use it at the gym to watch old tv shows.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Jul '15

Been binge watching The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime. Basically, the Axis won WWII, the Nazis dropped an H-Bomb on DC in the early '50s and in the early '60s, the US is partitioned with the Japanese controlling the area west of the Rockies, the Germans controlling everything east of the Rockies with the Rocky Mountain region itself being a "neutral zone" controlled by no one. There is an American Resistance movement that so far is centered on collecting and transporting old film reels that depict the history we're used to... the defeat of the Germans and the Japanese by the Allies.

So far, it's been pretty good and I recommend it to anyone who's run out of things to watch on their DVR due to the seasonal lull (-;

ianimal ianimal
Jan '16

Most of the older, obscure movies, you have to "rent " or buy... even if you already have amazon prime and Netflix. Can't even watch " I Dream of Jeanne ", for free anymore...LOL..but true. Like Zombo said, try the free trials, only don't procrastinate about picking what you like. We're still paying for both ... after a year of procrastination. We keep saying "we have to figure out what we're keeping or dumping ". We're still waiting for fios in the area.... that's our excuse...lol..personally, I like amazon prime better than Netflix, but Netflix is more user friendly.

sparksjbc1964 sparksjbc1964
Jan '16

I have both and personally like netflix better. Amazon prime has a lot more movies, but many of them you still have to pay to rent or buy despite the membership, and that bugs me.

Darrin Darrin
Jan '16

I don't have a tv but use Netflix. i just pop over to my neighbor if i want to watch a current show. LOL Right now I'm binge watching Nurse Jackie on Netflix. :)

Natari Natari
Jan '16

Watched the first episode of Man in the High Castle. Pretty good, hasn't sucked us in yet. Been watching Making of a Murderer on Netflix. We can't stop watching. Nothing like small town corruption to provide some entertainment.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Jan '16

I have both also and like Netflix the best. The have some very good original programs. Also binge watching Making of a Murderer. Started it yesterday.

happycamper happycamper
Jan '16

Wow. Making a Murderer is riveting. We only have 4 ep to go. I don't know if it's Manitowoc or Hazzard County. What a circus.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Jan '16

I am technologically challenged.....I am hating spending $165 per month for internet & cable..I have comcast.....can someone tell me if you can get the weather channel & local news on these new ways to stream tv? We want to watch current TV, news etc and are looking for a way to cut costs...we also watch discovery,history,hgtv, walking dead, NCIS and others............
Thanks for the help!

Suburbia Suburbia
Jan '16

Me, to! And Comcast just went to over $200 per month just for internet and TV. That almost as much as half our property taxes, for crying out loud! How's the "triple pay "? $160 including phone. Any feedback would be welcomed, as currently this is way out of our budget... just for TV and internet.

sparksjbc1964 sparksjbc1964
Jan '16

Sparksjbc1964---comcast just went up on me too. When I called Verizon to see about changing back to dsl, was told they are topped out in this area and it is not available and of course fios is not available and probably never will be available in Hackettstown. So stuck with comcast. Wish the town would put in its own fiber optic cable and we could tell comcast our thoughts by bolting.

Nancy Nancy
Jan '16

I'm with all of you about Comcast, so got a Roku box, and solved all my TV/Movie problems.

I cut cable and opted for Dish network's cheapest package (20/mo) for basic TV

And thou still have the cheapest Internet service with Verizon (20/mo) and paid the 1 time fee to buy the Roku box (is Roku3, but I'd suggest you buy its latest Roku4), I was able to watch a bunch of free (yet old) movies and pull already aired TV shows/series (ie: Gotham, Modern Family, etc.)...HOWEVER

Since we all want better/more recent movies on the cheap or free, [and an avid shopper via Amazon], we find Amazon's 99/yr (8.25/mo) package is not only better because of its free Prime S&H, Kindle-Books, and Music along it, but mainly also because we find it has a better selection of Movies than Hulu & Netflix, PLUS the selection to watch more/better/recent movies ON DEMAND for only 2.99 OR select/offer/link movies from Starz & Showtime as well.

In any event, with a Roku box, you can totally CUSTOMIZE your viewing from ALL CHANNELS (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, WWE, CNN, FOX, NFL, History, A&E, Weather Channels, LiveNews, VEVO, YouTube, the list is practically endless) - mostly FREE

In summary, I was able to cut my ~150+ cable monthly TV/Movie/Internet bill to $48.25/mo(20 Dish+20 Verizon+8.25 Amazon)...which gives me plenty of room for an on-demand movie and/or an additional packaged/service channel (like Netflix or WWE) - albeit phone must be linked to internet, so adding phone comes to an additional $25+, totally around $75/month

Last note: I tried to get Centurylink but was not in their area to service, so you may get a better/cheaper (or solo/or stronger) internet service, [with phone package] to compare with.

But was very HAPPY I was able to completely customize/make my own "cable" package via Roku

GL & Best Rgds


LLC

Thanks for all the info! Confusing for someone who is trying to wrap her head around this newer stuff! Can you get current TV programming on Roku?

So it sounds like from what you have , that i can get just basic cable which i would hope would have the main TV channels to still watch Blue Bloods, Big Bang Theory , the news etc......but will still need internet for the Roku correct? Is Roku just for movies? Is there a way to still see sports, weather channel etc.....

Thank you for your help!

Suburbia Suburbia
Jan '16

LLC,
One other question.....how does this work with multiple TV's?

Suburbia Suburbia
Jan '16

Suburbia,

There's no way to see live sports. Not sure about weather. You could always stream sporting events through the internet, but you really need high speed internet for that.

We went without cable for several years and just used a Roku. We wanted sports back and found that we weren't able to stream very well with our internet connection. I called about getting a better connection and with the amount I was going to pay, it was more cost effective to get back on a basic cable plan.

And just a side note - Comcast will charge you more for the internet if you don't have a cable plan. So if you have a basic cable plan you're thinking of ditching and your internet is through Comcast, it's basically a wash when you get rid of the cable. At least that's how it played out with the plan I had.

And you need one Roku per TV. You can physically move it to watch on another tv, but it only streams through one TV at a time. If that's what you're asking about multiple TVs :)


For hulu......how fast are the new episodes available? A week? The next day? Thanks

Philliesman Philliesman
Jan '16

Suburbia,

Piggybacking on MB's reply which is very good and summarizing some points:

Yes, you need basic TV (cable or satellite) to see live shows AND internet service to watch all the same TV shows (as previously aired...or same as if you had a DVR/VCR) and plenty of Movies (old and recent) on Roku

Yes, you can get live, current Weather temperature and standings, and *some* live/current news, just as you can get it from the internet and/or youtube -
[Roku has CNN & CBS Live that kept me up to what happened at Paris & SanBernardino events]

{I just chose Dish Network because it was the cheapest to get basic TV & Verizon's cheaper internet service}
DirectTV costs an arm & leg ($50/mo), but Comcast seems not bad @ 30/mo - So, if you already have Internet&Cable with Comcast, I'd simply stick with them and switch to its cheapest cable plan.

With regard to Multiple TVs, I have Roku3 at my main TV, and bought Roku's Stick (another Roku item) for another TV (2nd floor...to watch a movie in that room)
Except, watching 2 channels/shows/movies separately at the same time, will delay or buffer the stream as it's NOT like having two TVs showing channel 2 & channel 7 on the other without any effect!
However, UNLESS, you are getting(paying for) a super fast internet speed service, that should be fine as if you and ie: your son are both watching a youtube video or movie on your Desktop and kid's laptop the same time (via your same router, wifi line) - Otherwise, better to watch shows/movies once at a time, at either room.

Roku is not just for movies...it's more like a combo of what TiVo was in catching all those TV channels/shows via a DVR, while not only have a bunch of "special or private" shows that cover many particular interests you may like, it also allows you CHOOSE and/or make up you own media package of TV, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Amazon, etc. all in 1 forum - which you can go to the website or google a list of all the channels it covers.

Philliesman, Depending on the show and/or network, Hulu generally has a previously aired episode within 24-48hrs. On certain free links/channels, like FOX, some of its shows will be available to see within a few more days or week...depending


Ha Ha. Google the word Kodi, and you will watch all Movies, Tv Series etc for free, you stream that stuff from My grand mother DVR, I can setup Kodi for a small fee, pm me or text 2015008670

TinkoDinko TinkoDinko
Jan '16

Thank You LLC & MB! It is confusing trying to learn all this new stuff! I have comcast and probably will stay with it & change to basic. I have a tenant &part of their perk is wifi & cable so I am not sure if Roku will work. Thank you, you have been very informative.....I may have more questions LOL

Suburbia Suburbia
Jan '16

Anyone watch Peaky Blinders on Netflix? Some chick at the Wardell was talking it up, but she was also drinking Habanero Sculpin, so her judgement is somewhat suspect, lol.

ianimal ianimal
Apr '16

Haven't checked that out yet. Been watching Bosch, Daredevil, and Vikings. Bosch is pretty good (ending of S1 was meh). Daredevil is very good. And Vikings is very good as well.

MeisterNJ MeisterNJ
Apr '16

Haven't watched much of anything anything on Netflix since Pee Wee's Big Holiday . Waiting for Orange Is The New Black in June and season two of Marco Polo this summer . Netflix streaming rates are increasing to 9.99 from 7.99 in May .

Currently watching the final 8 episode season 4 of Banshee on Cinemax . They have really pulled out all the stops this season with one scene last week having a hillbilly meth dealer getting his throat torn out by a rabid dog and another getting his hand sliced in half right down to the wrist with a hand held scythe - and death by bass guitar string ! The woman safe cracker from the heist team is now going out at night as a vigilante beating the hell out of criminals who have escaped punishment . And a serial killer is on the loose with Sergeant Doakes from Dexter playing a therapist . Best tv show that no one knows about ! Except me and PenningsLandscaping that is .

Zombo Zombo
Apr '16

Netflix sucks...really bad movies.
imo

& they are supposedly jacking up the price.
more motivation to get 8.99 off my credit card a month.

Not true you cant stream live MLB, NHL not sure about NFL - have an old XBOX 360 and could pay MLB 120 bucks and watch any out of area MLB game live on my TV via Xbox - sorry Comcast customer - no Yankees.

There are European streaming sites that you can stream any game - any sport in the US for free but not hard to find...use them when RU football is not on TV.

Warning you do have to get through some spamming on these sites and shifting URL's but they do work...if there is a will to see A-Roid or Mike Kay's big head there is a way...


My husband LOVED Peaky Blinders - I haven't watched it yet, have liked Bosch, Sense8, Happy Valley, House of Cards, the Killing....
I also like Amazon Prime, mainly for access to Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery, Contemporary and other BBC titles...

pmnsk pmnsk
Apr '16

This is a good read for those of you who are thinking about paying the DB for Kodi:

https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-sellers-and-youtube-promoters-are-killing-kodi/

The_Bishop The_Bishop
Apr '16

Cancel cable and get them all.

sack
Apr '16

Peaky Blinders is awesome. Great acting and writing. Top notch. Highly recommend.

ianimal ianimal
Apr '16

Amazon just announced standalone streaming

skippy skippy
Apr '16

Based on the one month Prime membership I had , I don't think amazon has enough content to charge 8.99 a month (only 2 dollars less than Prime) - unless it includes every single movie on amazon that you can buy now for a one time viewing . I dread the day Netflix starts showing commercials like basic Hulu , but you know that is probably coming in the near future for streaming tv series along with a higher per month price to eliminate commercials .

http://qz.com/664165/amazon-is-launching-a-monthly-streaming-plan-and-its-cheaper-than-netflix/

Zombo Zombo
Apr '16

Amazon's monthly streaming-only plan at $8.99 per month ($107.88 per year) is more expensive than a regular Amazon prime membership at $99 per year. That regular membership includes free two-day shipping.

Why would anyone want to pay more?????

JerryG JerryG
Apr '16

I'm guessing it includes much more video content than Prime , but that's up to them . I will research an item on amazon , then buy it cheaper with free shipping and no tax on ebay . Beats playing a sucker for amazon which now has a 49 dollar minimum for free shipping without Prime . I'm thrifty and hold onto the dollar until the eagle screams , but that's just me . Just bought a chicklet key desktop keyboard at Best Buy with a price even amazon and ebay couldn't beat !

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-usb-keyboard-black/3489041.p?id=1219091716643&skuId=3489041

Zombo Zombo
Apr '16

I have both Prime and Netflix. I order from Amazon A LOT, so the streaming is just an added benefit. We are catching up on Justified on there right now. The movies on Prime are better than on Netflix. But we need Netflix for House of Cards and eventually OITNB and the next seasons of Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. I've heard good things about Sense8 and my check it out.

I am a cord cutter and recently got Sling. By prepaying the first 3 months ($19.99 a month) I got a free Roku 2, so now we have Rokus on both TVs. I can stream live CNN and a few other channels, including the new Viceland, which is fun.

We're still paying way too much for internet through Comcast and have had one problem after another with it. But it's better than renting cable boxes from them, because as soon as that deal ends, you're paying through the nose. Plus, the electricity to run two cable boxes costs more per year than you might think.

SquirrelGirl SquirrelGirl
Apr '16

You have to pay more for unions JerryG, no unions at Amazon...


Zombo, looks like the chicklet keyboard is the kind with a small space between the keys right? What is the other kind called where the keys are right next to one another?

I have been wondering this for some time... not used to the chicklet type, I can't type with any accuracy or speed on those. Keys too far apart.

hktownie hktownie
Apr '16

Regular keyboards I guess . Some keyboards actually have their letters slanted to the left . I bought one of those once and took it back just as soon as I noticed . I'll never be a fast typist , but the extra space between keys on a chicklet keyboard cuts down on the double keying and it's supposedly waterproof too .

Zombo Zombo
Apr '16

started Peaky Blinders - hooked!

pmnsk pmnsk
Apr '16

Season 3 of Peaky Blinders available for streaming on Netflix starting today.

ianimal ianimal
May '16

I have the amazon fire stick & live in panther. When I try to view shows they seem a tad fuzzy. Could this be due to the internet connection...maybe it's too slow? I have optimum as a service provider. I've tried adjusting the resolution but to no avail.

HLamusesme HLamusesme
May '16

Haven't been around much since my original post last year. We tried them all, not really impressed with any, comcast still stinks, we just read more.

ExTownie
May '16

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