Top 5 Netflix Alternatives to Stream Videos

Netflix has separated its online streaming video services and DVD rental services and hike up the monthly cost by up to 60 percent last year. Unhappy with Netflix and want to find out some alternatives to Netflix, where you can get streaming videos and DVD rentals? Look no further! Below are the best Netflix alternatives to watch streaming videos.

1. Hulu Plus

You can get access to various current and classic shows by paying $7.99 a month with Hulu Plus. Besides watching videos on computer, you can also stream videos on your phones, tablets and game consoles, including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android phones, Xbox 360, PS 3, TiVo, etc. This feature makes it very convenient to watch your favorite shows anywhere. However, to enjoy the TV shows, you need to watch ads and commercials because this will help to keep the monthly fees down, says the company. If you love watching broadcast network TV shows, Hulu Plus is the best alternative to Netflix streaming.

Tips: You can download and burn Hulu videos to DVD for watching on your home DVD player and TV. Learn how to burn Hulu movie to DVD.

2. Amazon Prime Instant Videos

You can get access to over 5,000 instant movie and TV titles at no additional cost with the $79/year Amazon Prime membership. All paid members can enjoy a free two-day shipping and discounted one-day shipping on their purchases. Amazon Prime Instant Videos can be viewed on computer, TV, or intermediary device like Roku, TiVo, Google TV, etc. For the prices, Amazon Prime Instant Video is $17 less a year than Netflix’s instant-streaming service. However, Netflix offers about 20,000 titles while Amazon Prime has only about 6,000 titles. It’s said Amazon Prime Instant Videos will offer more than 12,000 titles by the end of this year. If you are a heavy online shopper, Amazon Prime can be your Netflix streaming alternative for its bonus features.

Tips: If you are an Amazon user and have purchased some protected videos from Amazon, you can have a look at Remove DRM from Amazon Video.

3. CinemaNow

CinemaNow is Best Buy’s online streaming video service. It offers a large selection of movies and TV shows to rent/purchase. And the video files can be watched on computers and some Blu-ray players, HDTVs, home theater systems, etc. It seems this streaming service doesn’t have any obvious advantages over others. However, the price is competitive: rentals start at $2.99 and up to $3.99 per title. No monthly service charge is provided. You can get access to CinemaNow from PC, Mac and some devices.

Tips: Purchased movies from CinemaNow are protected by DRM and can only play on specified players. To watch CinemaNow videos anywhere you like, you can get a DRM Media Converter to remove DRM protection from CinemaNow and convert the video to any popular video format.

4. Vudu

Vudu, a streaming media company, is owned by Wal-Mart. It offers tons of movies and TV shows, including various HD movies. You can stream the videos to your device instantly. Movies can be rent for only $2 for two nights. Most HD movie rentals cost $4.99 and HDX rentals cost $5.99. Note that there is not monthly subscription. One distinct advantage of this service is that the titles are available the same day when the movies are released on DVD. So if you don’t want to wait for some days to watch the newly released movies, Vudu can be the best Netflix streaming alternative. You can stream videos with Vudu on PS3, iPad, Blu-ray players, computer and HDTV.

5. Apple TV

With Apple TV, you can rent TV shows and movies from iTunes store and stream them to your TV set, mobile devices, tablet, phone, etc. straightly. There is a much larger selection of movies and TV shows than its competitors. However, most HD rentals cost $3.99 and $0.99 for a single episode TV show rental. The big advantage is that you can watch it on your TV with a much better experience in a much more comfortable way. The disadvantages are that you need to buy the Apple TV for $99 and need a relatively new television with a nice flatscreen that can hook up to the Apple black box.

Tips: If you own an Apple TV, you can have a look at Rip DVD to Apple TV and  Convert Video to Apple TV.