We used to have one-stop shopping with our entertainment, specifically TV. Decades ago, we had just local channels. Even in the large metropolitan area of Chicago where I grew up, we only had the three major networks, a local independent channel, and PBS on VHF, and on UHF we had another two channels. Later, the option of cable and satellite gave us hundreds of channels to choose from through one source.
But the age of the Internet has brought has streaming. While we have had the options for some time of Netflix and Hulu, now we are beginning to get other a la carte options and can get just the channels we want a la carte. Other larger a la carte options are starting up, including Disney+ and Apple TV+. With so many new streaming services, will you be subscribing to all of them?
Our Opinion
Andrew answers that he definitely won’t. “If the two streaming services I currently have don’t carry something, I’m probably better off not spending my time watching it.” If he really wants something, he tries to find an a la carte option.
Elsie wouldn’t either. “Too much content, too little time, and sometimes it’s the same thing on there.” She likes to pick what she wants to watch, so wherever she can find it, she pays for it. She finds having everything all together to be overkill, as she can only consume so much.
Sayak is “subscribed to YouTube Premium and Netflix, and there isn’t the budget or time for anything else.” He doesn’t use music-streaming apps like Spotify because he doesn’t connect well with the current musicians. While YouTube Premium has a decent music-streaming service, he finds it best to go a la carte like Andrew.
Simon tends to only subscribe to websites that he uses regularly. If he rarely uses a website, no matter how invested he is in the content, he cuts the subscription. “Nothing drains the finances more silently than small monthly subs!” He finds juggling several subscriptions and wanting one specific show from another service shows how this leads to piracy and torrent.
Ryan subscribes to binge something he wants to watch and then suspends his account so he’s not shelling out a lot of money every month. For day-to-day stuff, there are many ad-supported services like Tube and Vudu, and there is also free content on IPTV services. He was also a collector of many DVDs and Blu-rays over the years, so he’s now ripped those into digital files, and he uses Kodi to watch them off a server in his home. “Sort of like my own personal streaming service.”
Your Opinion
Do you follow the model of any of our writers? Do you already subscribe to a few and refuse to pay for any additional services? Do you sign up to binge and then drop out before you have to pay? Have you just signed up with Apple TV+ or Disney+? With so many new streaming services, will you be subscribing to all of them? Tell us in the comments below what your plan is.
Laura has spent nearly 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with more than 10 of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past three decades. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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