Streaming video & movie rental Buying Guide

Getting started

Millions of Americans now watch video that's delivered to their screen over the Internet. More than half of the 15,277 ConsumerReports.org subscribers we surveyed recently had used a streaming video service within the previous month. Most didn't drop TV service but used streaming as a supplement to regular TV rather than as a replacement for it. The overwhelming majority of streaming viewers--81 percent-- used the company that accounts for most of the action in video streaming: Netflix. The rest of the services covered in the survey were used by only 2 to 14 percent of respondents.

You should weigh a number of things when deciding which streaming media service best meets your needs. Streaming definitely has room for improvement. Satisfaction scores for streaming video services were lower than for most other services we've rated during the last few years. And respondents renting discs were often happier with the available selection of titles and/or their price. Also consider the types of equipment you can use to get streaming video to your TV. Don't overlook Internet-connected set-top boxes, which were among the most satisfying options for users.

Selection matters

Limited selection is a common problem with all-you-can-watch streaming video services, which include Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus. (Amazon Prime is primarily a two-day shipping service that also includes unlimited access to a relatively small portion of the Amazon Instant Video library.)

Given the number of titles that most services claim to offer, you wouldn't expect any complaints. But those numbers can be misleading. Standard-definition and high-definition versions of the same movie and individual episodes of a TV series might count as distinct titles.

All-you-can-watch subscription services tend to get fewer titles from movie and TV studios, and at a later date, than the services that charge for each video you order. Consequently, many hotter titles and programming from premium cable networks such as HBO and Showtime never make it into the unlimited-streaming libraries of Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, and Netflix, which include films you might not even be familiar with.

An all-you-can-watch subscription does have its appeal, though. If you watch a lot of streaming video, an $8-a-month plan from Hulu Plus or Netflix, or the videos available with an $80-a-year Amazon Prime subscription, can be a much better deal than paying individually for each movie and TV episode you watch. Survey respondents viewed an average of three movies and six TV programs on their sets in the previous month. That could easily cost $20 or more per month if you had to pay for each title individually.

Pay-per-view services such as Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, and Vudu charge for each title you stream--usually $4 or $5 for a newer movie, a little less for older movies and individual TV episodes. That business model is very similar to the disc rental business, so pay-per-view streaming titles are often available at the same time they're released on disc. More than 60 percent of readers gave high marks for selection to those three pay-per-view streaming services.

Search

On the whole, readers found it reasonably easy to search for particular movies and TV shows. iTunes users were the most satisfied, Amazon Prime users the least. That's because Amazon's search function combs through everything available in the fee-based Instant Video catalog, so results will include titles that are not included with a Prime subscription.

One tip: Searching can be tedious on a typical TV remote because you have to "type" by clicking around an onscreen keyboard using the directional arrows. If you're using Netflix, it's often easier to use your computer to add a movie to your instant queue. When you go to Netflix on your TV, your selections will be accessible.

Some search apps and websites for services' content have more robust search functions than the services do. For example, at canistream.it, you can search content across multiple sources, showing you which, if any, offer the title and in what format (including streams, disc rentals, downloads, and disc purchases). Some will e-mail you when a title becomes available.

Cost and convenience

The Amazon Prime service earned kudos for price, suggesting that many readers consider it a "free" perk on top of unlimited two-day shipping, the main membership benefit. Though not as widely available as Netflix on Internet-capable Blu-ray players, TVs, and media boxes, Amazon's video service scored comparably for convenience. If you access it through the Kindle Fire, the company's tablet, you can start streaming video with a few screen presses via the device's Video tab.

Hulu Plus's free companion service, Hulu, which can be viewed on computers but not on TVs, was also a hit with viewers looking for free content. Unlike most network websites, which carry only their own programming, Hulu offers videos from more than 350 content companies, according to its website. Sources include ABC, A&E Networks, Comedy Central, the CW, Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, MTV Networks, National Geographic, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros.

When we checked in the summer of 2012, TV shows included "Family Guy," "Modern Family," and "The Simpsons;" movie titles included older hits such as "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" and "Gladiator." You can connect a laptop to your TV--using an HDMI cable, for example-- to watch free content from Hulu and other websites on your big screen.

Consider quality

The picture quality you'll get depends on the speed of your Internet connection. Netflix and other services adjust picture quality in response to the speed of the Internet connection. We found that picture quality was often poor on startup but improved after a minute or so as the service adjusted to the connection speed.

Cable service is generally faster than DSL, yet our most recent survey on Internet service shows that satisfaction with speed varies greatly by cable company. If bandwidth becomes limited--say, if a lot of cable viewers in your area are online at the same time--the service might temporarily downgrade the video quality so that the stream doesn't freeze or break up. Generally, even relatively slow DSL Internet service should suffice for video, but the slower the connection, the lower the image quality, as a rule. Verizon FiOS, the all-fiber service, earned our highest rating for speed in a recent survey.

Streaming video devices

To use a streaming video service, you'll need a device that can access the Internet. You might already own one. The widely sold gaming systems Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Wii, and Sony PlayStation have the ability to stream Internet video. So do many Blu-ray players introduced over the last year or so.

Buying a new TV? Consider one with built-in streaming capability, which is standard on many new models. You don't have to spend a lot: There are relatively low-cost TVs with streaming capability that we recommend in our TV Ratings.

If you're keeping your current TV or buying a new one without streaming, think about adding a set-top box such as an Apple TV or a Roku, each of which costs $100 or less. About one in four survey respondents used a set-top box, and most were highly satisfied with the device.

Wi-Fi is standard with set-top boxes and gaming consoles, a plus if your TV isn't near the modem or router. Wireless capability is less common on TVs and Blu-ray players, though more new models have it. You can count on getting Netflix with any streaming device, but other video services are hit or miss. Note that the device manufacturer can change the lineup of services at any time via a software update.

Set-top boxes

Looking for an easy, cheap way to access Netflix and other streaming video services? Consider an Internet-connected set-top box. The boxes, most of which cost $100 or less, were used by 25 percent of survey respondents who stream video, most of whom were very satisfied. The small devices work with any TV that has an HDMI input, which includes just about any LCD or plasma TV. (A few boxes also work with older sets.)

Every model we tested yielded very good full HD (1080p) images. All stream Netflix, one or two more video services, and a music station or two. All but a few models also had apps of other kinds that we don't list below, such as Facebook, Twitter, and photosharing services such as Picasa and Flickr. The Boxee and the Sony, the highest-priced models, also have full Web browsers. All models can access your home network over Wi-Fi. Initial setup is pretty easy. You plug the box into your TV and connect to your wireless network, and you're good to go. A few models even have Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), so no password is needed; you push a button on the router to connect the player.

Apple TV, $100

Services: iTunes, Netflix, YouTube

This has Apple's usual super-friendly interface and integrates nicely with iTunes TV shows, movies and music libraries, and the iCloud storage service. If you already live in Apple's world, it's a great choice. Using AirPlay, it can stream content from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to a TV, and it supports AirPlay mirroring (which displays whatever's on your iOS device's screen on the TV). Its remote control was the smallest of the lot, with no dedicated-service buttons, yet it was easy to use. But it offers fewer services than some others.

Boxee Box by D-Link, $180

Services: HBO Go, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora, Spotify

The high price gets you a Web browser, lots of content--including access to social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter--and the widest video-format support plus a dual-sided remote with a QWERTY keyboard. The knock: It's bigger than others and oddly shaped, with a sophisticated dual-sided remote with a keyboard and a touchpad.

D-Link MovieNite, $50

Services: Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora

This is the lowest-priced player in our roundup, available only at Walmart. WPS makes initial setup very easy, and it has composite audio/video connections for use with older devices. The remote has dedicated buttons for its four streaming services. But unlike most boxes, it has only the four services we list, and no future additions are expected.

Netgear NeoTV Pro 200S, $70

Services: CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora

This makes the most sense if you own a laptop with Intel's WiDi technology, which lets you wirelessly display content from your laptop on a TV. Easy to connect via WPS support.

Roku 2XS, $100

Services: Amazon, Epix, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora

Roku's flagship media player has a wide selection of streaming services and apps (it comes with Angry Birds) and has an enhanced Bluetooth game remote with motion sensing for playing games. (The remote required pairing with the box.) The box has a USB port and a microSD card slot for additional storage. It's the only tested model that requires you to register using a computer, and it lacks YouTube. If you can live without Angry Birds and the motion-sensing remote, the $80 Roku 2XD might be a better bet, though it also lacks the USB port and a wired Ethernet port.

Sony NSZ-GS7, $200

Services: Amazon, HBO Go, Netflix, Sony Entertainment, YouTube, Pandora

A fine, if expensive, choice, tested as a preretail sample. Uses the revamped Google TV platform, with a full browser and access to the Android market, now called Google Play. The box can search for live TV shows and content from services such as Amazon, Netflix, and Sony Entertainment (services subject to change). It comes with a redesigned universal remote control that has a touchpad on one side and a QWERTY keyboard on the other. It also includes motion control for gaming.

WD TV Live, $100

Services: CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora, Spotify

One of the few models that supports Spotify, an increasingly popular music app. It has analog audio/video connections for older TVs.

Movie rental services

The advantages of disc rental services were made clear in our survey. Entertainment studios want to sell discs, so new titles make it onto Blu-ray and DVD in the first wave. In addition, older titles are often available on disc when they're no longer available for streaming. Netflix's disc-by-mail service and independent video stores--the relatively few remaining since the mass closures of the last few years--were judged to have a more satisfying selection of titles, including current ones, than even the best streaming services. Blockbuster had a weaker showing for its video stores (about 900 of which remain after its bankruptcy filing and acquisition by Dish Network), Blockbuster Express kiosks (bought by Redbox; about 6,200 locations at press time), and Blockbuster Total Access discs by mail.

Disc rentals, from Netflix and other places, weren't just the favorite of older viewers. Respondents between 18 and 44 years old also gave higher marks to Netflix's disc service than to its streaming service. Despite that, almost 80 percent of those viewers had streamed videos within the last month, not only to a TV but also to a computer, tablet, or smart phone.

A healthy selection of titles is one of the biggest factors in overall satisfaction, but cheap and easy counts with viewers, too. Redbox video kiosks--vending machines with low-priced rentals--ranked with Netflix and independents as among the most satisfying options for renting discs, even though Redbox scored on the lower side for selection. A kiosk usually stocks about 70 to 200 titles, including recent releases, older hits, and games.

What pleased users most about Redbox was the price: $1.20 per day for discs. It also had a high score for convenience, thanks to its 30,000-plus kiosks in stores and malls you're likely to visit often.

Shopping tip: A public library is a free resource to explore for disc services. Many carry DVDs and, increasingly, Blu-ray discs. Selections tend to be smaller than in video stores, and you might have to reserve a title, especially a recent one, or request a loan from another branch. So be prepared to wait--but hey, it's free.