Many streaming services will (unfortunately) need paying for, but usually at a fraction of the price of cable.
Streaming subscriptions can cost $7-8 monthly while many other services take a payment per rental or download. So you can sign up to Hulu Plus or Netflix for $8 per month and/or buy individual titles and rent from Google Play, iTunes or Vudu, cord cutters can pay your money and take a choice.
Listed below are a number of paid streaming services that will make cutting the cord easier.
We have divided our list into Pay-as-you-go and subscription sections.
Amazon Instant
Amazon offer a combo of streaming services. Amazon Instant is a pay-as-you-view style service offering the latest movies and seasons to buy or rent. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Episodes are available the day after they air
Downloadable for offline viewing
Exclusive content deals mean Amazon has shows you might want
Subscription price includes free delivery and Kindle Library
Choose between HD and SD on many shows
Can get expensive paying for individual content as prices are high
For unlimited streaming you need a subscription service as well
Hulu Plus
Hulu but on steroids. The Hulu Plus service expands on the free version by adding much more content including full seasons and movie collections like the one from Criterion. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
HD top quality streaming
Full seasons, good for catching up on a show
Queue function to keep track of shows
Episodes become available the day after broadcast
Advertising supported (less than Hulu) but still a pain for a paid service
You have to pay every month
iTunes
iTunes lets viewers buy or rent shows, seasons and movies legally, and has a massive catalog all wrapped up in Apple's gorgeous front-end. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Episodes are available the day after they air
Season passes are available
Choice between Standard and HD quality on many shows
Ability to download media for offline viewing
Seamless syncing with Apple devices
Massive catalog
Expensive prices (same as physical DVD for movies for example)
Everything must be purchased à la carte
Some shows/movies not available
Amazon Prime
Amazon prime service gives the viewer unlimited streaming from an older catalog of movies and television shows as well as free delivery charges on Amazon purchases. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Full seasons available
Large catalog of shows and movies
Low Cost
Unlimited Streaming
Free delivery on Amazon goods
Can only be purchased as a yearly subscription
No Full seasons of current shows available
Content is pretty old
Need to top up with newer content from another service if you want to cut the cord
Netflix
Netflix is the leader in streaming subscription services. As well as full seasons of shows such as Mad Men and The Walking Dead. It also has a growing range of original content such as the House of Cards and Orange is the new Black. Once signed up you are offered literally thousands of movies and TV seasons. The only problem is you have to watch what they have available and their content is not the newest. The system works well though and you can add titles to your queue for later viewing, and Netflix will also make recommendations and suggestions based on your viewing habits. US residents can also for a small additional fee rent the latest DVD titles which are delivered to your door. New users can take advantage of the free months trial as well. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Unlimited streaming from Netflix's huge television and movie catalog on any device known to man
Closed-captioning and HD streaming quality where available
Low cost
No Full seasons of current shows available
Streaming contenet different depending on Country
Titles expire frequently as content deals expire
Redbox Instant
One of the few streaming providers with the added benefit of a physical presence, Redbox Instant has a respectably sized catalog with a focus on newer releases. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Offline viewing available for purchased titles
Subscription includes 4 physical rentals per month
Great system for organng and planning future watching
30-day rental period with a 48-hour viewing window
HD streaming is not always available
Offline viewing is location-restricted to the US
Smaller selection than Netflix
Vdio
A late entry to a crowded field, Vdio is a spinoff of the popular music streaming service Rdio. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
Cool browsing interface
Sets feature lets you organise content easier
No standard subscription
Everything needs to be purchased à la carte
HD serviceerratic
Small content library
Vudu
With its notable focus on delivering BluRay-like visuals over its proprietary P2P network, Vudu hosts thousands of titles from major movie and television studios in addition to independent, musical, and international content. Read our Review
The Good
The Bad
30-day rental period with a 24-hour viewing window
Choice of standard, HD, and HDX definition
Some titles available to stream on the day of DVD release
No subscription available only pay-as-you-view
Smaller catalog than comparable services
Aereo
Aereo are unique in that they offer free to air TV channels on-demand by using a retransmission system via a bank of mini antennas and personal cloud based DVR's for customers. The service basically offers what can be optained free if you plug an antenna into your TV set, but there are plenty of viewers that cannot get access to an antenna that will want this service. Read our Review