With the onset of streaming media platforms, viewers nowadays have access to a plethora of different titles, all at the touch of a button. Two media sites, Hulu and Netflix are leading the way in this rapidly expanding field. Both have their perks and are around the same price, but people seem to have a preference towards one or the other.

Netflix is the more widely known application for streaming movies and TV shows to TVs, tablets, consoles and smartphones. It’ll only run you $7.99 a month for access to over 100,000 different titles. Kyra Marzo, a Rocklin sophomore, has had Netflix for around three months and says “it is absolutely 100 percent worth the money”. Marzo said she enjoys being able to access a huge amount of older seasons of TV shows and watch them whenever she wants. When asked about Hulu, Marzo said, “I’ve never considered it, and Netflix just seems like a better choice and easier to understand.”

Hulu, on the other hand, is more of a TV lover’s paradise. It is a free service that offers current TV episodes the day after they are originally aired. This is a major convenience for Katie Morgan, another sophomore at Rocklin High. “Hulu is a great replacement for cable, which we recently got rid of, and has all the perks of regular TV with less commercials to boot.” Hulu Plus, the upgraded version of Hulu, runs the same cost as Netflix at a solid $7.99 a month and allows viewers more options and more choices of episodes. An issue with Hulu now is that for some specific shows they are requiring the viewer to have cable. It requires the viewer to type in their cable password in order to watch the TV show the day after it airs. While this is not for all shows, it is unfortunate that Hulu is doing this at all.

Essentially, the choice comes down to the preference of the viewer. One who enjoys picking from a wide variety of movies or watching older seasons of TV shows should stick with Netflix. On the other hand, those who enjoy keeping up with the current flow of TV should gravitate towards Hulu Plus. The average American watches 33 hours of television a week, so be sure to make the decision wisely.