Netflix vs Hulu Plus

For quite a few years we have lived without cable television due to the fact that it's too expensive. However, to fulfill my television wants and needs without cable, we purchased an Apple TV and have Netflix.

Netflix or Hulu, Netflix or Hulu...which service is better?  Well, today I'm going to throw my opinion into this often debated topic.

When we first subscribed to Netflix, we had both the TV and DVD service.  I used the DVD service a lot during the summer, but once school started it wasn't being used, so we cancelled it.  Luckily I cancelled the service before the infamous price increase, so it never bothered me.

I've always been happy with both the TV and movie selection that Netflix has offered.  There are many choices for Brandon to pick from, no matter what his age is.  And I love that there are choices that we can watch together, without me wanting to poke my eyes out with a fork!  Shows like Phineas and Ferb, and Ninjago can often be seen on our television.

I've found that when I watch Netflix, I tend to watch TV shows more than movies.  With a TV show, you can watch one, stop, and then come back.  I don't like doing that with movies...I have no idea why.  If you know me, you know that I LOVE the TV show Burn Notice.  All 7 seasons are on Netflix, along with the stand alone TV movie The Fall of Sam Axe, which tells the back story of that character.

On the occasion that I watch a movie, Netflix has many Disney options that are always fun to watch. Old school Disney movies like Robin Hood, Dumbo, Cinderella,Winnie the Pooh and Sleeping Beauty are on my list.

When we had cable, we would often watch HGTV and The Food Network.  Just last week I noticed that both channels have added many of their shows to the Netflix line up.  I was even happier when I discovered that two of my favorites were among the titles:  Restaurant Impossible, and The Property Brothers.

Needless to say, this discovery has left me EXCITED.  Now all they need to do is add one of the MANY shows with Bobby Flay on it, and I will never need cable again!

Netflix is constantly attempting to update their selection, providing customers with more recent movies and television shows.  As a customer, I appreciate that.  More often than not, once the most recent season of a TV series is on DVD it will pop up on Netflix.

Recently Netflix added a feature making it easier to watch the next episode of the TV show you're watching.  When the episode is over, it will automatically go to the next episode for you, unless you tell it not to.  For a fan of episode TV like me, this is a great feature.

I also love that the TV shows on Netflix don't have commercials.  There are no ads that play where a commercial would be if it was on cable.  I hate commercials.  When we had cable, this was the job of the DVR; fast-forwarding commercials!

Netflix has also found productive, and effective ways to use technology.  If there is a TV show title on my list that will have another season coming soon, I will receive a notice on my phone from Netflix.  If you're adding selections to your Netflix list from the internet, I've found that their website is very user friendly.  It is very easy to find all the possible titles of both TV shows and movies, and add those that you want to your list.  And since I'm anal, and a little OCD, I have the selections on my list in a specific order.  Netflix makes it easy for me to put the new titles in the order that I would like them to be in.

Just this week a fabulous announcement was made.  January 1st, the greatest TV show EVER will be joining Netflix:

A few years ago I watched EVERYTHING on the internet through the station's website (cbs.com, abc.com, etc).  The networks caught on that many people were doing this, and decided to play dirty by forcing you to provide your cable account information to be able to watch the episode online. Since I didn't have a cable provider, I was no longer able to watch many shows.  If I had cable, and access to a DVR, why would I want to watch the show in the internet when I could watch them over and over again on my DVR?  It makes no sense to me.

It's beginning to happen more and more.  The day CBS does this, I will have to purchase cable again. If I can't watch NCIS, NCIS: LA, and Survivor, I will die!  Ooo, it's beginning to feel like a conspiracy to force people back into purchasing cable!

Moving on...

Now on to Hulu Plus. Thanks to McDonald's and their annual Monopoly game, I won a free month-long trial of Hulu Plus. I had tried the 7 day free trial about a year ago, but wasn't very impressed.  I decided a month would give me a lot more time to investigate and learn more about this service.

Right off the bat I found one of my favorite shows that I no longer have access to due to the stupid cable account information fiasco:

I began watching the seasons that I've missed, and looked forward to discovering what other shows I could find.

I've always heard Hulu Plus advertise themselves as the service that provides current episodes of TV shows that are on right now.  I continued my search for said shows.  I'm 3 weeks into my free trial and I'm remembering why I wasn't impressed the first time around.  Unless you watch all the vampire TV shows, the shows about the Kardashians, all the prissy, rich housewife shows, America's Next Top Model, or most everything on Fox, there's not much of a selection for you.

I'm finding it difficult to find the shows that Hulu Plus offers.  Their website isn't nearly as user friendly as Netflix, and the actual channel isn't much more help.  I like when the service lists all the shows it has to offer, that way I don't have to try and remember what I would like to watch.

Hulu Plus has commercials.  Unlike Netflix, they will show 2 thirty seconds ads where a commercial would've been had it been playing on television.  The ads are promoting other shows available on Hulu Plus, which is how I know all the real housewife and Kardashian shows are available.  They are the same few ads replayed over and over again.  These ads are often inappropriate.  I don't like Brandon in the room when they come on because he's 7 and doesn't need to see women acting like sluts, women pole dancing, and women dressed like hookers.  I'm not kidding, these are "commercials" that are seen on Hulu Plus.  No thank you, disgusting.

The last thing I'm noticing about Hulu Plus is that it is constantly loosing its internet connection.  The show I'm watching will often freeze up, or even completely stop playing.  This rarely happens with Netflix, and I have no idea why.

It's obvious which service I prefer.  When the trial is over, I won't be continuing Hulu Plus.  For the needs of my family, Netflix has it all.

Ten On Tuesday

10 Television Shows You'd Like To Have (or already have) on DVD

Alias:  I have all 5 seasons of this awesome series

Golden Girls:  I have season 1 and 2.  Someday I want to complete the set

Whose Line Is It Anyway:  For some reason this hilarious show has never been completely released on DVD.  Only season one and two have made it so far, with a "best of" DVD.  Someday I hope people can persuade the "powers that be" to release every season.  I would buy it in a heartbeat! 

Burn Notice:  I have every season, and can't wait for season 4 to come out!

Friends:  At one point between my mother, sister, and myself we had all 10 seasons...now I only have season 4

Now for the television shows that I don't have any seasons of, but would love to have them if I could!

Charmed:  Laugh all you want.  I didn't find this show until it started playing in syndication.  This show is simple fun for me!

NCIS:  LA -  I wasn't sure I was going to like this NCIS spin-off.  But I've been pleasantly surprised.  They seem to be getting better with each episode and I've found myself coming back each week to watch. 

CSI:  NY - Another show I didn't find until I saw it in syndication, Gary Sinise is a very good looking man!  I enjoy these characters.

 The Mentalist:  Simply a great show.  The characters have great chemistry, and Simon Baker is so wonderful to watch!

NCIS:  Before I die this is the ONE show I will have EVERY SEASON of on DVD!  This is the most exciting, funny, heartbreaking show on television...I LOVE IT!!

YouTube Friday

We made it to Friday everyone!!  In the event that you need a laugh, Whose Line Is It Anyway is here to provide just that.  Have a great weekend.

Ten On Tuesday

10 Great Television Episodes

Wow, this is a tough one.  There have been SO MANY great television shows.  Notice how it doesn't say "The Best Episodes Ever", it only says "Great" episodes.  I may not like the entire episode, but the clips you're about to see are those that I think are great....and they're not in exact order.

You can disagree with me all you like, leave a comment with your suggestions!

Here we go:

1.  The Cosby Show - Happy Anniversary
This was during the "golden era" of family TV.  The "Happy Anniversary" episode is a classic as the Huxtables sing to their grandparents.

2.  The Golden Girls - One Flew Out Of the Cuckoo's Nest
This is the final scene from this HILARIOUS show.  I LOVE THIS SHOW and no matter how many times I see an episode, I laugh and laugh!  What makes this scene so special is that these four women aren't acting; the tears and emotions are completely real.  Everytime I see this episode, I cry and cry.

3.  The Carol Burnett Show - Went With The Wind
I didn't see Gone With The Wind until recently, but I grew up knowing that this was a spoof of the legendary movie.  Carol Burnett and the other comedians are simply priceless, and this is one of the most famous skits from this show.

4.  NCIS - Requiem
If you follow this show, you know that the wife (Shannon), and young daughter (Kelly) of Gibbs were killed years ago by a drug cartel.  In this episode, Kelly's childhood best friend needs help and comes to Gibbs.  This clip isn't exactly how it played out on TV, but it's wonderful.  Tony jumping in to save their lives, and Gibbs' "dream" of his wife and daughter....the writer's know exactly how to tug at our heart strings with this story line!

5.  Whose Line Is It Anyway - Episode 308
Ryan Stiles (the tall guy in the blue shoes) is a very funny man.  Many of you who know me and read this blog know that I love Whose Line Is It Anyway.  The following clip takes place during a game titled "Party Quirks".  It starts off pretty normally, and then goes crazy when something happens to Ryan.  I bust out laughing each time I see this!

6.  Burn Notice - Lesser Evil
I have two clips for you about one of Michael Westen's rivals, Victor.  Burned by the same people who burned Michael, Victor's family was killed by them and then he was recruited to do their dirty work.  He starts out as a villian, trying to kill Michael multiple times.  By the final episode of the season, he and Michael decide to work together to stop the organization that burned them both.  I love this character because he is witty, smart, and the more we find out about Victor's past (that the bad guys killed his family), the more we see his good side.

7.  Friends - The Last One

Possibly the greatest comedy show ever, I could've just used 10 clips from this show, but that wouldn't have been as much fun!  Like Golden Girls, this final scene always makes me cry because you can tell that the actors are doing everything they can to make it through the scene without breaking into tears.

8.  The Cosby Show - Goodbye Mr. Fish

Another classic clip from the Huxtables; do you know of anyone who would go to such great lengths for their daughter?  Simply hilarious!

9.  Alias - The Telling

Season two was arguably the best season of this show.  The following two clips, from the season finale, were something the viewer had been waiting all season to see.  Sydney is a spy for the CIA, and what she doesn't know is that her friend Francie has been doubled (the real Francie was murdered), and has been secretly wreaking havoc for the CIA.  These two clips are when everything is made known to Sydney, culminating in one of the best TV fights ever.  I apologize for two clips, but I couldn't find what I wanted with just one clip!

10.  Whose Line Is It Anyway - Episode 204

"Three Headed Broadway Star" is the best game on this show; especially when someone screws it up!  In this clip, Wayne, Drew, and Ryan attempt to complete the song after Drew messes up.  If you are ever having a bad day, THIS is the clip to watch....it will make you laugh every time! 

So, what did you think?

Star Wars Saturday

I've never watched the show "Family Guy" before.  Heard about it, never cared to watch it.  However, I discovered yesterday while walking through Wal-Mart that they have made spoofs of "A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return of The Jedi".  I went onto YouTube and found a few clips....it looks funny; for a crazy Star Wars fan like myself!

YouTube Friday

I don't know about you, but it's been a VERY LONG week for me!  So, for YouTube Friday a clip from my favorite show is needed:  Whose Line Is It Anyway

Colin is bald, and he's often the "butt" of jokes because of that.  This clip comes from one episode where, with the help of an audience that was paying attention, they were able to make fun of Colin for the entire show!

Have a wonderful Friday!  Yippie Skippiee for the three day weekend!!!

YouTube Friday!

As promised, the 2nd season gag reel from Friends.  I wonder how they managed to ever get an episode taped in one week.  I would've loved to have been in the audience...how fun! (Beth, this one is for you!!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

YouTube Friday!

Has it been a long week for you?  It has been a VERY long week for me!  Since I'm still suffering from Whose Line Is It Anyway withdrawals, today, YouTube Friday will be another wonderful clip from this hilarious show.

Often when something funny happens in the beginning of the show, the cast will find a way to use that to their advantage throughout the entire episode.  This is one of those examples.

Have a great weekend everyone!

YouTube Friday

Thank goodness it's Friday; and it's even sweeter because I have the day off from work!

Today's video is a blooper reel from one of the funniest shows to ever grace television:

Friends

The video says it's all the bloopers from the entie series, but it only includes the bloopers from season 1; the other 9 blooper reels will come later.

It starts off blurry, but by the time the bloopers begin about 1 minute in it clears up

Have a wonderful weekend!

Day Twenty-Seven: My Favorite Superhero and Why

Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Spiderman...why are most superheroes men?!?

Anyway, this is a fun post for me because my favorite superheroes aren't conventional superheroes.  They don't wear suits that provide protection, or have gadgets that give them awesome powers.  They don't even have a vehicle that goes very fast.  In fact, it breaks down more than any vehicle I've ever seen!  They have a horrible sense of direction, often finding themselves lost and in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Two of them could eat their way out of any situation, and they all love a good mystery.

My favorite superhereos are four teenagers and their dog.  That's right, my favorite superhereos are:

Daphne, Shaggy, Freddy, Velma, and Scooby-doo!

I have LOVED Scooby-doo my whole life.  Not the Scooby-doo cartoons or movies that are made today, but the old school Scooby-doo from 1969-1972.  Before Scrappy-doo and A Pup Named Scooby-doo were created and nearly ruined the franchise.

This show simply makes me laugh because of how ridiculous it can sometimes be!  The crazy "traps" they make to catch the bad guy (that Scooby always manages to get caught in), how everyone (the audience) knows who the bad guy is except the five of them, the kooky songs that are played during the chase scenes...what's not to love?!?

And I love that Brandon also loves Scooby-doo!

Below is one of the kooky songs that Brandon and I dance to whenever we hear it.  The words are just plain silly, talking about being in love with an ostrich.  All Scooby-doo songs are weird, but they have catchy tunes!  The song is titled "Daydreamin", and it comes from one of my favorite episodes of the show:  Jeepers, it's the Creeper!  The sound is a little slower than the animation, but you get the idea.  It was the best version I could find!

YouTube Friday!

We made it through the week, it's Friday again!!!

This is my FAVORITE clip from Whose Line is it Anyway?

Three Headed Broadway Star is a game where the actors are supposed to sing the song one word at a time.  This isn't easy and often leads to craziness.  I've mentioned before that I LOVE IT when the cast messes up.  Today's video is a HUGE mistake by Drew Carey at about 1:30 into the clip.  I laugh everytime I see this, and since everyone needs a good laugh, here you go!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Day Twelve: Whatever Tickles My Fancy

Reality Television.  These shows have so many people glued to their television sets each week.  I am one who enjoys reality television, but only some of them.  I hate the reality shows that rely on the people deciding who goes and who stays each week.  Many times people have NO IDEA what talent is and the wrong people leave and stay.  For example:

Clay Aiken should've won, not Ruben Studdard.  Clay was, and still is SO MUCH BETTER.  Adam Lambert should've won instead of the guy who did win.  The fact that I can't remember his name should say something!  I will give Idol some credit though:  at least their judges (up until this last season; I mean really, Ellen DeGeneres?!?) are involved and have credit in the music industry.  I gave up on this show last season.  I'm not too comforted by the new panel of judges, but at least they went back to the 3 judge panel.  I might check it out just to see how crazy Steven Tyler gets!!


That brings us to the next show:

AGT makes blood shoot out of my eyes!  This is one of the most ridiculous reality competitions on television.  They send the DUMBEST acts through to the next round of the show, giving the people false hope that they could actually win the competition!  I gave up on this show after the second season.  They were smart, got rid of David Hasselhoff but replaced him with Howie Mandel?!?  Where are his credits in the industry?

This is my favorite of the "people decide" reality competitions.  There are three legitimate dance judges, whose own personal score is added together with the votes from the people.  Where this show works is that the majority of the time the best dancers make it to the end and win (with the exception of a few years ago when Cheryl and Giles should've won!)

However, I have a few problems with this show.  First off, as the weeks go by, and there are less dancers, the Monday show should be cut down to one hour.  They put so much "fluff and stuff" in to fill two hours, it's ridiculous.  Second:  the results show needs to be cut down to half an hour.  Again, they fill it with so much "fluff and stuff" that it's faster to just check the internet to discover who's going home.  Third:  more often than not the people continue to vote for the WORST DANCERS, forcing the rest of the world to continue watching them each week. 

A few seasons ago, Cloris Leachman was around for way too long.  She was beyond horrible, difficult to watch, and had the mouth of a sailor.  But she stuck around because people thought she was funny.  Kate Gosselin from Jon & Kate is another example of someone who was around way too long!  Luckily this season the people seem to be making the right choices.  However, Florence Henderson and this Kyle guy need to go soon!

(Breaking news:  Florence Henderson was sent home last night!  The people seem to be getting it right this season!)

The reality shows where the judges decide who stays and who goes, or the shows where the contestants themselves decide, are my favorite. 

Project Runway is so fun to watch.  I love watching the contestants create clothing so quickly, and often with the strangest materials.  What cracks me up about this show is that during the runway portion of the program, I'll be commenting about how awful something looks and the judges will be in LOVE with it; or I'll like something and they won't!  I'm not the most "fashion forward" person, but at least these are legitimate judges who have been in the fashion industry their entire careers!  And they are the only people who decide who goes home. 

I'm relatively new to this show, having only watched it the past three, maybe four times they've started a new show.  Survivor gets it right because the contestants on the show are the people who vote each other off.  Players will end up "loosing it" at tribal council and the team will vote them out.  No one is safe.  And you never know what's going to happen.  Villians can make it to the end, good guys can as well.  This is such a fun social game to watch as people play mind games for their own benefit. 

And finally, my favorite reality show where the judges are the only people to decide who leaves:  Top Chef.  I want to be inside the kitchen with these chefs.  They make me want to eat all the food they're cooking.  I get frustrated at times because I can't just stick my hand through the television set and grab the food!  I get jealous of the judges as I watch them taste the food.  Even when the judges say it's bad, I want to taste it myself to see if I agree.  Is my pallet like theirs?

So, there's my take on reality television.  It has it's flaws, but people are hooked on it because it takes us away from our own reality and into another world, helping us forget about our own problems for just a little while.

Day Three: My Favorite TV Program

This topic isn't as easy as the previous two.  I don't have just one favorite TV show, I have many.  Here are a few of them:

 Alias was on from 2001-2006 and was the story of a woman who was leading a double life as a spy.  The main character, Sydney Bristow, is a female James Bond.  I love this show.  The cast was terrific, the storylines were always incredible, and to this day it's the only TV show I have every season of on DVD!

Burn Notice.  The story of Michael Westen, a "burned" spy.  Gee, I see a pattern here, do you?! 

(What can I say, I enjoy action/romance shows!)

Along with his friend Sam, and ex-girlfriend Fiona, they help innocent people who have problems in their lives, while Michael tries to find the people who "burned" him.  And it doesn't hurt that Jeffrey Donovan, the main actor, is very nice on the eyes!!

Whose Line is it Anyway? like I said before, is the show I watch to laugh away the stress from the day.  It ran for about 8 years, and is an improve show that is simply hilarious! 

One side note:  I'm going through a major mourning period because the network that has been running this show in syndication has just changed their line-up and Whose Line isn't on it anymore!!!  I also don't understand why almost every TV show ever created can be found on DVD, even if it only lastest one season, but this show only has season 1 and 2, and a "best of" DVD....NOT FAIR!

However, if I had to choose just one, my favorite show of all, is without a doubt, the following:

Need I say more?

YouTube Fridays

To add some flavor and fun to my blog, I wanted to start "YouTube Fridays". I'm not one who enjoys watching crazy people and their animals do stupid tricks, but I do love sharing clips from my favorite movies, tv shows, music, etc. That's what I'll be doing here.

So, to kick off my first YouTube Friday, here's a clip from one of my favorite shows on the planet: Whose Line is it Anyway?

Syndication provides me the opportunity to watch this show on a daily basis. This is the show I watch that helps me just laugh off any stress from the day.

The following is a clip from a "hoedown"; the best part of the show.  Since Colin is bald, everyone loves making fun of him.  I think he has the last laugh here!  I also LOVE when the comedians mess up, or when something goes wrong like it does for Drew Carey here.

Have a great Friday everyone!!  Oh, and how cool is my new "signature"?!