Streaming video service recommendations please

In My Humble Opinion
1

I may be going out of town for an extended business trip. I’ll be working long hours, possibly 7 days a week. As a result, what little time I do have off will probably be spent holed up in my hotel room. Hotel entertainment being what it is I’m thinking of staying in a hotel with Wi-Fi and signing up for some kind of streaming service.

Is Netflix the way to go here? Are there other options? How do they stack up in terms of content and price? Are there mainly movies available or can I catch some of my favorite shows? I know this last one is a long shot but can I possibly hope to keep up with the Bulls and Blackhawks without paying an arm and a leg?

I’m new to all of this so don’t be afraid to talk down to me – I can take it.

2

Streaming Netflix doesn’t have sports, as far as I know, but they do have a lot of tv shows and specials in addition to movies (I guess mainly things that are out on dvd), and the best part is that there are no commercials/ads or any kind! I can’t speak to whether there’ll be hotel issues - I hear some hotels are big on blocking stuff you aren’t paying them for.
Hulu Plus I also have, and if the show isn’t Hulu-Plus exclusive you will get commercials even if you have it.

3

Should I bet both Hulu and Netflix or would one or the other do?
I guess I need to go look at pricing…

4

Netflix has a good mix of movies and TV shows, Hulu Plus is mostly TV shows plus crappy old movies. If you’re not a fan of TV, I would definitely go with Netflix.

If I were you, however, I’d skip the streaming in this case and instead sign up for a month of regular Netflix (by mail) and get a bunch of DVDs to bring with you. Or try a neighborhood DVD rental place. Most hotel wi-fi is shared by dozens if not hundreds of users, and there’s usually not enough bandwidth (in my experience) to view streaming video at acceptable quality.

5

As for sports, if you’re rich you can get a Slingbox to stream your own TV to the internet. Bandwidth at the viewing end might still be an issue, though.

6

OK - That’s freaking cool!
Is there a monthly fee or just buy the box and you’re done?

7

According to the Amazon product page, there are no monthly fees. Beyond what I said, I’m not really familiar with the product, so you might want to read the reviews there.

8

I don’t see much point in Hulu Plus. Regular old Hulu is free and has the most recent shows, just not the whole season to-date.

9

You could try crackle.com.

It does not have a great selection, but it’s free. I have it on my phone.

Some good movies and a few TV shows. Most of the stuff is pretty obscure though. There are like 10 episodes of Seinfeld and the same of News Radio.

Some of this, some of that. Like I said, it’s free.