Among streaming Web TV services, competition heats up

What’s the difference between Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV and Amazon video? Here’s a comparison.

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Netflix

The video giant Netflix reversed its unpopular decision to separate its DVD business from its online streaming business. CEO Reed Hastings said Netflix was abandoning its plans to create a separate DVD service called Qwikster, reversing plans for customers to subscribe to two separate services if they wanted mail-order DVDs and streaming videos.

James H. Collins / AP

Amazon

Amazon offers $79-per-year commercial-free access to more than 140,000 videos, as well as other perks such as free or discounted shipping. There’s a 30-day free trial, if you’re interested in trying it out. Amazon also offers one-time rentals that start at 99 cents, or you can purchase a movie and download it to your device. But if you’re a DVD watcher, Amazon doesn’t offer you the physical discs by mail.

Scott Eells / Bloomberg

Hulu

Hulu Plus has a competitive price point with a $7.99-per-month plan that gives you access to current season episodes of popular TV shows, plus an impressive backlog of television and movies. The main downside to Hulu is that it has ads, something that irks a lot of viewers. It also doesn’t have the same extensive movie catalogue that Netflix does, although it does have the Criterion collection.

/ AP

Vudu

Vudu, Wal-Mart’s entry into the online streaming space, offers digital rentals on demand. The service, which Wal-Mart acquired in 2010, now streams its catalogue of videos to smartphones, computers, tablets and game consoles.

/ AP

Google TV

Google TV has had trouble catching on, but the company has made efforts to widen its reach. Google partnered with Sony and Logitech for the first generation of its hardware. It has since expanded its list of partners to include LG, Samsung and Asus.

/ AP

Apple TV

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs with Apple TV at a September 2010 event in San Francisco. Rumors persist that Apple will release a full-fledged subscription service or even its own televisions, but Apple has continued to update its set-top box. This year, the company added the ability to let users access their iTunes libraries in the cloud.

Paul Sakuma / AP

Aereo

Chet Kanojia, founder and CEO of Aereo, shows a tablet displaying his company’s technology, in New York. Aereo is one of several start-ups created to deliver traditional media over the Internet without licensing agreements. It uses antennas to pick up programming from public airwaves and then deliver shows into homes that have a Web connection — for as little as $10 a month.

Bebeto Matthews / AP

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