5 Android Apps you Need: App 3

This is the second part of a five part series. Read the second post here. Look out for more every Monday and Thursday.


Welcome back to 5 Android Apps you Need. Now that you're reading and chatting, it's time to get some watching done. Netflix, a free app from Netflix.com, allows users to stream thousands of movies and TV shows, with a small monthly fee.


We've talking about Netflix a few times before, but never really in detail. Also, we've never talked about the mobile app, so here goes.


With a $7.99 a month Netflix subscription, users can choose from thousands of movies and TV shows to stream, ad-free, immediately. Although Netflix has a lot of movies for those who like less popular stuff, it also has it's fair share of the more popular content as well, including Mad Men, Super 8, and Secretariat. There's also plenty of stuff for the kids, including, SpongeBob SquarePants, Toy Story 3, and Blue's Clues.


Netflix is also available on, well, almost any device you can think of (Click here for a complete list). A $7.99 subscription gives you access to the Android app, as well as all of the other devices Netflix is available on, and with Netflix's huge collection of content, it's definitely a good deal.


With Netflix's great Android app, huge collection, and free 30 day trial (available at Netflix.com), there's no reason not to try it. The app's free, so give it a download.   

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Apple TV, Entertainment made Simple

When looking for a device that hooks up to your TV that streams movies and other content to the big screen, there are quite a few choices. These devices are called set-top boxes, and there are at least 10 well know and popular devices, with prices ranging from $55 to $299.

So if you're looking for a good set-top box, one that combines a pretty good price with a slick interface and great content selection, Apple thinks they have the device for you.

The Apple TV is a $99 device that allows you to stream content directly from the Internet. Unlike some of the other options, the Apple TV has no built in storage, so, while you can connect via a network to iTunes on your computer and stream content from there, everything else is just streaming it directly from the "cloud".

The Apple TV can access and stream movies and TV shows from the iTunes store. However, there is no way to purchase movies, only to rent them. An update out today allows users to buy TV shows directly, and stream them on demand from wherever they are. Users can also access and listen to or watch free podcasts, as well as access Apple's "Radio" feature.

Besides for Apple's own iTunes content, users can access content from Netflix, YouTube, and with this latest update, Vimeo. Netflix, which we have mentioned in the past, allows instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows, for a price that, at $7.99 a month, is probably cheaper than consuming all of your content via iTunes. YouTube and Vimeo, however, are free to use, and deliver a seemingly never-ending flow of great (and not so great) content.

And, if you aren't already watching way too much stuff, you can also watch every MLB or NBA game live with a subscription to MLB.tv or NBA.com League Pass Broadband. Both of these services are a little pricey, and you might run into blackout restrictions if the game you are trying to watch is available on "real TV" in your area.

Apple TV's Small Size

But of course, there's more. Connecting your Apple TV to your computer running iTunes over WiFi will allow you to stream your entire music collection through your home theater setup. Pictures from your computer can also be viewed on your big screen TV.

To top it all off, the Apple TV can stream content playing on any iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch). To stream this content on the big screen, all you have to do is tap the "AirPlay" button, and, after initial setup, the content will suddenly be playing on the big screen.

At $99, and a 3.9 inch square size, the Apple TV seems like a great buy, and the recent update that adds Vimeo and TV show purchasing definitely makes it even more compelling. If you're in the market for a set-top box, and you have 100 bucks to spare, the Apple TV is a great choice for you.

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Hulu Plus: Now Available on Android

If you wanted to watch movies or TV shows on your phone, but had an Android device, until recently you were mostly out of luck. Not too long ago, Netflix, the popular paid video streaming service, announced their Android version of their mobile application. Most probably due to issues of video piracy, it was only available on a few Android devices. Now Hulu Plus is following suit.

Hulu.com is a website that allows you to watch clips of movies and TV shows, or even entire movies or TV shows for free. One can also sign up for Hulu Plus, which, at $7.99 per month, brings some more content, as well as allowing users to access Hulu from more devices, instead of just being able to watch from a browser.

Hulu Plus was available for a while on the iPhone, Playstation 3, and XBOX 360, but the latest addition to the app lineup is Hulu Plus for Android. However, like the Netflix app for Android, Hulu Plus for Android is only available on a select six devices, with more devices coming later on. Hulu Plus can be downloaded from the Android Market.

Overall, it's great that Hulu is expanding their application platforms to include Android, but it would be really nice if the app was available on all Android devices, instead of just six. If you are on Android and want to access video content, look into Netflix, as Netflix price is equal to Hulu Plus', and definitely has more content, with no advertising.

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YouTube adds Movie Rentals, Average Price of $3.99

     YouTube, Google's extremely popular video upload and sharing service, has recently added full length movies to it's millions of videos already on the site. However, unlike the other millions of videos, these movies will not be given out for free.
     The average movie costs $3.99 for a 24 hour rental. However, some movies cost $2.99, and a sprinkle of the 3000 new movies are actually free, but contain some ads.
     This puts YouTube in the same movie-streaming boat as iTunes, Netflix, and even the Gadgetator reviewed Alphaline Entertainment. All of these services stream movies on-demand.
     YouTube is different from iTunes, Netflix, and others because, unlike anyone else, YouTube has many free movies. Netflix does not rent movies, but rather uses a subscription model. YouTube also stands out from iTunes, as it doesn't offer downloads of movies, however, rental prices are similar.
     Overall, YouTube seems like a great way to view movies, at 3000 movies, the library is nice sized, but you probably won't find everything you're looking for. However, if you do find what you are looking for, especially if it's an older movie, there's a slight chance that it'll be free. Another plus is that, since the movies are saved on your YouTube account, you can watch a rented movie almost anywhere you go, and switch off between devices during the movie. Check it out. as the chances are likely that you'll at least find one free movie you'll enjoy.

View the YouTube movie library here.

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Netflix for XBOX 360 Gains Kinect Support

     Netfllix, the popular video streaming service, recently announced some updates for the Netflix app on the XBOX 360. Netfilix for XBOX 360 will now support Microsoft's Kinect peripheral device, which allows users to control games and multimedia with their movement.
     Netflix users on XBOX 360 will now be able to play, pause, and choose movies with their body and voice. All users have to do to access this feature is launch the Netflix app and download the update. Users can then access the Netflix movies and control them with their body.
     Traditionally, Kinect requires users to stand up when using it. Hopefully this update will not require users to stand, and hopefully will allow you to control Netflix with your body from the couch.
     Kinect has sold very well in it's first year, and the introduction of Netflix will probably sell a few more units. Although Netflix has not yet started using this new development to help sell their service, they probably will start shortly, and this may become another Netflix selling point.

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Netflix, iTunes, K Mart?

     Most are aware of the popular video streaming and downloading services. These include Netflix, iTunes, Amazon's Video on Demand, and more. These are all services that let you either buy individual movies or TV shows, or, in Netflix's case, stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows for a monthly fee.
     Apparently the idea of getting content online as opposed to walking into a shop such as the slowly falling Blockbuster, which has also started getting into the on demand market, became very popular. Popular enough that Sears and K Mart partnered up with a digital media software company called Sonic to create an online movie and TV show download site called Alphaline Entertainment.

Alphaline Entertainment Homepage

     Alphaline Entertainment may have some catch-up to do, because, although this is not a giant difference, movie buying prices are a few dollars more on Alphaline. The rental prices are the same at $2.99, but iTunes has TV rentals for 99 cents, while Alphaline only has TV purchasing.
     When watching a trailer on Alphaline vs. Amazon, Alphaline's video quality was noticeably better, but took longer to load. On Amazon, the trailer played fine in my Google Chrome browser, but on Alphaline, I had to open Internet Explorer (Which crashed on me. Again). Also, to log in, and pretty much to do anything else on Alphaline, you must be using Internet Explorer or Firefox.
      I then purchased an episode of the 1962 show The Jetsons. When I tried downloading it, the Alphaline Website told me to download the RoxioNow Media Player, which is free. After I got the RoxioNow software, I tried to find a way to download the TV episode. I still have not been able to find a way to download the media.
     Until I can get either 1. My download, or 2. My $1.99 back, I don't plan on using Alphaline again, and I don't recommend it for you. Also, how much do you trust Sears and K Mart to know about downloads, web sites, and software programs?
     For now, Alphaline Entertainment seems like a big red flag. Unless you want to watch high quality movie trailers online.

UPDATE: The problem I had with downloading the video was something with Google Chrome. To download the episode, I needed to be using Firefox, not Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. To watch a trailer on the site, I needed to be using Internet Explorer. Strange, huh?

Well, I did get my $1.99 worth of video, but iTunes: better, cheaper, and easier.

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