Online services are notorious for increasing their prices once or even twice a year. All platforms are full of ads and lacking in content, even if you pay a subscription fee. Companies like Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, and Google have all increased their prices in the past few months, while still offering the same or less value than before.
Over the last few years, I’ve come to think that going back to physical media might not be such a bad idea, especially since there are so many free options out there, including some questionable ones that raise red flags regarding their ethical and legal status.
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You’ll be able to watch your favorite shows again
There are ways to minimize the increased cost to your wallet
Physical media is cheaper in the long run and easier to control
Although it may sound counterintuitive, remember that owning Blu-ray copies of your favorite shows and movies is still a great idea, especially if they are available in marketplaces or stores that sell second-hand goods. Chain stores sell some of these copies at bargain prices, making it easier to own your favorite content.
You can take back control by building a physical content library and ripping it to use as your own digital library. Services like Plex and Kodi allow you to stream much higher quality content wherever you are, on any device. These options are often free, but some may require a small monthly fee or one-time payment that’s cheaper than regular streaming services.
It’s also worth pointing out that while it’s technically easier and cheaper to own physical media, it still requires a significant amount of physical space to store it, even if you have a dedicated shelf in your bedroom or living room.
Digital copies are a great way to rent or buy movies. However, streaming services may remove these copies at any time (even those you’ve already purchased), and they are especially susceptible to licensing agreements with the appropriate publishers. That’s why buying physical copies is a better solution for building your home entertainment library. It may take up more space, but you won’t risk losing the right to watch the content at any time.
Pay only for the services you actually use
Consider cancelling subscriptions periodically
Okay, so you want to stick with streaming just for the convenience, but you still want to save money. Here are some ways to minimize price hikes so you can loosen your purse strings a little. If you already watch everything on Netflix and have a Disney+ subscription, there’s no reason to keep both, especially if you’re consuming more content on one platform.
If this applies to you (it did for me), it’s time to cancel your other subscriptions. You can always sign up for a month or two when something worth watching comes out. There’s no reason to keep paying $20+, or even more, for a service you’re not going to use.
Luckily, all of these services are easy to sign up and subscribe to, and while canceling your plan may be more complicated and difficult, it only takes a few minutes. Be wary of services that offer discounts and require you to take multiple steps or use various tricks when canceling; some are notorious for moving buttons to make things confusing.
If you want to save money, consider not spending money
Free ad-supported platforms are more popular than ever
No, I’m not talking about piracy. Neither I nor Android Police condone such behavior. Consuming content through means other than paid services can harm publishers, the people who worked hard to produce the content, and of course the artists. It’s important to support these companies.
However, there are plenty of free solutions out there, like Netflix, that offer a similar experience for free. Free ad-supported streaming TV(For those of you who don’t know) is growing rapidly. Pluto TV, Tubi, Amazon’s Freevee, and even the Google TV homepage all offer collections of shows and movies for free if you can stomach the ads. If you’re nostalgic for watching movies on cable on Sunday afternoons, these platforms might help rekindle that feeling.
It’s also worth pointing out that the public domain has a vast library of free digital content available without a license. This includes books, movies, TV shows, music, and games. The Internet Archive is one of the best places to access such content. Many streaming apps offer public domain content in dedicated sections available across a variety of devices, including the web, smartphones, tablets, and even smart TVs and streaming devices.
All of this means that there are plenty of ways to watch more media without spending a fortune or turning to illegal means. And while the constantly rising prices may be frustrating, isn’t that exactly what we want?
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