Here are all popular OTT platforms confirmed. (Representational Image: Express Photo/Karanveer Singh Arora)
During the previous COVID-19 lockdowns people purchased a number of OTT platform subscriptions like Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and more, to stay entertained while at home. Many people purchased the yearly subscription plans and are continuing to watch shows and movies there. They then recommend these TV shows and movies to their friends who want to watch them, but due to the segmentation of these platforms and the costs, are not able to decide which all platforms to subscribe to.
Today we will be comparing various OTT platforms like Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5 and more, on the basis of subscription prices, downloads, streaming options, and other key parameters.
Disney+ Hotstar
Disney+ Hotstar is currently the most subscribed to OTT platform in India according to Counterpoint Research. It offers users a number of original series, Disney shows, Disney movies, live sports and more, like Chernobyl, Lion King, Westworld, Toy Story series, Silicon Valley and more. The service is also very popular due to the number of live sports events it streams in usual days, which we hope will resume when the situation is more controlled.
Disney+ Hotstar is priced at Rs 1,499 per year for the Premium plan and at Rs 399 per year for the VIP plan. The Premium plan has no restrictions on content consumption, however, the VIP plan has a few restrictions on content like HBO originals.
Users can download and watch the content once on Disney+ Hotstar, after which they will be able to stream the content online only.
Netflix
Netflix is one of the most expensive streaming platforms in India. Its priced start at Rs 199 per month, which might sound reasonable, however, that plan only lets users view content in SD quality on their smartphones or tablets. The basic plan, which lets users gain the ability to stream the shows and movies on their laptops and TVs starts at Rs 499 per month. Under the Rs 499 plan, the company allows users to stream on one screen at a time in SD quality. After this comes the Standard plan, priced at Rs 649, which allows users to access content on two screens in HD quality. Lastly, the premium plan costs Rs 799 and offers customers access to Ultra HD as well as HD content on four screens at a time.
Users can download and watch content unlimited times with all of the above plans.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is one of the most affordable OTT platforms you can subscribe to. The service is priced at Rs 999 per year and at Rs 129 per month. Under these plans the company offers customers access to 4K content, unlimited downloads and access to a huge library of content. Apart from this, it also offers customers free and faster delivery with Amazon, early access to exclusive deals on the site and access to Prime Music. All of these services combined, make the platform quite affordable.
It allows streaming on up to six screens at once, and allows users to download and watch content unlimited times. Just like Netflix, it also allows different users to set up their personal profiles, to have specially curated feeds. The service features content like Spider-Man: Far From Home, Hanna, Gemini Man, Kesari and more.
Zee5
Zee5 is another popular OTT platform with a huge content library, including the Zee original TV series and movies like the Accidental Prime Minister. The service is priced at Rs 999 per year or Rs 99 per month for the all access pack. There is an additional all access pack with Gaana+ subscription priced at Rs 198 per month. The platform also consists of various monthly regional packs like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada at different monthly and yearly price points.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is one of the best premium services you can get right now. Apart from providing Original content, the Premium subscription also removes all of the ads from the platform. The service is available at Rs 129 per month and at Rs 399 for three months. There is a Family plan also, which allows up to five additional members into their subscription at Rs 189 per month. The Students discounted plan is priced at Rs 79 per month. However, to get that you need to have a valid college ID.
AltBalaji
AltBalaji is a streaming service not recommended to everyone. It consists of a lot of adult content, which is not apt for people under the age of 18. The shows content can be understood from their names itself like Gandi Baat, Who’s Your Daddy and X.X.X. Uncensored. The AltBalaji subscription is priced at Rs 100 for a quarterly plan and at Rs 300 for a yearly plan.
MX Player
Most of the older guys would remember playing .mkv file format movies with MX Player. The app has grown a lot since then and has converted itself into an OTT platform. There are a lot of shows and movies that the platform hosts and all of it is available free of cost and does not require users to pay anything to use it. Due to this, the platform shows a lot of ads while watching content. You cannot download shows to watch offline later on this platform.
It is recommended that you tread carefully on this platform as it does contain a few erotic shows that might not be of your taste.
SonyLIV
SonyLIV just like Disney+ Hotstar consists of a lot of live sports, which is expected to resume after the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled. Apart from this, the platform also includes a number of shows and movies. It also consists of a dedicated section for live Sony TV channels. There are a lot of regional shows on the platform also. It is priced at Rs 29 for seven days, Rs 99 for 30 days, and at Rs 299 for six months.
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