It’s Not TV. It’s Not HBO. It’s Streaming. But Is It Worth It? | TIME.com

We may not have entered the era of widespread cable-cutting yet, but there are more and more options for watching TV outside normal network distributors, each with its advantages and drawbacks. Netflix, Hulu Plus et al. in theory offer a kind of TV nirvana—an endless library of show and movies to watch anywhere, anytime. In practice, the library is not yet endless, as anyone who’s tried to stream many movies and TV seasons can attest, while in other cases “anywhere, anytime” isn’t quite the case: network agreements keep many shows off mobile devices and set-top boxes.

So what makes a streaming-video subscription worth it? Netflix is betting that, like its sort-of-competitor HBO, the key could be original programming. Next year, it launches the original drama House of Cards, with Kevin Spacey, and the revived Arrested Development. For the sake of completism, I also have to mention this year’s Lillyhammer. HBO found that having Sex and the City and The Sopranos would keep people re-upping consistently, even if they weren’t using it for movies. Hulu has been expanding into programming also, but on a smaller scale, largely importing shows like the current run of The Thick of It.

via It’s Not TV. It’s Not HBO. It’s Streaming. But Is It Worth It? | TIME.com.