Being a home cinema lover you will find that having premium movie channels such as HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, or Starz, is extremely helpful. However, there are several premium modes to choose from, which one provides the best solution for a movie-watching experience and value for money? Here we give you recommendations of the leading premium movie channels, along with a breakdown of their selection, original programming, price, and more to assist you in choosing the right premium channel for movies.
Number of Movie Selections
For the number of movies, HBO currently has the most extensive library size in the premium channel with over 1,800 movies available on-demand simultaneously. Their choice too is changing as well with more than three thousand five hundred movies being aired within a year.
Regarding movies, Showtime has consistently provided over a thousand movies on demand. Their list includes virtually every genre one can think of, from action/adventure to comedies and everything in between. Both HBO and Showtime purchase movies from other production companies such as the major Hollywood studios but buy movies that are either ready for the theatres or are likely to be so shortly.
Cinemax has a somewhat smaller collection of movies, and its focus is on the movies released within the last few years, with emphasis on action-adventure and thrillers; Starz has a slightly larger movie selection, and its movies are mainly drama and independent. Thus, although Cinemax and Starz may offer fewer films as a whole, they are well suited to certain categories for even more people.
Original Movies and Series
Some of the premium channels, in a bid to enhance their programming schedules, have also embraced the production of feature and made-for-television movies. Perhaps most significantly, HBO has been recognized for having one of the largest selections of new premium movies and television shows such as Game of Thrones and Westworld. They produce more than 50 TV Shows, Documentaries, and Motion Pictures of high quality every year.
Focusing on entertainment, Showtime also airs successful original programs such as Billions, Homeland, and Shameless. At the moment, Starz network has been producing successful original series such as Outlander and Power while Cinemax has been struggling to produce good original series since the series Banshee concluded in 2016. Thus for those who expect movie-related programming in addition to first-run Hollywood films, HBO remains a popular choice.
Cost Considerations
All the main premium movie channels are offered by almost all cable operators, or one can directly purchase the programs from the streaming sites. The monthly retail price of subscriptions to individual channels ranges between $9 and $15 per month while package prices are slightly higher. Typically the degree of cross-subsidies is also higher the more channels are aggregated in one package.
HBO is generally priced at about $15 per month as a standalone channel, which places this option in the somewhat pricey category. Showtime is usually cheaper at about $11 per month on average, during our research. Starz and Cinemax are generally cheaper when taking them individually at roughly $9 monthly. However all the major premium channels always take considerable discounts or special rates for the first month, so the difference is not very much in terms of amount.
In conclusion, the ultimate selection of the ‘best’ premium movie channel is the platform that offers you content, features, and budget satisfaction that matches your needs. Closing considerations include the importance of certain types of programming, differences in channel prices, and subscription packages to choose the best premium movie channel for your home.
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