discoveryplus.com
Let's take a look at some of the new contenders and see which ones are worth your time.
It's a new year, and you know what that means? That's right, a brand-new lineup of streaming services to check out. In 2020, we saw the launch of some instant hits - like HBO Max, Peacock, and Quibi - last year, and 2021 is shaping up to be another big year for movie and TV streaming. With the recent launch of Paramount Plus, Disney Star, and Discovery Plus, there is a whole new group of contenders out there for the coveted title of best streaming site on the web. Let's take a look at some of the new contenders and see which ones are worth your time.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the premium streaming options out there these days? There's no shame in admitting it. I write TV streaming site reviews for a living, and even I'm starting to think that it's getting to be a bit much. It's like every movie studio, cable TV channel, and media production company feels the need to have their own streaming site nowadays. The end result of this is that viewers are split into camps based on what they can afford.
It would be impossible to watch everything on all of these sites, so you might as well choose where you?re most likely to be satisfied.
So, let's face facts. We can't all afford to subscribe to all of the best TV streaming sites that are on the market right now. That would be ludicrous, right? It would easily cost hundreds of dollars a month just for access to those premium movie and TV streaming sites if we were to have full access to them all. Just think of a few of the key players: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube TV, HBO Max, Peacock, Apple TV ? the list goes on and on. So it's probably better if we choose which sites are most likely to satisfy us.
Unfortunately, that means that since each streaming service (of course) wants to tempt customers with high-quality exclusive and original content, chances are, we might have to miss out on a few of the best TV streaming sites. If like me you can't realistically afford to subscribe to every TV streaming site that might be worth it, you have to learn to be especially strategic when it comes to choosing the subscriptions that you do sign up for.
The main reason I write TV streaming site reviews is so that you don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out which one is the best for you. Unless a service offers a free trial, there isn't really any way to know for sure which site is better. That's why I always try to make sure that my reviews are impartial and give you a fair chance before you choose any streaming site.
I'm excited to tell you about one of the newest streaming sites to debut this year, Discovery Plus. Even though it had a quiet launch (compared to the heavily promoted and highly bankrolled rollout of Paramount Plus), this underdog premium streaming service might just be what you're looking for.
For starters, Discovery Plus has a lot to offer. According to the site's splash page FAQ, a subscription to discovery+ gives you instant, unlimited access to more than 55,000 episodes of 2,500+ current and classic shows from the most beloved TV brands, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and more. That is a ton of television.
With content from HGTV, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, and BBC, Discovery Plus offers a variety of TV shows for viewers to binge on. Not only are these shows popular among television audiences, but they also feature some of the world's most famous and beloved personalities. From Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to Ludacris' own cooking show, Luda Can't Cook, there is something for everyone here.
So, all things considered, could Discovery Plus be the best TV streaming site for you? Let's dive in and take a closer look at the streaming service and everything that it has to offer to find out!
History
Discovery Plus is one of the few American TV streaming sites to launch in a foreign market first. India was the first country that had access to the service, and it launched there on March 23, 2020. It wasn't until January of 2021 that Discovery Plus became available internationally, first with a rebrand of their previous service D Play in Denmark, the UK, and Ireland in October and November of 2020 (to Discovery Plus), then with an official launch in the US on January 4, 2021. Discovery Plus would then go onto replace D Play in the rest of Europe the next day.
The TV streaming site was an overnight success. By the time February of 2021 rolled around, the company made an official announcement boasting that the platform had over 12 million subscribers across its various OTT streaming services (including Discovery Plus, Motor Trend On Demand, Food Network Kitchen, and Golf TV). Although it wasn't specified, independent analysts suggest that the overwhelming majority of these were Discovery Plus subscribers.
Today, Discovery Plus continues to be a great TV streaming site on the web, especially for newer streaming devices.
Design
Along the top of each hub, you?ll find a set of navigation buttons. Clicking on any of these will take you to a page that looks exactly like the one you would see if you were channel surfing on your cable or satellite service.
Discovery Plus offers a sleek, dynamic, and user-friendly interface that anybody who has used a premium streaming service before should be able to navigate with no trouble. When you reach the site's homepage, you will be greeted by a large banner that advertises featured titles and suggested series. Just below this, you will find a list of Discovery Plus's offered channels, or hubs. Clicking into your favorite hub will take you to a page that looks exactly like the one you would see if you were channel surfing on your cable or satellite service.
Situated just above the site's central banner is a site menu bar of sorts. This allows you to browse by category or genre. As opposed to the typical descending series of rows separating content by type, Discovery Plus takes a different approach, requiring the user to click into a separate page for each category. While I admire the fact that this TV streaming site is taking a different approach than most, I do think that this layout may be slightly less effective than the standard streaming site design. In my opinion, the more forward and back clicking that you have to do, the less intuitive the site. That being said, I understand that this is a minor flaw (if it can be called a flaw at all), and I may just be being especially picky.
Content and Features
I mentioned that the Discovery Plus site is great for those looking for a streaming site with different content than what is available on other popular sites. For one thing, there are no movies to stream here- everything is on demand TV streaming. This can be great if you want to try out different types of television shows without having to worry about watching films.
Second, the type of content that you will find on this streamer is unlike any other out there. Discovery Plus definitely has a niche appeal to what it has to offer. From cooking shows from Food Network to DIY and home renovation shows thanks to HGTV and top-notch wildlife shows from the likes of BBC and Animal Planet, Discovery Plus is quite possibly the most unique streaming site on the web right now.
That being said, I would say that the bulk of what's available on Discovery Plus is light TV. That is to say, most of the shows streaming here are towards the feel-good, the educational - comfort shows you might call them. In other words, if you need a TV streaming site that is filled with racy dramas or true crime documentaries, this may not be the best TV streaming service for you (although maybe it is; we all need a break from that kind of heaviness from time to time, right?).
Mobile and Desktop Experience
I absolutely love the Discovery Plus TV streaming app! With mobile apps available on both iOS and Android devices, you never have to miss out on your favorite shows. The app has an average user rating of 4.9 out of 5 on the Apple App Store, and is also available on just about every smart TV and gaming platform there is.
Pricing and Plans
Discovery Plus offers a 2-tier subscription model. You can either pay less and be subjected to ads, or pay a little more for an ad-free experience. The subscriptions start at $4.99/month, and the ad-free experience costs only $6.99 per month. You can also trial the service for free before you decide to subscribe.
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