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Graphic Design Awards
Join Thousands of Graphics Design Professionals Who Have Shared Their Vision and Been Recognized as Design's Best and Brightest in The International Graphic Design Awards
The International Graphics Design Award IGDA, is the most comprehensive survey of graphic design in the world with entries from hundreds of countries and is the only design competition that was synthetically designed through design research and surveys. The IGDA Design Annual and the interactive online gallery is seen by millions of creative professionals, and therefore is the best place to make a name, or to spread your brand value.The IGDA, International Graphics Design Award publications are an essential resource for art directors and studios looking for exceptional designers. Award winners will be provided a very special prize package that especially includes the tools such as the press release preparation and distribution, communication and marketing to thousands of blogs, in addition the the print hardcopy publication, the award trophy and the framed certificates.In compassion to other graphic awards, series, sets and campaigns of multiple graphic design works could be submitted as a single entry. The IGDA graphic design award exists to recognize, celebrate and promote legendary design visionaries and to uncover emerging talent in Graphics Design, and has become one of the most prestigious graphics design awards.IGDA design awards celebrate creativity, encourage emotion and innovation in graphics design and visual communication. IGDA provides a central hub for marketplace recognition through salonedeldesigner and the accolades are open to all participants; commissioners, creators, suppliers, promoters or purveyors of design, design studios, branding agencies, creative agencies as well as any art director, designer, illustrator, photographer, typographer, could join.IGDA award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional, digital or interactive visual representation and convey of ideas and messages. Special consideration is given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience, as well as the edginess of the entries; whether they are aligned with recent trends or if they are candidates for iconic graphic art.IGDA award further celebrates creativity and innovation in the intersection of communication design and the built environment via the environmental category which is concerned with the visual aspects of wayfinding, communication identity and brands, information design and shaping the idea of place and space; i.e. including signage and spatial communications, maps etc. Illustration and type faces could also be submitted, as well as graphic designs for packaging; there is a special category for packaging design awards. Submissions are online, and you could enter 5 images, plus a PDF up to 40 pages. Credits and descriptions shall be entered as complete and accurate as possible. Symbol and logo entries in particular must relate to the client business.Ad campaigns, book cover series, corporate brochure series, or poster series will all be considered campaigns. Any packaging entry, whether a single package or a family of packages, will be considered a single entry. Any letterhead entry that consists of stationery, envelope, and business card will be considered a single entry. When entering works make sure to type in credits and descriptions as complete and accurate as possible. For symbol and logo entries in particular, state the nature of the client's business. Ensure to provide sufficient amount of textual description which could be used by press members to mention your work, and more importantly for jury members to understand your work better.Annual Reports, Brochures and Catalogs, Book Covers and Jackets, Environmental Graphics, Illustration and Photography, Invitations and Announcements, Letterhead and Logos, 2D Packaging, Posters and Flyers, Advertising, Editorial, Magazine and Newspaper Covers, Self-Promotions, Wearables and Merchandise, Information Graphics, Web Design and Multi-Media Campaign.IGDA is committed to championing the best of the best in design across the world and across all graphic design and communication disciplines including marketing through highlighting best graphic design works to provide them with fame, prestige, recognition, credibility, publicity and advertising.Through IGDA participation, you could earn recognition your work, improve awareness of your brand, benchmark your work against the very best in graphics design, prove your credibility, gain fame, prestige and celebrate with other graphic design award winners, creatives from different disciplines and design media at the galanight and award ceremony. IGDA is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional graphic materials but as well as digital and emerging technologies. The IGDA graphics competition is one of the largest in world with entries from hundreds of countries, thousands of companies and designers.IGDA Graphics design entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, graphic design shops, production companies, web and digital creators and freelancers. It is the mission of IGDA to honor outstanding achievement and service to the graphics design profession and to support designers who have great talent.The only thing better than being appreciated by your clients could be perhaps being recognized by your peers and an esteemed jury which understands graphic design like no other; enter your works today to IGDA awards. IGDA awards the best design work, visually appealing graphic design and print marketing that rocks. IGDA separates the wheat from the chaff and showcase only the best, presenting publicity and recognition to winners. Winners of IGDA awards recognize graphics design and brand marketing agencies, consultancies and practices, in-house design teams and manufacturers as well as freelancers and top-notch student talents that demonstrate brilliant and inspiring design talents. IGDA Awards were established to celebrate the very best examples of graphics design excellence.Winning the IGDA International Graphics Design Awards can help raise your corporate profile, instill trust, attract new business, increase your brand awareness and make your business more profitable; especially join the exclusive gala-night to network and pass and receive business opportunities with creatives and companies from different disciplines.IGDA recognize the highest standards of excellence in graphics design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement in a self-sustaining manner, thus each entry is subject a nomination fee, however unlike other awards there are no further fees. IGDA graphics design competition is designed to elevate the standards of graphics excellence for a better, graphically appealing future.Graphic design works featured in this article: Calendar 2013 "Safari" by Katsumi Tamura, Calendar 2013 "Rocking Chair" by Katsumi Tamura, Calendar 2013 "Town" by Katsumi Tamura, Alicia Rius Photography Business Card by Arnau Bosch Verges, Agraz Restaurant by Marcelo Lopes, Calendar 2013 "Module" by Katsumi Tamura, Standing Message Card "Post Animal" by Katsumi Tamura, Ql Jrne 25 by Kathy Roessner, Pain and Suffering by Sharon Webber-Zvik, Calendar 2013 "Waterwheel" by Katsumi Tamura, The Cube Calendar by Philip Stroomberg, Klaipeda City 760-Th Anniversary by Roman Klemencov, Le Coffret-Chambres D'hôtes by Laura Ferrario, 2013 Goo Calendar "Month & Day" by Katsumi Tamura, Ntt Comware 2013 Calendar "Custom&Enjoy" by Katsumi Tamura, Place Viau by Elixir Marketing, Sharks & Rays by Taxi West, M/I/M/Design District by Francesco Paternoster, Dallas Mavericks Season History, 2011 by Andrew Garcia PhillipsGet inspired by checking the previous IGDA International Graphics Design Award winners at the designmag.org if you wish to learn more about the awards program, visit whatisadesignaward.com or for a shorter presentation checkout the designaward.com enter your works by registering and submitting through adesignaward.comExerpt:The International Graphics Design Award IGDA, is the most comprehensive survey of graphic design in the world with entries from hundreds of countries and is the only design competition that was synthetically designed through design research and surveys. The IGDA Design Annual and the interactive online gallery is seen by millions of creative professionals, and therefore is the best place to make a name, or to spread your brand value.The IGDA, International Graphics Design Award publications are ..
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Attack on Iran is the next step in divide and conquer of Middle East
Monday, 02 April 2007
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by Daan de Wit
The Dutch in this article was translated into English by Ben Kearney.
The march towards war with Iran continues unabated. As time goes by, the possibility that Iran will be attacked is not lessening, but growing. It will increase the level of chaos in the Middle East, but the question is whether this is an unfortunate consequence or a means to an end.While expansive war games are being conducted off the Iranian coast and new sanctions are being imposed on Iran, the heat is being turned up in other ways as well. Under the headline US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran, The Sunday Telegraph writes: 'In the past year there has been a wave of unrest in ethnic minority border areas of Iran, with bombing and assassination campaigns against soldiers and government officials. [...] Fred Burton, a former US state department counter-terrorism agent, [...] said: "The latest attacks inside Iran fall in line with US efforts to supply and train Iran's ethnic minorities to destabilise the Iranian regime." [...] Funding for their separatist causes comes directly from the CIA's classified budget but is now "no great secret", according to one former high-ranking CIA official in Washington who spoke anonymously to The Sunday Telegraph.' The current situation involving Iran and the 15 British Marines is reminiscent of the situation prior to the Vietnam War, when the U.S. was provoking Vietnam by way of Operation 34A. It was then that the American government seized upon an alleged incident in the Gulf of Tonkin in order to demonstrate Vietnamese agression, after which Congress gave President Johnson its approval to attack the country. For more details see this article by DeepJournal. Also see: Fake Maritime Boundaries, written by Craig Murray, former Head of the Maritime Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
U.S. troop build-up in Persian GulfOn Tuesday of last week 'a high-ranking security source' told the Russian RIA Novosti that 'U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.' Professor A. Richard Norton, advisor to the Iraq Study Group, made a good point back in mid-February in reference to the American show of power in the Persian Gulf: 'Remember that in 1990-91 and then again in 2003 the very fact that the United States assembled a formidable array of forces in the Gulf region became an argument for using those forces and launching wars. The United States will soon have two carrier task forces on station, and perhaps a third carrier task force will soon be deployed. It will be difficult for the United States to step down from its combative perch without Iran accepting some fairly significant concessions. While many leading Iranian officials fully understand the gravity of the situation, it is nonetheless possible to imagine a series of real or contrived clashes that lead, perhaps unintentionally, to a serious aerial and naval campaign against Iran. Or - to put it simply - to yet another U.S. war of choice.' Tony Blair in a speech to the U.S. Congress: 'September 11th was not an isolated event, but a tragic prologue. Iraq; another Act; and many further struggles will be set upon this stage before it's over.'Religious strife Middle East: unintended fire to the flames or means to an end?From the moment he first gained any significance, right up until his death, the life of Saddam Hussein was intertwined with the West, as I wrote previously. Saddam provided his country with the order that the West desired, and together they saw how the country descended into chaos following the overthrow of the Baath regime. There are different viewpoints circulating as to how the Bush administration might be able to create order in Iraq. Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh sees what he calls 'the redirection' of the Bush Administration: Out of fear for Shiite Iran, the U.S. would actively support the Sunnis in the region. Previously it were the Iraqi Shiites who received their support, to the detriment of the Sunni minority, which in general is seen as the core of the Iraqi resistance. The question though is whether or not there is any discussion of an adjustment to American plans. On the one hand, the fact that American plans have been frustrated by the resistance could indeed be an explanation for a reevaluation, but it could also be an explanation for the fact that, contrary to all predictions, Iran hasn't been attacked yet (the newest predictions are talking about this month). On the other hand, there are indications that the discord that exists between the two Muslim groups is the result of a preconceived plan: divide and conquer, culminating in an evenly divided future Middle East. And while two dogs are fighting for a bone... If there really is a 'Redirection', then the U.S. will end up profiting from the divisions that it itself brought about which resulted from the decision, often described as a blunder, to dismiss the constituent Sunni elements of the police and army en masse. In response to the Sunni insurgency, the Shiites were supported by the U.S. from the beginning. They received military support via Task Force 121, a team of specialists from Special Operations and the CIA. Additional American support came in the form of the coordination and cultivation of a large Iraqi militia. It may be this group that called itself 'Black Flag' in 2004 and took the fight to the insurgents. The resulting internecine conflict between the two Muslim groups not only divided Iraq, but it also put pressure on the situation in the region. Questions surrounding attack on Golden MosqueA relatively important moment in the fighting between the Sunnis and the Shiites was the attack on the Golden Mosque in February of 2006. Directly following the destruction of the Shiite mosque, 27 Sunni mosques were attacked and three Sunni imams were killed. Hundreds, if not thousands of people have died as a result of the attack. The strike seemed to be a clearcut case, but further examination raises questions as to who the actual perpetrators of the attack were. The suggestion is now being made that Western specialists were involved. Jassem Mohammed Jaafar, at that time Construction minister, said on Iraqi television: '"According to initial reports, the bombing was technically well conceived and could only have been carried out by specialists"', to which he added that the placement of the explosives had to have taken at least twelve hours. Jafaar: '[...] "holes were dug into the mausoleum's four main pillars and packed with explosives." "Then the charges were connected together and linked to another charge placed just under the dome. The wires were then linked to a detonator which was triggered at a distance'. These statements were borne out by the account of the caretaker of the mosque, as noted by The New York Times: 'The night before the explosion, he said, just before the 8 p.m. curfew on Feb. 21, 2006, on the Western calendar, men dressed in commando uniforms like those issued by the Interior Ministry entered the shrine. The caretaker said he had been beaten, tied up and locked in a room. Throughout the night, he said, he could hear the sound of drilling as the attackers positioned the explosives, apparently in such a way as to inflict maximum damage on the dome. [...] I can describe what was done as exactly like what happened to the World Trade Center," he said. "Bad people used this incident to divide Iraq on a detestable sectarian basis."' Journalist Mike Whitney writes: 'Eyewitness accounts verify that American troops and Iraqi National Guard were active in the area throughout the night and that their cars could be heard running "the whole night until next morning". People living around the mosque were told "to stay in your shop and don't leave the area". At 6:30 AM the American troops left, just 10 minutes before the bombs went off.' '"There are forces seeking to prevent democracy and obstruct the peaceful political and economic development of Iraq. They seek to achieve their goals in a number of ways. But, as I said before, promoting sectarian violence is one of them. There's nothing new here"', according to American spokesperson Adam Ereli. Pro-Sunni clandestine operations in and around IranAccording to Seymour Hersh, American foreign policy as it relates to Iran - based as it is on the mutual strife between Sunnis and Shiites - has been completely overturned. In his latest article The Redirection, he writes: 'The new strategy "is a major shift in American policy-it's a sea change," a U.S. government consultant with close ties to Israel said.' He makes the argument that the rise of the Shiites in Iraq, combined with a powerful Shiite Iran no longer held in check by the threat of Saddam's Sunni-controlled army, has sent chills through Sunni countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia: 'The Sunni states "were petrified of a Shiite resurgence, and there was growing resentment with our gambling on the moderate Shiites in Iraq," he said. "We cannot reverse the Shiite gain in Iraq, but we can contain it."' According to Hersh this fear explains the readiness of the Saudis to contribute financially to the clandestine pro-Sunni support operations: 'The clandestine operations have been kept secret, in some cases, by leaving the execution or the funding to the Saudis, or by finding other ways to work around the normal congressional appropriations process, current and former officials close to the Administration said.' The money comes in part from the Saudis, and the execution of the operations takes place under the guidance of Vice-President Dick Cheney: '[...] former and current officials said that the clandestine side has been guided by Cheney. [...] American military and special-operations teams have escalated their activities in Iran to gather intelligence [...]'. Read more about clandestine operations in Iran in part 4 (October 2005) of this DeepJournal series.A new Cold War in the Middle EastThe divisions between Sunni and Shiite groups could be the beginning of a new Cold War in the Middle East. Following the Cold War against communism and during the subsequent War on Terror, a new war could now arise between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. 'Martin Indyk, a senior State Department official in the Clinton Administration who also served as Ambassador to Israel, said that "the Middle East is heading into a serious Sunni-Shiite Cold War." Indyk, who is the director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, added that, in his opinion, it was not clear whether the White House was fully aware of the strategic implications of its new policy', writes Hersh. But just as with the Cold War, the War on Terror and the new religious divisions, the question is whether the U.S. is the victim or the perpetrator. Whichever the case may be, both Muslim groups are battling each other while Iran as a target is getting more and more in the picture, just as a relatively safe Israel, surrounded by a patchwork quilt of small and fragmented statelets in an oil-rich region. Influence of the Democratic majority on Bush AdministrationSome are pinning their hopes on the Democrats - who now hold a majority in Congress - to avert a military conflict with Iran. But their recent history doesn't offer much in the way of hope. In the years following the 9/11 attacks, they remained silent while the new media amassed fact upon fact, chipping away at the official conspiracy theory of what happened on and around September 11th. The Democratic party didn't exactly stand in the way of the radical legislation which came in the wake of 9/11 either, and what's more, they used the first hundred hours of their majority in Congress to adopt into law the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, whose findings were taken apart piece by piece by Professor David Ray Griffin in his book The New Pearl Harbor. And as to the question of what the most relevant Democrats are saying about Iran - the answer is disappointing. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama have all made clear that they are not opposed to military action against Iran. DNC Chairman Howard Dean was quite clear at the beginning of last year: '[...] under no circumstances will a Democratic Administration ever allow Iran to become a nuclear power.' One year later he called the Iran of now a greater danger than the Iraq of then. Meanwhile Clinton is making similar statements, but feels that if Bush wants to declare war on Iran he should definitely ask Congress for approval. According to Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, this isn't necessary; under pressure from the Israeli lobby she has introduced legislation ensuring that Bush doesn't have to do this. The Democrats are echoing the rhetoric of the Republican administration. Under the motto 'Don't Let the People Who Brought Us Iraq Define the Questions' Paul Pillar, 'a former national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia, [who] teaches security studies at Georgetown University' is advising first and foremost to ask the right questions, such as: 'If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, how would that change its behavior and affect U.S. interests? In particular, why would deterrence, which has kept nuclear peace with other adversaries, not work with Iran?'In spite of democracy, small group dictatesWith the appropriate questions not being posed, and with the Democrats having begged off and the build-up to the coming war with Iran only now in this late stage getting the full attention of the Western media, it remains as clear as ever that a small group of extremists - an elite of the elite - are once again prepared to take the world one step further on a path above which most people see only dark clouds gathering. Speaking of this small group of people who have no fear of the gathering storm and who see a shiny pot of gold at the end of it, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski said to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: 'I am perplexed by the fact that major strategic decisions seem to be made within a very narrow circle of individuals - just a few, probably a handful, perhaps not more than the fingers on my hand. And these are the individuals, all of whom but one, who made the original decision to go to war [with Iraq], and used the original justifications to go to war.' One thing that comes to mind while listening to Brzezinski is a quote taken down by New York Times reporter Ron Suskind that came from the mouth of a White House aide: Suskind writes: 'The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he defined as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''' Vanity Fair sums up this idea as it translates into the situation with Iran in a long article with a short headline: From the Wonderful Folks Who Brought You Iraq.Fundamentalist leadership in both U.S. and IranIn his testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Brzezinski underscores a view held on the role that the U.S. has played in the rise of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's star: 'Our policy has unintentionally - I hope unintentionally, maybe it was develishly clever, but I think unintentionally - helped Ahmadinejad consolidate himself in power and excercised a degree of influence which actually his position doesn't justify. Most Americans when they say president Ahmadinejad, they think he is the equivalent of president Bush, he is not, he is roughly a third level official, who doesn't even control the military resources of the country.' In comparing Bush and Ahmadinejad, investigative journalist Jim Lobe was compelled to make a side-by-side product comparison which brought him to the conclusion: Bush and Ahmadinejad: separated at birth?One of the similarities between the two leaders lies in their fundamental character. Bush's image, which along with that of the U.S. has taken a beating, is that of the democratic, Christian leader of the free world. That's why he is supported by the Moral Majority in the U.S. The same moral theme can also be seen in Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende. Upon further inspection there are a few things to take note of regarding the exacting image of both gentlemen. Balkenende preaches norms and values, but then does the opposite by refusing to publicly state the reason that The Netherlands sent soldiers to Iraq. Balkenende reconfirms the hypocritical image of fundamentalist Christians. This image is also shaped - alongside the sex abuse scandals in the Church - by George W. Bush, a man who while governor of Texas held the record for death sentences handed out, who now feels that torture is necessary, and who could be held responsible for thousands of American deaths and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi victims. And that's just to name a few. Bush is facilitated by the conservative Christian Erik Prince, director of Blackwater, the most important supplier of mercenaries for Iraq. These leaders of the Moral Majority would nevertheless be nowhere without the Silent Majority, the much more moderate sectors of the population of the U.S. and The Netherlands, for example. While the silence of the Silent Majority and the actions of the Moral Majority keep the wars coming, the conservative Christians, through their active support for Bush and Israel, seem to be eager to bring on exactly that which their guidebook - The Bible - warns against: a great battle in the Middle East which would usher in the End Times. President Ahmadinejad echoes this vision of the so-called 'End Times' held by the millions of Christians who support Bush; just like them, his view of the future is none too gloomy because he also foresees a final battle and above all redemption for mankind: 'French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has quoted Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad as saying that one should really hope for "chaos" because "there will be God" afterward. [...] Ahmadinejad has also called for the return of al-Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Shi'ite Islam, whose reappearance is supposed to restore justice before the end of the world', writes AFP. In this way he's on the same wavelength as the millions of readers of the Left Behind series, which foresees a miraculous catching up of all true Christian believers prior to the apocalypse. Influential Christians such as Joel Rosenberg, whose books are recommended on the Left Behind website, interpret what they read in the newspaper the same way they interpret the Bible, and see in the news the fulfillment of age-old prophecies: '[...] what is particularly curious about the emergence of an even stronger Iran-Sudan alliance this week is that it was foretold 2,500 years ago by the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel in chapters 38 and 39'. To this statement he adds an article from Haaretz, in which it talks about how 'several Orthodox Jewish groups in Israel are currently making preparations to build and outfit the Third Temple', after which he refers to the title of chapter 13 from his book Epicenter: Future Headline: Jews build third temple in Jerusalem. In a recent contribution, Rosenberg writes: 'I've written before that 2007 is the Year of Decision. But is April about to become the "month of decision"?' How dangerous is Iran?The Iranian economy is weak, and as opposed to the U.S. and Israel, Iran has no history of initiating wars (the war with Iraq was the result of an attack by Saddam that was spurred on by the U.S.). Ahmadinejad says that he doesn't want war, and in part 14 of this series it was also shown how he was incorrectly quoted and doesn't want to wipe Israel off the map. While the U.S. is refusing offers of negotiations (1, 2) with Iran, Iran is allowing UN-inspectors to investigate their nuclear program, though they restricted their cooperation recently, and as opposed to the U.S. and Israel, Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. On the other hand Ahmadinejad did organize a conference to promote research into the Holocaust, and he might be lying about his belief that his faith forbids the production of a nuclear weapon. Depending on which cleric you ask, a nuclear weapon would actually be permitted, so long as it is not used offensively (in contrary to the U.S. view). And then there is Iran's support for Hezbollah. When it comes to the facts, there are different ways of looking at it: 'Iran's control over Hezbollah has been steadily declining since approximately 1996, during the reformist presidency of Mohammad Khatami. Money does continue to come "from Iran" to support Hezbollah, but not the Iranian government. Instead, it's private religious foundations that direct the bulk of support, primarily to Hezbollah's charitable activities. [...] the most important reason for not targeting Iran for the continued fighting in Lebanon is that this conflict is antithetical to Iran's interests. [...] If a state is needed to explain the continued existence of groups like Hezbollah, then Iran is an ideal candidate. Ergo, the connection must exist. Such claims serve to bolster the central, but fallacious, political doctrine for the Bush administration that the Global War on Terrorism really exists', writes Professor of Anthropology and Middle East Studies at Brown University, William O. Beeman, author of the book The "Great Satan" vs. the "Mad Mullahs": How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other.
Monday, April 02, 2007
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Recipe Categories
Baby Greens with Lobster, Avocado, Pink Grapefruit and Brown Sugar Bacon
If you find this dish tempting but the length of the recipe daunting, don't despair. Although there are several components, each is simple to make and can be made in advance. Assembly of the components is also quick and easy, and the end result is a sophisticated and amazingly delicious salad with a beautiful presentation. A perfect and memorable beginning for a special dinner.
For the Salad: Working over a medium mixing bowl to catch any juices, peel and segment the grapefruit taking care to remove any seeds and membranes. Place the segments into the bowl with the juices.
Place the avocado on a cutting board. Using a chef knife, cut through the center of the avocado lengthwise until the knife comes in contact with the pit. Without removing the knife, make a continuous slice around the pit until the knife meets the initial incision point. Remove the knife from the avocado, then twist the halves in opposite directions to separate them. Remove and discard the pit, then place the avocado cut-side down on the work surface; peel back the skin using your fingertips or a small sharp knife.
Cut one half of the avocado into cubes and place in the bowl with the grapefruit segments and their juice; toss gently to coat the avocado with the juice (to prevent browning).
Cut the other half into chunks, and place in the bowl of a mini-food processor. With the machine running, add the vinaigrette, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick, smooth puree is formed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If not using immediately, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the purée and refrigerate until needed.
Add the baby greens, lobster and bacon to the bowl with the grapefruit and avocado. Toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.
Spoon one fourth of the avocado puree onto each chilled salad plate. Use the back of a spoon or a pastry brush to spread the puree across the plate in a broad stripe.
Place a round cutter in the center of the plate. Fill the round cutter with the salad mixture, pressing gently to pack. Remove the round cutter, leaving the salad in a cylindrical shape in the center of the plate. Drizzle a little of the remaining vinaigrette around the edge of each plate; serve immediately.
Tips and Techniques
* Mixed baby greens are available in the gourmet produce section of most grocery stores and typically consist of a mixture of baby lettuces. They may include the following: red and green romaine, red leaf, tango (lolla rosa), red and green chard, mizuna, arugula, mache and frisée. If a bolder flavor is desired, substitute all frisée for the mixed greens. To Crisp Salad Greens: All leafy greens should be soaked briefly in a large basin of water. Lift the greens out of the water, shake off the excess water and dry in a salad spinner (do this in batches, if necessary). To crisp, wrap in linen or paper towels (to absorb remaining moisture), place in a plastic bag and store in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. If the greens are to be torn or cut into smaller pieces, it is best done just before the salad is dressed and served. Greens will stay crisp this way for up to two days.
** You may be able to purchase cooked lobster meat from your seafood purveyor. Some seafood markets will steam fresh lobster or lobster tails for you. Two 6 to 7-ounce lobster tails will yield approximately 8 ounces cooked lobster meat. To cook the lobster tails, preheat the oven to 450°F. Use a large heavy knife to split each lobster tail in half lengthwise. Place the split tails on a small roasting pan or baking sheet and brush each with about 2 teaspoons melted butter. Roast in the oven until just cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, remove from the shell and dice the meat.
Serves 4
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Computer Networking Technology Program Grabs Gold
by Josh Hays
Posted on 5/12/2014
The Iowa Central Computer Networking Technology Program competed in the state SkillsUSA competition held May 2, 2014 at the DMACC campus in Ankeny. The program was represented by nine students that competed in a total of four different competitions. The areas that the students participated in were Computer Maintenance Technology, Internetworking, Technical Computer Applications, and Telecommunications Cabling.
The results are as follows:
Computer Maintenance Technology – Nathan Griswold (3rd), Mark Torres, Chase Huber
Internetworking – Bryan Beckley (1st), David Besch (2nd)
Technical Computer Applications – Tanner Illg (1st), Jacob Nelson (2nd)
Telecommunications Cabling – Brandon Kearney (1st), Darrell Kearney (2nd)
All of the students competed extremely well and were an excellent representation of the program and Iowa Central. The 1st Place finishers earned a trip to nationals in Kansas City, MO June 24-27, 2014 to compete against all the other winners from around the United States in the largest skills competition in the country. The program has had exceptional success at the national competition, bringing home a national champion last year. For more information on the Computer Networking program contact George Lawman at firstname.lastname@example.com or Marc Matthes at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Bob Larson
July 19, 1945 - April 18, 2000
May he rest in peace.
In honor of Bob's life and devotion to the spread of solar cooking, these members and friends of Solar Cookers International established the "Bob Larson Memorial Fund."
- Beverly & George Blum
- Patricia Bruce
- Sherry Cole
- Barbara Kerr
- Chuck Larson
- Julie K. Loring
- Virginie & John Mitchem
- Dan & Laura Perin
- Clark & Eleanor Shimeall
- SCI Staff
Bob Larson was a special person to very many people. Sherry and I have especially fond memories of him. Shortly after we began working with solar box cookers in 1976 we went to meet Bob in South Phoenix where he was Director of the Energy House, a demonstration home for the city of Phoenix. We wanted to show him our original cardboard solar cooker and ask for his evaluation. From this very beginning, he was always ready to be helpful, devoted to developing solar cooking. Bob knew first hand of the poverty in South Phoenix where pennies saved on fuel costs meant more food on the table. And even in the early 1970s he was very aware of the impending firewood shortages in Africa and around the world.
Bob and his friends would use various versions of our early solar cookers and comment, providing very valuable feedback. And we did workshops together at the Energy House and went to various demonstrations and a number of Earth Day activities over the years.
When we met him, he was a dynamic young man recently returned from Kenya where he had spent time as a Peace Corps volunteer. Hired by the city of Phoenix, he was having great fun building and demonstrating all kinds of energy conserving add-ons for a small, run-down home in the poorest section of Phoenix – insulation, heating walls, solar water heaters, organic garden, and then solar box cookers.
After Phoenix cut their energy project, he struggled to develop a business that would support his growing family. Always working in alternative energy, his love was solar cooking. He became a Montessori teacher and help run a small private school (where children heated their lunches in solar cookers.) He helped his wife develop her book, Solar Cooking Naturally relishing his role of taste testing recipes. And over the years he and his wife wrote Sunlight Works -- Solar Science Educational Activities for Children and Practical Solutions, Sustainable Self Reliance Skills and Emergency Energy Survival Choices. Both are very good textbooks. He demonstrated solar cooking and taught in schools all over Arizona.
He was very proud of his boys. He was the first man I knew who could keep one or the other of his very young children with him for hours while he worked. Handy with bottles. Handy with diapers. He tuned in to their early needs in a very gentle, comforting way.
Shortly after I moved to the White Mountains, Bob and his family came to live next door to where I was building. He helped put together the original Kerr-Cole Experimental Home – carpentry, insulation, dry wall, and the electric fence to keep the cattle from breaking through my new windows. When they found that he could not make a living in Taylor, they moved to Sedona where he built his successful business. At every opportunity he talked about, demonstrated and sold solar cookers. Initially, he sold the EcoCookers and then expanded into many different designs of cookers as they became available. He had a most extensive collection of solar cookers, covering all different levels of technology.
Later for, I think it was seven years, he organized the soccer team for the Sedona High School and devoted a great deal of time coaching the teams for each of his boys.
Being true to his long term devotion to solar cooking, he was harassed by the need to make money in an atmosphere and time when there was frustratingly little money to be made in solar energy, much less in solar cooking. But he wanted to see solar cooking in use all over the world and did the best he could to make this dream come true. He was very proud of being on the Board of Solar Cookers International, speaking and demonstrating on their behalf many times in many countries.
In this sense he was a pioneer on the leading edge of solar cooking. He was a dear friend and support to Sherry Cole and me. We will certainly miss him.


text:
The holidays seem to creep earlier every year. QUAKE LIVE is jumping on the bandwagon by launching our holiday matches earlier than ever. Skip the maddening holiday music, crowded malls, and hectic traveling plans, and return to Winter's Edge and Silent Night.
Making its third appearance as our annual Holiday Arena is the perennial favorite, Winter's Edge. A port of Quake II's The Edge, which last week saw it's 15th year passing since release, this year we are allowing the ability to play this arena across all supported gamemodes. Along with The Edge, also return the tree of lights in the center! Winter's Edge will be to available for a limited time in the standard map pool, and in on our Holiday Servers in both FreezeTag and InstaFreeze variations.
Making it's fourth appearance is the terrain-based CTF arena, Silent Night. Otherwise known as Distant Screams, Silent Night is a fast-paced map taking place in a nameless tundra. Bases are peppered with (my personal favorite) jetpack style Flight powerup, along with the self-damage reducing Scout rune. Combine the two, and a bit of skill, and you're able to achieve breakneck speed. There's not much else to say about Silent Night, just hop on and play!
- Fixed server command flooding that possible when end-map voting is disabled, which would result in clients being dropped / disconnected.
- Fixed incorrect starting health bonus when callvoting to and from PQL (in gametypes where the QL ruleset should have no health bonus, like CA).
- Increased the maximum engine message length to reduce the occurance of Bad Command Byte errors in large matches.
- Fixed picmip issues with: santa/sport, razor/blue (head), razor/red (head), razor/sport_red (head), james/red (head) player skins.
- Removed the nodrop in the water, flags will no longer auto-return when dropped into the water.
- Fixed the nonsolid water at railgun, replaced it with a functional but more shallow pool of water.
- Added/improved some clipping to the Medkit water tunnels.
- Misc texture fixes.
- Set all models to lightmapped for improved lighting.
- Fixed visible caulk at the Red Armor jumppad.
- Removed raised trim at upper yellow armor platform.
- Swapped Railgun window for door.
- Placed window at Railgun / quad ledge.
- Added extra detail at Red Armor jumppad ceiling.
- Tweaked Railgun / Quad ledge area detailing.
- Tweaked Shotgun 'hop-up' ledge area clipping.
- Fixed Shotgun / Red Armor jumppad not being cushioned at the back.
- Fixed the clipping error near the Red Armor walls.
- Fixed a clipping error in the Red Armor room.
Links: Announcement quakelive.com
Edited by Badb0y at 23:40 CST, 4 December 2012 - 23608 Hits


text: Hello Bimmer Heads! I have an '88 325iX (AWD) e30 that has 250,000 miles on it. I am wondering about the block and what my options are for replacing it at some point. I understand that the AWD system complicates matters, in that the front left drive axle goes through the oil pan, and because of this the oil pump is situated differently from other e30s. Anyone on this board have experience dealing with major overhaul of an iX? It runs, the head was rebuilt 50k ago, but I'm not sure how much longer the bottom end will last, or if I'm getting anywhere near the performance I should be getting. I do baby it right now since I have to replace one of the CV joints that is clicking. I have the parts to replace this (very hard to find!) as well as a timing belt kit that is about to be installed. Beyond that, I just want to know if there is some way that a regular e30 block could be used if I ever decide to do an engine swap. Thanks in advance! Glad to be part of the club finally. This is my 4th e30 and 5th BMW. 1st car was a '72 2002 A


text:
Nissan add campaign
Nissan add campaign
Mittar | 25 maggio 2011
No. Likely there is some fine print in their advert that specifies major vehicle manufacturer or something like that.
Brian H | 27 maggio 2011
Or maybe they consider TeslaMotors to be a toy manufacturer! ;) ;ppP
Brian H | 27 maggio 2011
GrammarNasty Mode/"Ad Campaign" "their commercials" "it is the only car company" "that is"
/GN Mode
You're welcome!
Vawlkus | 28 maggio 2011
They aren't considering Tesla yet because Tesla hasn't gone mass production yet. When they do, then they will be considered a car company, not a kitcar company (which is what the Roadster is, more or less).


text:
9/11 Memorial; 16 years passedSeptember 11, 2017 07:24
It's been 16 years of Sep11th 2001, this fateful day has left scares on many hearts in America. The Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda with its 19 militants hijacked four airplanes and carried out a series of terrorist attacks in United States. This attack has killed over 2,997 people and injured over 6000 people.
Four passenger airliners operated by 2 major U.S airlines departed from northeastern United States bound to land at California were hijacked by 19 militants of Al-Qaeda. Two of these planes were crashed into The Twin Towers at World Trade Center complex in New York, Within one hour 42 minutes both 110 story building collapsed leading to fire and collapse of other buildings.
Third plane was crashed in Pentagon the headquarters in Arlington County leading to partial collapse of building's left side. And the last plane was crashed into a field in Stony-creek Township. 9/11 was a deadliest incident in United States history, around 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers were killed.
After sixteen years of 9/11 attacks, good news is that United States has not suffered any other Horrifying attack from a foreign terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda's core group also didn't launch any successful attack after Suicide Bombing on London's transportation system in 2005 which killed 52 commuters.
According to US special Operations Command's Gen, US led coalition has killed an estimate of 60,000 to 70,000 ISIS fighters. Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition said, ISIS has lost control of more than three-quarters of the territory that it had once held in Iraq and more than half of what it once had in Syria.
But there still some threats from foreign terrorist, since 2014 there have been six lethal Jihadist terrorist attacks in U.S, killing around 74 people. Those attacks were carried out by American citizens and legal residents, not by foreign terrorists as was the case on 9/11. These terrorists were inspired by ISIS Propaganda online and has no direct contact with the group.
The Israeli counter-terrorism expert Gabriel Weimann rightly points out that the "Lone Wolf" is now part of a virtual pack. Trump administration's Temporary Travel Ban for six Muslim countries does not address homegrown militant threat by Jihadist propaganda online.
As foreign terrorist groups are still active and are continuing their activities, this shows that there is still a long way to go to end this global terrorism.
By A.s


text:
There's nothing like watching a basketball game after serving time in prison.
That's what Lil Wayne did Friday evening when he attended the New Orleans Hornets-Miami Heat game in New Orleans, The Associated Press reported. The rapper, who is also known as Dwayne Carter, Jr., saw the Hornets defeat the Heat 96-93, one day after he was freed from serving time in a New York City prison for .
According to the Times-Picayune, Wayne flew from New York after his release to Yuma, Ariz. earlier on Friday regarding his probation stemming from a drug charge in Arizona. He then later flew to New Orleans to catch the basketball game.
U.S. & World
Wayne served eight months in New York prison for attempted weapons possession. When asked by the Times-Picayune how it felt to be back, Wayne, whose reps bought courtside seats for the game, said: "Like I never left."
Wayne's manager, Cortez Bryant, said that the rapper wanted to spend his second night of freedom in New Orleans, where he is originally from. "It's home for us," said Bryant." "We've got family here, good food here. He wanted to come back home."
The Times-Picayune also reported that a welcome home party awaits Bryant when he returns to his current residence in Miami.
The artist's latest record, "I Am Not a Human Being," was released last month and hit Number One on the Billboard 200 album charts.
Selected Readings: Times-Picayune, The Associated Press


text:
[Comment: Election 2008]
Let there be no mistake about it: there is—or, at least, was—a witch hunt going on in Alaska and, yes, it did, or does, involve Sarah Palin.
But this is a process not being directed at Sarah Palin by Democrats, the media or the Alaska state legislature. This is an actual exorcism from "witchcraft" that was conducted on Palin by a visiting pastor, Thomas Muthee, at her extremist church, the Wasilla Assembly of God, at which Palin has been a member for more than 20 years.
"In the name of Jesus," Muthee extorts, "every form of witchcraft is what you rebuke. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, father make away now."
You can watch it here:
It's not the first time Mutheee has prayed against witchcraft. He began his ministry with a witch-hunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells. According to the Christian Science Monitor, which first reported the story in 1999, Muthee publicly declared the woman "a witch responsible for the town's ills, and ordered her to offer her up her soul for salvation or leave…" The woman fled.
In another by-now famous Youtube video of Palin, again at the Assembly of God Church, Palin reminded parishioners of Muthee's appearance and "praying over me . . . He said 'Lord make a way and let her do this next step.' And that's exactly what happened."
To watch these videos is to see how out of touch Sarah Palin is with not merely mainstream American politics and culture, but how far from the mainstream of modern-day Christianity she is. She is truly from the lunatic fringe.
But that is only part of the story. And, I would argue, not the most important one. While much of the mainstream media have focused on Palin's failed leadership as mayor of Wasilla, her extremist views, and her dysfunctional family's messy travails there, the real story today is taking place in Juneau, 600 miles away, where a bold and offensive game plan of obstructing justice is at play.
Palin, of course, is currently under investigation for the most sordid administrative behavior—her role in a scandal involving the firing of Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan over his reluctance to fire an Alaska state trooper, Mike Wooten—Palin's former brother-in-law who has been involved in a bitter custody fight with her younger sister, Molly McCann.
There's an audio tape that confirms interference in the matter by Palin's staff. Moreover, Monegan has also released emails documenting Palin's attempted interference. As one Alaska blogger colorfully noted: "It's all out there in black & white—drunk driving, foul language, illegal moose hunting, an extramarital affair, neighbors peeking in windows, private investigators, death threats, snow-machining on sick days, verbal abuse, and yes, dry tasering an 11-year old so he could see what it felt like." It's trailer-trash soap opera at its worse.
Palin initially welcomed the investigation, boldly declaring: "Hold me accountable."
But now, Palin, her husband and her inner political circle—aided and abetted by the McCain campaign—are claiming to be above the law of the land. They are thumbing their collective noses at the American judicial system, and by so doing, denouncing, by their very actions, the principles and foundations of American democracy.
An Alaskan state Senate committee subpoenaed Palin's husband, Todd Palin, along with several of her top aides and advisers earlier this month, but none of those served with demands for testimony appeared before the panel when it met last week. They have been leaned on—and leaned on heavily by the McCain campaign.
It is a chilling strategy.
Attorney Peter Maassen, representing Alaska's Legislative Council, issued a statement which should cause all Americans grave concern. "The McCain campaign and its supporters, having apparently convinced themselves that the facts would cause serious damage to the Republican ticket if publicly known before the national election," Maasen noted. "They are now moving on many fronts — including this one — to slow and stop [this] fact-finding inquiry and to prevent [its] issuance of the report authorized by the Legislative Council."
Make no mistake about it: this is a power grab, pure and simple. And it does not a pretty picture make. Palin has lied. She has abused her power.
This is no witch hunt—it's an investigative process built on the fundamentals principles of checks and balances provided for in the U.S. Constitution. And the McCain campaign has done everything it can to derail a legitimate, bipartisan investigation into Palin's abuse of power.
The McCain campaign does not want this story to get out before the election. Sarah Palin is not only hiding from the American media and the Alaskan inquiry, she is hiding from the American people. She fashioned a hollow makeover of her political career in the days following her nomination, but it does not change the facts of her public record. She was a fraud and she remains a fraud.
Katie Couric's recent interview with Palin revealed someone simply too stupid (there is really no other word for it) to serve as president of the United States. Palin's inability to complete even a simple thought about foreign policy was painful to watch. As one conservative Republican candidly acknowledged, "Palin makes George Bush look like Cicero."
But as unschooled on the issues of American politics as Palin is, it's her actions in Alaska—the abuse and misuse of power—that reveal most substantively why she should not be a heartbeat away from the American presidency.
Black Star News columnist, Award-winning filmmaker and journalist Geoffrey Dunn, Ph. D., is the former recipient of both a John L. Senior Fellowship to the Cornell University Graduate School of Government and a National Newspaper Association Award for Investigative Journalism. His most recent film is Calypso Dreams.
To comment or to subscribe to or to advertise in New York's leading Global weekly investigative newspaper, or to send us news tips, please call (212) 481-7745 or send an e-mail to email@example.com
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"Speaking Truth To Empower."
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
Black Star News has been producing stellar investigative journalism since 1997, including focusing on police brutality and other abuses targeting marginalized communities. We have broken several major stories. We welcome news tips to email@example.com and email@example.com
We need your advertising support to produce strong journalism, especially during periods of economic instability, so please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for advertising rates and long term packages.
Black Star News has been producing stellar investigative journalism since 1997, including focusing on police brutality and other abuses targeting marginalized communities. We have broken several major stories. We welcome news tips to email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com
We need your advertising support to produce strong journalism, especially during periods of economic instability, so please contact email@example.com for advertising rates and long term packages.
All content is copyright Black Star News © 2011. All rights reserved.


text:
Take a paragraph, any paragraph, but make sure it's at your students' level.
Look for
- collocations (phrases that go together),
- phrasal verbs,
- prepositional phrases
- kinds of phrases that form grammatical units.
Look for
- subject verb agreement,
- active/passive sentences,
- sentence types (e.g., simplex, complex, ect.).
Go to an online grammar site
- find the typical errors that learners of English make.
- Find examples of the correct forms in the paragraph you've chosen.
Now go through the paragraph and chose the forms you want to cover with your students. Make sure you don't overwhelm them with too much or pick to many things that are unrelated. Choose 2 or 3 points:
- semantics (synonyms, antonyms)
- syntax (word order; e.g. adjectives)
- connectors (e.g., subordinating conjunctions)
You can do this with any paragraph. All you need to do is to be able to spot the constructs you want your students to learn.
English Teacher


text:
Grails JSON Parser
Here is a quick example on parsing JSON in grails using groovy (surprisingly, google isn't returning any good hits). Also, if you needed this ability in just straight groovy, I am sure you could include the specific grails jar in your classpath.
FYI, it appears from the mailing list this was added around 1.0 RC1.
import grails.converters.*
def jsonArray = JSON.parse("""['foo','bar', { a: 'JSONObject' }]""")
println "Class of jsonArray: ${jsonArray.class.name}"
jsonArray.each { println "Value: ${it}" }
Building JSON is super easy too in grails/groovy using the render as. And don't forget to import grails.converters.
render Book.list(params) as JSON
Update: Read my recent article on testing REST Services that return JSON using groovy and httpbuilder.


text:
Isabel Fleurette Lefebvre, born Feb 1905, was the daughter of Joseph Vital Horace & Philomene Mary (Thibault) Lefebvre of Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts. I know from oral family history that her married name was Isabelle Geoffroy, but, as yet, have not been able to determine her spouse's identity. A findagrave volunteer answered my request and kindly took a photo of her cemetery marker. Sadly, no clues as to who her husband was is given.
|Worcester County Memorial Park
Paxton, MA
~ ~ ~


text:
The Best Video Streaming Services for 2020
The Best Alternatives to Cable: Video Streaming Services
Streaming services started as an add-on to DVD and digital download offerings with a trickle of second-run movies and TV shows. They were supplements to the programs you watched on their first (and second) runs on cable TV. But speedier internet connections and an abundance of video streaming devices have accelerated the decline of traditional cable. More and more viewers are cutting the cord entirely in favor of dedicated streaming alternatives.
Entertainment and tech giants are not blind to the threat, however, and the media landscape is rapidly changing. Consolidation and curation (that is, owning the most media properties and serving the best content) seem to be the overarching goals of the players involved.
The Best Video Streaming Deals This Week*
- SlingTV: Orange package with ESPN for $5 on your first month (List Price $30 per month; Save $25)
- Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ streaming bundle for $12.99 per month (List Price $17.97 per month; Save $4.98)
- CBS All Access: Free 7-day trial
- Amazon Prime Video: 30-day free trial of ad-free streaming
- Philo: 7-day free trial of live, on-demand TV
- Hulu: $5.99 for TV streaming with ads
New Channels and Consolidation
For instance, AT&T's (which operates live TV service AT&T TV Now) purchase of WarnerMedia and all of its subsidiaries (including CNN, Crunchyroll, The CW (part-owner), DC Comics, and HBO) has led to the HBO Max streaming service, which is set to launch in 2020 for $14.99 per month. CBS and Viacom recently announced a merger (again), but it's not yet clear how ViacomCBS's inevitable combined streaming service will take shape. Viacom brings the free, ad-supported Pluto TV service, Paramount Pictures, and Viacom Media Network (Comedy Central, BET, MTV, and Nick) to the deal. Ownership of The CW will be split between ViacomCBS and AT&T. NBC will also launch its own streaming service in July 2020, called Peacock, which will include both ad-supported and live content.
The increasing competitive streaming market is not without consequences. On one hand, consumers who may have originally been attracted to the flexibility that streaming services offer over cable, now must pay more to get everything they want. Existing streaming services are also struggling to adjust to rising costs of broadcast rights. For instance, the price of Hulu's Live TV plan has increased considerably. Sling TV has already lost Fox content as a result of failed contract negotiations, AT&T has hiked its prices considerably, and Sony shut down PlayStation Vue entirely in January. Accordingly, we've removed Sony PlayStation Vue's listing from this story.
The Catalog Is Everything
As mentioned, a video streaming service's success largely depends on what its library offers. That's why so many services are investing heavily in developing high-quality original content. Consider, for example, Netflix's Stranger Things, Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, all of which are Emmy-winning shows.
Although these services compete more on their original offerings than their resold broadcast content and post-theater-run movies, several platforms have also saved popular shows from the grave. Without these hooks, standalone video streaming services would likely be unable to compete with existing entertainment behemoths.
Apart from on-demand video streaming services, complete cable-replacement services with live broadcasts are becoming increasingly viable and attractive options. Some of the best live TV services, for example, such as fuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV, offer robust channel collections with excellent DVR functionality. Even AT&T TV Now is more practical now, as it no longer requires specific hardware to use.
Stream Sports Online
Sports fans may worry that they won't be able to watch live sports when they ditch cable. However, that's simply not the case. Many of the video streaming options we reviewed are also among the best sports streaming services. Regardless of whether you want to watch regional, national, or international sports coverage, there is a service that meets your needs. Although blackouts and cancellations may still apply, these streaming options offer distinct advantages over cable, including full-featured apps on many platforms and simultaneous streaming capabilities. Football fans should also check out our roundup of the best NFL streaming services.
Other Video Streaming Options
Smaller and sometimes cheaper options also exist with a more limited focus. For example, Philo primarily offers entertainment content. Crackle, Locast, Mubi, and various anime-streaming sites attract certain audiences as well. We also have a roundup of video streaming services for movie fans you should check out.
Although it is not what typically comes to mind, Vimeo also offers a small selection of indie films and video projects via its On Demand section. Plex is yet another option for streaming your local media content as well as a platform for free over-the-air cable (provided you have the right hardware). You could even stream over-the-air (OTA) channels via an antenna. Kodi offers similar functionality. If you want to watch people play games, Twitch is your best bet.
You should use a virtual private network (VPN) for all your internet-related tasks, but VPNs are particularly useful for streaming services since they can sometimes grant access to region-locked content. For example, if you connect to a VPN server in the UK from a device in the US, you may be able to watch free content from BBC TV. That said, streaming services are cracking down on VPN usage, so we recommend signing up for a trial to test your network setup before fully committing to a service. Make sure to check out our guide on how to unblock Netflix with a VPN as a starting point.
If you want to cut the cord, here's our rundown of what you can expect from the most popular services. You shouldn't fall into the trap of paying more for video streaming services than you did for cable, so make sure to only sign up for those that offer the content you actually want to watch. If we missed your favorite option, make sure to let us know in the comments.
Best Video Streaming Services Featured in This Roundup:
$8.99 per month
Netflix is the standard-bearer of streaming. It hosts an impressive selection of content at all times, with new titles exchanged for older ones monthly. And then there's Netflix constantly growing library of premier original programming, which still outclasses every other streaming service. Netflix's impressive catalog includes shows such as Altered Carbon, Black Mirror, Bojack Horseman, Dead to Me, Mindhunters, Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll, Stranger Things, The Circle, The Crown, The OA, The Umbrella Academy, The Witcher, and Unbelievable. Unfortunately, Netflix has lost top titles such as Friends (soon to be on NBC's Peacock) and is set to part ways with The Office (thanks to HBO Max).
Apart from its original movies, such as El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and The Irishman, Netflix also currently offers the most high-quality movies of any streaming service, eclipsing competitors such as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO.
Netflix recently raised the price of each of its subscription plans. For $8.99 per month (up from $7.99), you can stream unlimited standard-definition content on a single device. The Standard tier, which now costs $12.99 per month (up from $10.99), unlocks HD content and supports streaming on two devices simultaneously. The top-of-the-line Premium plan costs $15.99 per month (up from $13.99). This tier gives you four concurrent streams and access to 4K content where available. You can download Netflix on a variety of devices, from your PC and tablet to the Chromecast and game consoles.
Alongside Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Disney+, Netflix is one of the few streaming services that supports both offline downloads and 4K streaming. And yes, Netflix's DVD mailing service still exists if you want newer releases, though streaming is clearly its primary business.
YouTube TV
$49.99 per month
YouTube TV offers an excellent selection of live sports and news channels, as well as many popular entertainment options. A few of the top networks available include ABC, AMC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Fox, FX, and NBC. It recently added content from the Discovery network, too, along with Animal Planet, Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel. YouTube TV is also the first major live TV service to add local PBS channels to its lineup. If YouTube TV's library of over 70 channels still doesn't meet your needs, you can also add other packages, such as NBA League Pass, Showtime, and Starz to your subscription.
With YouTube TV, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage. The service will keep your recordings for nine months and you can stream your content from anywhere in the US. One YouTube TV membership supports up to six accounts, so you can share with family or roommates, though note that you can only stream from three accounts simultaneously.
YouTube TV's apps look and work great across a variety of platforms. Recently, YouTube TV announced support for most Amazon Fire TV devices. YouTube TV is also now available on the PlayStation 4, making it the only notable live TV service for the console now that PlayStation Vue is going away. Its capable search tools and solid streaming performance in our testing establish it as one of the best cable replacement services for general audiences. Make sure that the service is available in your location before you consider it as an option.
$5.99 per month; $54.99 for Hulu + Live TV
Hulu impresses as one of the best all-in-one options for cord cutters, given its diverse set of streaming options. In addition to a strong library of classic shows, and a good selection of movies, Hulu offers a robust live TV option (more than 60 channels of news, sports, and entertainment programming). Still, Hulu trails some top competitors, given its lackluster original content and limited selection of 4K content. Per a deal starting in March, FX will premier new seasons of original shows on Hulu and add seasons of current and past showsto the platform.
Hulu's basic on-demand streaming plan only costs $5.99 per month, but the ad-free version will run you $11.99 per month. The Hulu + Live TV plan costs $54.99 per month and combines Hulu's live TV service with the ad-supported streaming plan. You can add Enhanced Cloud DVR (increases the available DVR storage to 200 hours from 50) or the Unlimited Screens package (allows an unlimited number of concurrent device streams in your home and up to three outside of it) to your plan for $14.99 per month each or $19.99 for both. If you want even more options, you can add HBO or Showtime for $14.99 and $8.99 per month, respectively. Hulu supports an impressive range of gadgets and you stream on up two devices simultaneously. Note, however, that you cannot currently stream Live TV on the PlayStation 3 or 4. Hulu's support for 4K content is limited; only some of its originals can be streamed at that resolution and only on the Apple TV (5th gen or later) and Chromecast Ultra.
Hulu's latest redesign brings the service into the modern age. Interfaces are now consistent across platforms and feature elegant navigation menus and a media-first aesthetic. None of the apps we tried suffered from performance issues. Recently, Hulu added the ability for premium subscribers to download content for offline viewing. Although it launched on iOS, this feature is now also rolling out to Android users. Eligible subscribers can download up to 25 titles across five devices; downloads are available for up to 30 days or two days after you begin playback. Not all Hulu shows support this feature, but Hulu's originals are among those that do.
Note that Disney controls Hulu, so we can't predict Hulu's long-term future, especially with the successful Disney+ launch. Maybe Disney will eventually absorb Hulu's on-demand library and maintain the existing cable-replacement service. Or things could stay as they are.
Amazon Prime Video
$8.99 per month
Amazon offers access to its video content in one of two ways: a standalone Amazon Video subscription or an Amazon Prime subscription. An Amazon Video subscription costs $8.99 per month and only includes access to Amazon's streaming video library. An Amazon Prime account, which includes Prime Video content and a ton of other shipping and shopping perks, costs $12.99 per month (or $119 per year). Amazon refers to its video streaming service as Amazon Prime Video in most of its support documentation.
In recent years, Amazon has focused on curating high-quality original shows, such as Bosch, Catastrophe, Fleabag, The Man in the High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, One Mississippi, Patriot, Red Oaks, The Boys, The Grand Tour, and Undone. Many of these shows are excellent and on par with Netflix's offerings, though the latter has a much deeper content library. Prime Video also hosts top shows from other networks, including HBO, at no additional cost, though you can add a Prime Channel subscription to your account for full access to the libraries of HBO, Starz, Showtime, CBS All Access, and Cinemax.
Amazon's video library also includes tons of popular movies available for streaming at no additional cost. Users have the option to purchase or rent movies and TV shows as well, similar to Apple's iTunes, Google's Play Movies and TV Shows, and Microsoft Store's Movies and TV section.
Prime Video is notable in that it supports 4K and HDR streaming as well as downloads for offline viewing. Amazon's video service works on a web browser, as well as Android and iOS devices, Fire devices (TV, TV Cube, TV Stick, phones, and tablets), game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii), Smart TVs, and set-top boxes (Apple TV 4K, Roku, Google TV, TiVo, and Nvidia Shield), though it does not natively support Chromecast devices. With Prime Video, you can stream up to three titles at the same time from the same account, but it limits you to streaming the same title to two devices simultaneously.
$6.99 per month
Disney+ packages a ton of Disney's media properties, including from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, into a full-featured streaming service. In addition to classic Disney content, you can also watch originals such as Encore!, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Marvel's Hero Project, The Mandalorian, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. Upcoming original productions include Loki (and several other Marvel titles), Monsters at Work, and Timmy Failure. Note that some entries from Disney franchises as well as most content it acquired from its 21st Century Fox takeover are currently missing from the service, likely due to existing licensing agreements. However, expect Disney+'s library to grow over time as it reclaims titles.
Disney+'s monthly price is reasonable relative to the rewatch value of its content, but you can save money by opting for an annual plan. Disney also offers a $12.99-per-month plan that bundles Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu's ad-supported tier (it owns ESPN and effectively maintains full operational control of Hulu). Select Verizon customers can get a free year of Disney+ as well.
Early technical issues defined out first impressions of Disney+, but we haven't encountered any since launch day. The sleek and well-organized mobile and web apps performed fine in our follow-up testing and we streamed shows and movies without problems. Disney+ supports top capabilities such as 4K streaming, offline downloads (on mobile), plus it doesn't show any ads. The service's support for four simultaneous streams and seven customizable profiles features makes it a compelling option for families, though we wish its parental control options allowed for more flexibility.
Disney+ is available on the web; Android and iOS devices; media streaming platforms such as the Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku; as well as gaming consoles such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
$54.99 per month
FuboTV is a great option for any cord-cutting sports fans. This "sports-first, but not sports-only" service offers extensive live sports and entertainment content for all your devices. Whether you want to watch NFL games on Sunday, catch up an MLB game that aired during the day, or even stream a movie on-demand, fuboTV has you covered.
Its base subscription plan, called fubo Standard, costs $54.99 per and grants you access to over 90 channels, with the exact number depending on your location. For the national sports events, there's NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL Network and NBA.TV. For international sports, you get channels from the beIN network and Univision. If you're ever not in the mood for sports, fuboTV offers a wide variety of entertainment channels such as AMC, The Food Network, FX, National Geographic, SYFY, and USA, to name just a few. After adding Viacom channels a few months back to the Standard plan, fubo now bundles Discovery channels, such as Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, and TLC, too. You not only get to watch live events and programs from the included channels, but also a ton of on-demand shows and movies.
You can supplement the base fubo Standard plan with add-ons, including the Sports Plus ($8.99 per month) and Adventure Plus ($4.99 per month) options. fubo Extra, which offers an additional 35 channels of content, adds $4.99 more to your monthly bill.
To top it all off, fuboTV offers excellent DVR capabilities and Lookback, a feature that lets you watch anything you may have missed up to 72 hours after it first aired. fuboTV also recently introduced Startover, which enables viewers to watch currently airing events from the beginning no matter when they tune in. Enjoy solid streaming performance via its web interface or dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Roku devices.
CBS All Access
$5.99 per month
While it might seem limiting to pay for a video streaming service from a single broadcast TV channel, CBS All Access does offer an expansive lineup of TV shows on-demand. Furthermore, CBS All Access is the only place you can watch the service's original content as it airs, including The Good Fight, Star Trek: Discovery, and The Twilight Zone reboot. Star Trek: Picard is the latest title to launch on the service.
CBS All Access's $5.99 tier includes commercials, but you can ditch the ads with the Commercial Free plan for $9.99 per month (with the exception of live TV and select shows). Either plan lets you enjoy CBS's library of on-demand episodes, stay up to date with shows currently on the air, or catch up with old favorites such as Cheers, Twin Peaks, and several Star Trek series of years past. New episodes of current broadcast shows are often available the next day, too.
The service notably supports live TV streams of local CBS channels in over 200 markets, so you can stay up to date with the news. Sports fans can also watch live NFL games in their local market, the NCAA March Madness tournament, and select PGA Tour events.
CBS All Access offers apps for your smartphone (iOS and Android), streaming devices (Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku), and game consoles (PS4 and Xbox One). It also allows you to download shows for offline viewing on mobile devices, but only if you subscribe to the Commercial Free tier.
$19.99 per month
Dazn is the best video streaming service for fans of boxing and MMA. It's a relatively good value too, since subscribers do not need to spend on pay-per-view (PPV) fees to watch exclusive fights. With Dazn, you get boxing matches from Golden Boy Promotions, Matchroom Boxing, GGG Promotions, and World Boxing Super Series. MMA content is available from Bellator, Combate Americas, and KSW. Note that Top Rank Boxing and UFC fights are not part of Dazn's regular offerings.
Rounding out the list of sports on Dazn are cricket, darts, fishing, gymnastics, and J1 (Japan's top soccer division) soccer. Dazn also offers some original shows, such as the live, daily MLB commentary show, Change Up, and the weekly, fighter-focused show, Sweet Scientists: Ak & Barak.
All of the fights Dazn streams are available on-demand as soon as they air. Dazn lets subscribers stream from two devices at the same time, which is about average for the category. Although live streams are limited to 720p, the frame rate is a smooth 60 FPS.
$4.99 per month
ESPN+ offers a respectable lineup of live and on-demand sports programming for only $4.99 per month (or $49.99 per year). It's not a replacement for ESPN's regular channels, but it might be just enough for cord-cutting sports fans. With the service, you can watch a selection of live sports events on a daily basis, including many from the MLB, NHL, MLS, PGA Tour, and various college sports leagues. Unfortunately, neither ESPN's Monday Night Football nor its live NBA coverage are part of this subscription.
You can also dive into ESPN's on-demand archive of premier shows such as 30 for 30, E:60, and SC Featured. It doesn't, however, include flagship ESPN shows, such as Around the Horn, First Take, NFL Live, Outside the Lines, Pardon the Interruption, SportsCenter, and SportsNation.
ESPN+ is available via the web or via the ESPN app on Android and iOS. App performance is solid, and you won't have any trouble streaming from your mobile devices. Chromecast, FireTV, tvOS, and Roku users can also join in on the fun and take advantage of ESPN+'s generous support for up to five concurrent streams.
HBO Now
$14.99 per month
HBO Now delivers an impressive catalog of new on-air original content, including Westworld and Chernobyl, in addition to beloved older series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, Girls, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and The Wire. On top of that, HBO's on-demand streaming service includes a collection of popular movies (including the recent Deadwood: The Movie) across a wide range of genres including action, comedy, drama, family, horror/sci-fi, Latino, romance, and suspense. That said, HBO Now works best in conjunction with another streaming service that offers a live TV component or a larger and more diverse content library. In fact, many other streaming services offer HBO Now as an add-on, which helps streamline the billing and account management process.
In testing, all of HBO Now's apps look modern and streaming performance is excellent across the board. In addition to the web, HBO Now is available on Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, iOS, PS4, Roku, and the Xbox One, just to name a few. Still, HBO's service costs more than many competitors without being as technically advanced. For example, HBO Now does not feature any 4K or HDR content, nor does it let subscribers watch shows offline. These omissions are not deal breakers, though, and HBO Now could still be a valuable addition to your streaming lineup based on the quality of its content alone.
$20 per month
Philo is an affordable video streaming service that offers a good mix of live and on-demand content. For just $20 per month, you get 58 channels, including AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Cooking Chanel, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, SCI, and the Travel Channel. Philo focuses on entertainment and lifestyle content, so consumers who primarily want to watch news and sports should look elsewhere.
Philo takes a novel approach in a few different areas. For example, Philo does not require a traditional password to sign in. Instead, after you enter your phone number or email, Philo will send you a six-digit verification code (via SMS or email) that you use to complete the login process. This is a convenient and slightly more secure method than a username and password combination, even if it's not a true implementation of two-factor authentication. Furthermore, Philo allows users to save the entire available catalog of a show for on-demand (but not offline) viewing, instead of just a single episode. Philo keeps saved shows for 30 days but does not impose any storage limits. The service also plans to integrate social features, such as synchronized streaming, in future updates.
In testing, Philo performed well on all the platforms we tested it on; we were able to stream both live and saved content without any lag. The service now offers dedicated apps for Android and iOS, as well as for media streaming platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Philo supports up to three concurrent streams, which is about average for the category.
$5.99 per month
Shudder is a video streaming service for fans of the horror genre. For a low monthly cost, you get access to a large on-demand collection of horror movies and shows, including some original productions and exclusives. Original movies and shows include A Discovery of Witches, Creepshow,Deadtectives,Gwen,Missions, Primal Screen, The Ranger, and The Witch Window. Shudder also organizes some titles into collections to help viewers dive into a new subgenre or rediscover classic genre films. Note that Shudder is missing some prominent movies that belong in the category including Alien,Carrie,Jaws, Psycho, Rosemary's Baby,The Exorcist, The Mist, The Shining, and The Witch.
Shudder struggles on the technical front a bit. For example, you can't download movies and shows for offline viewing. Not all content is available in 1080p either, but that's likely just a function of some of the titles being older. On the plus side, Shudder is completely ad-free; you won't even see the preroll ads other video streaming services use to showcase their original content. We also like the interface's subtle hints of horror.
Sling TV
$30 per month
Sling TV is a reliable and cost-effective streaming video service for replacing cable, but it falters in the local programming department and is not as intuitive as competitors.
Sling TV splits channels between its $30-per-month Orange plan, which supports one simultaneous stream, and Sling Blue, which supports three simultaneous streams and also costs $30 per month. Check our feature on Sling Orange and Sling Blue to find out all their differences. The combined Sling Orange & Blue plan offers the best selection of channels for $45 per month and allows you to stream on up to four devices simultaneously. Sling recently increased the price of its plans, along with the cost of some channel add-ons.
Sling's channel add-ons start at $5 per month each. The Kids Extra add-on bundles family and children's networks like Disney XD, Nicktoons, and Boomerang. The Comedy Extra package includes MTV, TruTV, Logo, and CMT. Sports fans will want to add the Sports Extra add-on to get ESPN U, NBA TV, NHL Network, and PAC 12 Network. While we appreciate this flexibility, keep in mind that the price of your subscription can quickly increase as you add additional content.
Note that Sling TV recently lost all its Fox content, including affiliate channels, FS1, and FS2. This is concerning for sports fans, especially since Sling does not stream CBS affiliates either; in order to watch NFL games on Sunday afternoon now, you need to use an antenna. This change also affects Thursday Night Football games, as Sling won't stream any games that are originally broadcast on Fox and simulcast on NFL Network. It is unclear how many Thursday night games Sling TV will lose, but we will update this section as we learn more.
Sling TV's free cloud DVR capability lets you record up to 10 hours of content. Sling is available on your mobile phone, streaming device, Xbox console (but not PlayStation), and the web (Chrome and Edge).
Apple TV+
$4.99 per month
Apple TV+ is Apple's first foray into the world of video streaming, but it can't yet compete with the top on-demand services in the category. A subscription to Apple TV+ only gets you access to Apple's original shows and movies, which is problematic for a service starting out, as it means that its initial success depends almost entirely on the success of those shows. Without any content to pad out its library, you are stuck with whatever series Apple decides to greenlight. As of the time of our review, most of the shows, such as The Morning Show, a drama about a news program, and For All Mankind, which depicts an alternate history of the moon landing, are merely average. See, on the other hand, is difficult to enjoy. Apple promises to release new shows every month and new episodes every week, so hopefully, the quality of content improves.
We tried Apple TV+ on both an iPhone X and the web and found that both lacked some usability features common in other video streaming services. For instance, there's no skip intro button or a way to launch a stream of the next episode from the playback screen. The web app is further underserved by the lack of a search bar and any tools for organizing content.
Apple TV+ does boast excellent streaming features and capabilities though. For instance, the service does not include any ads and subscribers on iOS can download shows and movies to watch offline. Most of its shows support 4K resolution, audio descriptions, and both the Dolby Atmos and Vision standards too. As a result, the shows look spectacular. You can get Apple TV+ anywhere you can get the Apple TV app, which is to say any Apple device. We would also like to see apps for Android devices and game consoles, though we appreciate that you can sign up and watch shows directly from the web without needing an existing Apple ID.
AT&T TV Now
$65 per month
AT&T TV Now, previously DirecTV Now, offers good streaming performance and lots of channels, but some of its plans are unnecessarily fragmented, and they cost a lot for what you get. AT&T TV Now's Plus plan starts at a costly $65 per month and includes 45 channels, but the top-end Ultimate plan, which includes 125 channels, is an even more ridiculous $135 per month. No other video streaming service we tested offers a plan this expensive.
Many add-ons are available for the service, including HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz, though the first two are included with the two cheapest plans. AT&T TV Now also caters to international audiences with Brazilian, Korean, and Vietnamese channel packages, in addition to its Español and Deportes add-ons.
AT&T TV Now offers 20 hours of DVR storage for free and keeps those recordings for up to 30 days, but most other services let users save more hours of programming and for longer. The service supports simultaneous streaming on up to two devices, which is about average, though you can pay an additional $4.99 per month to increase that limit to three devices. AT&T TV Now is available on a decent range of platforms including media streaming devices, mobile platforms (via the AT&T TV app), and the web, but is not available on either the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 consoles.
Although AT&T TV Now's apps on the web and mobile don't look as sophisticated as competitors', they performed fine in testing for the most part and were able to stream content reliably. We particularly like AT&T TV Now's Lookback and Rewind feature, which respectively let you watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours in the past) and start over live streams from the beginning of the broadcast. Note, however, that these capabilities are only available for select channels and programs. Only a few other services offer similar features.
Pluto TV
If you don't want to leave live TV behind, but are wary of paying the high subscription fees for true cable replacement options, then Pluto TV might be a good bet. The free, ad-supported service offers around 190 different channels, though most are not the standard ones you get with cable. Pluto TV does offer several traditional channels in the news (CBSN, Cheddar News, CNN, NBC News) and entertainment (BET Pluto TV, Comedy Central, MTV Pluto TV, Paramount Movie Channel) areas, but sports fans looking to watch lots of live games need to go elsewhere. Pluto TV fills out the rest of its lineup with several generic channels including Pluto TV News, Pluto TV Sports, and Pluto TV Travel; some odd live options such as Cats 24/7 and Slow TV; and a limited collection of on-demand movies and shows you can stream at your leisure. Unfortunately, Pluto TV's streams are sub-HD and 30fps.
Pluto TV does not offer any DVR capabilities and its apps need work, but you don't need to sign up for an account to start streaming (unless you want to customize the channels that appear in the guide). Without an account requirement, Pluto TV effectively imposes no limits on simultaneous streams, whereas other live TV services restrict the number of devices you can use at once.
$10.99 per month
Showtime's original programming includes current titles such as Black Monday, Billions, Homeland, Kidding, The Chi, Shameless, and Ray Donovan. It also boasts a library of slightly older shows including Dexter, House of Lies, Penny Dreadful, and Twin Peaks: The Return. In addition, Showtime offers live streams of Showtime East and Showtime West, as well as a decent selection of movies. Most people will find something worthwhile to watch on Showtime, but whether the subscription is worth it, in the long run, depends on the quality of content it offers going forward.
Showtime is one of the more expensive standalone options we've tested at $10.99 per month, but know that you can get a deal on pricing if you bundle it with CBS All Access. You can also add in on to other video streaming services, such as Hulu, Prime Video, and YouTube TV. Subscribers can access Showtime on Android and iOS devices; Roku devices; Oculus Go and the Xbox One; and via a web browser.
Showtime's extra capabilities are about average for the category. For example, you can download content for offline viewing with the Android or iOS app, but the service limits the resolution to a disappointing 720p. Showtime also supports ratings-based restrictions for shows and movies, but it doesn't let you create separate profiles, which makes these rules more difficult to manage on a per-user basis.
$8.99 per month
If you are a big fan of Starz shows, such as America to Me, American Gods, Boss, Counterpart, Liberty City, Outlander, and Survivor's Remorse, you should consider subscribing to its dedicated video streaming service. Note that Starz's original shows are generally not as numerous, popular, or prestigious as those available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or HBO Now.
That said, Starz is a great destination for films. As of the time of our last review, the service hosts over 1,200 streaming-ready titles. These entries are not obscure either; popular movies such as 2012, 27 Dresses, Independence Day, Juno, Jumanji, RV, Spiderman: Homecoming, Surf's Up, The Social Network, and Up are just a few examples.
Starz costs $8.99 per month, which is reasonable, but only if you don't already subscribe to several other video streaming services already. For the cost, Starz does allow users to stream on up to four devices simultaneously, which is convenient for households. Parents should take some time to configure parental controls for individual profiles as to prevent kids from stumbling upon inappropriate content.
Starz also lets users download shows and movies on mobile devices for offline viewing, which is a great feature to have for frequent travelers or anyone who doesn't want to rack up exorbitant data costs while roaming. The service does not, however, support 4K or HDR content, which Netflix and Amazon Prime do.
Pros: Very good value for unlimited video streaming. Apps available for a multitude of devices. Huge catalog of content, including high-quality original programming. Family-friendly videos. Parental controls.
Cons: Little to no information about changes to availability of content. Slim cutting-edge content selection.
Bottom Line: Given all you can get for a measly $8 per month, Netflix remains a bargain. Paying for an account is a no-brainer, especially for those of us who live without cable.Read Review
Pros: Easy setup. Flexible, user-friendly options. Compatible with a variety of streaming video utilities. Content from both professionals and hobbyists. Video playlists. Free.
Cons: Unskippable in-video ads (for basic account holders). Doesn't archive videos by default. No mobile streaming.
Bottom Line: In the face of growing competition, Twitch has upped its game to remain the face of streaming video game content. It makes it easy for pros and hobbyists to share their speed runs, walkthroughs, and demos with the masses.Read Review
Pros: Excellent original content and collection of shows from other networks. 4K, HDR, and offline capabilities. Lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows.
Cons: Some interface clutter. Occasional glitches in testing.
Bottom Line: Amazon Prime Video hosts lots of popular and prestige content for streaming and also features impressive technical capabilities such as 4K HDR streaming and offline viewing.Read Review
Pros: Smooth high-definition video. Plenty of channels. Inexpensive premium add-on channels.
Cons: Lacks DVR and rewinding features. Dependent on network-provided VOD content for non-live programming.
Bottom Line: DirecTV's streaming service offers dozens of channels of live TV without installing a satellite dish or running cables.Read Review
Pros: Tons of Disney-owned content all in one place. Offline downloads. 4K streaming. Good performance.
Cons: Most originals are from existing franchises. Not all content from 21st Century Fox acquisition available yet. Only basic parental controls.
Bottom Line: Disney+ offers an impressive library of high-quality shows and movies in a featured-filled video streaming package, but it needs to expand its content horizons for it to become an absolute must-have service.Read Review
Pros: Wide variety of live sports and on-demand entertainment content. Reliable, high-quality streaming. Well-organized interface. Capable DVR functionality.
Cons: Expensive. No ESPN. Can't watch content offline. Mobile app could use polish.
Bottom Line: If you're a sports fan and want to cut the cord, fuboTV is worth a look for its wide variety of sports programming as well as its other entertainment channels.Read Review
Pros: Offers a deep catalog of content, including full seasons and full series worth of episodes. Works beautifully on mobile devices. Offers 720p HD quality video. Commercial-free option.
Cons: Netflix offers a better variety of films and original content. Amazon and iTunes HD offer 1080p-resolution content.
Bottom Line: Hulu's subscription service is a worthy investment for those eager to watch full seasons of their favorite shows on a variety of devices, especially now that it offers a commercial-free premium tier.Read Review
Pros: Extremely user-friendly. Seamlessly streams media to devices on your home network. Remote access streams content anywhere. Third-party channels provide free, extra content. DigiCert security.
Cons: Many features cost extra. More difficult to tweak than open source media servers.
Bottom Line: Unlike most media servers, Plex is actually user-friendly and lets you easily stream content to several devices on your home network without having to overcome significant technical hurdles.Read Review
Pros: Inexpensive. Very good picture quality and speed. Useful Start Over and 3-Day Replay features for some channels.
Cons: Limited channel selection even with add-ons. No DVR function.
Bottom Line: The inexpensive Sling TV service lets you watch live television on nearly any device, though it could use a wider selection of channels.Read Review
Pros: Huge catalog of current and classic CBS shows. Live CBS news and NFL games. Competitive pricing. Support for a variety of platforms.
Cons: Few exclusive originals. No offline viewing. Some reliability issues. No support for 4K or HDR content. Cluttered interface.
Bottom Line: CBS All Access is mandatory for those who want to watch CBS originals, but its large catalog of past and current shows may not be enough to attract anyone else.Read Review
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