In the era of digital subscriptions, we often find ourselves lost, unable to pick between the endless available options. When it comes to on-demand movies and shows, you’ve got plenty of well-established names, such as Netflix, Max, Disney+, Hulu, and more. However, after actively using several of these platforms, I’ve decided to stick to Apple TV+ as the sole service for watching movies and series on my streaming devices.
1 Quality over quantity
Many streaming services have been focusing on expanding their catalogs. Not only do they acquire other companies just to own more titles, but they’ll then release new shows or movies with recycled ideas, low budgets, and shallow plots. Without naming names, I’d find myself scrolling through dozens of trailers and posters trying to find a single interesting show. I’m not saying that these particular services don’t offer any high-quality content. It’s just that finding these well-hidden gems consumes too much time and energy to justify the hunt.
Meanwhile, Apple TV+ started small and has stayed small. I recall when the service first launched with a handful of titles. It even offered year-long free trials for new iPhone customers simply because the content was too scarce at the time. However, it continued to grow steadily by focusing on introducing enjoyable content rather than having an unlimited catalog filled with trash. While I personally don’t watch every single show or movie on Apple TV+, I don’t struggle to find great content. It helps also that a lot of it has been reviewed positively by critics.
Some of my personal favorites include the video game workplace comedy Mythic Quest, the mysterious dark comedy Severance, the Tetris film, the dystopian sci-fi Silo, and so many more. All of these movies and series have unique plots and belong to a wide variety of genres, so I get to shuffle between the different categories based on my mood.
2 Gradual releases
Apple TV+ separates itself from the pack by typically releasing one episode per (active) show per week. Unlike many other services, it doesn’t bombard you with full seasons in one go. This means that I no longer come across season finale spoilers on online platforms the day a full show drops when I don’t have the time to binge-watch it. I also get to enjoy these episodes individually without feeling the need to pull an all-nighter and burn through them. This release pattern also stirs nostalgic feelings in me, as growing up, we had to wait a week at a time to keep up with a series on a traditional TV channel. Except that through Apple TV+, these titles remain available for on-demand watching following their release.
And speaking of the pressure to binge-watch entire seasons, the content on Apple TV+ is all owned by Apple. So movies and shows on the platform don’t have expiring licenses and are here to stay. This enables me to take my time watching them and avoid being rushed to finish a certain title.
3 Works smoothly overseas
Another issue I’ve faced with many streaming platforms is that they completely block my access when I travel if I don’t rely on a VPN. I’ve moved between three countries in the past year and had to change my accounts’ region and billing details to get them to work abroad, which has been a nightmare. Apple TV+ is the only platform I’ve used where I neither need to change my Apple ID’s region nor use a VPN service to access its contents. I even lived in a country where Apple TV+ is completely unavailable, and the service continued to work just fine. While this probably doesn’t apply to most users out there, it’s a valid reason for me to stick to Apple’s offering.
4 Included with Apple One
Source: Apple
As someone who needs iCloud+ for extra storage, in addition to some other Apple subscription services like Music, I subscribe to Apple One. For those unfamiliar, this bundle offers three tiers and gives users access to a variety of Apple services for a discounted price. So, since Apple TV+ is included in this bundle, I get free access to it. As a result, I’m not making a conscious decision to subscribe to Apple TV+ — it’s just there. I’m certain, however, that this is the platform I would’ve still settled and paid for had I not been subscribed to Apple One.
5 First to adopt the latest Apple technology
If you’ve read our reviews for iOS 17, watchOS 10, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17, then you may be aware that I run OS betas at all times. So when Apple first introduces new APIs or features, such as spatial audio support on AirPods and PiP on iOS, Apple TV+ is the first service to adopt them. Typically, other platforms don’t follow suit until a major release launches to the public, which could take around three months. Consequently, I get to try the latest additions to land in the video playback department on day one, thanks to Apple’s early implementation. This will also likely be the case when the Vision Pro launches in a few months, as Apple is reportedly working on TV+ titles with spatial video support for a 3D experience.
That’s not to mention that Apple TV+ is offered through a native TV app across all the company’s products. This means that I can download movies or TV show episodes on my new Mac for offline playback when on the go. Meanwhile, many of the popular services I’ve tried only offer a web app on macOS, which doesn’t support downloads. In general, a native app offers a superior experience when compared to a website. And since I’m not always next to a TV screen, I sometimes have to rely on my MacBook for streaming.
And speaking of TVs, Apple TV’s Siri Remote also includes a dedicated button to launch the TV app on tvOS. This makes accessing the service on the big screen even faster and easier.
One service to rule them all
As someone who used to subscribe to multiple on-demand TV services in the past, I’ve come to the conclusion that having a single subscription actually simplifies my life. I used to waste too much time hopping between different apps and trailers, trying to find good content to watch. Many times, I’d just give up and decide to watch nothing at all. Now, I’m just limited to the humble catalog that expands sanely and gradually. And it’s realistically possible to keep up with all the good shows and movies that launch on Apple TV+ without having to give up my sleep or grass-touching.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an excellent Netflix alternative, offering an extensive catalog of movies and shows across different genres. If eligible, you can try the service for free.
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