With summer break just a few weeks away, many of us are excited about all the extra free time. A way many of us seem to spend this time is by binge-watching our favorite movies or TV shows. 

I have been using Netflix for the past couple of years and have noticed a decline in quality when it comes to the shows and movies it offers while continuing to ramp up prices. 

Netflix is currently a shocking $19.99 a month, which to me is completely outrageous considering the platform includes four good shows max. There is a cheaper $9.99 option for Netflix, but this choice only allows a maximum of  480p and only one device is allowed to stream at a time. This won’t work since I share my Netflix account with four other members of my family.

After refusing to pay $19.99 a month for Netflix, I switched to HBO Max last month, and I don’t regret the change. First off, the monthly fee is $9.99 which is significantly cheaper, but the main attraction I would say is all the phenomenal content it has. 

The complete collections of “Harry Potter” and “Lord of Rings,” “The Batman,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “American Psycho,” “Joker” and many many more. The series section is packed even tighter with beautiful HBO originals and nostalgic favorites like “Regular Show,” “Loiter Squad,” “Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars” and the list goes on and on. 

But, I can award Netflix for their original shows. I haven’t seen any other streaming service with nearly as much original content. Netflix originals span from game shows to horror movies to period dramas.

It is also important to mention that I have Hulu. I picked it up during the $0.99 a month for a year black Friday sale. \I was fairly surprised with the offerings. Hulu definitely beats Netflix in terms of content, and also has many great shows and movies, but it doesn’t quite make it to HBO’s level.

Seeing the wonders of HBO Max has me looking forward to all the great shows and movies to binge this summer.