With offers of free one month trials and pricing changes influencing consumers, the competition in the world of online streaming is heating up. Even after Netflix’s big decision to change their pricing plan from a combination DVD and online streaming package to separate packages for each, most University students are sticking with the original online streaming website and remaining loyal Netflix customers.

?Now for $8 per month, Netflix users can either rent an unlimited number of DVDs or choose the online streaming option only, but not both. The least expensive combination package costs $16 per month. Current Netflix users are faced with the decision to pay less and have to choose either a DVD option or online streaming option, or pay more for both.

?For Kyle Olson, junior in Engineering, the change in pricing Netflix made was not worth the cost.

Olson started using Netflix because he got a free one month trial, where he got two DVDs at a time and unlimited streaming. Now Olson just has the online streaming plan.

?“The price definitely changed my opinion about Netflix,” he said. “It was nice to get the DVDs every month and share the streaming, but since they changed the price now we just have streaming. And we don’t get the DVD a month because it really wasn’t worth the money.”

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Olson has heard about other options for online streaming besides Netflix, like Hulu Plus ($8 per month) and Amazon Prime (less than $7 per month), but he is content with what Netflix is currently offering.

“I use it mostly for TV shows,” he said. “I just have never looked into anything else enough to see if they have the same shows I’d want. I don’t even know what the price is for Hulu Plus.”

?For Olson, there would be no point in switching services right now.

“You can watch any movie, and I always go online and flip through people’s top 100 movies lists and try to find that movie,” he said. “It’s a pretty decent collection. Maybe not so much with up to date stuff with the streaming, but as long as you’re not looking for extremely new stuff, you’re alright.”

?For Matt Lin, sophomore in Engineering, this convenience of access to Netflix comes at no charge. Lin borrows his girlfriend’s username and password so he doesn’t have to pay for the service.

“It’s very useful and a great convenience to watch movies and stream TV shows online,” he said.

Although he isn’t paying for the service, Lin agrees Netflix is the way to go for online streaming, because they offer more than other providers such as Hulu.

“Usually when shows aren’t on Hulu, I go on Netflix and they’re always there,” he said. “On Hulu I just watch TV shows, but on Netflix I can use it for movies or for TV shows, so I use that more often. I don’t have a need to join Hulu Plus.”

?Even with all of the great services Netflix provides, Lin would not be willing to pay his own monthly bill.

“I don’t think I’m wanting to pay that high for streaming or DVDs,” he said.

Lauren Such, senior in LAS, has been able to enjoy the convenience of Netflix because of a decision her dad made to purchase the package.

“I just got it because my dad decided to get it because it’s really convenient, she said. “It definitely doesn’t have everything you would like, but there a ton of options and it sometimes surprises me the stuff that I find on there.”

Such has never looked at any other options when it comes to online streaming. Despite pricing changes, she is still a fan of Netflix.

“I probably use Netflix close to four times a week,” she said. “I mean (the price change is) a headache, but I use it so much so it’s worth it to me.”