Netflix Review: Still the Best Streaming Service

Netflix Review: Still the Best Streaming Service

When you think of streaming TV shows and movies, there's a good chance that Netflix is comes to mind first. Though competition from rivals like HBO Max and Disney Plus is fierce, it's still the best choice for streaming entertainment, period. 

Netflix includes a wide variety of familiar network shows and more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its myriad competitors. Despite challenges with retaining subscribers and a price bump, the world's first major streaming service remains our favorite choice thanks to its huge library of constantly refreshed content and its easy accessibility across different devices. In 2021, Netflix won 44 Emmys, making history and racking up more than the next two media companies combined. If you're looking for something new to watch, Netflix should be your top choice.  

Like

• Strong recommendation engine
• Easy to use across different devices
• Offline downloads available
• Extensive list of movies and shows
• Massive selection of original programs
• No commercials

Don't Like

• Cost for premium plans is on the higher end
• Can't watch shows as they air on other networks

Depending on the plan you choose, Netflix costs between $10 and $20 per month, which is at the higher end for a streaming service, as you can see in the chart below. Its recent price increase shook up the streaming world and moved Netflix closer to HBO Max in terms of cost. However, the pricier package lets you watch up to four screens at once, and create different user profiles, so in theory, you could split it among friends to lower the price. Thanks to its sheer variety and number of new things to watch, Netflix also gives you the most bang for your buck.

Streaming Services Compared

	Netflix	Peacock	HBO Max	Disney Plus	Apple TV Plus	Amazon Prime Video	Hulu
Monthly price	Starts at $9.99	Basic free with ads, ad-free for $5	$9.99 for basic with ads, $14.99 for ad-free	$7.99	$4.99	$8.99 (or included with $140/year Prime membership)	Basic $6.99 with ads, ad-free Premium for $12.99, Live TV for $70
Ads	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Top titles	Stranger Things, Squid Game, Bridgerton, Ozark, Money Heist	The Office, 30 Rock, Bel-Air, early access to Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon	Game of Thrones, Dune, Euphoria, DC titles	The Mandalorian, Loki, Encanto, Obi-Wan Kenobi	Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, CODA, Severance	Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Reacher, The Wheel of Time	Handmaid's Tale, Pen15, The Great, Bob's Burgers
Mobile downloads	Yes	Yes (Premium Plus plan)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4K HDR available	Yes (on Premium plan)	No	Yes (limited titles)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of streams:	1 (2 for Standard, 4 on Premium)	3	3	4	6	2	2 (Unlimited with Live TV $9.99 add-on)

How Netflix started vs. how it's going

Between 2012-2013, Netflix premiered its first original TV shows, including Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. Today, it has a catalog of more than 1,500 original TV shows and movies, including global hits like Stranger Things, Emmy winners such as Bridgerton, The Queen's Gambit and The Crown, as well as Oscar-nominated movies such as The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick… Boom! and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Though the company's been known for its commercial-free streaming experience since its inception, there are plans to introduce an ad-supported tier before 2022 ends. Additionally, Netflix aims to crackdown on password sharing by charging a fee for extra users on an account. The program is still in the pilot phase, but the days of crowdfunding your Netflix subscription may soon be over. 

As of 2022, Netflix has more than 220 million paid subscribers across 190 countries, after seeing a major spike in users during the pandemic. A dent in its subscriber base caused numbers to drop by 200,000, but there are still reasons to keep the service, with the main draw being its content.  

What shows and movies does Netflix have?

Netflix may have had the first-to-market advantage in the world of streaming services, but it's kept its momentum with its increasing number of original shows and movies -- many of which have won critical acclaim and major awards and nominations.   

Compared to other streaming platforms, you can't beat Netflix's slate of original TV shows that are now considered among the best of the modern era of television, including those mentioned above plus many more, such as Squid Game, Ozark, Never Have I Ever, Money Heist and Cobra Kai.

Read more:  Netflix: The 49 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch

Outside of TV shows, Netflix's original programs include a wide range of comedies, dramas, foreign films and shows, documentary series, anime, stand-up comedy specials and reality dating and competition shows. Not all of them are runaway hits, but many of them are, and there's enough to explore interesting shows that may not have found a home on traditional network TV. And at a time when going to the movies is more fraught than it once was, Netflix offers a place to find new films: In 2022 alone, Netflix is set to release over 100 new movies, at least one per week. The selection spans across genres and geography, and includes K-dramas, animated features, and fantasy book adaptations.

Stranger Things is one of Netflix's powerhouse originals. 

Netflix

Netflix typically adds shows a full season at a time, though not while a show is airing on network TV -- so if you don't have cable or another platform like Hulu, you'll have to wait to watch for a few months to watch seasons in full. 

One complaint: Netflix content sometimes can come and go without warning. The only way to tell if something is leaving the service in the next 30 days is if you happen to tap on the details page for the given show or movie -- or search online for everything coming and going in a given month.

Another potential content issue to flag: In recent years Netflix has lost some of its most popular content (such as The Office, which moved to NBC's Peacock, Daredevil, which moved to Disney Plus and Friends, which moved to HBO Max) as other networks created their own streaming services. While it started as an online video store that was trying to offer every movie and TV series online, it may be slowly becoming more akin to the old HBO -- mostly featuring its own original programming, complemented with some things it licenses from other companies.

What's it like to use Netflix? 

I first subscribed to Netflix back in the first streaming days of 2007, so using the platform feels like second nature at this point. Even if you're new to it, it's pretty user-friendly: Open the app and tap on your profile (if you have one set up), and you'll see a homepage. You'll see Popular on Netflix, Continue Watching, Trending Now, Top Picks for you and a number of (sometimes oddly specific) other categories based on shows you've watched before. Mine include Critically-acclaimed Witty TV Comedies and Suburban-dysfunction TV Comedies, for example. 

Netflix's design encourages scrolling -- there are so many different categories to look through, and then shows and movies within those categories to continue scrolling into. You can create a watch list to help you cut down on this, but the vast, colorful library makes it easy to spend more time looking through options than actually watching a show, so be careful.

The Netflix app operates similarly across various devices. My home page on the web browser is nearly identical to that on my Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, both in content and layout. It's more condensed on the smaller iPhone and Android phone screens, but still follows the same format, and has a clear "Downloads" tab to find content to save to watch offline on your device. 

Rows and rows of content on Netflix can keep you busy.

James Martin/CNET

One difference between devices is voice commands: You might find it more or less difficult to fire up a Netflix show from your device's home screen depending on which voice-capable device you're using.

For example, when you say, "Watch Stranger Things" on the Apple TV and the iOS app on iPhone, it will first have you click which specific show (Stranger Things or Beyond Stranger Things), and then will take you to an Apple TV page for the show, and there it will give you the option to open Netflix and start episode 1. On Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can say, "Watch Stranger Things," and it will open Netflix automatically if you're logged into the app. On the Roku 4K stick, if you say, "Watch Stranger Things," it will take you right to the first episode in the app. Those are more hardware-side concerns, but interesting to note. 

Once you're in the Netflix app, though, voice commands work the same across devices: Go to the Search tab, hold the microphone button to dictate, and say the name of the show you're looking for. 

When you select a show or movie to watch, you have the option to fast-forward, rewind, add subtitles and change your audio settings. If you have a Premium account and a big enough 4K TV, watching in Ultra HD makes for a very cinematic experience. The show or movie you choose will also show up in your "Continue watching" section at the top of your homepage for easier access. 

How much does Netflix cost? 

Netflix offers three pricing plans: Basic, Standard and Premium. Here is how the costs and features break down:

Netflix plans

	Basic	Standard	Premium
Monthly price	$10	$15.50	$20
Number of screens you can watch on at the same time	1	2	4
Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on	1	2	4
HD available	No	Yes	Yes
Ultra HD available	No	No	Yes

All plans include the ability to watch on any device, and the full, unlimited collection of movies and TV shows. All allow cancellation at any time. Netflix also offers a one-month free trial. 

Netflix's Basic plan costs more than Prime Video ($9 per month), more than Hulu's ad-based plan ($7 per month) but less than its more comparable no-ads plan ($13 per month). If you're on a shared Netflix account with family, chances are it's a Premium one ($20 per month) -- if you're actually splitting it between four people, that's only $5 per month each, and a strong value for all of the original content available, including some in 4K Ultra HD. Plus: No commercials on any plan. 

What features do you get on Netflix? 

Outside of general streaming, if you have the Standard or Premium plan, you can create different profiles for different users, and find your own list of personalized recommendations. 

Netflix's recommendation game is strong, from "Because you watched" carousels that have been improved by the new "two thumbs up" feature, to the option to remove content from your home page, to its "Play Something" shuffle feature for when you're unsure what to stream.

The platform also has a particularly appealing kid's section, with a solid catalog of content including CoComelon, Pokemon: Master Journeys and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and a much more kid-friendly user interface – including the mystery box feature added earlier this year.

If you subscribe to the Premium plan, you can watch certain shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD on 4K TVs. You'll need a steady internet connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second, and streaming quality set to Auto or High. 

Netflix has more 4K content than just about any other streaming service, and a lot of its 4K shows and movies are also available in HDR. High dynamic range provides an even bigger improvement in image quality than 4K according to CNET's tests, with better contrast and color, and the difference is especially apparent on large, higher-end televisions. Netflix supports the two major HDR formats, generic HDR (aka HDR-10) as well as Dolby Vision. If you have a device that handles Dolby Vision, Netflix will play content (if available) in that format by default.

You can search for a selection of 4K TV shows and movies on the service with the Premium plan.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Data usage varies by format, ranging from about 1GB per hour for the standard-definition video to up to 7GB per hour for the highest-quality 4K streams. Downloading and streaming take up a similar amount of data, according to Netflix. If you want to avoid having Netflix eat up all of your data, you can take certain steps laid out on Netflix's website to adjust your data usage settings. 

All subscribers can download TV shows and movies on the Netflix app on mobile devices for offline viewing, though certain titles aren't available to download. 

Read more: 9 Handy Netflix Tricks That Can Help Make Streaming Better

Should you get it? 

Netflix remains my favorite streaming platform of the increasingly large bunch. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface. 

Even though it no longer offers a free trial, it's worth trying Netflix for a month if you want something new to watch.

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'Stranger Things' Season 5: What We Know So Far

'Stranger Things' Season 5: What We Know So Far

Stranger Things  season 4 is over. 

But this is not the end. There's still one entire season to come. That might be bad news for the kids who have to prepare to save Hawkins -- or what's left of it. But it's good news for those of us who just can't give up on Steve "The Hair" Harrington and the rest of this engaging crew.

For more on Stranger Things season 4 volume 2, dive into the Easter eggs, links to previous seasons and character arcs for the cast in our in-depth episode 8 recap and episode 9 season finale recap. If you've burned through season 4, here's what we know about the upcoming fifth and final season. We'll add to this as news is released.

Netflix

When will Stranger Things' final season be released?

This is a bigger mystery than what exactly Erica found under Lucas' bed. There was a year between the first two seasons, and then we had to wait two years for season three, and another two for season four. (This explains why the kids are growing up so fast -- see our photo gallery to marvel at the differences.) The Duffer brothers flat-out told Variety that the wait shouldn't be as long this time, but also, they haven't started filming yet. So we'd estimate a year and a half, which would put the show in early 2024. (David Harbour, who plays Hopper, is guessing mid-2024.)

What's this about a time jump?

Like we said, the kids are getting older. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays 11, is 18 now, and Joe Keery, who plays Steve, is 30. Each season has jumped ahead a year, which would push the final season to 1987. But if the show jumped more than one year, the younger kids might be able to catch up to their actual ages -- say the show picked up as they're about to graduate from Hawkins.

The Duffer brothers, the show's creators, have confirmed a time jump, though they haven't revealed details. The problem, though, is that Hawkins is literally on fire as we faded out of season four, so it seems as if the kids need to jump back into immediate action. That'll be something for the Duffers to work out as they reopen their show's writers' room.

Fewer settings 

Season four was kind of all over the place, with Hopper and Joyce mostly in Russia, Eleven starting out in California (we still want revenge on roller-rink meanie Angela), and some of the crew back in Hawkins. The show jumped between settings pretty smoothly, but the Duffers say it will focus on keeping everyone together in Hawkins for the last season.

Will Byers loves Mike

The show started off back in season 1 with Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) getting abducted, and it looks as if the focus could spin back to him. Ross Duffer says Will is "a big part and focus" of the final season. And actor Schnapp told Variety in July 2022 that the rumors are true, his character is gay, and has feelings for best friend Mike, who's in a relationship with Eleven.

"Now it's 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike," Schnapp said.

And everything Will does is made more difficult by the fact that he's still apparently able to feel a connection to Vecna.

Eddie and Max

New character Eddie Munson sacrificed himself in season four, and the Duffers have assured fans that the meaningful death is real. It's possible actor Joseph Quinn could show up in a flashback (although Alexei didn't get to do that), but the character won't be an active part of the final season.

It's different for Max Mayfield, who's been a strong part of the show since the second season. Max ended the fourth season in the hospital, as Vecna tried to kill her in the same horrific bone-breaking, eye-gouging way he killed others before her. She's still alive, but not in great shape, and lingers in a coma. There just doesn't feel like any way the Duffers will kill off Max, though -- in fact, maybe that time jump will help her bones (and brain) heal.

Don't expect another 'Running Up That Hill'

Kate Bush's 1985 song Running Up That Hill was featured prominently in the fourth season -- sending the decades-old song charting around the world. But don't expect that the Duffers will just pick another '80s song for a season 5 boost. 

"I'm already getting asked that question, it's like, 'What song are [you] going to do in Season 5?'" Matt Duffer said in an interview with Collider. "I'm like, 'We're not going to do that again.' Because if we do it, it will fail." Yeah, it likely would. Lightning is notoriously hard to bottle and, alas, there's only one Kate Bush.

Finale will be long again

The season four finale was more than two hours long. Season five's finale will be, too, though not quite as long, the Duffers say. But it will be moving fast. They note that season five will jump right into action, and joke that the finale will contain "eight endings." Get ready to block off some serious viewing time come 2024.

And then a spinoff?

The Duffers teased their fans with a letter saying, "There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of 'Stranger Things'; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes." 

And they confirmed to Variety that "we do have an idea for a spinoff that we're super excited about." The creators say they haven't revealed the idea yet, even to Netflix, and they think everyone will be surprised. But they also said that actor Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike, correctly guessed at the spinoff topic. So unless someone can get Finn to cough up the secret, we'll have to wait on that.

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Apple tv plus review small library but the quality is not good apple tv plus review small library but the quality is good apple tv plus review small library button apple tv plus reviews apple tv plus movies apple tv plus channels apple tv 4k

Apple TV Plus Review: Small Library but the Quality Is Topnotch

Apple TV Plus Review: Small Library but the Quality Is Topnotch

Apple made its official entry into the streaming wars in November 2019. Apple TV Plus debuted weeks before Disney Plus, putting both streaming services in the competitive spotlight. At $5 a month, Apple TV Plus is the lowest-priced premium, ad-free streaming platform around, but it still packs high-end features like 4K resolution, HDR and mobile downloads -- as well as some of Hollywood's biggest stars, such as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Momoa, Tom Hanks and Samuel L. Jackson. 

One of the youngest streamers in the game, Apple TV Plus produces high quality, award-winning content. Its feature film CODA earned an Oscar, making it the first streaming service to win Best Picture. While the popular comedy show Ted Lasso has garnered multiple honors, other releases such as The Morning Show, Pachinko, The Tragedy of Macbeth and Severance showcase how Apple TV Plus invests in premium content. 

Like

• Low cost
• Ad-free
• Top-quality, star-studded originals
• Mobile downloads
• 4K HDR and Dolby Vision and Atmos

Don't Like

• Very small catalog
• No older content
• Unavailable on Android devices
• Confusing app experience

The platform now has more than 60 original exclusive TV shows and movies and began streaming its first live sports events with Friday Night Baseball for Major League Baseball's 2022 season. But in some ways, the service is still an underdog. The number of titles on the streamer is tiny compared to Netflix, Disney Plus or HBO Max, in part because Apple TV Plus has almost no back catalog of shows and movies.

Whether the service is worth $5 a month for you -- or less, depending on whether you get it for free with a new Apple device or a discount as part of Apple's Apple One bundle -- depends on how excited you are to watch those originals. Its biggest breakout hit so far has been Ted Lasso, the Jason Sudeikis dramedy about an American football coach who gets hired to coach an English Premier League soccer team. Shows like Mythic Quest, Severance and Schmigadoon! have also garnered critical praise, but few have made cultural waves the way that, say, The Mandalorian did for Disney Plus.

All original content, nothing familiar to binge

Apple's current slate of original shows and movies includes comedies, dramas, documentaries and talk shows. At launch in 2019 it had only nine titles on the whole platform, with a strategy that seemed to be focused on keeping it small and high-quality. Its marquee drama, The Morning Show, which stars Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrell, had a huge, $300 million reported budget. 

Ted Lasso, a fish-out-of-water sports dramedy, has been one of Apple TV Plus' most popular shows. 

Apple

For a while, that was the closest the platform had to a real breakout -- until Ted Lasso premiered in August 2020 and made the title character the world's midwestern sweetheart. Though Apple doesn't report viewership data, Deadline reported that Ted Lasso became the most-watched show on the platform in 2021 across all top 50 countries and that it greatly increased subscriptions. Other originals at launch included the postapocalyptic thriller See starring Jason Momoa, the alternative retelling of the space program For All Mankind and the Hailee Steinfeld-starring comedy Dickinson about poet Emily Dickinson. 

New additions include the sci-fi spectacle Foundation, book adaptation The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray, historical drama Pachinko and the genre-bending series Severance. You'll find a few selections for kids, like Snoopy in Space, Luck, Amber Brown, and Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show but the catalog is definitely more adult-oriented. 

Though you won't find a treasure trove of blockbuster films on the service, Apple Original Films partners with the studio A24 for theatrical and streaming productions. For example, The Tragedy of Macbeth debuted in movie theaters in December 2021 and landed on Apple TV Plus the following January. During Apple's Peek Performance event in March, the company announced a slate of new upcoming films and series. Viewers can soon watch Killers of the Flower Moon from Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese; the star-studded Argylle, featuring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson; and the Christmas comedy Spirited, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.

Most Apple TV Plus series initially premiere a few episodes at once, followed by one new episode each week to keep you hooked. But sometimes the service drops a full season in one go, similar to Netflix. Ultimately the platform is hurt by its lack of a back catalog -- especially compared with NBC's streaming service, Peacock, which has a free tier with 13,000 hours of shows that include bingeable favorites like Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. 

Apple's strategy appears to be shifting. The company started acquiring older movies and TV shows to round out the service, but this remains very limited. So far, all we have is the 1980s Jim Henson TV series Fraggle Rock, as a complement to its own new series of shorts based on the show. But there hasn't been any other news about what an expanded back catalog will look like, or how it'll compare to those of competitors.

After adding Friday night games from Major League Baseball to its service earlier this year, the company seems to be leveling up its live sports offerings. In June, Apple struck a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer to stream matches on the Apple TV app. The catch? Only selected games will be available for Apple TV Plus subscribers.

Read more: Best TV Shows on Apple TV Plus

Severance scored 14 Emmy nominations this year.

Apple TV Plus

Top-tier features at a low price, but no Android phone or tablet support

You can't really beat Apple TV Plus in terms of the features. Its originals are available in 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound. Like Netflix, it's completely ad-free. You can share your subscription with up to five other people on your Apple Family plan and stream on up to six devices at once. You can download all shows to your mobile device to watch offline as well. It's available in 100 countries.

You can watch Apple TV Plus on any Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac), via AirPlay or SharePlay. You can also watch on your PC, Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Vizio smart TVs, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. 

Device support is narrower than most other major services, however. Apple TV Plus isn't available on any mobile devices except for iPhones and iPads, so owners of Android phones and tablets are out of luck. Since launch, Apple has added support for the PlayStation and Xbox -- and it does support some Android-powered TV devices, namely Chromecast with Google TV and Sony smart TVs.

Read more: New to Apple TV Plus? Here Are 9 of Its Coolest Hidden Features

Small selection, small price 

Besides offering first-rate content, Apple TV Plus is attractive due to its low monthly price. For less than the cost of your average McDonald's combo meal, you can access every title on the platform for $5 per month. There are also a few ways to use the service for free. 

New users can hop on a free seven-day trial or try out the service for free for 30 days with an Apple One bundle. The Apple One package allows you to have up to six Apple services depending on your account type. Additionally, if you purchase a new Apple device, you can receive Apple TV Plus free for three months, as long as you redeem the offer within 90 days. And if you have a T-Mobile Magenta wireless plan, the service is included for free for one year.

With the $5 monthly subscription to Apple TV Plus, up to six people can stream from one account and you can hold watch parties on FaceTime. Content is what will hold your attention, but compared to the world's other top streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus, the price is right. 

Streaming Services Compared

	Apple TV Plus	Netflix	HBO Max	Disney Plus	Hulu	Amazon Prime Video
Monthly price	$5	Starts at $10	$10 for basic with ads, $15 for ad-free	$8	Basic $7 with ads, ad-free Premium for $13, Live TV for $70	$9 (or included with $120-per-year Prime membership)
Ads	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Top titles	Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, CODA, Severance	Stranger Things, Squid Game, Bridgerton, Ozark, Money Heist	Game of Thrones, Dune, Euphoria, DC titles	The Mandalorian, Loki, Encanto, The Simpsons	Handmaid's Tale, Pen15, Lost, Bob's Burgers	Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Reacher, The Wheel of Time
Mobile downloads	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4K HDR available	Yes	Yes (on Premium plan)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of streams:	6	1 (2 for Standard, 4 on Premium)	3	4	2 (Unlimited with Live TV $9.99 add-on)	2

A confusing app experience

Apple TV Plus differs from other streaming services in that it doesn't live in its own app. Instead, you'll find the service inside the Apple TV app, alongside programming from other video subscriptions, as well as Apple iTunes movie and TV rentals and purchases. 

In practice we found this arrangement confusing. When you enter the Apple TV app, the format is similar to other streaming services, letting you search by movies, TV shows, sports or kids. Though Apple TV Plus content is highlighted at the top of the screen, you'll see Apple TV originals mixed in with a ton of content available a la carte to buy, as well as stuff from other streaming services. At first glance, it looks like Apple TV comes with all of these shows and movies -- until you click on them and are taken to a purchase page. 

You have to click on the Apple TV Plus "channel" to actually see the streaming service's offerings, which is a little confusing.

Sarah Tew/CNET

To see only Apple TV Plus content, you'll have to scroll to the Channels section of the app and click Apple TV Plus, which you'll find alongside others like Showtime, Starz and many others.

Within the channel, you'll see every show, but navigation isn't perfect. You'll find the following categories: latest originals, book adaptations, entire seasons, drama and comedy series, feature films, nonfiction series, kids and family... and that's it. No search bar, and no bar across the top where you can scroll between TV shows, movies and kids' programs that are strictly the Apple TV Plus brand, as you typically see with other streaming services. However, if you're using a mobile device such as an iPad or iPhone, there's an "Originals" icon at the bottom of the screen you can click to find branded content in that category.

You'll find the latest available trailers in the Coming Soon section, which is nice to give you an idea of what to look forward to. You'll also see a section called More From the Stars of Apple TV Plus, with black-and-white tiles of some of the big names on the platform (like Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington). Clicking one of those will take you to the Apple TV Plus show you can watch them in, as well as all of their other shows and movies on other platforms. Sort of handy, but ultimately not doing much more than IMDb in terms of connecting you to someone's body of work -- and then asking you to pay for it.

Once you select a show you'll see a large photo and the option to play the first episode or add it to your list. Underneath this section, you can scroll through the list of episodes for each season with or without having to use the drop-down menu. 

The Apple TV Plus voice experience worked best on Apple TV and Roku. When on the home screen of either streaming box, when we said something like, "Watch Defending Jacob," the device would automatically open the Apple TV app and start the pilot episode, no second action needed. On the Amazon Fire TV stick, the voice command took us to another menu, where we'd have to manually select the show to watch. Otherwise, the experience was very similar across platforms.

Being a part of the Apple ecosystem can enhance your experience with the iPhone version: Under a More to Explore tab, you'll find show soundtracks and playlists in Apple Music and related books in Apple Books. 

Apple TV Plus Originals feature big stars like Tom Hanks.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Should you get Apple TV Plus?

If you've bought an Apple device over the past year, or plan to do so once the iPhone 14 is released this fall, you're eligible for the free trial of Apple TV Plus -- and you should definitely take advantage of it. You (or your family) will likely find something you'd like to watch among the original shows and movies. 

I'd recommend the free trial to see if any of Apple's originals strike your interest. (We can confirm that seven days is long enough to finish the first season of Ted Lasso.) If they do, $5 a month really isn't much to pay for high-quality content -- especially when most streaming services like Netflix are implementing price increases. 

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Huawei says US ban will 'significantly harm' American jobs, companies

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Huawei says US ban will 'significantly harm' American jobs, companies

Chinese tech giant Huawei says its blacklisting by the US will harm jobs, industry and economics in the states.

"This decision is in no one's interest," Huawei said in a statement Thursday. "It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, affect tens of thousands of American jobs and disrupt the current collaboration and mutual trust that exist on the global supply chain."

Huawei added that it will immediately seek remedies against the decision and "find a resolution."

The company had been added to the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List late Wednesday, following an executive order from President Donald Trump effectively banning Huawei from US communications networks. Among other things, the Entity List applies to companies engaging in "activities contrary to US national security and/or foreign policy interests," according to the bureau's website.

The core issue with Huawei has been concerns over its coziness with the Chinese government and fears that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies. The CIA has reportedly warned intelligence officials that Huawei receives funding from China's National Security Commission, the People's Liberation Army and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network.

Trump's executive order declared that foreign adversary threats to communications networks, technology and services are a national emergency. Huawei has repeatedly denied that its products pose a security threat, following Australia banning Huawei from 5G in August.

In its statement Thursday, Huawei called itself "the unparalleled leader in 5G" and said the US ban would lead to the states "lagging behind" in deployment of the next-generation networking technology.

"We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," Huawei said. "Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives."

Read: Samsung has the most to gain from Google putting Huawei on ice

Is the threat real?

Huawei denies it has strong ties to the Chinese government. But even if the allegations were true, company officials told CNET in an interview that the security threat is still minimal simply because of the way communications networks are built. 

"We don't control the customer network," Andy Purdy, Huawei's chief security officer, said in an interview with CNET. "The carriers do. China can order us to do whatever the hell they want. But if we don't have access to the customer data, we can't send it back to China."

He went on to explain that mobile operators source their equipment from multiple vendors, which isn't only a good cyber security practice but also makes good business sense. 

Francis Dinha, CEO of the security software company OpenVPN, agrees that operators use equipment from multiple vendors and said it's the wireless operators who are ultimately responsible for securing their networks.

"You shouldn't trust any equipment manufacturer, no matter where the company is from, in terms of security," he said. "Operators are not stupid. They know they need to build a different layer of security to really cope with these problems."

Still, Dinha acknowledges that lawmakers and national security policy experts have valid concerns about Huawei's relationship with China, even though the company says it can't be compelled to spy for the Chinese government.

"I'm not saying that you should trust China and simply take their word that they can't be ordered to do something malicious," he said. "You shouldn't. But there are ways to mitigate these risks by building in layers of security."

Huawei's Purdy said that the company is open to discussing how it can work with US officials to ensure that 5G networks are protected, but so far no one is willing to talk.

"Because of the hostility against Huawei, there is a lack of willingness to let the experts talk about the facts," he said. "There are new standards in risk mitigation capabilities that are out there, we can address the risk."

He said he's hopeful those lines of communication will open soon.

The cost of not doing business with Huawei

Don Morrissey, head of Congressional, State and Local Government Affairs for Huawei, said it's in the best interest of the US to find a way to work with Huawei. He said that limiting access to an important 5G vendor for equipment will limit competition, which will raise costs for building these networks. Providers will ultimately pass those costs on to consumers.

He also added there are other economic concerns as Huawei sources some of its components from US companies.  

"We spent $11 billion with American companies last year," he said. "That's American companies in Idaho, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona, California and New York."

CNET's Steven Musil contributed to this report.

Updated 2:44 pm PT: Added comments from Huawei executives and Francis Dinha of OpenVPN.

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After years of hype and a bumpy first year of launches, carrier 5G networks are here and, most importantly, 5G-compatible phones like the iPhone 12 and Pixel 5. (Samsung's next expected flagship phone, the Galaxy S21, will likely feature 5G too.) The technology is supposed to change your life with its revolutionary speed and responsiveness. But before we get into that, it's important to understand what it is, when and how it will affect you, and how to distinguish between (the still growing) hype and the reality. 

In 2019, CNET held a massive speed test of 5G networks around the world, spanning from Chicago to London to Sydney to Seoul. The results were a mix of ludicrous speeds, but limited range and spotty coverage. Conversely, you would see wider coverage with a modest bump in speed. You also saw devices like the SamsungGalaxy S10 5G roll out. The early generation of 5G phones boasted impressive speeds at times, but we cautioned against buying them because of compatibility issues and other problems that arise with new technology. 

Just like with everything else, you have to give 5G some time to mature. 

And over the course of 2020, things have gotten much better. Carriers continue to expand 5G coverage into more cities, and new devices compatible with multiple networks are coming out, with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all now announcing nationwide coverage. But just how quickly that life-changing aspect of 5G will arrive remains up in the air. That's exacerbated by the novel coronavirus, which has locked down millions around the world, slowing down the 5G rollout and dampening consumer enthusiasm for pricey new devices, even with those stimulus checks. 

All this means 5G is advancing from years of promises -- ever since Verizon talked about moving into the area four and a half years ago to AT&T kicking off the first official mobile network at the end of 2018 and T-Mobile going nationwide in December -- to becoming reality for more consumers. Beyond a big speed boost, 5G has been referred to as foundational tech that'll supercharge areas like self-driving cars, virtual and augmented reality and telemedicine services such as remote surgery. It will eventually connect everything from farming equipment to security cameras and, of course, your smartphone. 

But what exactly is 5G? Why are people so excited? The following is a breakdown of why the next generation of wireless technology is more than just a boost in speed. (If you're really interested, check out our glossary of 5G terms.)

What is 5G?

It's the next (fifth) generation of cellular technology, and it promises to greatly enhance the speed, coverage and responsiveness of wireless networks. How fast are we talking? Carriers like Verizon and AT&T have shown speeds surging past 1 gigabit per second.

That's 10 to 100 times speedier than your typical cellular connection, and even faster than anything you can get with a physical fiber-optic cable going into your house. (In optimal conditions, you'll be able to download a season's worth of Stranger Things in seconds.)

Is it just about speed?

No! One of the key benefits is something called low latency. You'll hear this term a lot. Latency is the response time between when you click on a link or start streaming a video on your phone, which sends the request up to the network, and when the network responds, delivering you the website or playing your video.

That lag time can last around 20 milliseconds with current networks. It doesn't seem like much, but with 5G, that latency gets reduced to as little as 1 millisecond, or about the time it takes for a flash on a normal camera. 

That responsiveness is critical for things like playing an intense video game in virtual reality or for a surgeon in New York to control a pair of robotic arms performing a procedure in San Francisco. You know that little lag when you're on a Zoom video conference call? 5G will help eliminate some of those awkward, "Sorry, you go ahead" moments after people talk over each other. That lag time won't completely go away, especially if you're communicating with someone halfway around the world. The distance matters, since that info still has to travel there and back. 

But a virtually lag-free connection means self-driving cars have a way to communicate with each other in real time -- assuming there's enough 5G coverage to connect those vehicles. 

We're not quite there yet with existing 5G networks, but the industry is working to trim down that latency so those hypotheticals become reality.

Are there other benefits?

A 5G network is designed to connect a far greater number of devices than a traditional cellular network does. That internet of things trend you keep hearing about? 5G can power multiple devices around you, whether it's a dog collar or a refrigerator. 

In addition, the 5G network was built to handle gear used by businesses, such as farm equipment or ATMs, and can adjust for differing needs. For example, some products like sensors for farming equipment don't need a constant connection. Those kinds of low-power scanners are intended to work on the same battery for 10 years and still be able to periodically send data.

Will it cost more?

Verizon requires its customers to sign up for one of its newest plans, and to get access to the fastest flavor of 5G, you'll need to get one of its top two most expensive plans (out of a total of four).

AT&T likewise requires that you sign up for one of its premium tiers of unlimited data plans. 

"5G brings capabilities that are going to cause us to think different about pricing," AT&T said. "We expect pricing to be at a premium to what we charge today."

But Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, which is the wireless, broadband and subscription video services arm of the telecom and media giant, teased that more affordable 5G is coming. 

"You should not assume that 5G is an exclusive capability for the most expensive handsets and found only in the most expensive rate plans," he said in an interview in May. "The speed at which the technology is beginning to make its way into the network is unparalleled."

There's precedent for holding the line on pricing: LTE didn't cost any more when it first came out; you just needed to buy a new phone. But pricing models do change over time. Since 4G launched, carriers have both taken away unlimited plans and brought them back. 

Verizon's home broadband service costs $50 for wireless subscribers, and $70 for everyone else. Those are in line with other broadband costs. (You can find out if you're eligible for the service here.)

T-Mobile, for its part, throws 5G into all of its plans, including grandfathered Sprint plans.

(Here's a breakdown of the carrier plans you need for 5G.) 

How does it work?

In the US, 5G initially used super high-frequency spectrum, which has shorter range but higher capacity, to deliver a massive pipe for online access. Think of it as a glorified Wi-Fi hotspot. 

But given the range and interference issues, the carriers are also using lower-frequency spectrum -- the type used in today's networks -- to help ferry 5G across greater distances and through walls and other obstructions. 

At the end of 2019, launched a nationwide network using even lower-frequency spectrum, which can spread further. T-Mobile is now using Sprint's 2.5 GHz spectrum to add more speed to its network. AT&T also launched nationwide coverage in July. Verizon followed on in October, in time for the iPhone 12 launch. 

The result is that the insane speeds companies first promised won't always be there, but we'll still see a boost beyond what we get today with 4G LTE. 

Wait, so there are different flavors of 5G?

At the risk of complicating things further, yes. That low-band spectrum -- the type used in 3G and 4G networks -- is what gives carriers a wide range of coverage. But the speeds are only marginally better than 4G. In some cases, they're almost the same. But that wide range is key for covering as many people as possible. 

The opposite end of the scale is the super high-frequency band, known as millimeter-wave spectrum, that carriers like Verizon rolled out early on. You get tremendous speeds, but the range is short and it has trouble penetrating windows and walls. 

Then there's midband spectrum like Sprint's 2.5 GHz swath. Around the world, it's the most commonly used type of spectrum since it offers the best mix of speed and and range. In the US, only T-Mobile has access to this kind of spectrum for now. 

Where do these carriers get the spectrum?

Some of these carriers already control small swaths of high-frequency radio airwaves, but many will have to purchase more from the government. Carriers around the world are working with their respective governments to free up the necessary spectrum. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is holding more auctions for so-called millimeter wave and mid-band spectrum, which all the carriers are participating in.  

How did the launch go?

Between the end of 2018 through the first few months of last year, the carriers were racing to claim some sort of "first." Verizon and AT&T launched their mobile 5G networks, while KT said a robot in South Korea was its first 5G customer. Sprint turned on its network in June, followed shortly thereafter by T-Mobile. UK carrier EE was the first in its country to turn on 5G. 

Sounds great, right?

Verizon launched the first "5G" service in the world in October 2018, but it's a bit of a technicality. The service, called 5G Home, is a fixed broadband replacement, rather than a mobile service. An installer has to put in special equipment in your house or apartment that can pick up the 5G signals and turn that into a Wi-Fi connection in the home so your other devices can access it. 

There was also some debate about whether the service even qualified as 5G: It didn't use the standards the industry has agreed on. The company wanted to jump out ahead, and used its own proprietary technology. Verizon argued that the speeds, which range from 300 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second, qualify the service for 5G designation. Its rivals and other mobile experts dispute that claim. 

The launch was extremely limited in select neighborhoods in Houston, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles and Sacramento, California. (Let us know if you're among the lucky few who got it.) It has since switched to industry-standard equipment. In September, Verizon expanded the home service to St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota and said it was in eight markets. Verizon Wireless CEO Ronan Dunne said he expects a big push to 5G Home in the coming months. 

At the end of December 2018, AT&T turned on its mobile 5G network in a dozen cities and more specifically in "dense urban and high-traffic areas." Take note, Verizon: AT&T boasted that it's the "first and only company in the US to offer a mobile 5G device over a commercial, standards-based mobile 5G network." But access to these networks were initially limited to preferred business customers, and consumers weren't able to access this super-fast service for all of 2019.

Where is 5G available?

This is pretty complicated question depending on your carrier, region and what specific flavor of 5G you're talking about. 

A lot of countries have been using that midband spectrum, with its nice mix of range and speed, and coverage has improved steadily since the launch -- even if there are plenty of dead spots still. But in the US, the picture is more fragmented. 

All three carriers in the US claim nationwide coverage, but they use that lower-frequency spectrum that often looks a lot like a glorified 4G signal. At launch, T-Mobile said people could expect a speed bump of about 20 percent over 4G, which for many consumers isn't fast enough to be noticeable. 

AT&T also has a low-band network. The company said in June that it covers 355 markets with its broader ranging 5G, which like T-Mobile's network, is only incrementally faster than 4G. 

Verizon said it is using spectrum from its existing 4G network to power a the more wide-ranging 5G network. It's using a technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (think of rerouting the faster lanes of a freeway between 4G and 5G on the fly) to power this move. 

When it comes to that super-fast millimeter wave flavor, Verizon is the main standard bearer. The company's so-called 5G UW is in more than 60 markets. 

AT&T says its millimeter wave network is in parts of 36 cities. 

T-Mobile said it has its millimeter wave network in parts of six cities, including New York, Dallas and Los Angeles. The company also has the advantage of absorbing the midband spectrum that Sprint was using to power its own 5G network. That spectrum covers 410 cities and towns in the US. 

What about that home broadband service?

Verizon's 5G Home service, which initially launched using proprietary technology, is not utilizing industry-standard 5G, which has resulted in broader availability and higher speeds. But the service is still limited to six cities. In late June, Houston got an upgrade to the industry-standard 5G, resulting in better service. The company says it plans to have 10 total markets with 5G Home. 

T-Mobile, meanwhile, has talked about the opportunity to offer 5G service as a replacement for broadband, but has offered little details. 

What about this 5G E thing from AT&T?

Sorry, but that's more marketing fluff. AT&T's 5G E stands for 5G Evolution, or its upgraded 4G LTE network that has a path to real 5G. 

But the designation, which showed up on phones in early 2019, has caused some consumer confusion, with some thinking they already have 5G. To be clear, it's not, with many bashing AT&T for misleading customers. Sprint filed a lawsuit against AT&T, which, according to an AT&T spokesperson, the companies "amicably settled." The National Advertising Review Board has recommended that AT&T stopping using the term in its marketing, although the icon on your AT&T phone remains. 

AT&T has said it's "proud" that it went with the 5G E name. 

5G E does bring higher speeds, but not the kind of true benefits real 5G would bring. 

What about all the other 5G names?

Yeah, it's super confusing. Beyond the fake 5G E name, there are legit labels like Verizon's 5G UW (for Ultra Wideband), which signals the fastest flavor of 5G (using millimeter wave). AT&T is calling its super-fast next-generation network 5G Plus, while using 5G as a label for the service running on lower frequency spectrum. 

Here's a rundown of all the different marketing labels applied to 5G. 

Can I pick up 5G with my existing smartphone?

Sorry, no. 5G technology requires a specific set of antennas to tap into specific bands. Last year's Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is tuned for Verizon's network and its millimeter wave spectrum. This year's Samsung Galaxy S20 5G is compatible with more networks, but there's still a specific variant for Verizon that taps into its "UW" network. 

Most of the early 2019 phones used Qualcomm's X50 modem, which is designed specifically to tap into specific 5G bands. Phones launching this year will use a second-generation chip that picks up more spectrum bands. 

There have been a huge proliferation of 5G phones, even if they're largely still premium devices, and the phones are able to ride on different networks. 

Are all the phones premium devices?

Mostly, but tha'ts changing. But the industry is working hard to drive down the prices. AT&T's McElfresh said he was working to get phone prices down so they're more accessible. 

And Verizon Wireless CEO Dunne teased a $400 device by the end of 2020. That turned out to be the TCL 10 5G. In January, T-Mobile launched the OnePlus Nord N10 5G for $300. 

Here's what needs to happen before the industry can bring affordable 5G to the masses.

Anything I should worry about?

High-frequency spectrum is the key to that massive pickup in capacity and speed, but there are drawbacks. The range isn't great, especially when you have obstructions such as trees or buildings. As a result, carriers will have to deploy a lot more small cellular radios, creatively named small cells, around any areas that get a 5G signal. 

That's going to annoy anyone who doesn't want cellular radios near them. 

How will the carriers get 5G to more people?

T-Mobile and AT&T are utilizing its lower bandwidth spectrum to get 5G into more areas. Verizon lacks that lower bandwidth, so it's using a technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing that allows it to use its existing spectrum for its 4G networks to also power 5G. AT&T is likewise testing this. 

What about health risks?

There have long been lingering concerns that cellular signals may cause cancer. Unfortunately, there haven't been a lot of studies to conclusively prove or disprove a health risk. 

That opens the door to concerns about 5G. While some of those networks will run at super-high frequencies, researchers note that it still falls under the category of radiation that isn't supposed to be harmful to our cells. 

Critics say there isn't enough research into this issue and that the studies that have been conducted weren't adequate. The World Health Organization lists cellular signals as a potential carcinogen. But it also lists pickled vegetables and coffee as carcinogens. 

Still, it's something people are worried about. 

What does 5G have to do with COVID-19?

Nothing. There's a conspiracy theory going around, propelled by YouTube videos and articles pushing the idea that the super-high frequencies used in 5G networks are contributing to, or even causing, the coronavirus. That is categorically untrue, with scientists and doctors lining up to squash this idea. 

Keep in mind that in most of the countries where COVID-19 has hit, the networks in use don't even use that millimeter wave spectrum that people are fearful of. In the US, it's only been deployed in select areas. 

We still don't know a lot about the origin of the novel coronavirus, but it's safe to say 5G didn't play a role in it.

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