Where to Watch

As some of you may recall, a while back I had a whole host of trouble trying to watch The Expanse through official means. Long story short, I figured out a solution and got a number of inquiries on the topic. I promised to create a "where to watch" type FAQ thing, but unfortunately I'm a truck driver and have spent the last few months driving and sleeping and very little else.

This probably isn't going to be as useful now the season has ended, but occasionally I still see people inquiring about the subject. I also reckon this might be helpful for those with friends who have yet to see it. And hopefully, I (or someone else) will be able to keep this updated when season 2 rolls around.

But I digress. To the meat and potatoes.

DISCLAIMER

ONLY THAT WHICH I HAVE EXPLICITLY STATED AS TESTED IS KNOWN TO WORK. COMPATIBILITY LISTS ARE SUBJECT TO ARBITRARY AND SOMETIMES HIDDEN RULES. DO NOT ASSUME AN UNTESTED DEVICE ACTUALLY WORKS. FURTHER, THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST, THERE MAY BE OTHER SERVICES I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE VUDU IS NOT LISTED AS A SOURCE. FINALLY ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND INACCURACIES, I'M NOT PERFECT YO. :p

iTunes:

iPuke Excuse me. I'm not a fan of Apple products. iTunes works though and lets you download the video. iTunes, as far as I can tell, is only compatible with iPods/Pads/Phones, Mac, PC, and Apple TV. So if you're like me and want maximum compatibility across all devices iTunes is out. iTunes also only offers 480p and 720p versions as far as I can tell.
Compatible Devices: Windows PC, MAC, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV.
Cost per episode:
480p: $1.99
720p: $2.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A?
Cost per season:
480p: $14.99
720p: $19.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A?
Tested?: On PC, yes. Works fine, but requires iTunes software to even browse the store.
Cable subscription required: No.
Downloadable: On Windows PC, yes.
Recommended?: No.

Xbox Video:

This one actually comes as a surprise to me. Never the less, it is available through this service. However it has even stricter compatibility than iTunes and also only offers 480p and 720p versions.
Compatible Devices: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8 Phone, and Xbox.
Cost per episode:
480p: $1.99
720p: $2.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A? Cost per season:
480p: $16.99 720p: $24.99 1080p: N/A? 2160p/4K: N/A? Tested?: No.
Cable subscription required: No.
Downloadable: Yes, but not on Xbox.
Recommended?: No.

Vudu:

This is actually the service I went with. Purchasing the 1080p version also gives access to the lower resolutions. Handy if you have Compatible Devices: Link
Cost per episode:
480p: $1.99
720p: $2.99
1080p: $2.99
2160p/4K: N/A
Cost per season:
480p: $16.99
720p: $24.99
1080p: $24.99
2160p/4K: N/A
Tested?: Yes, on PC.
Cable subscription required: No.
Downloadable: Yes, tested on PC.
Recommended?: Yes, highly.

Amazon Video

I actually don't like Amazon Video, I've had a pretty negative experience with it in the past. But if there is demand, I may buy an episode for testing purposes.
Compatible Devices: List
Cost per episode:
480p: $1.99
720p: $2.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A?
Cost per season:
480p: $14.99
720p: $19.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A?
Tested?: Kinda, but not really. I tried to buy an episode, but before I confirmed the purchase I got a popup that said broswers were unsupported.
Cable subscription required: No.
Downloadable: Maybe.
Recommended?: No.

YouTube/Google Play

I very seriously recommend against YouTube. I actually bought episode 6 from YouTube originally and ended up demanding a refund.
Compatible Devices: List
Cost per episode:
480p: $1.99
720p: $2.99
1080p: N/A?
2160p/4K: N/A? Cost per season:
480p: $16.99 720p: $24.99 1080p: N/A? 2160p/4K: N/A? Tested?: Yes, HD is not available for streaming through the web browser.
Cable subscription required: No.
Downloadable: Maybe.
Recommended?: No.

Hulu:

REQUIRES CABLE SUBSCRIPTION

SyFy.com

REQUIRES CABLE SUBSCRIPTION

Final Word

Overall I recommend Vudu above all others. It might cost more on a per season basis. But as best as I can tell, it's the only service with the option for 1080p video and has the widest selection of compatible devices with the least amount of restrictions. Amazon Video and perhaps Google Play/YouTube come close. But Amazon doesn't support PCs and, at least for Amazon Prime videos, downloading on mobile devices is restricted to WiFi. This might be different for purchased videos, IDK. Google Play/YouTube doesn't support HD video on PC. I do not know what their support is like for downloaded video either.

I haven't really tested Vudu on Android yet and can't really be bothered right now. It's been a long day and I'm pretty tired. But it does appear you can stream and download to Android, I just don't know what quality it would be. Vudu's PC software is a bit glitchy, so there's that. The iTunes software is stupid and confusing. Your purchased videos do not appear in your library until they are downloaded. You have to visit your purchase history to download your videos. This is really stupid in my opinion. Otherwise it's not terribad. If you really don't want to use Vudu, iTunes and Xbox Video tie for runner up in my opinion. It just depends what you have more of. While iTunes has a greater number of compatible devices than Xbox, I have 2 Windows PCs, an Xbox One, an Xbox 360, and precisely zero Apple devices. That is why I have them tied for runner up. I recommend against Amazon and Google due to the large number of restrictions.

SyFy.com is free if you have a cable sub, but it's pretty damn buggy and may have ads. Hulu requires a cable sub and probably a Hulu sub.

Well that's all I got for now. Feel free to tell me what a lazy bitch I am for taking so damn long. :D

Submitted by SycoJack | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016