generally with FAST channels, i default to Tubi and Google TV's integrated channels they share with Xumo, but i should probably check out Pluto more.
Tubi is more about their insane selection of amazing trash rather than their channels. Pluto is good for channel surfing, the ads are insane though. Hoopla has come on clutch this Halloween season. Found a lot of Shudder Originals and a lot of stuff I couldn't find elsewhere.
When I worked for Nielsen I saw the growth of Tubi in real time and it caught me of guard. We didn't even have Tubi listed in our system yet and suddenly during Covid tons of ratings panelists were telling me all they watch is Tubi. I would already have it typed down in the "other" box before I finished asking a lot of times. It's especially huge with African Americans (as is Starz)
Samsung has a bunch of of XITE music video channels that have the best variety out there. I tend to throw those when I just need someone on.
Kanopy and Hoola are both great services that you should absolutely be utilizing if they are available to you.
Libby is awesome too, it basically makes having a magazine subscription obsolete. Every newest issue of every major magazine (except Time I think) is available digitally for free to anyone who has a library card. It rules. I have read a few books on there too. For the three free library card apps Libby is the one for digital ebooks and magazines. Hoopla is for comics, and Kanopy is for film. All three are great for their respective niches.
Someone at my local library in 2003 adding Sunny Day Real Estate, The Movielife, and Poison The Well to their CD collection basically forever changed my taste in music.
ripping CDs from the public library was basically my only way of getting music back in high school (aside from the occasional iTunes purchase or download from a leak website). I remember requesting a good handful of titles that i believe are still in my old library's collection. remember seeing there was a CD version of the deluxe for Anberlin's New Surrender and requesting it to rip it for my iPod, and then checking it out again many years later to get a good FLAC copy when i couldn't find one anywhere else
Pretty funny that Ben’s dad flew across the country to try and get Rachel Zegler to delete a tweet about Gaza and now his son is in a production with her.
I never would have considered doing this, although I would be surprised if my local library growing up would have ever gotten any cool music I'm into haha.
i actually placed holds on a lot of books at a time at my library, which is how i read a lot of Spider Gwen and Batgirl before i started really getting into collecting comics myself. stuff like libraries and used book stores are a great way to explore media at little to no cost