How to Sign Up for the Criterion Channel
The only way to stream the Criterion Collection is through the Criterion Channel. The only way to access the Criterion Channel is to sign up for a membership. The service includes a short free trial, after which you can choose to pay monthly or yearly for continued access. Here’s how the sign-up process works for the Criterion Channel:
What Is the Criterion Collection?
The Criterion Collection started as a home video distribution company that focused on licensing what they considered to the most important films around. Today, the Criterion Collection consists of a variety of classic and contemporary Hollywood, international, art-house, and independent films. While some of these movies were available through other services in the past, including Hulu and FilmStruck, the Criterion Channel is the only place to stream these films today. In addition to licensing films for home distribution, the Criterion Collection restores older movies. It also pioneered features, such as the letterbox format and special releases, that eventually caught on with other distributors. At one time, the entire Criterion Collection was available for streaming through Hulu. It later moved to the FilmStruck service, which merged it with the similar Turner Classic Movies library. After FilmStruck shuttered in 2018, the Criterion Collection moved to its Criterion Channel streaming service. In addition to the Criterion Collection library, the Criterion Channel includes original programming and themed selections of classic movies to help you discover new gems.
What Can You Watch on the Criterion Channel?
The Criterion Channel includes access to the entire Criterion library of more than 1,000 classic and contemporary films. It also includes about 350 shorts, interviews, mini-documentaries, and original content. In addition to the main library of more than 1,000 Criterion Collection films, the Criterion Channel rotates in classics from a variety of major studios and indies. These films come and go, unlike the main library, so you have to make sure to watch those films before they disappear.
How to Use the Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel has simple navigation options based primarily around the home page and the All Films page. The home page provides a listing of popular films in several categories. The All Films page allows you to sort the entire Criterion collection according to various filters and sorting possibilities. Search for films in a specific genre, look for particular directors, or narrow your search by decade or country. If you know what movie you’re looking for, enter the title in the search function in the navigation bar. Here’s how to watch a film on the Criterion Channel:
Original Content on the Criterion Channel Streaming Service
In addition to the main library of the Criterion Collection, and a rotating selection of films from other sources, the Criterion Channel includes a variety of shorts and original programming. Fans of the old FilmStruck service will recognize features like Ten Minutes or Less, Split Screen, Adventures in Moviegoing, and Meet the Filmmakers. These original series, along with behind the scenes footage, commentaries, and original documentaries, round out the Criterion Channel’s entertainment options.
How to Watch the Criterion Channel On Your Mobile Device or Television
Watch the Criterion Channel on your iOS or Android mobile device, as well as through a browser on your desktop computer. In addition, Apple TV 4 (and newer), Roku, and FireTV also have Criterion Channel apps.
