Findable.TV.blog

Subscription streaming video services are great. You pay a flat monthly fee, and you can watch all you want, whenever you want...

But is it really that simple? There are many companies operating in this space these days and the movies or TV shows you can get from each of them varies widely. Most of them let you watch their content on your TV or your mobile phone, but exactly which brands or operating systems do they support? We've done all the hard work to make it easier for you to decide!

Netflix

Netflix started in the US in 1997 as a DVD subscription service. However, it recently shifted all its focus to online streaming and international expansion. Netflix came to the UK in 2012 and their growth have been very strong.

A Netflix subscription costs £5.99 a month, and there is a one month free trial for first-time subscribers.

It offers more than 2000 movies, and around 400 TV shows, although this typically does not contain movies or TV shows released in the last 6 months. What has fueled Netflix's popularity in the recent years is their original content such as "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black".

Netflix content can be viewed on:
- Macs, PCs and Chromebooks
- iPhones, iPads, Android and Windows phones and tablets
- some Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Philips smart TVs
- some Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Philips BluRay players
- PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii game consoles
- AppleTV, Roku, Philips and WDTV streaming media players
- Virgin Media set-top-boxes

LoveFilm

LoveFilm was born in the UK in 2003 as a DVD subscription service, based on the same model that Netflix had in the US. Like Netflix, LoveFilm has also shifted its focus to online streaming recently. The US conglomerate Amazon bought LoveFilm in 2011, but has kept the original brand intact.

Just like Netflix, you can subscribe to "LoveFilm Instant" (for on-demand content only) for £5.99 a month and if you are a first-time subscriber, the first month is free.

LoveFilm's catalogue is also roughly the same size as Netflix's: more than 2000 movies and around 400 TV shows, with content typically older than 6 months. LoveFilm has slightly more UK content than Netflix, and although it lacks Netflix's original content, Amazon is also investing heavily in original content of its own, and has recently released 10 original pilot episodes for a variety of shows and will be turning subscribers' favourites into full TV series.

Again like Netflix, signing up as a first-time user gives you a one-month free subscription which you can cancel at any time.

LoveFilm content can be viewed on:
- Macs and PCs
- iPhones, iPads, and Kindle Fire HD tablets
- some Sony, Samsung and LG smart TVs
- some Sony, Samsung and LG BluRay players
- PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii game consoles

NowTV

NowTV was set up by Sky as an answer to the growing popularity of streaming services like Netflix and LoveFilm in 2012. Although operated by Sky, NowTV does not require a Sky subscription, and can be subscribed to on its own.

At £8.99, a NowTV subscription is more expensive than Netflix or LoveFilm, but in return you get unlimited access to about 1000 movies which are more recent than those in their competitors' catalogues with 16 new releases added every month.

Rather than movies, if you are after TV shows that are broadcast on Sky, an alternative subscription package for £4.99 a month gives you unlimited access to around 150 TV shows.

Both of these options come with a one-month free trial, if you are a first-time subscriber.

NowTV also sells its own streaming-media player for the great price of £9.99 which is a specially-branded Roku LT box that normally sells for £49.99. This little box contains free apps like BBC iPlayer, Channel 4's 4oD, and Channel 5's DemandFive which continue to work even if you cancel your NowTV subscription. Note that unlike the full-priced Roku LT box, you cannot access Netflix content on the NowTV box.

NowTV's content can be viewed on:
- Macs and PCs
- iPhones, iPads, and most Android phones and tablets
- some LG smart TVs
- PS3 and Xbox 360 game consoles
- Roku and NowTV's own streaming media players
- YouView set-top-boxes

Wuaki.TV

Wuaki is a Spanish streaming TV service which got acquired by the Japanese giant Rakuten (which also owns play.com) in 2012, and entered the UK market in 2013.

Unlike other subscription services, Wuaki offers a dual model: you can either subscribe to "Wuaki Selection" at £5.99 a month, or you can buy items individually. If you are subscribing to Wuaki Selection for the first time, you can try it for free in the first month.

Like LoveFilm and Netflix, Wuaki's subscription service is limited to older titles and it includes around 300 movies and 200 TV shows, but their pay-as-you catalogue is larger and includes new releases.

Wuaki's content can be viewed on:
- Macs and PCs
- iPhones, iPads, and most Android phones and tablets
- some Samsung, LG and Panasonic smart TVs
- some Samsung and LG BluRay players
- Xbox 360 and Xbox One game consoles

PictureBox

PictureBox is NBC Universal's subscription service, and it was "relaunched" in the UK in 2013.

Like most other subscription services, a PictureBox subscription costs £5.99 a month and the first month is free.

Unlike other subscription services which just open up their whole library for you to choose from, PictureBox offers a small subset of movies, specially curated by a panel. This includes 60 movies at any given time, but the list of available movies is updated every week. PictureBox does not offer TV shows.

PictureBox's content can be viewed on:
- Macs and PCs
- iPhones and iPads
- some Samsung TVs
- some Samsung BluRay players
- Xbox 360 game consoles
- TalkTalk, BT Vision and Virgin set-top-boxes

Comparison Chart

Comparison of Subscription-based Streaming Video Services in the UK