The days when we were stuck with just live TV are over. In fact, you may wonder how you ever coped before TV and video streaming services were launched. Thanks mostly to Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Now TV, we have a huge selection of TV and movie content within our reach. We no longer have to wait a week for a new TV episode to be released, and we no longer have to sign up to Sky or Virgin Media to get access to the latest movies. But which of the three streaming services is the best? Let’s take a look.
Netflix
Netflix is the most popular streaming service out of the three. It offers a huge selection of movies and TV shows, and even makes some of its own TV shows. Orange is the New Black and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are two of the most popular, but it has also revived shows like Arrested Development based on what their customers want. Netflix is much better for people who prefer TV shows over movies, as whilst it has a large collection, the majority are a bit dated. You do get a few exceptions, such as The Hobbit, but these are far and few between. For TV addicts, though, you’ll definitely be in binge heaven with this service. The standard price for Netflix is £5.99, or £6.99 for HD.
Amazon Prime Instant Video
Amazon sells literally anything you could think of, so it goes without saying that it wants a slice of the streaming market as well. Its approach however is a bit confusing. It started off as Love Film, but changed to Amazon Prime Instant Video in 2014. Prime members are forced to take out an Amazon Prime Instant Video subscription, whether they want one or not, yet non Prime members can sign up for the service on its own. The Amazon Prime library has more content than Netflix’s, but it falls behind where TV is concerned. Whilst Amazon does have some great shows like The Walking Dead and The Vikings, it often lets viewers stream the first couple of seasons, and then charges you to watch the rest – not really playing fair. Users will find a lot of free content, but quite a lot of paid too, which, on top of the subscription fee of £5.99 per month, is not really fair.
Now TV
Now TV is provided by Sky and it’s basically a smaller offering of some of the provider’s most popular channels, such as Fox, Comedy Central, The Discovery Channel, and Sky Atlantic. This means that users can watch shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones the second they are launched in the UK. Now TV also has a Sports package which is ideal for people who want to watch live Premiership matches, as well as things like the Ashes. The library is smaller than on Netflix and Amazon Prime, but Now TV is predominantly used by people looking for some Sky channels at a fraction of the cost. Prices start from £4.99 for the basic package, and go up to £9.99 for the sports package, and Now-TV voucher codes from sites like couporando.co.uk are also available to lower the price.
Which you prefer will really depend on your viewing habits. Netflix is by far the best for TV shows, Amazon just has the edge where movies are concerned, and those who want access to live sports and the top Sky channels will be best off choosing Now TV.
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