March 11, 2025
I am sure some of us remember a time when the choice was either terrestrial television or renting a video from Blockbuster. How different it is now, so we have a a guide to streaming channels.
Blockbuster and the VCR are long gone, killed off by the emergence of streaming services. So which ones are the best?
The streaming/subscription market is dominated by Sky, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV.
Whilst you can get 30-day free trials, the streaming services are quite canny so that any new programmes will be released weekly to protect subscriptions from those who like to consume a series in a few days.
Use the free trial to examine the content so you can see how much you would actually watch and then decide whether to continue.
Home TV is a big market and streaming services are constantly chasing your subscription. They’ll spend as much on a TV series as the Hollywood Studios will spend on a feature film. It means using big talent and it’s a serious challenge to the future of terrestrial TV and how the BBC will be funded.
Netflix £5.99 Basic (inc Ads) £15.99 Premium per month
Netflix started life as a video rental service via mail and as competition to Blockbuster. Therefore, it has a vast library of content and invests in its own programming and films.
As a business solely devoted to entertainment (unlike Amazon Prime or Apple TV) it stands or falls by the quality of its programmes and hence why it is the most popular of the streaming services – there is always something for everyone.
Amazon Prime Video £8.99 per month, £95 for a year or £5.99 just for Prime Video
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime you also benefit from next day delivery on most Amazon product purchases.
You can also buy or rent new releases or box sets. Any new release will eventually become part of your subscription. You can also subscribe to Audible for podcasts and audio books.
Amazon Prime has invested heavily in programming – reportedly $450m on Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power – and is heavily populated by futuristic or historical themed programmes.
Of all the streaming programmes, Amazon Prime is the one that viewers lose interest in the most.
Disney+ £7.99 or £79.90 annual
If you have grandchildren or just like them yourself, Disney+ has all the classic Disney movies.
As you would expect from a major film studio, they also create original programmes several of which are Star Wars or Marvel Comic themed.
It’s a minor quibble but one of the differences with Disney or Apple TV is you have to click on the title to access a resume whereas with Netflix you get a two-line description.
Sky from £19 per month
Sky is more a TV channel than a streaming service with an increasing number of categories – News, Drama, Sport, Documentary, History, Science, Arts.
What you pay depends on additional channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Cinema
With Broadband and mobile services, Sky increasing encroaches on our daily lives and there are many who resist solely from an antipathy to the Murdoch media empire.
For many, Sky would be the service most watched daily. You can take a variety of packages and before you know it, it’s a hefty monthly subscription.
A Sky subscription now includes Paramount TV+ . You can also buy a subscription that includes Netflix.
Access to Sky is via a dish or a new service Sky Glass TV where Sky is built into the TV so no need for a dish. Sky also operates Now TV whereby you buy the bundle you want, and it can work out cheaper.
If you are a BT customer, there are now Sky packages available as part of your contract.
Apple TV £6.99 per month
One of the newer streamers and lacks the back catalogue of the more established streamers.
Apple TV invests in original programming, and some are very good. But once you’ve exhausted those, you may not find as much to entertain you as elsewhere.
Check out the service
Our advice would be to take out free trials and subscribe monthly rather than annually. If you then find a particular service that you watch that warrants an annual subscription, you can always cancel the monthly subscription.
If you have been a long standing customer of any of these services and this also applies to your broadband provider, ring them for their best deal and if you are not satisfied with whatever is offered cancel your subscription and you’ll often find you suddenly receive an attractive offer.
Tip
If you don’t want to watch adverts on Terrestrial TV, tape the show and start watching 10 mins after it starts, that way you can fast forward through the Ads.
If you are watching via a service that relies on the internet, such as a Sky Box, and the service fails because it’s no longer connected or it reports a technical issue, unplug the device, wait for 30 seconds then power the device and follow the instructions.
In fact, it is surprising how many device problems are solved by unplugging the device and then restoring power after 30 seconds.
Subscriptions may well have changed after the date of posting.
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