Last updated on February 19, 2014
Getting online and watching TV and movies has become increasingly popular. With the advent of more speedy broadband, it has become easier to download, stream and engage with the media that we want. This piece will look at broadband requirements for watching the various media online and some of the best services that afford you the opportunity to stay entertained through your broadband connection.
Broadband requirements
Most services online state that you require a 2 megabit per second connection to watch standard definition movies. Some of the services say that you can get away with 0.5 megabits per second, but often this is lower quality video and so, not as fun. With high definition movies, you are looking at closer to 5 megabits per second to get perfect picture and audio quality, and so you will need a decent broadband connection.
Mobile broadband deals these days are able to offer 4G connectivity which began rolling out in the first half of 2013, therefore, it will be possible to stream most of the media through mobile broadband. However, for the majority of the population, streaming means fixed line broadband. Fixed line broadband comes as either ADSL, ADSL 2 or fibre broadband, and generally speeds are sufficient to support 1 or 2 people streaming content.
Connection speeds in 2013 have hit double digit averages, and the government has plans to increase the average internet connection of 90% of the population to 24 megabits per second. They aim to have the remaining 10% of the population on 2 megabit per second connections at the least, and so just about anyone in the very near future will be able to get online and stream whatever they want.
Are mobile broadband deals really up to it?
Right now, mobile broadband deals are not up to streaming content in the majority of locations. On top of that, the data allowances aren’t sufficient on most bands to allow regular streaming of high definition content. Many on the plans like that of Three mobile come in at around 15 or 20 gigabytes per month which is half. Certainly, the future will see greater allowances of data on mobile broadband and will be able to stream movies on the go.
For now, probably the best option if you want to be watching on the go is to download on your fixed broadband, and then take it with you on your mobile device.
Downloading or streaming
The 2 main ways to watch movies as suggested above, you could either stream movies by watching movie in real time. This requires a fairly stable connection and during the evenings can cause some jitteriness in performance. Many of the services provide the opportunity to stream movies, but not download them.
Downloading, however, means that you can get away with a slightly worse broadband connection because you are downloading the whole of the movie in advance. You don’t have to have consistent high performance of the broadband. With streaming, drops in connection can cause interruptions in the service. Downloading also provides the opportunity to grab your film in off-peak hours when data is cheaper, and also when you are at home and then take the movie with you when you go out to watch on the move.
Services offering movies online
Let’s have a look at some of the services offering online and how they stack up against each other.
LoveFilm
LoveFilm started off as a mail order movie service. People would subscribe and then would take discs in the post, and then post them back when they’re done with them. It’s a company owned by Amazon and has in the region of a couple of million users. LoveFilm Instant provide the opportunity to watch almost 6,500 movies. It’s a subscription service costing £4.99 per month and can be used in your PC, your PlayStation, your Xbox, or your iPad.
NetFlix
NetfLix is an American company that is coming to the UK market. Services cost around £5.99 a month, and you can get a free trial. The catalogue isn’t as large as with LoveFilm, and the website is not as impressive, but it is still a strong service with a lot of advertising out there at the moment. It is a huge company listed on the stock exchange. It can even be integrated with your Facebook account so that you can interact with your friends and find out what each and every one is watching at the moment.
You can watch on your TV, your games consoles, your tablets, Blu-ray players, and even smartphones.
YouView
YouView provides the opportunity to watch digital channels live, catch up channels, and even content on demand. There are also a host of other services available on interactive basis right from your lounge. It is possible to access a catalogue of films and rent them on a per film basis. Getting YouView is easy. You purchase a box from a retailer and connect up to your broadband router. Alternatively, subscriptions are available through BT and Talk Talk offering the opportunity to get a platform of extra movies and programs.
iTunes
iTunes is perhaps the most renowned store for media in the world. You can buy and rent on iTunes, you download, and have an expiry time for each purchase. There are literally thousands of standard and high definition releases that can be viewed on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or home computer. Some of the movies come with extras which may include interactive features, photos, and interviews. iTunes certainly is a good option, but it is not as cheap as some of the other services especially on a subscription basis.
Film4 on-demand
This service reminds me of the channel 4 free service offering catch ups. However, it is a chargeable service with a good selection of films that approaches, but does not reach, that offered by LoveFilm. A movie generally costs about –2.99 and –3.99 to watch, and the choosing cost is acceptable.
BBC iPlayer
If you just got a broadband mobile deal and you want to jump online on your smartphone or tablet, then you can catch up with BBC programs from the last 7 days through BBC iPlayer. It has both radio and BBC TV including BBC 1, 2, 3, CITV, and so on. All the content that you can view is totally free, and it is a great service for anyone looking to watch some good quality TV.
YouTube
YouTube now has a film service providing films for £2.49 and £3.49. You can get a lot of the top films from the past as well as the really high quality box office movies of the day. One of the problems with this service is that once bought, you only have 48 hours to watch the movie.
Virgin Media
Customers of Virgin media are able to watch their on-demand service. The company also provides a movie rental website with new releases available from around £3.99 to rent. You cannot download and can only stream and therefore, the connection that you require will have to be steady and fast.
Sky Go
This service is similar to the Virgin service offered to the digital satellite consumer base. It is possible to watch Sky movies, Sky sports and over 500 on-demand movies on your laptop or mac. If you are a subscriber, it does not cost a thing. It is possible to gain access without committing to a long term contract by getting a special limited time Sky go package. Sky really is expanding their offering at the moment.
Phil Turner looked at several mobile broadband deals when he wanted to upgrade his current service. uSwitch.com and various other price comparison sites offered good deals at an affordable rate.
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