Follow
Streaming Video Services in Australia & How They Stack Up
Netflix, Stan, Presto, Quickflix, EzyFlix or Foxtel Play?
The future of television is here. We have been waiting patiently for a long while since our American friends have been able to do it but finally we have on demand streaming movie and TV services available without having to worry about messy things like VPNs or viruses accidentally acquired from illegal downloads.
For those that haven’t heard, on demand streaming services are a paid service, provided by a company, that offers a range of TV shows and movies to stream, or play directly without saving a copy to your device. What this means is a huge range of TV shows and movies available instantly to watch.
With so many players now in the game we’re here to give you a quick rundown on what’s out there and what they are bringing to the table.
Netflix ($8.99/month basic, $11.99/month standard, $14.99/month premium)
Best For: Optus and iiNet customers
The big brand from the states has brought their service down under. However with a much more limited catalogue than the US service, it may be a while before they have everything you want. Data usage for Netflix doesn’t count towards your downloads if you are with Optus or iiNet or subsidiary companies either.
Titles: 1120, with 220 TV
Quality: Standard definition (basic), high definition (standard), 4K (premium)
Devices: Unlimited but 1 stream for basic, 2 streams for standard and 4 streams for premium
Data Usage: 1GB/hour for SD streaming, 3GB/hour for HD streaming and 7GB/hour for 4K streaming
Contract Length: month to month
Example Titles: House of Cards, Orange is The New Black, Frozen
Stan ($10/month)
Best For: An entry into streaming services for houses with multiple users
Fairfax and Nine owned, with a similar size catalogue and price points, Stan is evenly placed to counter Netflix.
Titles: 1250
Quality: High definition
Devices: Up to 6 devices and 3 streams
Data Usage: 1GB/hour for SD streaming, 1.5 to 3GB/hour for HD streaming
Contract Length: month t o month
Example Titles: Better Call Saul, Community, The LEGO Movie
Presto ($9.99/month TV, $9.99/month movies, $14.99/month TV & movies)
Best For: Telstra Bigpond or Foxtel Broadband customers or those who only watch movies or only watch series
With a different pricing structure than most, Presto gives customers the option of choosing whether they just want TV or movies or both. Data usage for Presto also doesn’t count towards your downloads if you are with Telstra Bigpond or Foxtel Broadband.
Titles: 1200, with 200 TV
Quality: Standard definition
Devices: Up to 4 devices and 2 streams
Data Usage: 1.3GB/hour
Contract Length: month t o month
Example Titles: Sons of Anarchy, The Americans, Cloudstreet
Quickflix ($9.99/month)
Best For: The largest library to choose from
Quickflix offer the largest library of titles available to choose from in the current market. Quickflix also offers a pay per view service on top of their general streaming service for new releases and premium TV shows.
Titles: 2300, with 275 TV
Quality: Standard definition and high definition
Devices: Up to 6 devices and 3 streams
Data Usage: 1.5GB/hour for SD streaming and 2.5GB/h for HD streaming
Contract Length: month t o month
Example Titles: Game of Thrones (pay per view), Orphan Black, Entourage
Ezyflix ($3.99+ per stream, $8.99+ per download)
Best For: Those who want to only pay for what they use
Ezyflix offer a traditional service whereby you rent (stream) or buy (download) TV shows or movies.
Titles: 2000, with 285 TV
Quality: Standard definition and high definition
Devices: Up to 5 devices and 2 streams
Data Usage: unknown
Contract Length: none
Example Titles: The Big Bang Theory, Masters of Sex, Big Hero 6
Foxtel Play ($25-$50/month)
Best For: A total entertainment package
With the added bonus of Pay TV channels and streaming sport, Foxtel Play is a completely configurable heavyweight entertainment service.
Titles: 3250 hours, Various titles
Quality: Standard definition
Devices: Up to 3 devices and 2 streams
Data Usage: 1.3GB/hour maximum
Contract Length: 12 or 24 months
Example Titles: Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Real Housewives of Melbourne
