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Streaming Services – What do you get for your money?

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2014-2015 86% of households had internet access, up from 83% in 2012-2013. Given the growth of the economy, this figure has probably increased to more like 90% now.

With these findings, it’s no wonder why movie rental stores are closing down, with most people choosing to stream movies and TV shows online through services like Netflix, opposed to renting or buying them.

For those who aren’t sure where to start with streaming services, we have compiled some information from research we did on four of the most popular streaming services.

Netflix, Fetch TV, Stan and Foxtel.

Netflix

First of all, we thought we would start with the most popular, Netflix.

Netflix gives you a range of movies, TV shows and documentaries. It’s quick to sign up online through their website in just a few steps and streaming can be done easily on a laptop/ computer through a web browser or over an app on Android/ iOS. Chromecast can also be used to allow streaming on your TV. The pricing structure for Netflix monthly is as follows:

  • Basic – $9.99
  • Standard – $13.99
  • Premium – $17.99

There are a couple of differences between all of these.

Basic:

  • Only one device can watch and stream a movie or program at any given time.
  • HD is not available on Basic.

Standard:

  • Two devices can watch different programs/ movies at the same time.
  • HD is available on Standard.

Premium:

  • Four different devices can watch programs/ movies at the same time.
  • Ultra HD is only available on Premium.

Netflix also offers a 30-day trial period when you sign up.

Fetch TV

Secondly, we thought we would look into Fetch TV, since they seem to be doing a lot of advertising lately and a lot of people still aren’t certain what you get for your money and how it works.

To use Fetch, you will need a Fetch TV set top box that will need to be connected to your modem via ethernet. You can purchase these boxes for $399 outright from places like JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman and then sign up with Fetch directly for a service.

If you purchased your Fetch TV set top box from a store like JB Hi-Fi, you can sign up with Fetch directly and add different channel packs to your service at the following monthly prices:

  • Kids (Disnep Channel, Nick Junior, etc) – $6
  • Knowledge (National Geographic, CNN, etc) – $6
  • Vibe (Entertainment, MTV, etc) – $6
  • Variety (Syfy, BBC First, etc) – $6
  • Or, all of the above for a total of $20 per month.

Other packages that can be added on include:

  • BeIN Sports – $14.95
  • Horse and Country – $7.95
  • Optus Sport (Optus Only) – $15.00

Fetch TV also has a variety of world packs (language specific), you can add on, which range from $9.95 per month, all the way up to $49.95.

If you don’t like the idea of purchasing your box outright for a cost of $399, you can also talk to service providers such as Optus, iNet, DoDo or iPrimus and sign up for the service through them and rent the set top box monthly. Plans directly with internet service providers will vary from what Fetch offer directly, as they will usually factor the rental cost of the set top box in with the Fetch plan. You will also need to opt for a 24 month contract, which tends to carry high cancellation fees.

There are no trial periods available with Fetch TV currently.

Stan

We found Stan to be very similar to Netflix, in terms of value, cost and streaming. The monthly pricing schedule is as follows:

  • Basic – $10
  • Standard – $12
  • Premium – $15

The differences between these are:

Basic:

  • Only one device can watch a movie/ program at a time.
  • HD is not available on Basic.

Standard:

  • HD is available on Standard.
  • Three devices can watch and stream at the same time on the Standard.

Premium:

  • Ultra HD is only available on Premium.
  • Four devices can stream at the same time on the Premium plan.

Foxtel

Foxtel was once the most popular form of TV among families in the early 2000’s, due to its variety of different channels and packs.

When Foxtel came out, you needed a Foxtel set top box and a cable input in your house to be able to use it, but now, you can just sign up with Foxtel for a streaming service, regardless of whether you have a Foxtel set top box.

Foxtel have a variety of packs available, which are as follows:

  • Pop – $15
  • Drama – $10
  • Lifestyle – $10
  • Docos – $10
  • Kids – $10
  • Movies – $20
  • Sport – $29

Once you’ve signed up, streaming can be done on a laptop/ computer through a web browser or over an app on Android/ iOS. Chromecast can also be used to allow streaming on your TV.

Foxtel are currently offering a two week trial, so signup while you can!

When you’re choosing a service for you or your family, it’s best to explore all options, or even sign up with each one for a trial to see if it’s what you want. Services like Stan or Netflix may be cheap, but might not have the content that you want, whereas, Foxtel or Fetch may.

Lastly, before you go, if you’re looking at these services and aren’t sure how you can stream to your TV, you might be interested in our blog on the Chromecast, here.