Forget the freezer, this is how you should be storing your coffee – CNET
When it comes to storing coffee, everyone has their own opinion about how to do it best. Some people keep the coffee in the can or bag and leave it in the cabinet. Some vacuum seal it and throw it in the freezer. Some never give it any thought at all.
It doesn’t have to be overly complex. This is how you should store coffee.
Stop freezing coffee beans
Taylor Martin/CNET
In most cases, storing coffee in the freezer is a waste of time, especially if you’re a daily drinker.
If you buy your coffee off the shelves of a grocery store, the odds that it’s already stale when you purchase it are quite high. Coffee is only considered to be fresh for up to two weeks after its roast date. Some argue it will remain fresh for up to a month off roast. That time frame is severely shortened if the coffee is preground.
Most larger coffee brands, however, do not offer a roasted on date on their packaging, and many of those coffees have likely been sitting on the shelf for months.
About a month ago, I saw a bag of Counter Culture coffee in a nearby grocery store with a roasted on date of sometime in early August 2015. The most fresh bag of Counter Culture there was already three months old.
So if you purchased a bag that had been sitting on the store shelves that long and took it home to freeze it, you would be trying to maintain the freshness of coffee that is already stale.
Further, freezing coffee introduces a few problems. Humidity levels inside a freezer fluctuate and coffee beans are very porous. If you do not store the coffee completely airtight, the coffee beans will be subjected to moisture and can take on the flavors of other frozen items around it.
All of that said, there is at least one scenario where freezing coffee beans does make sense.
If you purchase your coffee fresh from a local roaster but are a very light drinker and can’t finish an entire pound of coffee before it goes stale, you may want to consider freezing some of the coffee. Remove as much as you think you can drink in approximately two weeks and place it in an airtight container. Vacuum seal the rest and store in the freezer. Only open it once you’ve run out of fresh coffee and allow it to completely thaw before opening the vacuum sealed bag.
How you should store coffee
Taylor Martin/CNET
When buying whole bean coffee fresh, it’s best to keep in mind how much you can drink in following two to three weeks. If you can’t finish an entire pound or 12 ounce (340.2 grams) bag, see if the roaster sells 8 ounce (226.7 gram) bags.
Once you’ve purchased the coffee, you can decide which common storage method works best for your needs.
- Most people simply keep the coffee in the bag it was in when they purchased it. Better coffee packaging is on the rise and roasters are starting to use bags that come with zip-top seals. But even standard gusseted bags will suffice if you can go through the whole bag within a few weeks.
- My personal favorite way to store coffee is in Mason jars. In many ways, it’s hardly any more beneficial than keeping the coffee the bag, but it’s easier to access, looks nicer and stores or stacks better. If, like me, you have multiple coffees on hand at all times, it’s the most cost-effective and organized way to store coffee.
- Vacuum-sealed containers, such as a Planetary Design Airscape. are arguably one of the best ways to store beans, but they don’t come cheap. They are containers that typically hold between 1 and 1.5 pounds (453.6 and 680.4 grams) of coffee, and they retail for between $15 and $45 per container. You add the coffee to the jar, press the lid down onto the coffee to force as much air out as possible and lock the lid in place. These containers typically come with a one-way valve to allow carbon dioxide to escape but to keep oxygen out.
Once you’ve chosen your storage container, place it in a cool area, away from light. As long as you grind it right before you brew and finish the whole container within the following two or three weeks, you will never need to freeze your coffee again — unless you want to deodorize your freezer.
Need to sharpen a knife? All you need is a coffee mug – CNET
Taylor Martin/CNET
Too many of us toss our knives in the dish washer, rarely sharpen them and continue hacking away at food as the edges of their expensive cutlery dull to near butter knife status.
If there’s ever a time when a knife is too dull to work with, and you don’t have a dedicated sharpener handy, all you need is a coffee mug.
Choosing your mug
Obviously, you will need a knife or two, so gather any you will be working with. You will also need a ceramic cup or bowl. Most ceramic dishes have an unglazed rim along the bottom. This is the most crucial part.
Just about any unglazed ceramic will do, but the larger the edge, the more room you will have to work with.
How to sharpen a knife with a mug
Keep in mind that this isn’t exactly a standard way to sharpen a knife, and you probably shouldn’t rely on it as a long-term method of sharpening. However, it will certainly do if you have no other sharpener on hand.
To sharpen a knife on a ceramic dish:
- Place the dish upside down on a level working surface. This will expose the unglazed rim.
- Select one of the knives you will be working with and grab it by the handle. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the ceramic dish in place.
- Place the heel of the knife blade against the rim and hold it at a 30 to 45 degree angle, depending on the knife and the existing bevel. Slowly pull the edge of the knife across the ceramic rim from the heel of the blade to the tip.
- Repeat this step 5 to 10 times, flip the blade over and repeat the steps for the other side of the blade.
There should be some residue left on the bottom of the cup. This is a clear indicator that it’s working and that it’s shaving off extremely small bits of metal from the blade.
Continue this until the blade is sharp enough to use. Rinse the knife to remove any residual bits of loose metal and you’re ready to go.
Audeze Sine review – CNET
The Good The swanky, sturdily built Audeze Sine is among the smallest and most affordable headphones to use planar magnetic drivers. It offers very revealing, spacious sound in a closed-back design. For an extra $50, you can get the company’s Cipher Lightning headphone cable, which plugs directly into your iOS device’s Lightning port — making it iPhone 7-ready.
The Bad The headphone’s a little heavy — comfortable, but not extraordinarily so. Included 3.5mm headphone cord doesn’t have an integrated remote and microphone.
The Bottom Line The Audeze Sine is a fantastic headphone that will appeal to anyone looking for truly high-end sound that isn’t incredibly expensive.
The Audeze Sine is a special headphone. At $450 it’s one of the least expensive headphones that use planar magnetic drivers, which tend to sound very coherent and spacious, with low distortion. If “planar magnetic drivers” sounds Greek to you, you’re in good company. Ultimately, what matters is that it’s a totally different technology than what you find in nearly all other mainstream headphones. If you want the technical details, check out Inner Fidelity.
But what you should know it that what makes this headphone (and the Oppo PM-3) special is that — in a world where most planar magnetic headphones have open-back designs — the Sine has a closed-back design. In fact, it’s one of the few planar magnetic models that’s optimized for mobile use — it’s being marketed as the world’s first “on-ear” planar magnetic headphone.
Open-back models generally offer more open, airy sound, but they also leak sound, which makes them less than ideal for use in the presence of other people.
While it doesn’t it sound as rich or open as Audeze’s higher end open-back over-the-ear models — some of which cost in the thousands and are audiophile favorites — it’s one of those headphones that sounds so good you want to go back and listen to your music collection to hear the little details that lesser headphones don’t reveal. It’s just a great-sounding headphone.
Audeze Sine headphones come in two versions: one with a traditional miniplug and one that adds an Apple Lightning connector.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It’s worth mentioning that although Audeze calls this an “on-ear” headphone the earcups fit around my ears — barely anyway. But I don’t have a big head, so the earcups will indeed sit on some people’s ears.
Ready for iPhone 7
The Sine is very attractively designed, with a leather covered headband and earcups and sturdy metal parts. It folds flat into an included storage pouch. The thick tangle-resistant flat headphone cord detaches and iPhone users can swap out the standard analog cable for Audeze’s Apple-approved Cipher Lightning cable. That creates an all-digital connection and has a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) built into the headphone’s remote and overrides the iPhone’s internal DAC. It slightly boosts the sound — and sound performance — while drawing a little power from your iPhone.
That means if — as many suspect — the iPhone 7 that we expect to be announced in September drops the standard headphone jack, the Audeze Sine will be one of the first wired headphones to be compatible with it.
That Lightning cable is included in the $500 bundle of the headphones (along with the standard cable with a 3.5mm plug). Along with the inline remote, the Lightning cable has an integrated microphone for making calls with your iPhone. However, the standard cable with a 3.5mm plug does not have an integrated remote or microphone, which is too bad.
Vizio E series (2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Vizio
For years I’ve been asking for a dumb TV. Vizio’s 2016 E series is one step closer to the dumb dream.
One of the company’s mainstream models for 2016, the E series follows Vizio’s new smart TV design edict: Get rid of the onscreen smart TV menu system entirely, and replace it with Google Cast, the popular streaming platform exemplified by devices like the $35 Chromecast. Vizio is calling it SmartCast.
If you want to watch Netflix on the E series, you’ll have to use the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and “Cast” to the TV. The same goes for any other streaming app — except the handful that aren’t supported by Cast, notably Amazon (which was available on previous Vizio TVs). Don’t have a phone or tablet handy in the living room all the time? Then either use a device like a Roku or Apple TV, or buy a different TV.
That’s because, unlike the step-up P series and M series, the E doesn’t include a free tablet remote, so you’ll have to use your own device for SmartCasting. These TVs also depend on Vizio’s SmartCast app (free for Android and iOS) for settings and other controls. I’m assuming the E comes with the simplified remote found on the P series, but Vizio hasn’t confirmed as much yet.
Pricing, size and availability information have not been announced, and Vizio has declined to give us any yet. Here’s what we know.
Vizio E series features
- Full-array local dimming with 12 zones
- 4K resolution
- Google Cast compatible
Local dimming should enable the E series to match the very good image quality of its predecessor, one of our favorite TVs from 2015. Of course I don’t expect it to be as good as the M or P series, which have more zones and other image quality perks like HDR, but in past years the E has outperformed many budget and mainstream-priced LCD TVs that lack dimming entirely.
Other details revealed on the web site include dual-band 082.11ac Wi-Fi, an HDMI cable in the box and a new design with a “textured bezel.” Like the other SmartCast TVs, the E series lacks a built-in tuner, so if you want to watch local broadcasts via antenna (as opposed to cable, satellite or streaming) you’ll need to buy a third-party tuner.
Here’s how Vizio’s 2016 TVs stack up.
VIZIO’S 2016 4K TV LINEUP
| Price for 65-inch | Availability | Dimming zones | HDR with Dolby Vision | Wide color gamut | Free Tablet remote |
| $6,000 | March | 384 | Yes | Yes | No |
| $2,000 | March | 128 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TBD | TBD | 64 | Yes | No | Yes |
| TBD | TBD | 12 | No | No | No |
| $899 | Now | 16 | No | No | No |
We’ve asked Vizio for more details and we’ll update this article when we get them.
Microsoft readies a universal Skype app for Windows 10
Microsoft is developing a new version of Skype that works across all Windows 10 devices, including desktop PCs, tablets and smartphones. At the moment, it’s called the rather convoluted “Skype Universal Windows Platform Preview,” and will be available to Windows Insiders in the coming weeks. The first build will be focused on the desktop and include most of Skype’s usual features, such as group chats, one-to-one voice and video calls. Group voice and video calling are noticeably absent, but Microsoft has promised to add them “in the next couple of releases.”
The app will eventually replace the Skype “integration” that Microsoft has been working on for Windows 10. A consumer preview of this was released last November, unbundling video and messaging into two separate apps. Microsoft has reconsidered its approach, however, and will now take a different tack: “As the screen size gets bigger — large tablets, two in ones and PCs, for example — and you begin to use the apps, expectations shift and people want to limit app clutter,” the Skype team said in a blog post. That led to a single purpose app with a “simplified” look and feel.
The existing Skype apps for Windows 10 will still be available, for now. Microsoft wants to “streamline” its desktop experiences, however, and says it will slowly bundle them all into its new universal app. The new version doesn’t look all that different, but its underlying code is important because it’ll eventually scale to Windows 10 Mobile too. If Microsoft’s smartphone platform is ever going to take off, a decent Skype app is a must.
Source: Skype (Blog Post)
Amazon shows you how to make an Echo with Raspberry Pi
If you’re into messing with hardware and have some basic programming skills, you can put together an Amazon Alexa device of your very own. Amazon has even put together an official guide to do so on GitHub, Lifehacker reports. You’ll need to snag a Raspberry Pi 2 and a USB microphone to make it happen, but you’ve probably got the other required hardware (a micro-SD card for storage, for example) lying around. Unfortunately, due to limitations with Amazon’s Voice Services, your creation can’t listen for trigger words like Echo and Echo Dot. Instead, you’ll have to hit a button to issue commands.
This isn’t the first DIY Amazon Echo project, but it’s notable since it comes officially from Amazon. The GitHub guide is also fairly detailed, so you can probably follow through it even if you don’t know what all the commands mean. It could be a fun project for anyone who wants to learn a bit more about hardware.
Via: Hacker News
Source: Amazon (GitHub)
It’s not Tay’s fault that it turned racist. It’s ours.
Microsoft had to pull its fledgling chatbot, Tay, from Twitter on Thursday. The reason: In less that 24 hours, the AI had been morally corrupted to the point that it was freely responding to questions with religious, sexist and ethnic slurs. It spouted White Supremacist slogans, outlandish conspiracy theories and no small amount of praise for Hitler. Microsoft released a statement on how things went sideways so quickly, though that’s done little to lessen the outrage from internet users. But I would argue that this rage is misplaced.
It isn’t Tay’s or Microsoft’s fault that this experiment turned into a shit show. Granted, yeah, Microsoft probably should have foreseen the pitfalls of such a public trial, but can we really fault the company for not automatically assuming the absolute worst in people? I’d also argue that Tay is also beyond reproach in this matter. You wouldn’t teach a toddler to curse and then act surprised when it told Gran-Gran to fuck off. Likewise, you can’t blame an AI designed to parrot what it hears on the internet when it goes and says something awful.
Wow it only took them hours to ruin this bot for me.
This is the problem with content-neutral algorithms pic.twitter.com/hPlINtVw0V
— linkedin park (@UnburntWitch) March 24, 2016
If anyone deserves the blame for this fiasco, it’s us. No, not just the racist asshats and trolls — probably the same jerks that beat up Hitchbot — who realized Tay would learn any word or phrase you told it to repeat, and then leveraged that programming loophole to install their own bigoted worldview. It’s ours. Everybody who’s reading this post, everybody who interacted with Tay on Twitter — hell, everybody on the internet, period. Tay is exactly what it’s supposed to be and did precisely what it was designed to do: It served as a reflection of ourselves and our petty and shallow internet culture.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t just some rant about how the internet is making us less civil and understanding while polarizing the world’s population. In case you haven’t noticed, humanity has defined itself by how horribly we can treat one another — and turtles, you sick fucks. The internet has simply enabled us to be more terrible, more efficiently. And, rather than enable a free flow of data and ideas from all over the world, like it’s supposed to, the internet — especially social media — has allowed us to segment ourselves into “safe spaces” where only the opinions we agree with are allowed in.
Here is Tay agreeing with the White Supremacist creed (image: Twitter via Business Insider)
The internet didn’t intentionally do this; it’s simply a means of transmission. A communications tool just like Tay. Internet culture has fractured because of its user base unswervingly taking the path of least resistance. We as people seem increasingly incapable of enduring any sort of opposition to our highly-held opinions — especially when un-friending, blocking or ghosting is so much easier and less confrontational. Never mind that that confrontation, that discourse and debate, is exactly what reveals whether over these oh-so-precious opinions are worth fighting over.
That’s not OK. Our modern preponderance for self-induced isolation in the name of defending an opinion goes against our evolutionary programming. Hell, unfortunately it isn’t even usually anything near as lofty or honorable as an ideal. People will go to flame war over which My Little Pony character is “the best.” It’s insane. It flies directly in the face of our tribalistic nature, the instinct that has kept humanity alive for hundreds of thousands of years.
Honestly, I don’t have the slightest clue as to where we’re supposed to go from here, much less how to repair these social fractures. I imagine most of us would be content to simply make a few snarky comments or tired meme references like “This is why we can’t have nice things, herp de derpt” before going back to watching cat videos and free porn. That’s exactly the problem. So if you’ve got an idea to get us out of this mess, anything at all, tell us in the comments section below. Oh wait, you can’t because there were so many bigoted jagoffs harassing my coworkers on Tuesday that we’ve had to shut down the comments for a week.
Ugh, in the end, Tay may not be the chatbot that anybody wanted, certainly not like this, but she definitely is the chatbot we deserve. If we want “nice things” like friendly AI and societal tolerance then we need to start cultivating them through civil discourse and real, sustained effort; not ad hominem attacks from behind the safety of our keyboards.
That said, My Little Pony is garbage. All hail Sparklelord. That’s right, I said it, come at me bro.
Netflix Admits to Throttling Mobile Video, Announces ‘Data Saver’ Feature for Smartphone Apps
Netflix has admitted to throttling the video streams of its customers on AT&T and Verizon mobile devices, a practice it confirmed has been in effect for more than five years to “protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps.”
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, the company said it doesn’t throttle video on Sprint and T-Mobile due to more lenient policies enacted by those carriers that favor slower network connection when data plans are exceeded, instead of overage fees. T-Mobile was at the center of its own throttling controversy earlier in the year, thanks to its free video streaming service Binge On.
To continue its transparency on the subject, Netflix announced a new feature coming to its mobile apps that will grant subscribers more control over their streaming. Called “data saver,” the update will let users decide to stream lower-quality video if they have a smaller data plan, or increase to higher-quality video if they have a larger data plan. Netflix said it’s “on track” for data saver to launch in May, and plans to release more details closer to launch.
To justify the previous half-decade of secret throttling, the company cited a study it completed recently that pointed to an apathetic response by most users regarding the quality of streaming on their smartphones, with a larger percentage worried about the quality of streaming at home on a television. Still, it hopes moving forward that the new data saver feature will level the playing field and give every one of its subscribers the chance to control their preferable mobile streaming quality.
We believe restrictive data caps are bad for consumers and the Internet in general, creating a dilemma for those who increasingly rely on their mobile devices for entertainment, work and more. So in an effort to protect our members from overage charges when they exceed mobile data caps, our default bitrate for viewing over mobile networks has been capped globally at 600 kilobits per second. It’s about striking a balance that ensures a good streaming experience while avoiding unplanned fines from mobile providers.
Netflix stepped forward to accept the downgraded video claims about a week after AT&T and Verizon both became the center of accusation about throttled Netflix videos on their respective service plans. The streaming video company has publicly backed Net Neutrality since the FCC enacted the open-internet rules last year, and believes its practice of capping video to prevent unexpected user fees is striking a balance that “hasn’t been an issue for our members.”
Tag: Netflix
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Which is the best movie streaming service in the UK? Netflix vs Amazon Prime vs Now TV and more
Over the last few years, movie and TV show streaming services have become increasingly important to the way that we want to consume our content in the UK. As well as the big and obvious free platforms from the country’s major broadcasters, such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, digital subscription, rental and purchase services have emerged to fill the hole left by those trading in physical media.
Connected devices, including Smart TVs, set-top-boxes, games consoles and portable devices, have opened up a world of media to us all, allowing us to watch what we want and when we want it. We no longer have to sit in front of the TV and wait for the latest episode of EastEnders to air. We don’t even have to record it. We can slot it into our lives when it is most appropriate and convenient.
Movies too. Why buy the latest Blu-rays or DVDs from the local store or online when you can have it streamed to you instantly? Sometimes even before the film has come out on either of the disc formats. That is progress.
However, with every rising trend there is a period where choice is perhaps too wide. Certainly, in the UK we have plenty of sources for shows and movies in the shape of multiple paid-for media streaming services, so which to choose? We hope to make that decision easy for you with our in-depth guide to the movie streaming services that are available right now. We’ll also update as new ones become available or new technologies launch on the existing platforms. The only question left, therefore, is which one is best for you?
Netflix
In a nutshell: Netflix offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows, with several series being exclusive to the platform or even made and funded by Netflix itself. Highlights include House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Marvel original TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. In terms of films, it is mainly back catalogue stuff, although the occasional partnership deal will throw up a modern movie, such as The Hobbit trilogy hitting Netflix before any competitors. It also announced a while back that it will be producing films that will be housed on Netflix at the same time as a cinematic release – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny will be the first. And Adam Sandler flick, The Ridiculous 6, was made by and especially for Netflix.
Price: There are three main monthly subscription fees, based on how many screens you wish to view Netflix content on simultaneously. For £7.49 a month you can view standard definition and HD content on two screens simultaneously, £8.99 a month for four, which also includes Ultra HD (4K) content. There is a third entry level option as well that which costs £5.99 for one stream and all videos are limited to standard definition only.
Devices: Netflix apps and portals exist for a vast array of devices. It is available on PC and Mac through the browser, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Wii, Smart TVs and select Blu-ray players from Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic and Philips, Apple TV (old and new), Virgin Media TiVo boxes, and media streamers from Roku and Western Digital, plus Android devices, iPad, iPhone, Amazon Fire Phone and Windows Phone devices. Some LG home cinema systems offer it too, as does Amazon Fire TV and certain YouView boxes – namely those from BT and retail Humax boxes – have added it to their connected apps. TalkTalk and Huawei-made boxes will get it early 2015.
It can also be streamed, via a supported device, through Google Chromecast.
Those who subscribe to the 4K service can watch the Ultra HD content through a compatible Smart TV, Nvidia Shield Android TV box or an Ultra HD BT YouView box.
For: Although there are one or two exceptions, the user interface of Netflix is standardised, offering a similar experience no matter the platform. Almost all of the portals also offer the ability to set up different profiles, meaning you can store favourite shows and films for future viewing, and get personalised recommendations for each member of the family individually.
A kids section is available as a different homescreen, which restricts the content accessible to just films and programming suitable for children. And the media that is on offer for kids or adults is varied and plentiful. Adaptive streaming means that (most of the time) you will be able to watch your selected show or movie immediately, with the quality improving as bandwidth is made available.
Most of the films and TV episodes are presented in HD, which means they are 1080p and have 5.1 surround sound where applicable.
4K video streaming is also available for some content, but that’s still in its very early days and is limited to a handful of TV series and one or two films – these days there is a dedicated strap on the Netflix menu for Ultra HD 4K content. You will also need a 15Mbps broadband connection minimum.
Against: If you’re looking for the latest films, either those that have appeared recently on Blu-ray or DVD, or even made it to paid TV services, you will have to look elsewhere. In terms of movies on offer, there are some that are current – mainly those funded and made by Netflix itself – but most are two or more years old.
The UK version of the service has been criticised when compared to the US version, which has been around a lot longer. Thanks to content deals, it can be argued that the US service has a better array of movie content and several series of shows that many would love to be able to access in Britain. However, an interesting bonus is that when you travel to the States, you can access the local version over there on a mobile device using your UK account. The same with other regional versions of Netflix.
Another negative is that Netflix will remove films and TV series when the content deals expire, and with little or no warning. If you are halfway through a series of a particular TV show, for example, it is not unheard of for the series to be deleted from the service before you get a chance to watch the rest of the episodes. Other services do the same but will often have a section flagged as “soon to be removed” or suchlike.
Conclusion: Netflix is a great service for those who like to watch TV shows in a binge viewing fashion. There is a great selection of US and UK TV shows, and the home grown Netflix programming exclusives are excellent – Emmy award-winning in fact. It is also reasonably priced.
That said, if you are looking for a subscription service to sate an appetite for blockbuster films, you might want to read on. Netflix has plenty of movies on offer, and plenty of blockbusters, but more on a par with terrestrial TV presentations. Its release schedule is just one step ahead of general TV channels in the studio roadmap.
Amazon Prime Instant Video
In a nutshell: Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video offers a subscription-based streaming service. The previous Lovefilm name continues as a postal disc-rental service, but is separate from the digital concern and it’s only a matter of time before it is discontinued.
It is possible to pay a monthly subscription for Amazon Prime Instant Video, but it also comes as a default extra for Amazon Prime subscribers. By doing so, you get a whole stack of Amazon-based incentives too. Another change is the addition of more recent movies to rent or buy digitally. They are available on all platforms and you can download them to a mobile device for offline viewing. Some of the Amazon Prime membership content can also be downloaded for offline viewing.
Price: Pricing for just the streaming service is simple. For £5.99 a month you get access to Amazon Prime Instant Video. This gives access to the entire gamut of TV shows and movies, which are similar to those of Netflix, with a few exclusives here and there and Amazon Studios generated content, including Transparent, Vikings and Steven Spielberg’s Extant. Amazon Prime customers also get it as part of their package, so represents better value as the service offers extra incentives, such as free postage and next day delivery on a vast amount of Amazon.co.uk items, plus Amazon Music streaming and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which allows you to borrow for free any one of over 500,000 books at a time to read on a Kindle.
Amazon Prime costs £79 a year, which is just over £7 more than a monthly subscription to the streaming service works out over the 12 months. You do have to pay up front for Amazon Prime, so might still prefer the no commitment monthly payment of £5.99 a month anyway.
Amazon Instant Video titles are available to purchase or rent for one-off fees and are separate to your Prime subscription. Amazon users can pay for Amazon Instant Video titles without needing a Prime Instant Video subscription.
Devices: Like Netflix, you can watch your Amazon Prime Instant Video content across a broad range of devices, and you can activate as many as you like. It also goes one better than its closest rival by offering streaming on up to three devices concurrently as standard.
Devices currently able to access the service include Roku set-top-boxes, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Wii U, Smart TVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung, LG and Sony, some Sony home cinema systems and Sony’s Network Media Player. PCs and Macs are supported through a browser player and there are apps for iPad, iPhone and Android. The Fire tablets all have the service hard coded into the operating system – as they are Amazon devices – as does the Amazon Fire TV set-top-box, which has recently been upgraded to include 4K content.
For: With more of a heritage in the rental business in the UK, it seems that Amazon has a heads up over some competition in the quality of the films on offer. Although there might not be more films as such (although some reports suggest there are in number terms), the amount of more recent movies is apparent. They are still plucked from the release window nearer the end of a film’s cycle, but from a seemingly better pool.
It has also upped the stakes in its picture and audio quality of late, with much of the content presented in 1080p, such as on the PS3 and PS4. This is dependant on the device you use to watch the video though and some of them limit you to 720p – less for some mobile platforms. The adaptive streaming is similar to Netflix, in that it alters the bitrate of pictures depending on bandwidth.
Thanks to the launch of the 4K Amazon Fire TV, there is now the ability to watch some of its own and bought TV series in Ultra HD, with some movies also in the highest resolution format available for rental or purchase.
The user experience for many devices has been dramatically improved lately and although there are no profile options as yet, you can still mark shows or films for later viewing. They will then appear in a dedicated area of the start-up screen.
The Amazon tie-in also means that content especially commissioned in the US for its version of Amazon Prime Instant Video will also be exclusively available in the UK too.
The bonus of being able to purchase or rent more recent releases (as they come out for Blu-ray and DVD) adds an all-new element that creates a more complete package than Netflix. You can also download your purchased content and some Prime shows and films to a mobile device for offline viewing.
Against: Although there is now an app for Roku, there are still some gaping holes in support – Apple TV for example.
The content, while plentiful, does still suffer from the lack of current triple-A titles. Adding the buy or rent side of the service for more recent movies and shows helps, but does increase the cost further.
The lack of profiles for individual family members means that you will find your suggestions quickly filled with those based on siblings’ viewing habits. If you have young children, that means you’ll find a fair few kids movies and shows among the content recommended by the service for you. That said, it’s not a major problem and you might find the odd animated film you might have missed otherwise.
Finally, the way the user interface integrates the subscription based Prime content with paid-for Instant films and TV shows is a bind. You often find something you want to watch immediately and realise that you’ll have to pay for it separately.
Conclusion: When it was simply Lovefilm, the service was a direct competitor to Netflix and it essentially boiled down to which of the two had the exact movie or TV series you most wanted to watch when you first signed up. However, now that the Amazon angle has launched, it offers a different proposition.
It will be hard for Netflix to compete with the more rounded package offered by Amazon Prime, with all manner of other incentives tacked on to streaming access.
Now TV
In a nutshell: The Sky-owned Now TV is a service offered by the broadcaster and provider for those without access to a satellite dish or want something a bit more simple and flexible than the conventional TV package. It offers content to view live and on demand that would normally be broadcast by Sky on one or more of its many channels.
Price: Now TV is split into separate services through the same portal, so there are separate prices at play. The first service to be launched was the Sky Movies Month Pass, which costs £9.99 a month for all of the Sky Movies channels and the entire line-up of films thereon, available both streamed as they are shown and on demand at any time.
The Sky Sports Day Pass costs a one-off fee of £6.99 and provides access to seven Sky Sports channels, including Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports 5, for 24 hours. This is ideal if you’re not a big sports fan but want to watch a specific event and don’t want a regular, contracted subscription. If you want more access, you can pay £10.99 for seven days or £31.99 for an entire month.
Finally, there is the Now TV Entertainment Month Pass which costs £6.99 a month . This provides access to several channels not available on Freeview, including Sky 1 and Sky Atlantic – the home of Game of Thrones in the UK.
Three, four and six-monthly bundles are also available that represent a saving when paid for in advance.
Devices: As well as a range of different devices, which we’ll get to in a moment, you can also buy a dedicated Now TV streaming box for a one-off fee of £24.99 that also includes either a two-month Movies Pass, three-month Entertainment Pass or seven-day Sports Pass. The box can also be purchased on its own for £14.99. And as well as offer access to Now TV, it also features applications for BBC iPlayer, 4oD, Demand 5, Spotify and Facebook.
Unlike Amazon Prime Instant Video or Netflix, you are limited to four activated devices on your Now TV account. There are applications for iPad, iPhone, selected Android devices, PC or Mac, Roku, Smart TVs from LG, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple TV and some on demand content – films basically – can also be accessed through YouView boxes. You can now send Now TV content through a Chromecast via a supported portable device.
For: With Sky being higher up the movie release window list, the films on offer through Now TV are excellent. Not quite in line with new Blu-ray releases, but not far behind. It is also speedy in use, with films playing quickly after selection, although that might not be as true with lower-speed broadband connections.
The service also uses adaptive streaming, meaning the bitrate can be altered depending on internet speed and its quality is very stable over a half-decent connection.
There are sections for content that is soon to be removed from the service, so you can ensure you catch up quickly before it is gone. And the sports pay-per-view option is really handy for those who want to catch a specific football match or golf tournament, for example.
Against: Picture quality is not on a par with some rivals as Now TV is not a Full HD service at present. This means that images are streamed in only standard definition or 720p at best, depending on the platform. When viewed live you will get only SD content, but games consoles, the Now TV box and a couple of other devices will get the high-definition footage for on-demand movies. They look better than a DVD but not quite Blu-ray quality.
At present, there is no 5.1 audio either, but that is apparently on the roadmap for the service. And the latest Now TV box supports 1080p and 5.1 even though the content is not available yet.
Finally, while the movie line-up is incredibly impressive, the entertainment TV side of Now TV is not as expansive as found elsewhere. You are limited to the programming shown on certain channels, although the service does include box sets from some of its partners, such as the entire six series of The Sopranos and much of The Walking Dead.
Conclusion: Sky is constantly adding new features to Now TV and it’s still fairly new in comparison to many others. Therefore there are some things missing that make it a direct competitor to the main subscription services, certainly on the TV front.
But if it’s movies you’re after, you can’t get much better for the price. There are a large selection of very recent films on offer, albeit not in Full HD, and £9.99 a month seems cheap for the amount of choice. More so when you consider that a subscription bolt-on for Sky Movies on both Sky’s and Virgin Media’s TV services are almost twice that price. It is also a shoo-in if you are a big fan of Game of Thrones, for example, and don’t or can’t have a Sky satellite service.
Sky Go/TV from Sky
go.sky.com
In a nutshell: Sky Go is a live streaming and catch-up TV service predominantly for existing Sky TV customers. The content available depends on your TV subscription and there is an extra add-on that allows you to expand the offering to include offline viewing on mobile devices.
Price: If you are a Sky TV subscriber, Sky Go is free with your existing contract. You just need to use your Sky iD to log in. The free version covers all channels you subscribe to as part of your TV service, so if you also have sports and/or movies you will be able to access them through Sky Go too. If you don’t you won’t. This includes watching the output from the shows streamed live and as catch-up and on demand content through Sky’s large library of shows, plus other third-party channels such as Channel 4 and E4.
This free offering does not include offline viewing. It is also limited to just two devices being registered at a time. To up that to four devices and include offline viewing – for downloading the programmes or films you want to watch when there’s no internet connection – you will need to add a Sky Go Extra package, which costs £5 a month. Sky Multiscreen customers get Sky Go Extra for free.
If you’re not a Sky TV customer you can still buy access to Sky Go, but at a healthy premium. The Sky Entertainment package covers five live entertainment channels on a smartphone or tablet for £15. You also get more channels and entertainment on demand on a laptop.
If you want Sky Movies too, that’s £32 a month. For Entertainment and Sport, that’s £35 a month. And the complete Sky Go package will set you back £40 a month.
Devices: Sky Go is essentially Sky’s mobile TV solution and not a competitor to Now TV in that there are few ways to get it natively on to a television. A couple of ways exist: as access can be gained through any browser and played back on a PC or Mac, you can hook a laptop to a TV either through a HDMI cable or wirelessly (through technologies such as Wi-Di or Miracast).
You can also access Sky Go channels and on demand content through the “TV from Sky” applications for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PS3. However, a Sky Go Extra subscription to use any of the console apps is mandatory.
Alternatively, you can play Sky Go content through select smartphones or tablets, with both Android and iOS applications available. A list of compatible devices that work on each operating system can be found at sky.com.
One warning for those who plan to stream Sky Go content through AirPlay to an Apple TV, you can’t. The feature is blocked due to content rights issues.
For: If you are a Sky TV subscriber downloading and using Sky Go on your smartphone or tablet devices is a no brainer. Watching live sports when you’re not at home, or downloading a movie to watch on a plane (with a Sky Go Extra add-on) are each enough for a recommendation on their own. Being able to also access a vast library of on-demand content to watch streamed to a device for no extra cost is an amazing bonus.
Consider too that, if you have a Sky Movies package, you will gain access to the same reasonably up-to-date library as those who subscribe to Now TV.
The apps for the numerous devices are intuitive and well presented and the streamed content is of a high enough quality for the screen sizes.
Against: If you’re not a Sky subscriber, Sky Go shouldn’t really be on your radar. You’d be better looking at Now TV if you can only have paid telly over internet. And while the amount of devices supported by the application is growing, it is still limited so you might find your older handset not covered.
Conclusion: Sky Go is an amazing incentive for Sky TV customers and an excellent service in use. However, that’s where it ends. It’s not really an alternative to Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and the rest because although there are some external subscription options, they are priced dramatically higher than the rest.
It is also not truly designed to replace a set-top-box or Smart TV service, rather be a mobile version of Sky’s existing line-up. But in that, it is truly excellent.
DisneyLife
disneylife.com
In a nutshell: Although plenty of its films are available through other streaming services, including Netflix, NOW TV and Amazon Prime Instant Video, Disney has also decided to offer its own subscription service. DisneyLife though offers far more than just streamed versions of its movies or TV shows, it also gives access to a large library of age appropriate eBooks and music from its record label.
Pocket-lint
Price: DisneyLife has a simple payment structure. It costs £9.99 a month all-in, which provides access to all the films, shows, books and music available on the platform. Subscribers also get one free Disney app to download to a mobile device a month too.
Devices: At present, DisneyLife is only available on iOS and Android, to watch content on tablets or smartphones. You can also download an app for Android TV boxes, but we’re still awaiting an Apple TV equivalent.
In the meantime, it does allow AirPlay and Chromecast streaming, so you can send shows, etc, from a mobile device to a box or dongle attached to a TV.
For: Because it is run by Disney, the presentation and depth of content is very impressive. All the Disney classic animated films are available, as well as all of Pixar’s output. Plenty of Disney archive material is available too, such as the entire Herbie movie series and the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks.
Box sets of TV shows for kids young and old are available. And all shows and films come with character information and other fun reveals.
All shows and movies can also be downloaded for offline viewing – for a car journey, say. And content is available in high definition (1080p) where available.
You can also set up profiles with parental controls for each member of the family – even the adults.
Against: Considering it is on Disney content, £9.99 a month can seem like a hefty amount considering the price of the other subscription streaming services, but you do get the eBooks and music streams for that money.
It also needs to be made available on other devices. Considering it is new though, that is something that is expected in time.
Conclusion: DisneyLife is a new kid on the block and very specialist in comparison to other streaming services. However, for young children it is a great way to keep them amused whether you are at home or away.
Some of the others could pick up a thing or two from it about presentation and picture quality too.
MUBI
In a nutshell: MUBI is a movie streaming service like many others in that it is available across plenty of platforms and for a monthly subscription fee, but it concentrates on a curated list of cinematic treats you might not find anywhere else. This includes indie, cult and classic films and there is always a new movie recommended by the MUBI team to watch each day.
Price: MUBI has a simple payment structure, it costs £4.99 a month for all you can eat.
Devices: You can access your MUBI account and stream movies on a healthy array of devices. As well as through a computer browser, you can watch MUBI content through apps for iOS, PS3, PS4 and Sony Bravia and Samsung Smart TVs.
For: If you’re looking for more niche films that have been hand chosen as they represent the great and good of cinema you’ve come to the right place. You can be sure that the movies on offer have been selected for their quality, be that a better known blockbuster or foreign language independent.
Wherever possible, the films are presented in HD although that also depends on your internet connection. Like many other services, the quality is adaptive so will be dependent on the size of your data pipe.
If you want to watch films while travelling, MUBI is also one of the rare services that lets you download them to iOS or Android devices for offline viewing, where they will be stored for a seven day period.
Against: The selection of films on offer on MUBI is much more limited than on many of its competitors, but it does offer a very different proposition and is therefore more niche.
If you’re looking for superhero action films, for example, you will probably find a better range elsewhere.
As the service also aims to present details on every film made through an expansive movie database, some have questioned why not all films found are available to stream. However, there are few services available that offer such in-depth information for true fans of cinema.
Conclusion: MUBI isn’t for everyone. Indeed, you might look at the front page of the curated film list and struggle to find something you’ve actually heard of. However, therein lies much of its appeal. It is perhaps the best service for those who want to try something new or expand their knowledge of world cinema.
At £4.99 it’s comparatively priced in the field as it doesn’t provide quite as big a selection as most others, but you can be guaranteed that there will always be something new to watch.
Blinkbox
In a nutshell: In the last year, Blinkbox was sold to TalkTalk, but still runs the same as when it belonged to Tesco. It is a movie and TV show rental and purchase service. There is no subscription option. Instead, you can rent or buy the latest films as they are released on DVD or Blu-ray to store in a digital locker and watch at your leisure.
Price: As there is no subscription option, prices for TV shows or films vary per title and depend on the format, standard or high definition.
A new film, including those that are released before they even make it on to disc formats, cost £3.49 to rent on SD, £4.49 for HD. To buy a new film, expect to pay from £9.99 for SD, £13.99 for HD. Bought films stay on your account “forever”, many of which being available in your UltraViolet locker too. Rented films or shows must be watched within 30 days of rental, you then have 48 hours to finish watching them once started.
Older catalogue films cost £2.49 to rent the SD version, £3.49 for the HD. To buy them it will cost £6.99 and £9.99 respectively.
TV shows cost from £1.89 per episode for standard definition, £2.49 for HD. Box sets are also available to buy outright. You cannot rent TV shows.
There are also some special offers and sales on content.
Devices: Blinkbox apps are available for a wide range of devices, including Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, iPad, Android, Windows 8 tablets, select Samsung, LG, Philips and Toshiba Smart TVs, certain Blu-ray players from LG and Samsung, and some set-top-boxes from Technika, LG and Philips. You can also watch content through a browser on a PC or Mac, and Google’s Chromecast is supported too.
Under Tesco, Blinkbox revealed that it hopes to release an app for PS4 soon, but even though TalkTalk has owned the service for a while now, there’s still no sign of a PlayStation 4 app.
For: Unlike many of the subscription services, Blinkbox offers the very latest movies as they come out on Blu-ray of DVD. And thanks to the Digital HD initiative from Fox Home Entertainment and other studios, you will often find blockbuster content that hasn’t even been released on disc yet.
Against: It may feature the very latest films, but if you want to watch whole series of shows or several movies a month you could run up a weighty bill. Some of its TV shows on offer are also available on subscriptions services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video, for example, so are not as cost effective as watching them for the set monthly fees they charge. You’re not contracted by Blinkbox though, so at least you can control what you spend and when you spend it.
HD content is only offered in 720p at present and with stereo sound, much like Now TV. And some devices can’t play content in HD at all at present. This includes on PS3. The console will play the content purchased, but only in standard definition. There’s also no smartphone support.
Conclusion: One of the benefits to Blinkbox, other than the fact that it offers the latest films bar those still in cinemas, is that it is owned and maintained now by TalkTalk, so you might find some attractive incentives alongside other TalkTalk services.
TalkTalk is also a massive company, which is important as Blinkbox utilises the much supported UltraViolet locker service too. This is something to consider when choosing a company to safeguard your digital content.
Like many digital content retail outlets though, the films and shows can be pricey and with just 720p video and no surround sound, you could get better quality elsewhere for the same money.
Wuaki.tv
In a nutshell: Wuaki.tv is a Rakuten company, the same overarching firm that saved Play.com from administration a while back and owns the Kobo family of eBook readers. It has a strong reputation in its homeland of Spain already and has made considerable waves since its launch in the UK.
Its main selling point used to be that it offered both types of streaming service under one banner. A bit like Amazon Prime Instant Video, you could subscribe for a regular monthly fee and gain unrestricted access to archive content, plus, if you wanted to watch something more recent, you can rent or buy the same kind of content offered by Blinkbox. However, it closed down its “Selection” subscription service a year ago in order to concentrate on the rental and purchase side.
Price: A Wuaki.tv account is now limited to the same kind of service Blinkbox offers. You can rent or buy digital movies.
Renting and buying movies costs roughly the same as Blinkbox and others, if not identical. Standard definition versions of new films cost £3.49 to rent, HD £4.49. To buy they cost £9.99 and £13.99 respectively. Older films cost £2.49 to rent for the SD version, £7.99 to buy. The HD versions cost £3.49 to rent and £8.99 to buy.
TV shows can only be bought outright. Their prices vary, costing about the same as a DVD or Blu-ray box set. Wuaki.tv also has sales and special offers for some content.
Devices: Compatible devices listed for Wuaki.tv include Xbox 360, Xbox One, iPad, Android, EE TV and select Smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Panasonic and Philips. PC and Mac access is also available through browser. Wuaki.tv told Pocket-lint that support for PS3 and PS4 was planned quite a while ago, but we’ve still yet to see movement in that area. It will stream through Chromecast too.
For: Wuaki.tv offers a decent selection of film and TV shows, although its decision to cease the subscription side of the business makes it a direct competitor to many other rental and purchase digital content services, rather than something a bit different.
Against: Wuaki.tv lost its unique position as offering subscription and purchase services side-by-side when Amazon Prime Instant was launched on 26 February, and that has probably prompted the closure of its Selection service.
The HD stream quality is dependent on each video, Pocket-lint has been told, which means it could be presented in either 720p or 1080 (interlaced or progressive, we’re not sure). Both come with with stereo audio though, much like Blinkbox’s. Others already offer surround sound.
Also, only certain devices are capable of displaying HD content at all: Smart TVs, Chromecast, Windows devices and consoles, basically. Other tablets and computers are unable to stream HD content at present. You do get a free SD version to watch when buying a HD edition, so can still view the bought film or programme, but it’s still not ideal.
Conclusion: Wuaki.tv was an interesting proposition, thanks to originally adopting subscription and retail options under one roof, however after removing the former option it doesn’t stand out from the crowd in quite the same way these days.
There are also better options if you are a stickler over picture and audio performance. Wuaki.tv is great if you just want to watch a movie, not so if you want to watch a movie in the best format available.
CinemaNow
uk.cinemanow.com
In a nutshell: Formerly known as Knowhow Movies, CinemaNow is a service that originated in the US and is like Blinkbox and Wuaki.tv. It offers films and TV shows to rent or purchase outright. There is no subscription option, so you pay for the content you want to watch and it is stored in a digital locker.
CinemaNow is the only service to be powered by Rovi technologies, which makes a significant difference to quality.
Price: Like Blinkbox and half the Wuaki.tv offering, CinemaNow deals in the rental and sale of first window movie releases and catalogue titles. It also features TV box sets, so charges both rental and buy-to-own prices. It is however more expensive, and for a reason which we will get to.
New movies cost £3.99 to rent for the standard definition version, £4.99 to rent the HD. To buy, they are £12.99 and £16.99 respectively. Older titles cost £2.99 to rent in SD, £3.99 in HD (when available). Buy-to-own prices vary, with some back catalogue films at £3.99 up to £12.99 for the HD version.
TV Shows tend to cost from £1.59 for each standard definition episode, £1.99 for HD. There doesn’t seem to be an outright price for complete seasons. All content bought is stored in the digital locker with rental movies having a 30-day period within which they need to be watched. Once started, they must be completed in 48 hours.
Devices: As well as offer streaming through PC and Mac, there are CinemaNow applications for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android smartphones and tablets, select Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players and select LG Smart TVs and Blu-ray players.
There are also apps for Xbox One and Roku boxes in the UK. More are promised in future, including PS4.
For: Because CinemaNow uses Rovi video streaming technologies to power its delivery, the picture and audio performance is amongst the best available at present. Rovi owns DivX, one of the firms at the forefront of AV compression, so HD movies are presented in 1080p and with 5.1 surround sound – even DTS-HD audio is supported. There is also potential to offer menus and other traits commonly associated with Blu-rays and DVDs in the future.
The system is also adaptive, meaning it raises or lowers the bitrate of the video stream depending on the bandwith offered by an internet connection. That means you will get an uninterrupted service, even though the quality may dip at times.
The switch over from Knowhow to CinemaNow has also seen UltraViolet locker support added, with members able to access their UV content through the streaming service too.
Against: Apart from the price, which is at the top end of what you will pay for rental and bought content, CinemaNow perhaps suffers from a lack of exposure – indeed, not many people even know that Knowhow Movies was rebranded, bar existing subscribers. In our experience, not so many Pocket-lint readers mention it in the same breath as some of the other services. And because it is less known that others, it doesn’t have as wide a spread across devices.
It also seems to have slowed down in movie release terms, with the “new releases” section seeming out of date and behind rivals – even the Sainsbury’s Entertainment on Demand service powered by the same technology. Perhaps all the eggs are going into that basket instead.
To watch CinemaNow films and shows on a HD TV that isn’t made by Samsung or LG you need to connect a laptop or desktop PC or Mac. HDMI and Airplay streaming from an iPad is reportedly blocked due to rights issues, so you won’t be able to play it through an Apple TV, for example. We expect the same is true for Android tablets, you won’t be able to watch the content on a TV through Miracast, therefore.
The recent launch of the Xbox One app is good, but more needs to be done in this area.
Conclusion: CinemaNow offers a good-quality service, although it does have a feel of winding down about it. It’s also more expensive than rivals, but does offer Full HD and 5.1 surround sound where possible.
It does also suffer from lack of device support though, and the applications are dumb players with no means to rent or purchase films, so you’ll need a computer. Competitors are more friendly towards those that are less computer-literate.
Sainsbury’s Entertainment on Demand
movies.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk
In a nutshell: UK retailer Sainsbury’s has its own movie and TV show rental and purchase service that is identical in look and feel to CinemaNow. One big difference though is that it is up there with the rest for updated film releases, so seems to be a natural replacement for its parent service.
Price: Although the Sainsbury’s service seems to be identical to CinemaNow in many respects, its pricing is more reasonable – staying on a par with services like Blinkbox, iTunes and the like.
Rentals of new films are £3.49 for the standard definition version, £4.49 for the HD edition. To purchase movies, newly released films will cost from £13.99 for the HD digital copy.
Standard definition recently-released films will cost from £9.99 to buy.
TV episodes cost from £1.89 for the SD version, £2.49 for HD.
Devices: Sainsbury’s Entertainment on Demand is accessible through Windows devices, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Roku, iOS and Android. There’s no PS4 access at present.
Unlike CinemaNow, you can also stream Sainsbury’s content via AirPlay to an Apple TV device.
For: Similar to other services listed here, many of Sainsbury’s films are UltraViolet enabled, so can be accessed via an UltraViolet account too.
Because it is powered by the same engine as CinemaNow it also shares the same picture and audio quality benefits, so is capable of 1080p images and 5.1 surround sound.
Against: The selection isn’t the greatest and because it’s a fairly new service, it’s currently playing catch up with older services. However, it is rapidly rising and has even surpassed CinemaNow in our eyes.
Conclusion: As a digital movie and TV show rental and purchase store, Sainsbury’s Entertainment on Demand does a great job with the content on offer. It needs more in its back catalogue and has plenty of bigger competitors, but if you shop at Sainsbury’s you might find the odd discount or two.
You also get Nectar points with each purchase or rental, which can’t be bad.
iTunes
In a nutshell: Apple’s digital media store is well established and it has a lot of experience with selling standard definition and HD movies and TV shows. It offers a vast selection to rent or own, which can then be played through Apple products or a PC.
Price: Although considered expensive a while back, Apple’s prices for iTunes movie and TV show content are about the same as the rest of the non-subscription services. A new movie costs £3.49 to rent in standard definition, £4.49 to rent in HD. Prices to buy are £9.99 for the SD film, £13.99 for HD. These remain on your iTunes account and can be streamed online or downloaded for offline viewing, depending on the device you use.
Older movies cost £2.49 to rent in SD, £3.49 to rent the HD version. Buy-to-own prices vary depending on the title and whether there is an offer, but on average they are around £4.99 for SD, £5.99 for HD.
Like some other services, films that are rented are available for 30 days from purchase. Once you start watching though, you have 48 hours to finish.
TV shows can bought as a collection on a series pass and as individual episodes in SD and, more often than not, HD. Standard definition shows start at £1.89, while HD episodes start at £2.49. Those prices rise depending on how recent the TV shows are. Prices for series passes depend on how many shows are available in the package.
Devices: As well as PC and Mac, through the iTunes desktop software, you can also play back iTunes-bought content through iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV.
For: iTunes is well established and has, perhaps, the greatest collection of content available thanks to partnerships with just about every studio, major and minor, and broadcaster. Its system is robust and easy to use, and the devices it is compatible with mostly have the service integrated into their systems.
Its HD content is offered in Full HD 1080p and 5.1 surround sound where applicable. You can also chose to play back or download content in 720p if you do not feel your internet connection is speedy enough. Some older devices will have this as their default anyway, such as Apple TVs before the third generation.
Unlike many other services, you will be able to play iTunes content through a digital AV adaptor and HDMI cable plugged into a TV. Your TV will need to have HDCP enabled for HD content though. They also work over Airplay, but you might as well use the Apple TV to play them instead in that instance.
Against: Movies and shows bought and stored in Apple’s iCloud are locked within that ecosystem. Apart from on a PC running the iTunes desktop client, all other means of watching content require Apple hardware of some kind. If you decide, for example, that you want to move from iPhone or iPad to Android for your next purchase, you’ll not be able to access the films and programmes you’ve bought on your new device.
Conclusion: For Apple device owners, iTunes is an excellent way of accumulating digital video libraries. The quality on offer in both range of titles and AV performance is up there with the best. It is limited to the Apple and iCloud ecosystem however, and that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Google Play
play.google.com
In a nutshell: Like Apple, Google has its own digital content store. It’s mainly for Android device owners, but is available on a far greater selection of devices than Apple’s iTunes thanks to the open source nature of the platform itself. It offers both standard and high definition content, but has a more limited selection available, certainly when compared to its main competitor. Again, any films or shows you purchase will be stored in a Google digital locker.
Price: Prices with rentals and purchases of movies are similar to others. A new standard definition movie costs £3.49 to rent the SD version, £4.49 for HD. To buy it will cost £9.99 for SD, £11.99 for HD. Older films can be bought from £3.99 for SD, £5.99 HD.
Rental of back catalogue movies costs £2.49 for the SD version, £3.49 for the HD.
Like with iTunes and other services, you have 30 days to start to watch rented content, 48 hours from the point you start it to finish it.
TV shows vary in price and are available mostly as individual episodes or in series packages. Overall prices depend on how many episodes there are in a series, but episodes start at £1.89 each for standard definition, £2.49 for HD,
Devices: Google Play content can be played back or streamed over a vast array of Android-based devices, including smartphones, tablets, set-top-boxes, Android games consoles, and can be streamed to HD TVs via select devices, such as Google’s own Chromecast. An iPhone and iPad app, Google Play Movies & TV, is also available as a free download on the iTunes App Store,.
Although iOS device users cannot purchase Google Play content through the app, they can play back videos purchased on a computer or separate Android device. It shows Google has a more open mindset when offering services across other platforms. You can, of course, play Google Play movies and TV shows through PC and Mac too, using a browser, and Roku streaming boxes have also got a channel dedicated to Google Play.
Like all Android TV devices, such as the Nvidia Shield TV box, Google’s own Nexus Player also features Google Play for big screen use. Android powered Smart TVs too.
For: Google’s digital store is simple and uncomplicated to use. It is also managed and maintained by one of the largest organisations in the world, so you can be pretty sure your content is not going to magically disappear.
The vast array of Android-powered devices also ensures that you should be able to play your films or telly programmes on any screen you like. You can also watch content on a television through a HDMI cable connected to your Android device if it supports it.
Most films are also presented in 5.1 surround sound, which is more than some other services offer. And you can store content locally for offline viewing.
Against: Unfortunately, the service also has a smaller library of movies and shows available than iTunes. say. This is growing, but Google Play is still in its infancy in comparison to some of the more established rivals.
The library size is more apparent with rental than purchase. There are many films you can’t rent at all.
Conclusion: If you own an Android device, Google Play is there for you whenever you want. It is also tempting to sign up to even if you sport an iPhone or iPad because of the ability to play content through the new app for those devices. That way you can be safe in the knowledge that you can switch systems without being locked out of your bought content.
Others
There are other movie and TV streaming services out there that are accessible by UK users, but they tend to be offered as an additional benefit to existing subscribers, such as Virgin Media’s Virgin TV Anywhere. The reason why it wasn’t included above is that it is a free services that do not offer a paid alternative to users who are not Virgin Media customers. Sky Go does.
It’s worth mentioning though that Virgin TV Anywhere has recently added support for Sky Sports and Sky Movies as part of its live streaming offering. While you don’t watch those streams through the app itself (rather through Sky’s alternatives) your Virgin Media account details allow you to log into the respective apps if you subscribe to the relevant TV packages.
Virgin TV Anywhere is a great free service for its TiVo box subscribers that offers streamed live TV and on demand content online through browsers or via dedicated iOS and Android apps. The apps can also control customers’ TiVo boxes, including switching channels, setting recordings, browsing through the EPG and even managing the existing recordings on a box.
We’ve also not included the Microsoft Movies & TV (formerly Xbox Video) service, PlayStation Video or the Sky Store as they are all restricted to certain systems and devices. It’s worth checking them out though if you use Windows or an Xbox console, a PlayStation console, or Sky platforms and Roku respectively.
If you know of any other UK service you think we should include, please let us know in the comments below. This feature is designed to be updated as and when there are changes to the streaming services featured or new ones appear.
Apple made it mindlessly easy to design a custom Watch
Remember when the Apple Watch launched, and you had to book an appointment, with an actual human, if you wanted to try the different strap and case combinations? Apple eased up after the watch had been on sale a while, meaning as long as you were in store, and someone was available, you’d be able to try out different styles. Still, that was a bit too humany (and time consuming) for many of us. Online dwellers were stuck with a gallery of basic combinations and their imaginations. It looks like Apple finally figured out how to save us all a bunch of time, and human interaction, with an updated mix-and-match gallery.
If you head over to the gallery page now, three tabs let you slide between different cases, bands and faces just like those animal flip-books from your childhood. And, much like the Zeb-monk-aroo you made at 8 years old, the watch you’ll end up with will likely be just as rare, and exotically priced. There’s still no option to click and buy your creation, so you’ll have to either navigate the online cart and pick out all the bits. Or, darn it, head into a store after all.
Via: MacRumors
AIVAnet 