UPDATE: Stan has increased the price of his Premium package, which will now cost him € 17 per month, an increase of € 2 from the original monthly rate of € 15 per level. Updated article below.
Now that streaming media has become a staple in Australian homes, Australians have many options in choosing their home entertainment solution.
When combined, Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, and Foxtel Now offer a wide range of content that can be instantly delivered to your home. However, if you can pay for only one subscription service, narrowing down a definitive option can be more difficult than it sounds.
Since each service offers a unique range of TV shows and movies aimed at different audience segments continuously, not to mention differences in price, device compatibility, and streaming qualities, I have decided to provide you with a detailed guide. what to expect from the top four SVOD platforms in Australia.
Given the changing nature of each service described in this guide, we will endeavor to keep you informed of any significant or updated changes that may occur in the future for these streaming giants.
Here is the situation of the Australian broadcast in 2019.
Price
The best thing to do with so many streaming options is to force the price of each service at a competitive price.
Netflix offers the cheapest feed of the first three, with a standard definition feed of € 9.99, which, if we're honest, isn't particularly profitable, but can be attractive to those who live alone and have internet access. poor quality. link.
Fortunately, for € 13.99 a month, you can get a dual-streaming subscription that offers high-definition streaming quality.
If you are looking for 4K sources, you need to subscribe to Netflix's premium plan, which costs € 17.99 per month and allows you to watch the service on four devices simultaneously. This is probably the most ideal subscription for families with different tastes in shows and movies.
Although Netflix is obviously working on foreign pricing, Stan has chosen to offer a low and reasonable price of € 10 a month. This is for everything the service has to offer at a maximum resolution of 1080p.
However, if you want to use your 4K TV, you can upgrade to a Premium Stan membership for the new price of € 17 per month, which is a slight increase over your monthly subscription of € 15.
So far, Stan has a growing range of 4K content, including shows like Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Preacher, and Wolf Creek, as well as movies like Ghostbusters, Taxi Driver, Arrival, and the spider-like trilogy. Sam Raimi's man.
These types of pricing get straight to the point: once you've tried the trial version of the service for 30 days, you can ship it with a cover (or add-on pack) every month, or you won't have it. are not
To significantly lower Netflix prices, Amazon is offering a special introductory offer that allows new subscribers to access the service for a monthly fee of € 4.99 for the first six months, after which it will renew at € 6 per month. month
Foxtel Now is different in that it offers a series of content packages (divided into Starter and Premium) so that the user can adapt their subscription to their viewing habits.
The minimum price for Foxtel Now has been increased to € 25 per month, which includes the Pop and Lifestyle packages.
You will probably need to register at least two packages to have a good selection of programs. As we've already mentioned, Lifestyle and Pop are now bundled together, while the individual Kids and Doco packs have been removed entirely. If you want to recover this content, you will need to get the € 104 All € package.
Fortunately, the drama package is still available and costs € 15 per month (you will receive a € 5 discount at registration).
The Movies package will still cost you € 20 per month and the Sports Package remains unchanged at € 29 per month. Since you have to sign up for the Pop and Lifestyle packages, the minimum cost to watch sports on Foxtel Now has been increased to € 54 per month.
characteristics
For many people, the choice of which streaming service to sign up depends on the devices they own.
Netflix has the longest global reach and has been around the longest, so it can stream on as many devices as possible.
The Netflix app is available on a wide range of smart TVs from manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Philips, and Hisense. However, you should check your TV model to see if the service is supported. Stan is available on all current Samsung Smart TVs, Sony Smart TVs (with Android TV) and on all LG Smart TVs running WebOS software.
Stan also streams on Hisense smart TVs as of 2015 and we see the app appearing in more and more manufacturers. Basically, if you buy a new smart TV locally, chances are you're playing the role of Stan.
At launch, Amazon Prime Video only offered its service in Australia through computer browsers. However, the Amazon Prime app has now appeared on various 4K smart TVs, including models from Sony, Samung, LG, etc. Before choosing Prime, you need to check if your Smart TV has an app.
If your TV is 4K / UHD type, your Netflix app probably supports 4K streaming. You can also get 4K streaming from Netflix for the latest wave of Ultra HD Blu-ray players, like the Panasonic DMP-UB900 and the Samsung UBD-K8500. Microsoft's latest console, the Xbox One S, also offers 4K playback.
Apple TV is also Netflix compatible and has features built into the service, such as the ability to use Siri to search for titles by voice, allowing Netflix titles to be displayed alongside iTunes listings. A Stan app for Apple TV is also available, but Amazon will not allow its app on Apple TV or Chromecast for commercial reasons. That said, you should be able to watch Amazon Prime Video on your Apple TV via AirPlay. So far, the Siri feature is only available for Netflix.
Netflix, Stan, and Amazon Prime Video are available on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, although some older Android models may not be compatible.
Netflix has the widest reach, with apps for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox One S, PS3, PS4, and Nintendo Wii U. Stan has most consoles covered, but it is not compatible with Xbox 360 and Wii. OR.
It is also possible to watch Amazon Prime Video on home consoles, including Xbox One and PS4 consoles, and watch the service with the help of Amazon TV Stick.
Netflix and Stan are also available on Fetch TV, which is very convenient for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who currently subscribe to Fetch.
If you don't have any of the TV-connected devices mentioned above and you still want to watch Netflix and Stan on your TV, both services can also be transferred to a Google Chromecast, which apparently provides classic TVs. smart TV features. as long as you have a smartphone or tablet to stream). That said, Amazon Prime Video does not support Chromecast.
Foxtel Now works on iOS and Android devices, Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra, PC and Mac, as well as the new Foxtel Now streaming box. Finally, you can also watch Netflix and Stan on the Telstra TV streaming media box with Roku 2.
Content for kids
When it comes to children's shows and movies, each service has its strengths and weaknesses.
Stan offers a wide selection of children's shows, primarily from his partnerships with Turner Broadcasting (The Cartoon Network), ABC, and Viacom.
And, now that Stan is Disney's new home for streaming content in Australia, subscribers now have access to a huge library of classic Disney and Pixar movies such as the Toy Story trilogy, Finding Nemo, Frozen, The Lion King, The little Mermaid. and more, with a wide selection of Disney Channel TV shows.
Cartoon Network favorites like Adventure Time, Ben 10, Regular Show, The Powerpuff Girls, Cow and Chicken, Generator Rex, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy are set to debut at Stan.
Similarly, classic titles like The Wiggles, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Devine, How I Love You, and Justine Clarke, as well as overseas titles like Octonauts, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam, Sesame Street, and Mister Maker are available for streaming in the app, and their contract with Viacom offers a wide range of shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, including Avatar: The Last Airbender; Octonauts, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, Bubble Guppies, and popular shows like iCarly, VICTORiOUS, and Drake & Josh.
Like the rest of the Amazon Prime Video content library, its selection of kids is currently very rare. You'll find a number of original Amazon kids shows you've probably never heard of, like Wishenpoof !, Tumble Leaf, and Just Add Magic, along with proven kids movie classics like The Little Rascals, Casper, Spy Kids. and baby
Animation fans will be pleased to know that Netflix has also produced original shows based on classic DreamWorks properties, such as Puss in Boots and How to Train Your Dragon.
Deals with other major children's broadcasters, Saban, DHX Media, and Hasbro Studios, have also provided Netflix with numerous incarnations of Power Rangers and My Little Pony.
Special mention should also be given to the inclusion of the classic Australian show Round the Twist in the respective Netflix and Stan catalogs.
Foxtel Now offers many children's programs and channels that host a large number of Nickelodeon and Disney shows, although the only way to access them now is to use the All Packs package, which is very expensive and costs € 104 per month. .
TV shows
A wide range of television shows is available on Netflix, Stan, and Amazon Prime Video, through individual agreements between each SVOD service and its content partners. For this reason, every service should have something for everyone in your family.
While there are a lot of crossovers regarding the availability of programming on each platform, perhaps the most important deciding factor is the unique and original programming available on each service.
Netflix is indisputably the leader in this regard, with a wide global selection of original shows that, for the most part, are available in all parts of the world. And if you want to access your own catalog from abroad, you must download the best Netflix VPN from our guide.
The service has achieved great success with its diverse lineup, which includes the award-winning House of Cards series and Orange is the new black series and superheroes like Marvel's Daredevil and Jessica Jones, international series like Narcos Comedies like BoJack Horseman and F is For Family. , comedies like Fuller House, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Master of None, and countless comedy specials, to name just a few. among its expanding library.
Additionally, television series such as Stranger Things, Black Mirror, Making A Murderer, Mindhunter, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have also attracted the interest of the general public.
Although Stan is only available in Australia, he has already started creating his own original content, having produced the improv comedy series No Activity, Wolf Creek and Romper Stomper side effects, as well as the comedy series Plonk. .
Stan is also known for having a wide variety of exclusive shows in his stable, with hitters like Twin Peaks, Better Call, Saul Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, Power, UnReal, Community, Lost Girl, Dig, Ash vs Evil Dead, Angie. Tribeca and 11.22.63 related service throughout the life of each series.
On top of that, Stan is the only service in Australia that offers both the full series of American comedy classics Seinfeld and Friends, which are considerable assets for the service. If you can secure The Simpsons (unlikely as it may be), you will have the Santa Trifecta at your disposal.
Stan also speeds up new episodes of his exclusive shows as soon as they air overseas, a practice Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have embraced with shows like Riverdale and American Gods.
Amazon Prime Video, the newest service on the Australian coast, does not currently offer a large library of television content. This probably explains why the subscription price is so cheap.
Most of the people who are considering a premium membership are probably looking to see The Grand Tour, the newest show for car enthusiasts from the beloved team of the Top Gear series. If that's what you're looking for, you'll be delighted to know that all available episodes of the series are available on Amazon Prime Video in HDR, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Other exclusive cards include American Gods, a new fashion show based on Neil Gaiman's immensely popular novel, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a spy version of himself, The Tick, a cover of the superhero comic series, The Man in the High Castle, featuring a world in which the Nazis won World War II, and The Terror, a series of horror anthologies based on a hit book.
Unlike the competition, Foxtel Now also allows you to watch live TV shows, which basically gives you the usual Foxtel experience on the Internet. Other than that, most of the packages on offer, such as Drama and Pop (containing tons of HBO content distributed between them), are mostly packed with TV shows. Fans of reality will get a real kick from the selection here.