Now Tv Amazon Prime

Subscription video on demand is a relatively recent way of watching TV and movies. Amazon started streaming in the UK in 2011. Netflix came to the country in January 2012, and Now TV followed that summer.

Since then, it's become one of the most popular ways to watch media. According to Ofcom, almost half of UK households, 'subscribe to at least one of Netflix, Amazon, NOW TV or Disney Life'.

Ahead of this year's launch of Disney+, we look at the big boys in the streaming market. Which service is best?

Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime: Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy: Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands: Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products: Whole. I have Now TV Broadband and, separately, I pay for Amazon Prime for which I have access to Amazon Prime Video. However, when I connect my phone to the broadband, some contents in the Amazon Prime Video App disappear. Has anyone experienced the same thing? How did you sort that out? Netflix vs Amazon Prime vs Now TV and more. How to watch Amazon Prime Video on your TV. Amazon Video apps are available for many Smart TVs from multiple manufacturers. These include, but are. What Amazon Fire device do you have and are you a UK NowTV customer and not based in the Republic of Ireland. Also if you are using a VPN make sure it is set to UK or switched off. When you say Prime TV i am assuming you are accessing the NowTV App with your NowTV account login details and not by any other means.

1. Price: who's cheapest?

2. Content: What to watch

3. Streaming quality

4. Devices and apps

5. Most popular

6. Verdict: Who's best?

Price: who's cheapest?

Here's how the big sites shape up in terms of price.

Value for money?

The basic subscription to Netflix is the cheapest option of all those we listed. But does that mean it's the best value?

It depends on the household's preferences.

Netflix has a great library, but Standard Definition (SD) TV is pretty out of date. Plus, unless the household only needs to watch on one device at a time, a basic subscription could cause conflict.

For a couple of pounds more per month, Amazon Prime also offer an impressive catalogue - this time in HD - that can be viewed on up to three devices simultaneously. Plus, customers benefit from things like Prime's free one-day delivery, exclusive discounts, some free Kindle books (not Kindle Unlimited) and Prime Music (not music unlimited).

Prime also offer a yearly subscription for a discounted price, which Netflix currently does not.

However, customers have to keep an eye out for the 'included with Prime' banner if they don't want to end up paying extra.

For those who are only after a very basic streaming service, Netflix's cheapest tier is better value, but it's surprising how quickly unlimited free deliveries or the odd Kindle loan can make up for the additional cost of Prime membership.

However, it should be noted that despite Amazon's best efforts - to put people off subscribing to other streaming services (they went so far as to eat Lovefilm back in 2014, and their feud with Apple TV has been going on for years) , the low entry prices mean that many households are actually members of both Prime and Netflix. More on that later.

Now TV is the only provider of the three to offer special deals to new customers. At the moment they're offering discounts for purchasing passes upfront:

Content: what can we watch?

Although both Netflix and Amazon Prime say they have thousands of titles to stream, anyone that's flicked through an on-demand library will know it's quality that counts over quantity.

So, who's got the, er, most, best content?

Netflix

Source: Netflix

According to an independent cataloguing site, Netflix currently (January 2020) have 5,960 films and TV series available in total.

Netflix have put incredible amounts of cash into producing original, high quality, high budget content. They're behind:

• Orange is the New Black
• Stranger Things
• Bojack Horseman
• The Crown
• Grace and Frankie
• House of Cards
• Bird Box
• American Vandal
• The Irishman
• Queer Eye

Among many other well-received series and movies. In fact, it can be argued that most of Netflix's value comes from their extensive, impressive collection of originals. They can only be seen with a Netflix subscription, and therefore offer a good reason to sign up to their streaming service.

There are a few shows that Netflix brought back from the dead (or at least reinvigorated). They show existing series and fund new ones. These include:

• Black Mirror (series 1 and 2 were BBC, series 3-5 are Netflix)
• Arrested Development (series 1-3 were Fox, series 4 and 5 are Netflix)

Netflix also show high-value content from elsewhere, like:

• The Good Place
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season 14 is now available on Netflix for UK viewers)
• Mad Men
• Breaking Bad
• Sherlock
• Peep Show
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Of course, there's plenty of nonsense in that nearly-6,000-strong library - but there's almost certainly something for everyone.

Amazon Prime Video

Source: Amazon.co.uk

Amazon Prime is not as universally lauded for its original content, but it's produced some gems. Prime Originals include:

• The Grand Tour
• The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
• American Gods
• The Man in the High Castle
• The Boys
• The Expanse
• HANNA
• Carnival Row

The focus seems to be more on HBO-style high-budget dramas, while Netflix crosses genres more readily. Plus, Amazon simply haven't produced the same volume.

Shows labelled Prime Exclusive are usually free and, as the name suggests, aren't available elsewhere. This includes:

• Mr Robot
• Vikings
• Lucifer
• Black Sails

When it comes to external content, the waters surrounding price are a bit muddier.

Some shows and movies are free to watch for subscribers, while others cost extra to buy or rent. Some - Modern Family and The Walking Dead, for instance - let viewers have the first few seasons for free, but charge for later series.

Notable free content includes:

• House
• Lost
• Heroes
• New Girl

Live sport on Amazon

Live sport is a recent addition to the Amazon Prime Video app.

Some Premier League games are aired live on Prime Video, as well as live tennis like the ATP Tour.

Now TV

Source: NowTV.com

Now TV doesn't directly compare to Netflix and Prime Video, because their content is centred around a bigger provider - Sky - and because their library is split into several categories, each of which is paid for separately.

The Entertainment Pass, for instance, gives customers access to 300 box sets and sought after channels like Sky One and Sky Atlantic (the best way to watch HBO content in the UK). This means shows like Modern Family, True Blood and Westworld are available on demand.

There's also content from Fox (like Family Guy and NCIS) and Comedy Central (like South Park).

This adds up to around 1,700 shows.

Now TV rotates which shows are available on-demand but gives viewers plenty of notice when they're going to stop streaming a certain show or season.

A Sky Cinema Pass, meanwhile, no longer offers access to live tv channels - but it has around 1,400 Sky Cinema films in its catalogue. It also shows a new 'premiere' (not always recently-made films, we should note) every day.

For more detail, check out our in-depth review of Now TV.

A Sky Sports Pass is simpler: it gives viewers access to Sky Sports channels. Easy.

There are also cheaper options: the Kids Pass, with 6 premium channels, and the hayu Pass, which focuses on reality TV.

Streaming: who provides the best quality?

We'll say it right away: Now TV is easily the worst of the bunch when it comes to high-quality footage. Most content comes in SD as standard, and even the standard HD option is only 720p. To watch the superior 1080p HD, customers must pay for a 'boost', which is an extra £3 a month. Even then, not everything's available to watch at the better resolution.

On the other hand, Netflix and Amazon Prime now offer a decent amount of content in Ultra HD (UHD)/4K resolution - if certain requirements are met by the customer.

To watch 4K content on any service, viewers need:

• 4K UHD-ready device and display
• An internet connection that steadily hits 25Mb or higher (check out our guide to the UK's fastest broadband provider)

How to watch Ultra HD on Netflix

To watch the highest-quality footage on Netflix, viewers need the highest tier of plan - the Premium option.

Other requirements:

• A 60Hz TV or monitor that's compatible with Netflix's UHD content. To find out whether a specific model is compatible, search the Netflix help centre
• Streaming quality set to 'auto' or 'high'. This can be changed by logging into Netflix in a browser, going to 'my profile' and then 'playback settings'

Annoyingly, Netflix don't have a dedicated way to search for 4K content. Those with compatible TVs might see a label on the UHD shows, but there's no easy way to browse them via Netflix. That's particularly irritating when trying to decide whether a plan upgrade is worth it.

However, there are several external sites who do the job, such as OnNetflix.

How to watch Ultra HD on Amazon Prime

Prime Video will show subscribers 4K content as long as their devices and displays are compatible.

Unlike Netflix, Prime has a handy 4K UHD category, so it's easy to filter by resolution.

Minimum requirements: speeds for streaming

If bad broadband means that streaming is a serious challenge, it's worth trying some of these tips to speed it up.

For some households, however, speed is always going to be a problem. In that case, the best bet is to take advantage of Netflix or Amazon's ability to download content to a device. It might take a while to download, but there won't be issues with buffering once a movie's stored on the device itself.

Devices and apps: how to watch it?

The device used to watch a streaming service will also affect the quality of the viewing experience. All three services are available through most games consoles, HD and Smart TVs, and tablets and phones.

Netflix and Amazon subscribers can download content to watch offline on their devices. Neither provider allows people to download from their browser, though - for obvious piracy-related

As well as the usual range of third-party devices, Amazon and Now TV both offer dedicated bits of tech to get their customers watching on-demand...

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon have released a line of products designed to work with HDTVs.

The Fire TV Stick plugs right into a compatible television, while the Fire TV Cube is connected with an HDMI cable.

Both allow users to access apps like Prime Video (of course), Netflix, iPlayer, YouTube and so on. Both also connect to Alexa (the Stick through the remote, the Cube directly) for voice search and control.

The Fire TV Cube is the more advanced bit of tech - it can also control compatible soundbars and A/V receivers. It also hooks up to Alexa in more complicated ways then the stick - think light control, switching electronics off and on, etc.

The TV Stick costs about £40 at the moment, while the Cube is around £110.

Now TV Smart Stick

Now TV's current flagship device is also a Smart Stick, which they're pushing instead of the Now TV Box.

The Now TV Smart Stick is powered by Roku, which allow allows for voice search. The Stick currently costs around £25, a fair bit cheaper than Amazon's equivalent gadget.

The data: Who's most popular?

According to Ofcom's 2019 Media Nations report, almost half of UK households currently subscribe to video-on-demand services. That's a big market to fight over.

Netflix are currently winning that fight by a long way, with an incredible 40% of UK households having at least one subscription. Amazon Prime is still massive but only about half the size, while Now TV lags some way behind.

Source: Ofcom Media Nations 2019

It's no surprise that so many people have multiple streaming subscriptions, considering the fragmented market. Different platforms have different exclusive content - for those with varied tastes, paying for several subscriptions is sometimes the smart choice.

All this is only going to get more confusing as Apple TV's appearance, Britbox's launch in late 2019, and Disney+'s upcoming launch in March 2020 add more big fish into a finite pond. Watch this space for our take on these newest services.

Verdict: Who's best?

The answer really depends on household priorities. On the face of it, the providers have a lot in common.

• All three services offer rolling, 30-day contracts - a novelty when pay TV is the norm.
• None are bank-breakingly expensive.
• All have an ever-changing library of box sets and movies.

But they do have individual pros and cons.

Netflix

Just want a massive library of good content, lots of it in HD or UHD? Netflix is probably the best bet.

For those who are only after a very basic streaming service, Netflix's cheapest tier is better value, but it's surprising how quickly unlimited free deliveries or the odd Kindle loan can make up for the additional cost of Prime membership.

However, it should be noted that despite Amazon's best efforts - to put people off subscribing to other streaming services (they went so far as to eat Lovefilm back in 2014, and their feud with Apple TV has been going on for years) , the low entry prices mean that many households are actually members of both Prime and Netflix. More on that later.

Now TV is the only provider of the three to offer special deals to new customers. At the moment they're offering discounts for purchasing passes upfront:

Content: what can we watch?

Although both Netflix and Amazon Prime say they have thousands of titles to stream, anyone that's flicked through an on-demand library will know it's quality that counts over quantity.

So, who's got the, er, most, best content?

Netflix

Source: Netflix

According to an independent cataloguing site, Netflix currently (January 2020) have 5,960 films and TV series available in total.

Netflix have put incredible amounts of cash into producing original, high quality, high budget content. They're behind:

• Orange is the New Black
• Stranger Things
• Bojack Horseman
• The Crown
• Grace and Frankie
• House of Cards
• Bird Box
• American Vandal
• The Irishman
• Queer Eye

Among many other well-received series and movies. In fact, it can be argued that most of Netflix's value comes from their extensive, impressive collection of originals. They can only be seen with a Netflix subscription, and therefore offer a good reason to sign up to their streaming service.

There are a few shows that Netflix brought back from the dead (or at least reinvigorated). They show existing series and fund new ones. These include:

• Black Mirror (series 1 and 2 were BBC, series 3-5 are Netflix)
• Arrested Development (series 1-3 were Fox, series 4 and 5 are Netflix)

Netflix also show high-value content from elsewhere, like:

• The Good Place
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season 14 is now available on Netflix for UK viewers)
• Mad Men
• Breaking Bad
• Sherlock
• Peep Show
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Of course, there's plenty of nonsense in that nearly-6,000-strong library - but there's almost certainly something for everyone.

Amazon Prime Video

Source: Amazon.co.uk

Amazon Prime is not as universally lauded for its original content, but it's produced some gems. Prime Originals include:

• The Grand Tour
• The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
• American Gods
• The Man in the High Castle
• The Boys
• The Expanse
• HANNA
• Carnival Row

The focus seems to be more on HBO-style high-budget dramas, while Netflix crosses genres more readily. Plus, Amazon simply haven't produced the same volume.

Shows labelled Prime Exclusive are usually free and, as the name suggests, aren't available elsewhere. This includes:

• Mr Robot
• Vikings
• Lucifer
• Black Sails

When it comes to external content, the waters surrounding price are a bit muddier.

Some shows and movies are free to watch for subscribers, while others cost extra to buy or rent. Some - Modern Family and The Walking Dead, for instance - let viewers have the first few seasons for free, but charge for later series.

Notable free content includes:

• House
• Lost
• Heroes
• New Girl

Live sport on Amazon

Live sport is a recent addition to the Amazon Prime Video app.

Some Premier League games are aired live on Prime Video, as well as live tennis like the ATP Tour.

Now TV

Source: NowTV.com

Now TV doesn't directly compare to Netflix and Prime Video, because their content is centred around a bigger provider - Sky - and because their library is split into several categories, each of which is paid for separately.

The Entertainment Pass, for instance, gives customers access to 300 box sets and sought after channels like Sky One and Sky Atlantic (the best way to watch HBO content in the UK). This means shows like Modern Family, True Blood and Westworld are available on demand.

There's also content from Fox (like Family Guy and NCIS) and Comedy Central (like South Park).

This adds up to around 1,700 shows.

Now TV rotates which shows are available on-demand but gives viewers plenty of notice when they're going to stop streaming a certain show or season.

A Sky Cinema Pass, meanwhile, no longer offers access to live tv channels - but it has around 1,400 Sky Cinema films in its catalogue. It also shows a new 'premiere' (not always recently-made films, we should note) every day.

For more detail, check out our in-depth review of Now TV.

A Sky Sports Pass is simpler: it gives viewers access to Sky Sports channels. Easy.

There are also cheaper options: the Kids Pass, with 6 premium channels, and the hayu Pass, which focuses on reality TV.

Streaming: who provides the best quality?

We'll say it right away: Now TV is easily the worst of the bunch when it comes to high-quality footage. Most content comes in SD as standard, and even the standard HD option is only 720p. To watch the superior 1080p HD, customers must pay for a 'boost', which is an extra £3 a month. Even then, not everything's available to watch at the better resolution.

On the other hand, Netflix and Amazon Prime now offer a decent amount of content in Ultra HD (UHD)/4K resolution - if certain requirements are met by the customer.

To watch 4K content on any service, viewers need:

• 4K UHD-ready device and display
• An internet connection that steadily hits 25Mb or higher (check out our guide to the UK's fastest broadband provider)

How to watch Ultra HD on Netflix

To watch the highest-quality footage on Netflix, viewers need the highest tier of plan - the Premium option.

Other requirements:

• A 60Hz TV or monitor that's compatible with Netflix's UHD content. To find out whether a specific model is compatible, search the Netflix help centre
• Streaming quality set to 'auto' or 'high'. This can be changed by logging into Netflix in a browser, going to 'my profile' and then 'playback settings'

Annoyingly, Netflix don't have a dedicated way to search for 4K content. Those with compatible TVs might see a label on the UHD shows, but there's no easy way to browse them via Netflix. That's particularly irritating when trying to decide whether a plan upgrade is worth it.

However, there are several external sites who do the job, such as OnNetflix.

How to watch Ultra HD on Amazon Prime

Prime Video will show subscribers 4K content as long as their devices and displays are compatible.

Unlike Netflix, Prime has a handy 4K UHD category, so it's easy to filter by resolution.

Minimum requirements: speeds for streaming

If bad broadband means that streaming is a serious challenge, it's worth trying some of these tips to speed it up.

For some households, however, speed is always going to be a problem. In that case, the best bet is to take advantage of Netflix or Amazon's ability to download content to a device. It might take a while to download, but there won't be issues with buffering once a movie's stored on the device itself.

Devices and apps: how to watch it?

The device used to watch a streaming service will also affect the quality of the viewing experience. All three services are available through most games consoles, HD and Smart TVs, and tablets and phones.

Netflix and Amazon subscribers can download content to watch offline on their devices. Neither provider allows people to download from their browser, though - for obvious piracy-related

As well as the usual range of third-party devices, Amazon and Now TV both offer dedicated bits of tech to get their customers watching on-demand...

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon have released a line of products designed to work with HDTVs.

The Fire TV Stick plugs right into a compatible television, while the Fire TV Cube is connected with an HDMI cable.

Both allow users to access apps like Prime Video (of course), Netflix, iPlayer, YouTube and so on. Both also connect to Alexa (the Stick through the remote, the Cube directly) for voice search and control.

The Fire TV Cube is the more advanced bit of tech - it can also control compatible soundbars and A/V receivers. It also hooks up to Alexa in more complicated ways then the stick - think light control, switching electronics off and on, etc.

The TV Stick costs about £40 at the moment, while the Cube is around £110.

Now TV Smart Stick

Now TV's current flagship device is also a Smart Stick, which they're pushing instead of the Now TV Box.

The Now TV Smart Stick is powered by Roku, which allow allows for voice search. The Stick currently costs around £25, a fair bit cheaper than Amazon's equivalent gadget.

The data: Who's most popular?

According to Ofcom's 2019 Media Nations report, almost half of UK households currently subscribe to video-on-demand services. That's a big market to fight over.

Netflix are currently winning that fight by a long way, with an incredible 40% of UK households having at least one subscription. Amazon Prime is still massive but only about half the size, while Now TV lags some way behind.

Source: Ofcom Media Nations 2019

It's no surprise that so many people have multiple streaming subscriptions, considering the fragmented market. Different platforms have different exclusive content - for those with varied tastes, paying for several subscriptions is sometimes the smart choice.

All this is only going to get more confusing as Apple TV's appearance, Britbox's launch in late 2019, and Disney+'s upcoming launch in March 2020 add more big fish into a finite pond. Watch this space for our take on these newest services.

Verdict: Who's best?

The answer really depends on household priorities. On the face of it, the providers have a lot in common.

• All three services offer rolling, 30-day contracts - a novelty when pay TV is the norm.
• None are bank-breakingly expensive.
• All have an ever-changing library of box sets and movies.

But they do have individual pros and cons.

Netflix

Just want a massive library of good content, lots of it in HD or UHD? Netflix is probably the best bet.

It's good value, sinks huge amounts of its profits into fantastic new content, and can be viewed just about anywhere.

The downsides are mainly to do with the user interface. It's annoying that there isn't an option to turn off autoplaying trailers. The categories are weird and confusing. There's no way to browse by category or simply A-Z.

Prime Video

Want some added extras? Prime might be a smarter choice.

Amazon Prime comes with seriously useful perks like free next-day delivery, access to books and music, and discounts on other products.

They've also produced some high-quality original shows - and the negotiating power of a multi-billion dollar corporation has worked in their favour when it comes to securing external content.

On the downside, Prime's library is a mix of content that's free for subscribers and content that costs extra. That can make the initial feeling of 'wow, what a lot of choice!' seem a bit misleading.

Now TV

Need to see stuff almost immediately? Now TV works under Sky, so it's the top performer of the three when it comes to live sports, live channels and the very newest content.

It ties in nicely with Freeview (although Freeview is not included), and feels the most like traditional TV watching.

The obvious downside is that Now TV's library is fragmented into several subscription passes. This means that, if a household wants a mixture of TV shows and movies, it will need to pay for two subscriptions.

On Amazon Prime Tv Now

The best thing about the NOW Smart Stick and NOW Box is the NOW app, which can give you:

• The latest on demand and live movies with a Cinema Membership.
• 11 Sky Sports channels with a Sports Membership.
• 6 sports channels including BT Sport and Premier Sports with a Sports Extra Membership.
• The latest must-see TV shows on channels you won't find on Saorview, plus catch up TV and on demand box sets with an Entertainment Membership.
• Thousands of kids' episodes and 6 channels with a Kids Membership.
• Over 150 binge-worthy box sets of the most addictive reality TV shows with a hayu Membership.

Keep in mindGot a Sports Mobile Membership? You can only watch your Mobile Membership on a smartphone – you won't be able to watch with a NOW Smart Stick or Box.

And if that's not enough...

Your NOW Smart Stick or Box comes already loaded with a bunch of other awesome apps, including:

Plus, there are loads more apps you can download onto your Box or Smart Stick too.

To download other apps:

1. On your home screen, scroll to App store and select OK on your NOW remote.
2. Browse the list of available apps, and select the one you want to download.
3. Select Add app to download. Once your app's downloaded, you can find it by selecting My apps in your home screen.

Amazon Prime Now Tv Box