back to article Have Brits fallen for Netflix, or do they still LoveFilm?

BBC iPlayer turned five at Christmas, and the Corporation reported some pretty impressive usage statistics as it did so. While iPlayer is something of a juggernaut in the IPTV world, it’s only relatively recently made the leap from PC to living room and connected devices such as smart TVs and set-top boxes. Arguably 2012 was …

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  1. Spearchucker Jones

    Xbox Music/Video?

    It's all I use. On my PC, my phone, my tablet and my Xbox. I also have a LoveFilm (postal version) subscription, which gives me a bit of free streaming online. The LoveFilm app on the Xbox is crap compared with Xbox Video. I tried Netflix for 10 minutes when they launched, but that cupboard was bare, even compared with the (compared with Xbox Video) relatively bare LoveFilm cupboard.

    All said and done though, the only TV I watch is the news, and since my kid made his appearance a year ago I only watch the occasional film. So I'd love to hear how Xbox Video compares with LoveFilm, Netflix and BlinkBox (which I've not heard of before reading this article).

  2. NomNomNom

    im just going to pirate shit until there is a service where i can pay to stream movies. similar to what i did with music before itunes.

  3. Si 1

    Doctor Who

    Netflix is winning for me at the moment as they have all the surviving B&W Classic Doctor Who stories. Now if they could just hurry up and start adding Jon Pertwee's stuff and beyond it would be even better....

  4. StooMonster
    Thumb Up

    High Definition

    I signed up with Netflix because they had High Definition support, when LoveFilm were low resolution streaming only at them time. Do LoveFilm have better HD support these days?

    Another thing, was easy to roll out Netflix around the house, just used those Apple TV things: plugged them into power and HDMI and done.

    Coincidentally had a conversation the other day with friend, where I realised that most of our current household viewing is Netflix — rather than Sky or optical discs — and it's because (a) there's not much we fancy to record on Sky at the moment and (b) there's loads of series on Netflix that we kind-of-fancied in the past but never got round to watching but can now watch the entire things in HD (mostly).

  5. StooMonster

    Breaking Bad

    For those who haven't tasted the delights of Mr White and his story, Netflix has the UK exclusive distribution of Breaking Bad at the moment.

  6. Zaniwoop

    Netflix

    i have a Samsung smart tv and Netflix is not an option at all only lovefilm witch ofcourse lovefilm have paid Samsung to include in there smart tv's

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blinkbox for me

    On the rare occasion I want to watch a film, blinkbox usually has something. £4 is a bit steep compared to rental from the local DVD shop (or Asda's cheap buys). Other than that, it seems great.

  8. Thorfkin

    Top Gear

    I just wish they would update Top Gear on Netflix with the newer series. They stopped at series 17 and have not posted anything past that.

  9. The Brave Sir Robin
    Thumb Up

    Netflix for me

    With Netflix I get HD content with 5.1 surround sound on my WD TV Live STB and great HD video on my Android phone, Android tablet and PCs. Using the DNS bodge I get access to the US content. Currently working my way through some series I missed such as Warehouse 13, Eureka and Breaking Bad.

    Lovefilm doesn't support Android which is a big no-no for me. Especially as there's no reason for this as they do support the Kindle Fire. Also no support on the WD TV Live.

    It amazes me that Netflix can provide HD quality streaming on Android tablets and phones with DRM but the likes of Lovefilm , Sky and the BBC can't. Perhaps they should license streaming technology off someone who knows how to do it like Netflix.

    1. StooMonster
      Headmaster

      Re: Netflix for me

      The BBC, Sky, etc say they have more than a quarter of their customers using GingerBread, so they cannot offer advanced features like HD streaming ... unless they want to cut off their service for a chunk of their customers.

      (Last time I looked on Google Android analytics, couple of weeks ago, GingerBread was more than 50% of devices accessing Google Play in the prior two weeks.)

      Of course they could develop different clients for different versions of Anroid, which is exactly the Android fragmentation issue in a nutshell.

      Whereas their Apple iOS clients are shiny and packed with cutting edge features, such as programme downloads (so one can watch iPlayer on the train and not worry about tunnels).

      1. The Brave Sir Robin
        Flame

        Re: Netflix for me

        That argument is bollocks. Netflix runs on Gingerbread and even Froyo. The whole Android "fragmentation issue" is also bollocks. Developers need to write their code properly. Netflix runs on anything with Froyo or newer. The only issue potentially is for someone running a cheap and nasty budget phone/tablet.

        The market share argument for supporting Apple over Android is a non-argument and there is no fragmentation issue for Android if the code is properly written. The BBC and Sky seem to be populated by Fanbois IMV or they're in Apple's pocket (probably in the case of Sky anyway). It is fundamentally wrong of the BBC to waste license fee on supporting the Apple platform over Android when there are more Android using license fee payers.

        Cut off 50% of their customers ? How can they cut off 50% of their customers when they don't bloody have any customers ? BBC iplayer on Android is lazily and badly written, relying on utterly rubbish Adobe technology to bodge in DRM. Sky Go is so crap it's not worth bothering with even if it does work on your device. Amazon just want people to buy Kindle Fires so they won't support other devices even though there's no technical issue why not.

        If Netflix can produce a quality product on a wide range of Android devices then there's no excuse for Sky, the BBC and Lovefilm not to do the same.

  10. OrsonX
    Meh

    pay for TV?

    Big Bang is on constant loop on Channel 4....

    ....and even that's shit now.

  11. CmdrX3
    Meh

    US content on Netflix is far better

    Although I did really like their Lilyhammer series. I might even pay a months access to watch House of Cards. Will it be as good as the original... You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment.

  12. SolidSnake
    Meh

    Tried both Netflix and LoveFilm instant

    Contentwise, I didn't find BIG difference between the two.

    I choose Netflix at the end simply because for the ease of use, I also found their recommendation engine is good.

    I had many troubles with LoveFilm, the user interface is really behind and the app experience on the PS3 was horrible.

    Both need more content though.

  13. Hagglefoot
    Facepalm

    Fate acomplished

    You will probably find that that the shot in the arm that Netflix is promoting is due to the fact that over Christmas all those DVD gifts that had Ultraviolet paraded all over them were installed by people because of the no choice disposition of the media.

    For a while people were buying the digital versions so that they could load them on their iGadgets but with ultraviolet you were left with only once course of action, that and the supposed drop in i-Gadget sales and to get the same film on itunes download is so expensive. People have therefore in a cost saving exercise gone for galaxy III's and are watching moves over netflix while reserving the true blue hi quality playback for a cozy night in in front of the widescreen.

    There we go mystery over. Chistmas gift channeled to netflix via Ultraviolet, I suspect the registrations will remain for rewatch purposes but the take up might drop off now after Christmas.

  14. Barry Rueger

    The view from Canada

    We're doing Netflix (US, via an add-on service to fool them into thinking we live there). The programming might be a season or two old, and the movie choices less than comprehensive, but we're paying about $12 a month, versus $40 minimum for cable.

    For us it's a hands down easy choice. We're not TV junkies, and don't care if we're watching "this weeks'" episode of some show, so we could never justify the difference.

    Admittedly Netflix lacks sports, and news, but I don't care about the former, and listen to BBC World Service in the car via smartphone for the latter. And surely Netflix' interface is horribly bad, and inconsistent to boot - some days it shows me "recently watched", some days it doesn't. No idea why. And I would LOVE to be able to tag things that I find and would like to watch later.

    My frustration is the sheer amount of programming out there on the web that I can't (easily) get onto my TV. I'll happily pay for a single box that will get me the usual Netflix etc stuff, but also let me view streaming TV from websites the way that I can on my computer. And don't get me started about the madness of all of these regional series with differing choices.

    Finally: An American remake of House of Cards? - that's just sad.....

  15. feanor

    Can't use Netflix thanks to the damp peice of string that BT laughingly refers to as broadband. Maybe one day in the distant future us country bumpkins will be able to use such things. Its nice to have something to look forward to.......

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not really worth it

    Both Netflix and LoveFilm have terrible UI's and while Netflix is the better that's not saying much. For using on a TV their search facilities are painful. You really do need a keyboard.

    Of course none of this would matter if the content was top notch. Sadly they both have a very limited supply of films and TV episodes ... even worse is that they often don't have the complete seasons of series that finished years ago!

  17. Bobthe2nd
    FAIL

    Games

    When comparing providers ensure you use the same units.

    Lovefilm do films AND games.. Netflix do films only and just low quality streaming, so its not comparable.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Seriously thinking of ditching sky. The only dissenter in my house is a somewhat unintelligent child who likes to watch disney channel tweenage garbage ad infinitum(seriously, if you've even seen some of this stuff, it makes the ITV1 saturday nite schedule look quality). I'd be happy to pay a very small fee to be able to stream / download this twaddle to their bedroom tv, thus keeping them out of the way and stopping the whinging. Can anything UK based actually do this? One of the very strange things about streaming / downloading services is their lack of will to actually tell you what they show....

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