Best for on-demand

Which free-to-air channel takes the catch-up crown?

BBC Iplayer

The BBC’s digital offering – free of charge as part of your TV licence payment – goes from strength to strength. 4K streaming of certain shows is set to arrive this year, following previews at the end of 2016, and – where licensing allows – the shelf-life of programmes is increasing. Install the app and you’ll be able to take shows offline, too – perfect for commuters.

ITV Hub

Not the easiest to navigate, and you’ll need to sign up with your personal details before you can access it, but the ITV Hub offers up straightforward access to recent broadcasts and live channels. There’s not a lot else on offer, though – if you’re looking for box sets, low-compression streaming or downloading, you’re out of luck.

All 4

Channel 4’s offering is among the best in terms of content (with a vast range of classic box sets on offer as long as you’re signed into the service) and great streaming quality. On the other side, though, the interface can be a little awkward, particularly when you’re promised several series of content and only given one; and the mid-show ad breaks are absolutely excruciating in their length.

My5

Again, a commercial offering that’s understandably heavy on the ads, and the trickiest to navigate of all of the services here. There are box sets on offer, but Channel 5 and its associated networks generally cover lower-brow programming – while there are some good US shows coming through on Spike et al, top picks are few and far between…