HOW TO GET ALL THE ON-DEMAND AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO GET STARTED
On demand services can be watched through internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, computers, tablets, phones and smart TV boxes. The majority of TVs bought after 2010 will be smart TVs, which means that they can connect to the internet. You can also make older TVs smart with a set-top box or by plugging in a device known as a TV stick, such as a Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick. Before you get started, you must ensure that your house is wi-fi connected, and this means signing up with a broadband provider. Companies, such as Sky, Virgin, BT and Talk Talk offer a range of options.
FREE-TO-AIR SERVICES
The free services, BBC iPlayer (bbc.co.uk/iplayer), ITV Hub (itv.com/hub/itv),
All 4 (all4.com), My5 (my5.tv) and UKTV Play (uktvplay.uktv.co.uk), allow you to watch shows and films that have already aired on the various channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and UKTV at no extra charge. They also feature a selection of other box sets from their archives.
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
There are also a number of streaming services for which you will have to register
and pay a monthly fee. The U.S. giant Netflix (netflix.co.uk), which includes hundreds of hours of films and TV shows, including royal family saga The Crown, starts at £5.99 a month and doesn’t offer a free trial. The video offering from
Amazon (amazon.co.uk/piv) comes as part of the Amazon Prime subscription, which costs £7.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. NowTV (nowtv.com), is Sky’s on demand catalogue available through a set top box rather than a satellite dish. It costs £8.99 a month for an ‘Entertainment Pass’, which gives you access to channels such as Sky One and Sky Atlantic. A seven-day free trial is available and other passes — to Sky Sports and Sky Cinema — can be added on at an extra cost. Apple TV+ (apple.com/uk/apple-tv-plus) costs £4.99 a month after a sevenday free trial, for access to Apple-produced series. BritBox (britbox.co.uk) is your best bet for British TV box sets as it boasts a wide range of classic shows from the BBC and ITV archives. It costs £5.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. You can watch True Royalty at trueroyalty.tv, via Apple and Android apps, and smart TV boxes. It is £4.99 a month after a seven-day free trial.