HOW TO GET ALL THE ON DEMAND AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO GET STARTED
On demand services can be watched through internetconnected 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 maker 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, Eircom and BT.
FREE-TO-AIR SERVICES
The free services, RTE Player (rte.ie/player), ITV Hub (itv. com/hub/itv), All 4 (all4.com), Virgin Media Ireland Player (virginmediatelevision.ie) and UKTV Play (uktvplay.uktv. co.uk), allow you to watch shows and films that have already aired on the various channels from the VMI, RTE, ITV, Channel 4 and UKTV at no extra charge. They also have other box sets.
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
There are also a number of streaming services for which you will have to register and pay a monthly fee.
The US giant Netflix (netflix.ie), 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 €5.99 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 €7.50 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) costs €4.99 a month after a seven-day free trial, for access to Apple-produced series.
Disney+ (disneyplus.com/uk), which launches tomorrow, offers access to the company’s vast library of film and TV for €6.99 a month or €69.99 per year.