How to watch movies and TV shows online on paid streaming apps

Q: How do streaming services work?

Streaming services offer movies, TV shows and sometimes Live TV for a monthly charge. You can watch them anytime and anywhere. Usually, you can also cancel them easily with only a few clicks without any commitment or contract. It&apos;s a great option if you don&apos;t have access to traditional TV packages.

Q: What devices can I use to watch streaming services on?

You can watch streaming services on your computer or laptop via their websites, or on your smartphone or tablet via their apps. You can also watch them on a smart TV, or using an HDMI cable to connect your older television set to your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. You can also use your game console to transform your TV into a smart TV. Lastly, there is a range of devices that you just plug into your television to transform them into a smart TV.&#xA0;

Q: What internet speed do I need to watch a movie or a tv show on a streaming service?

It will depend on the image definition, the higher the definition, the faster your internet will need to be: <ul id="block-f6b1fe54-9226-4f46-b114-9e95ae21825b"><li>For SD, you will need a minimum of 3Mbps.</li><li>For HD, you will need a minimum of 6Mbps.&#xA0;</li><li>For Ultra HD, you will need a minimum of 25Mbps.</li></ul>

Q: Can I download films and TV shows from streaming services to watch offline?

For all paid streaming services, you can download films and TV shows to watch offline at your convenience. Usually, most of the original content is downloadable. The only difference is in what type of device you can download and also for how long the download will be available.&#xA0;

Q: Does watching movies and TV shows on paid streaming services use a lot of data?

Streaming services will also use around 1GB of data per hour for standard definition. If you want a better definition, you will use more data. For example, HD can use up to 6GB and 4K can use up to 14GB per hour.&#xA0;

Q: Are any streaming services free?

Yes, we have listed above some websites that provide free content. Check them out for some free streaming. Some of the paid streaming services listed above have a free trial period, so make sure you use them to make the most of it.&#xA0;

Q: How can I watch movies and TV shows offline?

You will only be able to watch movies and TV shows offline if you download them. Some of the streaming services we mentioned above will give you this option.

Tamires Criscio

| Edited by Tom Church

Updated 8th February 2021

If you are willing to spend some money, you have lots of options for paid streaming services. It will be hard to choose from and not get all of them! To help you make the decision on which to invest, we have pointed out their pros and cons.

In this guide

Netflix

Netflix is the biggest streaming service at the moment with millions of subscribers worldwide. You will get lots of original content and it only starts at £5.99 per month. If you like binge-watching TV shows, this is an excellent option. Some of the best productions from the last few years can be found there and you have access to new content daily, which is great.

PROS:

It's affordable.
It has easy navigation.
It has a good selection of original content.
It's always uploading new content.
It’s available in Ultra HD.

CONS:

Netflix is focusing more on TV series than movies, so its movie selection is not so good compared to Now TV cinema, for example.
It charges extra for HD and Ultra HD.
It doesn't have a free trial.

Amazon Prime Video

The next most popular streaming service is Amazon Prime Video. You will also get lots of original content and extras. Prime Video is trying its best to bring some really good movies and TV shows, exclusively to them. All of that for £5.99 per month (for Prime Video only). You can even access many other streaming services by simply adding extra paid channels to your monthly subscription.

PROS:

It’s affordable.
It has exclusive content besides original content.
It brings lots of extra channels to upgrade your subscription.

CONS:

It doesn't upload new content frequently.
The interface and navigation are not user-friendly.

Now TV

If you like HBO TV shows, you need to get Now TV, as it's the most affordable option to watch HBO in the UK. It works with monthly passes for different programmes, such as cinema, sports, entertainment and kids. If you only want to watch TV shows, you will need to pay £9.99 and if you only want to watch movies, you will need to pay £11.99 a month. It's more expensive than other streaming services but you have access to premium content.

PROS:

Some of the best content.
It has a good selection of extra channels to add-on.
It allows more flexibility with different programmes to choose from.

CONS:

It's more expensive when compared to other services.
It has one of the worst navigations for computer users.
Not all content is available in HD or Ultra HD, which is also charged extra.
It doesn’t allow you to create multiple profiles.

Apple TV Plus

Apple has its own TV with only original content. There you can watch The Morning Show, which is a masterpiece. You can get this for free for one year every time you purchase a new Apple phone, computer, laptop, tablet or TV. After that, it’s £4.99 per month. At the moment, Apple TV Plus is more focused on delivering quality than quantity. The result is the best viewing experience among all paid streaming services at the moment.

PROS:

It’s affordable.
It only has original content.
It comes with some of the best streaming quality with all content delivered with HD, Ultra HD and 3D surround sound.

CONS:

Its selection is still small but growing.

Disney Plus

We would only recommend Disney Plus if you watch Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic content. But if you have kids, this is almost mandatory, as you will be able to keep them entertained for hours. There you can find Beyonce's new audiovisual project and Taylor Swift’s new “Flockore” intimate sessions. At the moment, you have lots of deals that give Disney Plus for free, but if you can't get one, you will need to invest £5.99 per month.

PROS:

It has lots of franchises.
It comes with all of Simpsons’ seasons.
It’s cheap.
It also comes with some of the best streaming qualities with all content delivered in HD and Ultra HD.

CONS:

It has a restricted selection.

Hulu

Although Hulu is not officially available in the UK, you can still watch it. Hulu has some really good shows, including the many awards winner The Handmaid's Tale. On the other hand, Amazon Prime Video is doing a good job streaming some of Hulu’s shows for free, so you don't necessarily have to get Hulu. If you still want to watch some of its content, you can get it using a credit card. Be aware that you will need to pay for a VPN as well.

PROS:

It has exclusive content.

CONS:

You will need to pay in dollars and be taxed, and you also need to get a VPN if you don't already have one.

Britbox

If you want to get the best of British TV shows and movies all in one place and without the need of watching any ads, this can be a great option. Britbox is also available in Canada, the USA and Australia and is a joint project between BBC and ITV. You will get a combination of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 programmes. You only need to pay £5.99 per month, but you need a TV Licence to use this service because of BBC programmes.

PROS:

Everything is available in full HD.
It has the best of classic British television programmes.

CONS:

You can't download to watch offline.
You will need to pay for a TV Licence.

TVPlayer

This works pretty similar to Freeview, but it promises premium channels that aren't available on Freeview. It's a cheaper solution if you don't want to get a traditional TV package. You will pay £6.99 per month to get all the channels from Freeview and more. You will need a TV Licence to use TVPlayer.

PROS:

It's very affordable.
It comes with zero commitment. You can cancel it anytime differently from a traditional TV that has a minimum one year contract.

CONS:

You will need to pay for a TV Licence.

Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video: which is better?

You can do a lot with both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. They are the most important streaming paid services at the moment. If you are not sure which one to get, we have compared them for you. Check below:

Price

The standard plan on Netflix is £8.99 and the standard plan on Amazon Prime Video is £5.99 (Prime Video only). The difference is £3 and in both, you get to stream at two screens at once, to download at two devices at once and HD resolution. Prime Video also includes Ultra HD (4k) for the same price.

Devices

Both streaming services function well on different devices. You can either access their website or their apps. The only difference is that on Netflix you can download movies and TV shows on your computer and on Prime Video you can't. So if you are someone that uses more computers than other devices, this is a crucial point to your decision making. Also, Amazon Prime Video has the X-Ray feature on all devices, while you can only get extra content on Netflix with a Chrome Plugin.

Content

The easiest way to decide what is the best streaming service for you is by their content selection. What do you want to watch? With this simple question, you can make your decision. At the end of the day that is the most important thing, getting access to the movies and TV shows you want to watch. Keeping that in mind, Netflix does have four times more content than Amazon Prime Video.

Security

Both services have a good security system. If you are someone that worries a lot about cybersecurity, Netflix can be a better option as you can’t make any extra purchases there. With Amazon Prime Video, you can easily go to different services and also shop on Amazon’s website. If someone gets a hold of your Amazon Prime Video account information, the damage could be bigger. On the other hand, Amazon has created a two-step verification process to make it more difficult.