UPDATE: last month, Stan announced that it was bringing 4K streams and offline viewing to its service this year, and now the latter has arrived – updated article below!
Now that streaming media has become a mainstay in Australian homes, Aussies have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to getting their home entertainment fix.
When combined, Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video offer an enormous range of content that can be instantly streamed into your home. However, if you can only afford one subscription service, narrowing down a definitive choice can be harder than it seems.
As each service brings with it a unique range of television shows and movies aimed at different segments of the streaming audience, not to mention differing price points, device compatibility and streaming qualities, we’ve taken it upon ourselves bring you an in-depth guide to what you can expect from Australia’s three major SVOD platforms.
With the constantly evolving nature of each service discussed in this guide, we will endeavour to keep you updated on any significant changes and updates that may occur to these streaming giants in the future.
Here’s how the Australian streaming situation stacks up in 2016.
Netflix vs Stan vs Amazon Prime Video: price
Probably the best thing about having so many streaming options to choose from, is that it forces each service to be priced competitively.
Last to arrive to Australia, Netflix offers the cheapest stream of the main three, with a single stream in standard definition at $8.99, which, if we’re being honest, isn’t particularly good value, but may appeal to those who live alone and have a poor quality internet connection.
Thankfully, for $11.99 a month you can get a dual-stream subscription that offers HD streaming quality.
If 4K streams are what you’re after, you’ll need to subscribe to Netflix’s premium package, which costs $14.99 a month and allows you to watch the service on four devices simultaneously. This is probably the most ideal subscription for families with differing tastes in shows and movies.
It should also be noted that a proposed Netflix Tax may raise the price slightly in the near in future.
Though Netflix is obviously working off of how it’s priced overseas, Stan has chosen to come out at the low, no-nonsense price of $10 a month.
This kind of price cuts straight to the point – once you’ve tested the service’s 30 day trial, you’re either on board with forking over a tenner each month, or you’re not.
Undercutting Netflix’s pricing substantially, Amazon has a special introductory offer that grants new subscribers access to the service for a monthly fee US$2.99 (AU$4) for the first six months, after which it will renew at US$5.99 (AU$8) each month after that.
Netflix vs Stan vs Amazon Prime Video: devices
For many people, the decision of which streaming service to sign up for may come down to the devices they own.
Netflix has the biggest global reach and has been around the longest, which is why it can be streamed on the largest number of devices.
The Netflix app is available on a wide range of smart TVs from manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Philips and Hisense, though you should check your television model to see if the service is supported. Stan is available on all 2013-2015 Samsung smart TVs featuring Smart Hub software, 2014-2016 Sony smart TVs (running Android TV) and all 2014-2015 LG smart TVs running WebOS and Netcast software.
It’s also just been announced that Stan is now streaming on selected 2015 and 2016 model Hisense smart TVs, and will also be available on every Hisense TV released in 2017.
At present, Amazon Prime Video only officially offers its service in Australia through computer browsers, however, the Amazon Prime app has sneakily appeared on a number of 4K smart TVs, such as Sony’s Android TV models. Before settling on Prime, you should check and see if you smart TV has an app for it.
And, while Amazon Prime Video hasn’t officially released console apps in Australia yet, there is a simple trick to streaming the service on your Xbox One.
If your smart TV is of the 4K/UHD variety, chances are that its Netflix app supports 4K streaming. You can also get a 4K Netflix stream for the latest wave of Ultra HD Blu-ray players, such as the Panasonic DMP-UB900 and the Samsung UBD-K8500. Microsoft’s newest console, the Xbox One S, also offers 4K playback.
The Apple TV also supports Netflix and has features built around service, such as the ability to use Siri to search for titles by voice, which places Netflix titles appear alongside iTunes listings. A Stan app is also available for Apple TV, but Amazon won’t allow its app on Apple TV or Chromecast for business reasons. With that said, you should be able to display Amazon Prime Video on your Apple TV through AirPlay. So far, Siri functionality is only available to Netflix.
Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video are all available on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, though some older Android models may not be compatible.
When it comes to game consoles, Netflix has the biggest reach, with apps for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox One S, PS3, PS4 and the Nintendo Wii U. Stan has most of the consoles covered but lacks support for Xbox 360 and Wii U.
Netflix and Stan are also available on Fetch TV, which is quite handy for the hundreds of thousands of Australians currently subscribed to Fetch.
If you don’t have any of the TV-connected devices listed above and still want to watch Netflix and Stan on your television, each service can also be streamed to a Google Chromecast, which ostensibly provides regular TVs with smart TV functionality (so long as you have a smartphone or tablet to stream from).
Finally, you can watch Netflix and Stan on the Roku 2-powered Telstra TV media streaming box.
Netflix vs Stan vs Amazon Prime Video: kids
When it comes to kids shows and movies, each service has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Stan has a wide selection of children-friendly shows that mostly stem from its partnerships with Turner Broadcasting (the Cartoon Network), the ABC and Viacom.
Cartoon Network favourites like Adventure Time, Ben 10, Regular Show, The Powerpuff Girls, Cow and Chicken, Generator Rex and Ed, Edd, n Eddy are all ready to stream on Stan.
Likewise, classic ABC titles like The Wiggles, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Guess How Much I Love You and Justine Clarke, as well as overseas titles like Octonauts, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam, Sesame Street and Mister Maker are available to stream on the app, and its Viacom deal brings with it a large range of shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, like Avatar: The Last Airbender; Octonauts, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, Bubble Guppies, and popular live-action shows like iCarly, VICTORiOUS, and Drake & Josh.
Like the rest of Amazon Prime Video’s content library, its Kids selection is quite sparse at present. You’ll find a number of Amazon Original kids shows you’ve probably never heard of, like Wishenpoof!, Tumble Leaf and Just Add Magic, alongside some tried-and-true kids movies classics, like The Little Rascals, Casper, Spy Kids and Babe.
Netflix also has a wide-ranging partnership with Walt Disney, bringing with it films and TV shows from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.
Animation fans will be happy to know that Netflix has also produced some original shows based on classic DreamWorks properties, including Puss in Boots and How to Train Your Dragon.
Deals with other big children’s program distributors Saban, DHX Media and Hasbro Studios have also provided Netflix with numerous incarnations of Power Rangers and My Little Pony.
Special mention should also be given to inclusion of the classic Aussie kid’s show, Round the Twist, on both Netflix and Stan’s respective catalogues.
Netflix vs Stan vs Amazon Prime Video: TV
A wide and varied range of television shows are available on Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video, thanks to individual deals between each of the SVOD services and their content partners. Because of this, each service should have something for everyone in your family.
While there’s a lot of crossover when it comes to the availability of shows on each platform, perhaps the most important deciding factor comes down to the exclusives and original shows available on each service.
Netflix is without question the leader in this regard, with a large, global slate of original shows that are, for the most part, available in every one of its territories around the world.
The service has achieved huge success with its diverse lineup, which includes award-winning shows House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, long-form superhero shows like Marvel’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones, internationally-targeted shows like Narcos, animated sitcoms such as BoJack Horseman and F is For Family, comedies like Fuller House, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None, and countless stand up comedy specials, to name but a small selection from its rapidly-expanding library.
Though Stan is only available in Australia, it has already begun creating its own original content, having produced the improvised comedy series No Activity, the upcoming TV spin-off of Wolf Creek and the second season of Plonk.
Stan is notable for also having a large range of exclusive shows in its stable, with Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, Power, UnReal, Community, Lost Girl, Dig, Gallipoli, Ash vs Evil Dead, 11.22.63 and Better Call Saul tied to the service for the entire life of each series.
Unlike its competitors, Stan also fast-tracks new episodes of its exclusive shows as soon as they air overseas.
As the newest service to hit Australian shores, Amazon Prime Video doesn’t currently have much of a content library on offer, then again, that probably goes a long way to explaining why the subscription price is so cheap for the first six months.
Most people considering a Prime subscription are probably looking to watch The Grand Tour, the new car enthusiast show from the team behind the beloved series, Top Gear. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll happy to know that every available episode of the series is available on Amazon Prime Video in HDR, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Other big Amazon Original shows include Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent, though these shows have been available on Stan direct from the US for quite some time. That said, there are others which are only available to stream on Amazon Prime, including The Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Hand of God and Bosch.
You’ll also find a small selection of classic shows, like The Shield and Justified.
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