We’ve been increasingly headed to a time where Cable TV or even Satellite TV connections are on their way out. With the availability of high speed internet combined with the idiot box becoming smarter, streaming has become a highly viable way of consuming your favorite shows and programmes. Hence it is not surprising that a high number of Indian viewers have already shifted to the online world of entertainment and come 2017, almost nobody will actually NEED to have anything other than an internet connection to get the entertainment which needed a TV connection previously. Don’t believe us? Check out some of these Video-on-demand services, and the wide array of areas they cover.
Beginning with the obvious, Netflix arrived in India a year back and has seen quite a few takers in this one year. One of the strongest reasons to have a Netflix account (and some would say ‘the only reason’) would be the impressive array of original shows, that have wowed audiences all over the world. The pricing tiers, which were quite acceptable until quite recently, do seem quite steep at this moment thanks to the competition in this area. On the other hand, Netflix is one of the few streaming services that offers upto Ultra HD in quality depending upon the tier you have chosen.
Pros:
-Very good original shows, extensive library, no content censorship, Offline viewing
Cons:
-Price slightly steep compared to competition
Amazon entered the VoD space in India last month with Prime Video. This VoD service is available to all Prime account holders on Amazon. Hence, the entire library is available to you at Rs.499/- per year, or about Rs.42/month, which makes it the most impressive roster of international shows at such a price range. It also includes free one day and two day shipping on Amazon, along with exclusive prior access to offers. And unlike Netflix, there’s no tier based quality availability. Here, the quality simply changes with available bandwidth. Over time, they are also trying to build up on their list of Amazon originals, including the very popular ‘The Grand Tour’
Pros:
-Upto 3 devices
-Download to watch offline
-Parental Controls
Cons:
-No manual quality selection
Another strong player in the video-on-demand segment is Hotstar. With content from all channels in the Star network available, Hotstar also has a tie up with HBO, Fox and other international networks to bring their shows into its offerings. This includes shows like Game of Thrones, True Detective and more. The platform has two tiers - Free and Premium. The Premium tier will cost you Rs.199/month and will let you watch all premium shows and episodes on the platform. For some shows, the latest prime time episode is available on Hotstar even before it hits prime time television. On top of that, Hotstar also streams the IPL on the online platform, thanks to its network channels. Another tie up that works in its favour is the free Hotstar Premium membership via JioPlay, a Reliance Jio app.
Pros:
-Has episodes BEFORE prime time TV at 6pm IST
-First month free
-HD Depends on availability, not on premium
Cons:
-At a time, only one premium video can play per account, irrespective of device.
Spuul specialises in providing movies for streaming. Hosting a vast library of Indian movies, Spuul offers both free and Premium tiers of membership. The only benefit of getting a paid Premium membership with Spuul is access to premium movies as well as an ad free experience.
Spuul allows a highly segmented payment structure ranging across multiple payment amounts and methods, but the amount is around Rs.150 per month, if you go for a monthly subscription (there are daily payment options available too). Another benefit of using Spuul is that it allows you to use any number of devices at the same time.
Pros:
-Allows downloads on phone and tablet
-Any number of devices at the same time
-HD Depends on availability, not on premium
Cons:
-Library limited to Indian movies.
A slightly different offering than streaming, Ditto tv offers live channels at an on-demand basis. What this means is, you can watch any channel of your choice by streaming it over Ditto.tv and you will be viewing what any other viewer on a standard television connection will be viewing. And this service is available for Rs.20/month.
More than 100 live tv channels along with 7 days of saved telecasts are available to you at that price with a 2 day free trial if you’re not sure. Alongside the channels, Ditto also streams the live video feed from several places of worship from all over India. The popular channels on the platform are mostly from Zee and Sony. While these offers are attractive, the quality of transmission does vary on Dittotv heavily depending on the channel you are streaming.
Pros:
-Cheap price
-Availability of regional channels
Cons:
-2 devices can be registered at a time. Only one can stream at a time.
-No blanket HD option - dependant on the channel
Perhaps the platform with the least to offer on this slideshow, go for LIV if you are definitely a fan of Sony Entertainment network or any of their shows. You get a premium subscription ranging from Rs 49 per week to Rs. 999 per month for Six sony channels and additional movies. Even on this platform, there is no blanket HD or SD preference option - it is channel specific.
Pros:
-Access to Sony channels
Cons:
-Expensive with respect to what it offers.
Launched last year, Voot is less of a video-on-demand platform and more of an experience-extending platform, if you know what I mean. Most shows from Viacom 18’s network are available for free as full episodes on the platform, as well as curated clips that would be of interest to repeat viewers.
A few other interesting features include a Kids zone that can be PIN-locked. The platform also makes the viewing experience social by allowing you to express your views through specific shouts on the platform. There are a few originals on the platform as well, but some of them have very few episodes and are unlikely to be continued.
Pros:
-Interesting platform
-Additional bonus content in the form of cards for certain shows
Cons:
-Movie roster not too great
-Incomplete originals