Streaming TV Comparison

If you don’t know your Netflix from Quickflix, let us give you the low-down on streaming and downloading TV shows and movies in New Zealand.

The arrival of Netflix on Kiwi shores has inspired competition from local competitors like Neon and Lightbox, which is great news for Kiwi consumers as competition breeds better value and stronger offerings. As they say, variety is the spice of life. However, the sudden torrent of on-demand streaming services means you’re flooded with choices. With the likes of Disney plus launching last year, and Warner Bros. likely heading to New Zealand in the near future, you’ll be up to your knees in streaming services before you know it.

Whether you’re looking to watch the latest television shows on a budget, willing to pay the price for premium content or you’re more than happy sticking with free-to-air, we’ve compared every online TV streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) service side-by-side below.

We’ll show you where to watch re-runs Game of Thrones without the ads, how to binge the entire Breaking Bad collection in high-definition and how much you’ll pay for each service.

Internet Television is televised content that is delivered to all sorts of connected devices, from personal computers to smartphones to video game consoles.

Also referred to as “Internet Protocol Television” (IPTV) or “streaming”, this technology enables viewers to watch television shows, movies, news and sports online.

The streamed content is viewed through a website or native application that gives the viewer access to a live stream or library of television shows and movies.

With a steady Internet connection and a compatible device, there is little difference to what traditional broadcast options offer.

Why is streaming taking over? Convenience. While you can live stream TV shows and movies as they happen, the main draw of streaming television is the thousands and thousands of classic movies and recent blockbusters available with the press of a button.

The wide selection of compatible devices also means you don’t have to wait until you’re home on the couch to catch up with the latest news and premium TV shows. Streaming and Internet TV can be accessed from your office computer or from your smartphone on the commute home. When you finally put your feet up of an evening, you can continue what you were watching on your Smart TV without missing a beat.

For a long time, Kiwis had to rely on Sky for their television and entertainment needs, but services like Netflix are shaking up the entertainment landscape. Services like Netflix and Prime Video peddle convenience and flexible streaming plans (a language not spoken by traditional cable providers).

These services also produce their own high-quality content (Stranger Things, House of Cards and Jack Ryan just to name a few), meaning you don’t have to fork out full-price for high-quality entertainment. Thankfully, services like New Zealand’s own Lightbox are playing catch-up and fast (Lightbox released its first original productions in 2018), so the on-demand loungeroom invasion has inspired local content providers to do better.

There are many reasons to compare on-demand streaming services. For instance, Neon offers primo television like Game of Thrones and Westworld but comes at a pretty penny, Disney+ gives you the Marvel and Star Wars Universes and a bunch more, whereas catch-up services like ThreeNow and TVNZ OnDemand offer smaller on-demand libraries but won’t cost you a cent.

What devices can I stream video on?

You can stream most services through just about any device with a display and an Internet connection. Below is a list of common devices used to stream Internet TV.

Smart TV

Smart TVs connect to your home Wi-Fi and come with various in-built apps. From weather to apps like Netflix and Stan, Smart TVs allow you to access video streaming services without any extra equipment. When shopping for a Smart TV it’s important to consider which services are available on the television’s operating system.

Computer

If you have a PC or Mac desktop or laptop computer, you’re already halfway to streaming most major streaming services.

Smartphone and tablet

One of the more popular devices to stream video on, smartphones and tablets allow you to binge TV shows, movies and news on the go. Most major streaming services are compatible with iOS, Android and Windows phones and even offer offline viewing options so you don’t chew through your data.

Game console

Why fork out for a new television when you probably own a streaming-enabled device already? Game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have native apps for Netflix and more. The 4K-ready PS4 Pro and Xbox One X also allow you to stream 4K/UHD content (when connected to a 4K TV).

And more…

If you’re not looking to fork out for a Smart TV, there is a huge selection of affordable streaming hardware options, like Google Chromecast, Apple TV and Fetch TV that essentially transform your standard television into a Smart TV.

FAQ

More questions? You’re not the only one. See what other people are asking.

• What is a geo-block?

  A geo-block stops you from viewing certain content from other countries. The technology recognises where a user is located based on their IP address. Geo-blocking is what is used by popular streaming providers, such as Netflix, to make sure an international service is not being used where it isn’t available.

• What are broadcasting rights?

  These are the laws which govern what content may be viewed from and where. These rights vary depending on the restrictions the distributor places on the content and the country it originates from. In some instances, broadcasting rights allow for limited online distribution of a movie or TV programme or control when it is released. It is for this reason that many international television shows streamed to New Zealand are often episodes, or even seasons, behind the country where the show originally aired.

• Does Internet TV affect my download quota?

  In most cases, yes. Some companies allow for unmetered viewing of select streaming services. Otherwise, you will burn through roughly 300MB of data per hour (on average).