Rakuten TV (formerly Wuaki) has recently removed the streaming option from their service, focusing instead on the buying and renting of digital movies and television shows. So how does it hold up in the face of growing competition?
Founded in Spain in 2010 as Wuaki.tv, Rakuten TV is a streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) service owned by ecommerce giant, Rakuten (parent company to Play.com and Kobo Inc.). It now has over 600,000 users in Spain and more than 400,000 in the UK. Let’s take a look at how Rakuten TV shapes up since the removal of its streaming service.
| New Releases | SD | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | £3.49 | £4.49 |
| Buy | £9.99 | £13.99 |
| Back Catalogue | SD | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | £2.49 | £3.49 |
| Buy | £7.99 | £8.99 |
Prices vary across individual titles. Like most digital media stores, Rakuten TV prices TV shows to parallel DVD or Blu-ray prices, as well as taking the age of the content (newer titles are more expensive). Rakuten TV’s pricing closely matches other digital media outlets, like Google Play and iTunes. Oddly, many users report that their purchases have been deleted after three years. With a similar pricing structure and no guarantee your purchases won’t be lost to the void, Rakuten TV offers little reason for Google Play or iTunes users to jump ship.
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Which platforms and devices is Rakuten TV compatible with?
Top picks on Rakuten TV
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How do I sign up to Rakuten TV?
Since Rakuten TV has dropped its “Selection” subscription service, signing up is a simple process. Simply visit the website and click the 
button in the top-right corner of the screen. Next, you will be asked to set up some basic login information. Enter your email address (which will later be used as a login I.D) and an eight character password. You will be asked to repeat your password for security purposes. Once that’s done, click 
. Done! You now have a Rakuten TV account. Once you choose a title to download, you will be asked to enter your payment details.
Rakuten TV pros and cons
Pros
- Reasonably priced
- Some early digital releases (like Insurgent)
Cons
- Weird three-year expiry on purchases
- Inconsistent stream quality
Verdict
Rakuten TV once offered an interesting hybrid of traditional digital purchases and streaming video-on-demand (much as Amazon Prime Instant video offers now), but since dropping the “Selection” element, Rakuten TV offers an inferior service to what’s already available from the big players, like Google Play and iTunes. Add this to its unreliable stream quality and what you get is a service that simply doesn’t compete.
My super points have not been credited to my profile.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for reaching out to finder.
Rakuten Super Points are usually credited to your account in approximately 3-6 weeks after you make your purchase. However, the timing of issuance may vary depending on the affiliate store’s sales and cancellation policies.
If your RSP are still not credited within the expected timeframe, you an submit a claim to Rakuten’s customer support page found on their website and include the retailer name, order number and the full purchase price.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Charisse
Hi Finder,
Thank you for an informative feature. The tables at the top of the article refer to prices and state “New releases SD” and “Back Catalogue SD”. I can find no explanation for the use of the initials SD. Do you know what it means, please?
Kind regards
J x
Hi Jan,
Thanks for reaching out to finder.
SD means Standard Definition which uses a resolution that is not considered high- or enhanced-definition. If you prefer your movies to have a more detailed video and sharper overall video image quality, you may want to go for High definition resolution.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Charisse
What’s the sign up fee?
Hi Eddie,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
Rakuten TV does not have a fee. Instead, you can choose titles you want to watch and either rent or buy it outright from their website.
Please send me a message if you need anything else. :)
Cheers,
Joel
I need to pay with my new card how can i cancel my old 1
Hi Jean,
Thank you for leaving a question.
You may need to contact the customer service team of Rakuten TV for you to be able to change you payment details. Please contact them at 0170 445 0177 from Mondays-Fridays from 8am-5pm. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
Hi, how can I download my films to the sd card instead of internal storage on Samsung Galaxy (Android)?
Hi Glen,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
Offline feature is available in most Android and iOS devices
On Android, download is available for devices with Android version 4.3 or higher and support for Widevine DRM (this does not include Android TV). On iOS, download is available for all devices with iOS 8 or newer installed.
To start watching offline content you have to update Rakuten TV’s App on your Android or iOS device to latest version available on Google Play or AppStore respectively.
After you rent or a buy a content, if your device is compatible with our Offline feature, a “Download” button will be placed in the information page of all the movies and episodes available for download, next to “Watch now” button.
Downloads are placed in the new “Downloads” section located in the left menu in Android, and in the new “My Profile” menu in iOS.While a download is in progress, you will see that the movie is greyed out and a percentage is shown below the cover to show how far through the process your content is.
Offline functionality works with the same timings offered throughout the rental and purchase options in our service:
– Rentals: 48 hours from the moment the content is rented
– Purchases: Indefinitely.
On average, you will need around 1-2 GB of free space for downloading a movie, and around 800 MB for an episode. Note that you can only download the content in the internal memory of the device.
Cheers,
Joel
Is it possible to download the rakuten tv app on my amazon fire stick?
Hi Mica,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
Unfortunately, it is not possible yet to install the Rakuten TV app to an Amazon Fire stick.
For now, you can only install the Rakuten TV app on these devices:
– iPad
– iPhone
– Android Tablets
– Android Smartphones
– Xbox 360
– Xbox One
– Chromecast
– EE TV
– Sony Smart TV
– Samsung Smart TV
– LG Smart TV
– Panasonic Smart TV
A computer that runs on:
– Mac OS X 10.4 and above
– Windows XP
– Windows Vista
– Windows 8.1 and above
Rakuten TV is still in the process of developing their app and may include an app native for your Amazon Fire Stick soon.
Cheers,
Joel
I purchased a new samsung tv at xmas ,was informed i would have 10 free movie s as a reward for the purchase ,yet never received the gift ,how do i redeem or check how to claim the gift .
Hi N M Roberts,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. Just to confirm, did your TV retailer offer the reward? If so, best to contact them directly about your reward and how you can redeem it. I’m afraid we don’t have information on how to claim the reward that was offered to you.
Regards,
May
I want to change my debit card as mine has expired how do I do this
Hi Heather,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder.
Upon checking, I found these steps that would help you:
How can you Add or Change the Credit or Debit cards linked to your account?
Here you will find everything you need to add or update your billing information.
How to add a new credit/debit card
1. Go to “Settings”, which is located on the top right hand corner of the homepage. (uk.rakuten.tv)
2. Click on the “Payment methods” tap.
3. Insert your card details.
4. Then click on “Add Credit Card”.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
Does the UHD work with the Xbox X?
Hi Shots,
Thanks for your inquiry,
UHD/4K will be available if you have a UHD/4K Television and if your connected device (Xbox) has UHD/4K feature that you can select in the settings. This should be connected with a HDMI cable that also supports UHD/4K.
Once you’re all set up, the video will be viewed on UHD/4K quality. Also make sure that the video that your are going to play/stream is in UHD/4K format.
You may seek further assistance with the manufacturer’s technical support of your devices.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Rench
Do you pay a monthly fee for this service or is it only charged at what you view
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your question.
Wuaki.tv is not a monthly subscription streaming service. Instead, you will be asked to choose the titles you want to view and you could either rent or buy it outright.
Cheers,
Anndy