STREAMING TV...For the love of VOD

Which SVOD service has the best content? And which rules the roost when it comes to AV quality? Steve May, John Archer and Mark Craven grab a remote and investigate

- Steve May, John Archer and Mark Craven

IMAGINE YOUR HOME cinema without streamed video. For many of us, ripping out a network connection and relying on discs and broadcast TV for thrills would be something of a culture shock. Our dependence on SVOD – streaming video-on-demand platforms that offer all-you-can-eat content – may have snuck up on us, but now we're standing at the buffet stuffing our faces.

And why not? In the last half-a-decade, streaming platforms have upped their game. It was once clear that Blu-ray disc guaranteed the best experience in town, but when Netflix debuted 4K material in 2014 the UHD BD format was still two years away. Ever since then, 'net-connected corps have slowly pushed the envelope, improving adaptive bitrate technology, ramping up the amount of 4K content, and adding HDR and 3D audio embellishments. The argument that SVOD services are all about convenience over quality has long stopped ringing true.

Battle of the binge

It's not just in technological terms where the digital market has progressed. The battle being fought between Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+, to name the Big Four of the SVOD world, is also a creative one. Attracting new subscribers, and retaining current ones, can't simply revolve around a library of catalogue content. There's a demand for new, exclusive material, delivered by the industry's brightest stars. In fact, it's the transformation of tech outfits like Amazon and Apple from distributors to developers that's perhaps the most startling aspect of the SVOD boom, along with the sight of Hollywood A-listers happily turning their attention to small screen endeavours.