I can still remember Rdio’s Australian launch day. Considering that day was just three years ago, that’s not a huge feat of recollection. But the idea of having access to an iTunes-depth of music for a flat fee was mind-blowing and memorable. It was like walking into the JB Hi-Fi CD section with $13 and saying “I’d like to buy this establishment, please”.
As a person who would previously buy $5 cassette singles, being able to listen to any song or album with the snap of my fingers was mind-blowing. No worrying about buying a bad album, no annoyance of paying $2.19 for a single, no issues of not having enough space on my 2GB iRiver MP3 player, or having to travel to a CD store.
The future was in the cloud. And it was amazing.
And now the same future is here for visual media, thanks to the launch of Stan, as well as the availability of Presto and Quickflix. But what is the best service for right now? I spent a weekend trying to answer that very question for Techly, with the keys to each service, and here are my findings.
Quickflix
Some Background
Quickflix has always been a bit of a work in progress. Competitors, like newborn Stan and Foxtel-backed Presto, have spent months trying to win customers through interesting content libraries and admirable device support. Quickflix comes across as confused in execution and awkward to use, in comparison, and has for years.
To be fair though, Quickflix has made some smart moves in recent months, and isn’t yet out of the game, with promising acquisitions of some classic HBO and BBC content.
Quickflix still has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to improving their clunky interface, poorly thought-out device support strategy, and their insistence on using the Silverlight plugin for web playback.
Sign Up / Pricing
Signing up to Quickflix is a far more streamlined experience than it used to be, thank goodness.
You enter your email, choose a plan, punch in your details with a credit card number, and you’re ready to go. As is now the norm with a lot of other streaming services too you’ll also get a 14-day free trial of Quickflix by default, with $9.99 being billed monthly following the initial evaluation.
Interface
Despite multiple redesigns, Quickflix is still visually messy and inconsistent across devices. TV shows with multiple seasons aren’t grouped together on the homepage. Different box-sets get odd, different slots. And the few movies Quickflix gives users for free are similarly poorly featured.
Another strange part of Quickflix is their ‘Premium’ content, which is an add-on iTunes-style service on top of the subscription service. And while the ability to buy new releases in a single interface is fine, there’s an unfortunate lack of distinction between free and ‘Premium’ content.
For example, see that ad for Fury up above? Despite being logged in, with an active paid subscription, that ad still leads to a ‘Premium’ paywall, with absolutely no warning from the homepage. Nobody likes a bait-and-switch, so hopefully their a-la-carte ideas are improved, or removed altogether.
Overall platform discovery is poor. The homepage editorial team just isn’t up to snuff at the moment, especially compared to their competition. Personally I think this could be helped by some sort of automated Charts system, such as iTunes Charts, which would help their manual curation. It just lacks the personality and moderation of the competition.
When you realise that their homepage is useless though you’ll soon find that search is pretty decent on Quickflix. It still sometimes brings up completely random results, and is again filled with separated boxsets of TV series, rather than single hubs, but it’s fast and it works.
In general though, Quickflix feels super disjointed, and on each platform, whether it’s on the web or on a games console, the interface is different in confusing ways.
Apart from that, the only other feature of Quickflix is a ‘My Playlist’ section, which I guess you could compare to Netflix’s Watch List. Though, again, it isn’t supported on all platforms yet.
And this sort of sums up Quickflix. Despite a head start, Quickflix still comes across as unfinished when placed side-by-side with rivals.
Device Observations
Browser
With more and more people (including myself) switching off their TVs and turning to their computers to watch movies and TV shows, decent browser support is critical in 2015, and any attempts to defend the big screen as the ‘proper way’ to experience movies or TV shows is pretty much over, at least in my demographic.
Sadly, though, as with other web apps from Stan and up until recently Netflix, Quickflix relies on Silverlight to push content through the browser rather than Flash.
Silverlight was first launched in 2007 by Microsoft as a competitor to Adobe Flash. Though, as time went on, it was soon seen as a lost cause for Microsoft, with HTML5 gaining significant traction in browsers and on mobile. Microsoft ceased development of the plugin in 2013, though it’s still a popular way to protect video streams, even with its small 64% user adoption rate as of May 2011.
As a product of its time, Silverlight was fine. It was chunky, and it wasn’t exactly a popular plugin for users, but it did its job.
With that said though, in 2015 it’s just not a relevant web standard anymore. Not only does Chrome for Mac not even support Silverlight, but when I switched to a browser that did support it, Safari, to watch a show, the playback experience was actually broken. I clicked play on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm and waited. And waited. And waited. But nothing happened.
Maybe that’s a problem with the plugin, or the player, or the browser, but in the end it all comes down to the fact that Silverlight, as a plugin, is already dead. To launch a service now with a reliance on it is just an act of ignorance, especially when the world’s top streaming platforms (Netflix, YouTube are already using the open HTML5 standard.)
Perhaps the web Quickflix player will work for you, though it shouldn’t be up to the user to work around a website for compatibility, it should be up to the platform to make sure their content works with popular setups.
While I couldn’t test it, playback on the web, according to Quickflix, is at the moment limited to SD.
If Quickflix is competing with piracy then it’s losing.
iOS
Looking beyond the fact that the Quickflix iOS app is just a reskinned iOS 6 app, their mobile attempts are, again, frustrating. As well as an ugly design, the app is just flat out buggy and broken.
There’s no Airplay or Chromecast support (Stan and Netflix support both), playback is only in SD, and the organisation of the app is outdated at best and gross at worst. The organisation of ‘Premium’ movies is also just as frustrating here. Even worse, if you want to rent a ‘Premium’ movie you have to leave the app, check your emails for a link, open Safari, login to Quickflix, purchase the movie or show, then go back to the app to watch it.
Pass.
Android
Surprisingly Quickflix’s best mobile overall experience is available on Android. If you want to fire a video to your TV, you can with Chromecast. If you want to watch something off your Playlist, you can. And if you want to buy a Premium movie, right in the app, you can. The interface is Holo, which is nice to say the least, and it’s actually almost coherent in terms of finding content, searching for movies and shows, and just getting in and going. I’m guessing this is the blueprint for a future revision for Quickflix’s other apps.
Playback is fast too, and video pipes in at nice HD resolutions. With that said though, the only problem I find is the custom player used, which wouldn’t hide my notification tray, but I’m not sure whether this is just a bug with Oppo’s Android skin or whether it’s an app thing. There were a few hiccups with the app too, namely an occasional error message, but if you just want to Chromecast a movie to your TV, and if don’t really watch media on your computer, Quickflix on Android ain’t bad. In fact it’s sorta good.
Other platforms
Windows Phone / Windows 8: Didn’t have a chance to try this, though the most recent user review says “Videos don’t restart and glitch all the time”, which doesn’t sound out of the ordinary for Quickflix apps. The last update for the phone was in May 2014 too. Playback is also in SD. PlayStation/Xbox: This app is a bit slow, particularly on PlayStation, but it seems more functional than any other app. HD playback is available too, which is great, and Quickflix just generally it feels right at home on console. Only real issue is the UI, which, again, doesn’t feel like any other Quickflix interface. Consistency is king guys. Chromecast: Works from the Android app, and worked fine for me. Apple TV: Not supported yet in any way.
Content
Quickflix has content problems. Despite an investment of sorts from HBO, the platform doesn’t have any standout movies or TV shows. Their best content is also hidden behind the ‘Premium’ paywall, meaning you might as well use Google Play or iTunes over Quickflix.
According to the company, deals exist with Disney, NBC Universal and BBC Worldwide, as well as with Lionsgate. Yet movie selection is poor and the TV library, while having some scores thanks to HBO and the BBC, still has big gaps in other departments.
Cancelling Service
Cancelling a Quickflix account is easy as pie, with a big button on the settings page. A+ here.
Final Thoughts
Quickflix has a fine selection of content in isolation, but it’s still buried and thin in comparison to, say, Presto or Netflix. Mixing paid content with subscription is also incredibly scummy, and just makes me not want to use the service in general. Their apps are generally disappointing too, excluding their Android app, and no Airplay support on iOS means I can’t watch their content the way I want to.
If Quickflix is competing with piracy, then they’re failing, hands down, in both accessibility and in content, unless you use just Android and Chromecast, or a games console.
If you really need to watch a particular show, like The Sopranos, I would give Quickflix a trial for a month or so. But still, there are far better platforms available, even from less experienced companies. All Quickflix has going for it, for now, is maybe some cool content deals, but their platform itself is hot garbage.
Presto
Some Background
Presto was originally launched in March of 2014 as a movie-only subscription service, and gained a lot of press as a potential Netflix competitor. Despite an initially small platform footprint, a humble library, and also an absence of TV content, the service has grown into a seriously good deal, if you own a tablet and a Chromecast.
In recent months too, thanks to a large investment from Seven West Media, the company also started a roll out a TV service which, similarly, destroys the competition in size.
Just in terms of content, Presto has a genuinely diverse selection of movies and TV shows, with a bigger library than both Stan and Quickflix, as well as a unique selection of local titles from the Seven Network. Also, for new release movies, and even some classic movies, such as Pixar films, Presto wins in the content department.
Though there are some catches to their content head-start.
Sign Up / Pricing
First up, unlike competing services, Presto doesn’t offer a free trial. And as well as that, Presto is split into three different payment plans. For $15 you get Presto Entertainment, which is their entire TV and Movie library, though alternatively you can pay $10 for either Presto TV or Presto Movies. Basically it’s like choosing the Movie channels and the Entertainment package on a Foxtel subscription, which is quaint given Presto’s part-Foxtel ownership. As well as this, the sign-up process itself is a bit goofy, with a confirmation email never arriving for my account. I’m not alone too. Though support, which operates from 7am to midnight, 7 days a week, sorted me out quickly and without any sass. Plus I didn’t even have to pick up the phone. Otherwise there’s not too much to report. It’s a typical process, though I hope they quickly add some sort of trial period.
Interface
Presto’s interface is sort of like a middle-ground, resting in between Quickflix and Stan. It’s a bit slow on desktop, and the iPad app could do with some changes, though, in contrast to Quickflix, in general they’ve so far emphasized quality over platform quantity, which I prefer to a suite of crappy apps.
Presto’s homepage is also really well put together, with a curated selection of interesting titles from the service’s library plucked out by an editorial team. And if that ever gets stale, a Trending section has proven itself to be a great discovery mechanism for when you just can’t think of what to watch.
Search is also fantastic, with the unique ability to search by person, meaning a search for Tom Cruise gave me hours of great movies to watch. It’s fast and precise.
Admittedly, though, their team doesn’t really have to do much to showcase great content, because Presto’s library itself is fantastic. There are some great TV boxsets, some incredible movie choices, and on top of that everything is organised in a smart way. Shows have hubs, with rich metadata, and the service also remembers your progress through any chosen item. Rotten Tomatoes reviews and cast info are also great, and just in general the Presto system of organisation is perfect.
Presto also has a nice Watch List feature, which is another pattern between these services. And I’m happy to report it works really well.
Device Observations
There’s not too much to report here because, like Quickflix, Presto’s only issue is to do with availability of apps. Compared to even Quickflix though, that’s not because of just a lack of quality device support, but mainly a lack of device support altogether. Presto only works on the web, an iPad app, and a new app for Android tablets. That’s it. No phone apps, and if you want to watch anything on your TV you’ll need a $49 Chromecast.
Web Browser
The web interface for Presto is probably its best asset, though it can be a hog in some places.
Presto’s homepage is a bit sluggish, and it even killed a Chrome tab on a new Macbook Pro, which makes me worry about potential access on an older computer. Though in terms of design, menus are big and smart, and the whole site feels like a dynamic app, rather than a static page.
I also have to give Presto a pat on the back for actually using a Flash Player for their web playback. Seriously, thank God for that.
Though with that said, the actual playback of shows isn’t fabulous. As with all Presto video, you’ll be watching in compressed SD, which sometimes feels like watching a pirated DVD from Bali. As well, the video player itself opens as a box on top of the website, and it can be hard to actually activate the video controls on their player when compared to the leanback experience of competitors. As well, just by inspecting the Flash Player itself I can see that Presto is hosting their videos on Ooyala, a video provider which can have some hiccups on Australian internet.
But after just an hour of use I have to report that, generally, Quickflix’s web interface is the best of the bunch. It’s smart, there are plenty of shortcuts (like a quick menu for adding shows to your watch list), and the Flash playback, based on my experience, was fast and nice. Plus it should be easy for them to smooth this out over time.
iPad
I’m going to assume that Presto is currently building a major revision for their iPad app, because as it stands the iOS experience is a bit underwhelming. There’s no Airplay support, and as well even if they added such a feature the lack of an iPhone app altogether means it’d be less useful for multi-device households. The tablet structure, while fully-featured, also feels a bit dated in places, looking more like an iOS 6 app rather than a new app. The video player is also weirdly huge, as if they stretched out a phone UI and put it on a tablet. Playback is in SD, though it works fine and streaming is fast and smooth, so maybe that’s for the best at launch. Still, I dream of the day when they add Airplay, move to HD on their platform, and also improve the design of the app.
Android Tablet
Presto’s Android tablet app is pretty much a port of the iOS app, which isn’t a good thing. It’s slow and stuttery, though I guess it gets the job done. Though for a first effort, it isn’t great.
Lack of platform support is a little frustrating, but at least it’s better than Quickflix’s plan of moving fast and breaking everything. Chromecast support, though, is great, and works as it should on Android and iOS. Though, because of my short trial time, I might have not seen problems that may exist.
Content
Presto’s movie content is world class compared to their local competition, with a lot of its library coming from Foxtel’s Movies channels. According to the company their providers include MGM, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Roadshow Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros Entertainment, Hopscotch Entertainment One, ICON, Studiocanal and Transmission Films. And just by looking at the homepage you’ll see that Presto is a killer movie service, though that’s to be expected given its higher price. There are also just a lot of great classics too, and I was surprised to see things like a whole range of Pixar movies, and my favourite older titles like the Die Hard series.
Presto TV, which just launched recently, is also still fresh, and its library is also world-class in some aspects, though lacking in other more niche areas. For example, at launch they only have the first series of The Newsroom, and also they have all but the last series, season 8, of Dexter. While they love to list of their launch titles, often they only offer dated seasons.
Speaking of content though, Presto is in quite the predicament in the way it’s competing with Foxtel’s own Foxtel Play service, which makes me wonder whether Presto might intentionally be shooting itself in the foot as a way to bring more value to Foxtel’s own streaming services.
Though with that said, just in the echo chamber of competition, Presto’s initial offering is incredible in a number of ways, and it destroys the competition.
Cancelling Service
Cancelling Presto is easy, though you will have to look past the fact that Presto calls a cancelled account a ‘paused’ account. More confusing than it could be, but still, considering this is Foxtel’s baby, consider yourself lucky.
Final Thoughts
Presto, as you’d hope, dominates when it comes to content. The presentation is still a bit undercooked, though at the same time that’s to be expected from a brand new streaming platform. At least it works.
Airplay support is, again, a strange omission, which is odd given Stan and Netflix’s support of the Apple content-pushing system, though Chromecast support means that watching awesome TV shows and movies on your TV will only cost another $49.
Content is king with Presto, offering a slab of shows and movies you won’t be able to get anywhere else, though with that said, it still isn’t a one-stop shop, which is a common conclusion for every service. Thanks to heavy competition too, that isn’t going to change soon. Maybe $25 a month for Presto and Stan is your best option.
Stan
Some Background
Stan is without a doubt the nicest video streaming service to hit our shores yet, as a platform, though it is missing a lot of the content appeal of Presto. For $9.99 a month StreamCo’s service, which is a joint venture between Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media, will give you access to an adequate TV and movie library, with a lot of specific content wins, though also a lot of holes broadly speaking.
In terms of platform though, Stan is simply the best place for streaming, with quality apps available from launch on iPhone, iPad, Android, and desktop. On top, Airplay and Chromecast are also supported at launch, with a native Apple TV app also apparently in the works. If ubiquity is important to you, Stan is an interesting proposition.
Stan also has some oddly-specific, though equally lucrative content deals, with first-run pay-TV shows and new release movies also expected to drop regularly on the platform, such as Breaking Bad’s spin-off, Better Call Saul, and at launch The Wolf Of Wall Street available to stream for free. Though, because of a smaller price tag and a weird ownership duo, Presto still beats it in the content department. For Stan, it seems that they’re more focused on little glimmers of light with content, such as a current promotion of James Bond movies, and of a single new release movie.
Sign Up / Pricing
Signing up for Stan is super simple. Just enter your email, your password, credit card, and some other details and you’re ready to go. From there too Stan offers the most generous free trial of any local service, with 30 days of TV and Movie access offered for the nice price of free.
Interface
Stan’s UI isn’t exactly perfect, but it’s close to it, with a consistent, clean visual style across all platforms. It’s safe to say that their designers were inspired by Netflix, but it also still has its own unique twists, as well as great features ripped straight from Netflix, such as a continuity-style feature where you can put down one device, pick up another and keep watching your last watched item from the homepage. It’s fast and seamless.
The only real interface issue I’ve experienced is to do with search, with sluggish performance, a lack of real search filtration when compared to Presto.
Though going back to the good bits, menu’s are great on Stan, with simple ways to sort through content when compared to the local competition, with a choice of genre’s, collections (James Bond movies), and an option to see everything available on Stan.
There’s also a Kids section, which locks kids out of mature content and instead just lets you, or even themselves, choose some cool child-friendly TV shows, documentaries, and movies.
Charts would be cool addition for discovery, though I’m sure this will eventually be added as the service matures.
A My List feature is also available, giving users a Netflix-style way to come back to content that might be interesting. It works well, as far as I can see, and again, thanks to a simultaneous launch on iOS, web and Android, the feature is consistently applied throughout each interface.
If anything, my only other complaint is a lack of console apps on Xbox or PlayStation, though it’s early days, so hopefully things like this arrive soon, and at least the apps already available are stable and work as promised.
Stan is still not as mature as Netflix, but it’s definitely getting there, and it’s also the best local effort there is in terms of user experience and streaming quality, with HD streams, smart device interoperability features, and a cool, clean UI.
Device Observations
Web
Unlike Presto, Stan unfortunately relies on Silverlight for movie playback, a platform Microsoft themselves have even abandoned. This means that Google Chrome simply cannot be used to watch anything on Stan, which is a shame.
If you move to Safari or Firefox though, Stan’s web app is close to perfect, with quick streaming, HD options, and also the ability to go fullscreen. The web player, in comparison to Quickflix’s broken one, is also pretty nice, despite its Silverlight reliance.
And again, I have to commend StreamCo’s consistent design style, which means the website feels more like an app rather than a disconnected web recreation. Now all we need is an HTML5 player, if that’s possible, or at least Google Chrome support. When you’re competing with piracy you really can’t afford to make these kinds of DRM sacrifices at the customers expense.
iOS
While there are a few misplaced drop shadows, the iOS interface for Stan is definitely nice on the eyes. The home screen is fast and smooth, though search is, again, still a bit slow on the iOS app. The video player, which is a non-native one it seems, is a great first effort, but the custom video player isn’t as polished as it could be, with little bugs occasionally occurring, such as the time still showing throughout playback, even when watching a video in fullscreen. I also experienced a few error messages, which would close playback, though Stan’s cloud-progress feature meant I could always just jump back into the last show I was watching.
Airplay support is great too, and I was darting videos between my iPad and my Apple TV with ease.
Android
The Stan app on Android is another great experience, and the only difference I could really see between this and the iOS version was a visual goofs when streaming video. For instance, while watching an episode of Top Gear the video would flash blue when it was switching between HD and SD, though this was in part due to a weak Wi-Fi signal. Tearing was also a bit of an issue, and the video wasn’t as smooth as it was with the Quickflix app. Chromecast support makes up for this though, and again, the UI both fits with Android, while still feeling consistent with Stan’s overall design style.
Content
While it’s still hard to judge Stan’s content lineup for now, at launch it appears to be complementary to Presto, and destructive for Quickflix. For example, Stan occasionally is missing newer series of TV shows, in quite a disappointing way, though it also has a lot of the classics that Presto lacks, such as a personal favourite, BBC series Life On Mars, or some cool little things like Community and Daria seasons. Though touching on that again, a big gulf exists in season availability. Dexter on Presto has series 1-7 available, while on Stan it only has the first three up for grabs.
Though besides this, just observing the homepage shows that while Presto has more fresh movies, Stan fills in a lot of their gaps, and vice-versa.
Content deals currently include Sony Pictures, the ABC, SBS as well as their World Movies subsidiary, Viacom, MGM, BBC Worldwide, Showtime, and CBS.
Stan’s deal with ABC Commercial, a content house for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, means you can watch Summer Heights High, Ja’mie: Private School Girl, Upper Middle Bogan, It’s a Date, The Moodys, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Thomas and Friends, The Wiggles, Redfern Now, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Jack Irish and Janet King. Another non-exclusive deal exists with Viacom Global Networks, with rights to SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, iCarly, VICTORiOUS, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, Teen Mom, My Super Sweet Sixteen, Geordie Shore, South Park, Tosh.0 and Reno 911. There are also talks of potential co-productions from Stan, meaning a lot more local content is on the horizon from Nine, the ABC, and SBS.
At launch, Stan is promising, though time only time will tell in terms of whether its content will remain fresh. As always, this part of the comparison is super subjective, though personally I still find Presto to be more up to date, while Stan is more comprehensive.
Cancelling Service
Cancelling Stan is easy, with a big, obvious button available on the Account Details page.
Final Thoughts
As a platform Stan surely isn’t as mature as Netflix, but it’s definitely the best platform for streaming video in Australia. Though with that said, Presto still holds the crown for more premium offerings. There are a few specific exclusives for Stan, such as Better Call Saul, but their new releases are more sporadic compared to Presto. If you don’t have an iPad, or an Android tablet though, Stan is your only option for now.
Comparing local services to Netflix
Thanks to the current flood of streaming video providers, Australian’s now finally have the ability to legally and easily stream a bunch of TV shows and movies. Although, the downside, for the moment, of this newfound competition is the competition itself. There is no clear front-runner at the moment, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all choice. In contrast, Netflix US is still the king of platform and choice stateside.
In the end if you’re happy to waste a bit of time setting up VPNs, Netflix still dominates in price and content, though for most people that’s a hassle not worth having.
Our call?
While Netflix is the most mature streaming service out there, it’s still far too frustrating to use in Australia for your average person. It’ll be interesting to see whether Netflix’s upcoming Australian launch brings with it a competitive platter of titles, but for right now, if you can afford it, a combo of Stan and Presto Entertainment is the best you can do.
If $25 is too much a month though, the final choice really comes down to what you want out of a streaming service. Both offer unique slices of content from leading distributors, but it’s up to you to pick your flavours. As well, you really should ask yourself whether you need a subscription service at all. If you watch a lot of TV on free-to-air or Foxtel, then you might not really have a use for a subscription service. And the same goes for movies too. If you already spend less than $25 on movies a month, then maybe your best option is to rent what you want, when you want it from iTunes, Google Play, or your local video store.
For me though? I’ll be sticking with Presto and Stan, because so far I’m loving the convenience of an all-you-can-eat entertainment buffet.
If you still have any questions regarding this guide or the services, feel free to let them fly in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer them.
The post Guidely – A weekend of streaming Stan, Presto, and Quickflix – full review appeared first on Techly.