Stan will take the fight to Netflix this year with 4K streaming and offline viewing.
When Stan launched in Australia two years ago on Australia Day, it launched a pretty slick service with a wide range of content. But since then, Netflix’s offering of 4K streams on compatible TV and the launch of downloads for offline viewing have stretched the US service’s lead in the local market.
The good news is that Stan won’t be rolling over and giving up the fight. At a media event in Sydney today, the company announced that it would be bringing 4K video streams to the service, alongside the ability to download many shows to mobile devices for offline viewing.
Stan has confirmed that shows like Breaking Bad, Preacher, and Wolf Creek would all be made available in 4K from April this year. You’ll need a 2015 or 2016 4K TV from LG or Samsung, or the new PS4 Pro, in order to watch the programs in 4K.
In addition to UHD streams, from March Stan will also offer offline viewing on its iOS and Android apps. The streaming service promises thousands of hours of viewing and has name-checked shows like Sherlock, Billions, Wolf Creek, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, plus the upcoming Twin Peaks revival and a huge lineup of kids content. Stan also announced that it has signed up Cartoon Network content, including the eighth season of Regular Show and new seasons of Adventure Time and Powerpuff Girls day and date as they go live on Cartoon Network itself.
So far, there’s no indication that Stan will charge extra for these additional features when they arrive. Given Amazon Prime launched at US$5.99 in Australia with both of those features enabled late last year, it wouldn't be a massive surprise if Stan chose to simply maintain its current price. That said, Amazon's smaller range of shows mean that it won't incur such high network charges for 4K content, so it's also possible that Stan will decide to emulate Netflix and charge a small premium for extra content. Stan's official stance is that it isn't making any announcement about pricing at this stage.
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