Your Life
Prime viewing at your fingertips
The days of being stuck with whatever happens to be on the TV at the time you want to watch are well and truly over. EDIN READ explains the ease and benefits of tuning into a streaming service.
There is no longer a need to record shows to view later, miss an episode of a favourite show when you’re away or having to pick up a season halfway through.
These days, it a simple case of hovering the remote over what you want to watch, when you want to watch it – streaming.
These advancements mean you can easily head out for the evening without having to worry about hitting record, and then watch it when you’re ready.
It also means you can catch up on a show your friends have recommended without being left behind, or start a new series from the beginning.
How, you ask? Easy, through online streamingw platforms.
You may have heard of Netflix, Stan and BritBox, but did you know that there are also free platforms available?
ABC iview, SBS on Demand, 7plus, 9now, and 10play all allow you to stream your favourite shows for free – yep, 100 per cent free.
All you need is a steady internet/Wi-Fi connection with enough data, a smart device to view them, and to open an account with them.
These are the official services provided by the channels you know and love – ABC, SBS, Channel 7, Channel 9 and Channel 10 – so you can find most shows that are currently or have been on air recorded for you, ready to stream when you are.
Signing up is straight forward. Generally, head to their website, press sign up, provide your details, and then verify your email with them. Then, you can watch via the TV, by downloading their app to your tablet, or online on your computer.
You don’t need to give any credit card information to them, but simply need to provide a few details such as your name, email and, in some cases, date of birth.
I know what you’re thinking – what’s the catch?
There is none. It is the beauty of streaming from legitimate sources. They make money the same way as Live TV, through ads although you’ll notice that there are fewer ads than on live TV – about 30 seconds rather than a few minutes.
The best bit is you can pause whenever you want and come back later.
What if your TV isn’t a Smart TV?
Most televisions are “smart” these days, meaning they can connect to the internet and download apps so you can get the most out of what you want to watch.
There are simple adapters such as the Chromecast with Google TV or Apple TV which will make your TV smart.
This saves money by using a sleek gadget to transform your TV rather than having to buy a whole new TV.
Paid streaming services are also a great way to get prime viewing. Netflix, Stan, and BritBox are highly recommended.I have tried and tested all of the streaming services currently available (for testing purposes only, of course!) and these take the cake.
They cost around $9-16 a month and are well worth it.
Think of the cost and the late fees we used to pay at the local Blockbuster!
You can cancel any time and there is no limit to how much you stream. This means that no matter how much you watch, you’re not going to be charged more or less.
This works well because routines change. Some days you’ll watch a lot and others you’ll be too busy to watch anything at all.
You won’t know yourself once you sign up and start watching!
There are more streaming recommendations in the blog section of Greyology’s website.
Edin Read is the chief technician and founder of Greyology. Visit greyology.com.au
