Netflix has finally descended upon Aotearoa like an enormous black obelisk, but before we circle around and go ape over this foreign Godsend, we should also take a good hard look at the other On Demand options available to Kiwi film-lovers (this exempts TV-only options like Spark’s Lightbox). We’re constantly adding On Demand options to our colossal listings on Flicks as well, because we love you, and we want the best for you.
We also want to help you move through this dense world of digital movie distribution. Is Netflix the choice for you? Could Quickflix be more suited to your lifestyle? Did you even know that Video Ezy has an On Demand service? If you’re thinking about jumping on the Subscription-based Video On Demand (SVOD) train or the pay-per-view services (PPV), we’re here to help you compare and contrast the plans, the costs and the catalogues with this simple breakdown.
So let us throw a bone up in the air as we jump-cut into the future of PPV and SVOD in New Zealand.
Netflix – the breakdown
What is it? A subscription-based service that allows you to watch any movie (and TV show) in their catalogue at any time.
How much does it cost? There are three plans:
The basic plan is $9.99 per month, but doesn’t provide HD content and only allows one device to be used at any one time.
The standard plan is $12,99 per month, which provides HD content and allows two devices to access Netflix at the same time.
The premium plan is $15.99 per month, which provides Ultra HD content (when available) and allows four devices to access Netflix at the same time.
You can sign up here and get your first month free
Quickflix – the breakdown
What is it? A subscription-based service that allows you to watch any movie (and TV show) in their subscription catalogue at any time. You are also able to rent (but not own) New Release films, which does not require a subscription.
How much does it cost? Their one plan is $12.99 per month, which provides HD content and allows three devices (this is one more than the Netflix $12.99 plan) to access Quickflix at the same time. Up to six devices can be loaded onto one account.
You can sign up here and get your first month free + one new release movie credit
Neon – the breakdown
What is it? Sky TV’s subscription-based service that allows you to watch any movie (and TV show) in their subscription catalogue at any time. You do not need to be a Sky TV account holder to sign up for Neon.
How much does it cost? Their one plan is $20.00 per month, which provides standard definition quality adaptive streaming and allows two devices to access Neon at the same time. Up to five devices can be loaded onto one account.
You can sign up here and get your first 30 days free
Netflix/Quickflix/Neon – comparing the catalogues
When comparing the enormous amount of films from each of these subscription-based services, there are a few factors at play: the titles on offer, the size of their range, and the frequency of interchanging content.
It’s a lot to take in, so we’ve gone for a simple quantitative measure that counts the currently available number of films by genre as defined by each respective service. While this isn’t a scientifically accurate form of measurement, it does produce an interesting outline.
First, we compared every available title available on Netflix (as of writing) with that on Quickflix (both its SVOD and new release content).
Quickflix has the superior range, which comes to no surprise. However, if you take away the new release PPV content from Quickflix’s catalogue, the subscription-only content starts to even out, with Quickflix dipping slightly below Netflix.
What happens if we put Neon’s SVOD content in the mix? Well…
We stopped counting after ‘Drama’, for Neon doesn’t exactly have a varied method of categorising its content. As you can see, its quantity isn’t exactly blistering compared to Netflix and Quickflix, especially when you’re expected to pay $7 more per month for Neon.
It’s worth reiterating though that Neon has some quality content on offer with their SVOD catalogue: Only Lovers Left Alive, Much Ado About Nothing and Mood Indigo are but a few fresh offerings (all jacked from the Rialto Channel).
Additionally, while Netflix and Neon are solely SVOD services, Quickflix offers both SVOD and PPV – and you don’t need to be on their monthly subscription plan to rent their new release films On Demand.
There are more PPV options out there that are worth checking out, ones that do not ask for paid monthly subscriptions and allow you to buy films to add to your personal digital library. There are the big guns such as iTunes, Google Play and YouTube’s On Demand service. Blu-ray and DVD rental chain Video Ezy have entered the PPV game too with their On Demand service – Video Ezy On Demand. How do their prices compare? Well, it’s gonna vary from movie to movie and from service to service.
We did a little test comparing the rent/buy price of a new release film (Boyhood) and an aged classic (Jurassic Park) between the different services and formats (SD/HD).
It’s quite an even-looking playing field. Perhaps this is enough to encourage the stingiest of film-lovers to roam all four services to see which one has their movie at the cheapest price. Not a bad tactic, and as we continue to add On Demand listings to Flicks, we’ll prove helpful in this department. As with films playing theatrically, our plan is to make as many choices as possible to you, our dear reader, with the ultimate aim being to help to choose your movie and how to see it.
There are also two other PPV services to keep in mind. The first is Vimeo On Demand, which caters more to independent films while opting out of mainstream movies. For cinefiles, it’s worth keeping an eye on this service, for you’re able to score some real gems at low prices. You can rent a compilation of all the 2015 Academy Award nominated live-action short films for $3.95 or own it for $7.99 (running time: two hours).
The second PPV service to keep tabs on is New Zealand’s own NZ Film On Demand, a digital library made up of our nation’s contribution to cinema. It ranges from the classics (The Quiet Earth is available to rent/buy for $4.99/$14.99) to recent hits (Fantail – $6.99/19.99), our globally-recognised short films (The Six Dollar Fifty Man – $1.99/$4.99) and even some local films we still struggle to love. It’s a growing library, and you’re unlikely to find a PPV movie service with more homegrown content than this.
