Compare TV Plans: Streaming, Cable and On-Demand

What to watch and how to watch it. What you need to know – all while saving money. Now more than ever, Australians can get the best there is in TV entertainment at the push of a button. Gone are the days when TV viewing was restricted to a handful of broadcasting stations. With the advent of Cable TV, Australians can finally get a wider range of viewing option – not to mention the newer streaming services that have evolved in the last few years. As the broadband and mobile internet infrastructure in Australia continues to grow, these services make finding and watching a new favourite show possible – anywhere, anytime.

But while it sounds like the march of progress has handed viewers complete control over their viewing time, these advances come with new challenges. The plethora of new viewing options can make it hard to know which providers give you the best access. Then there’s subscription fees, bundling options and data requirements – as well as the issues that come from content licensing laws and geo-blocking.

While it’s true that there is now more content available to watch than ever before, this combined with the sometimes fractious nature of copyright and broadcasting laws can make it hard to know which provider has which shows and movies at any one time. And because these broadcast options can be so fractured, this, in turn, can make it hard to know if you are paying the best price for what you want to watch.

So how did we get here? How did we go from being content with clustering around the TV in the living room – watching a bunch of free-to-air TV stations with set schedule times – to being able to pay a small monthly fee to get the movies and shows we want streaming to our smartphones at any time?

In Australia, we used to have analogue TV stations broadcasting a range of shows, movies and sporting events at predefined times. If you were unlucky enough to not be in front of a TV at the time of airing, you missed out – unless you had a VCR set to record it.

Then along came cable and satellite TV. Not only did these services deliver a far greater range of content, but they also offered dedicated rerun channels that let the viewer catch up on programs they may have otherwise missed.

Not long after cable TV, the free-to-air stations in Australia started making the switch to digital broadcasting. This opened up space for more channels and more programming. But it also enabled online streaming. ABC’s iview was the first on the scene in 2008, introducing free-to-air catch-up services to an Australian audience and paving the way for other broadcasters to follow.

In 2015, Netflix became officially available in Australia. While Australians could subscribe to the service prior to this, they were reliant on VPN technology to access the content otherwise not available in the country.

Today there is a huge range of streaming video on demand services available in Australia. Some are subscription-based, charging a monthly fee to provide access to what they have to offer. Others offer a digital rental or purchase service, where customers can pay a small fee to watch specific movies, episodes or series. And others – most notably Amazon Prime, YouTube Premium and Fetch TV – offer a mix of the two

As you can imagine, this mix of services and pricing can make it hard to know which service offers you the best value. Luckily, we’re on hand to show you not only the hottest shows, movies and sporting events – but also where to watch them!

Chances are that, if you’re considering a TV subscription or want to use a catch-up service, you’re going to want broadband internet to access it. Of course, you won’t just be using broadband or your mobile plan to watch TV. You’ll want these services to make life easier, with high-quality calls over broadband, the convenience of messaging services, and the ability to keep in touch wherever you are.

That’s why the idea of bundling a service makes sense. And with TV in Australia, you can find services that mix and match online accessibility with entertainment. For years, many providers have pulled together packages that include phone line rentals with internet access, mobile plans and even TV subscriptions. Some broadband providers like Dodo would also throw in laptops, mobile phones and modems into the mix. Now that streaming services are more popular than ever, you can find deals that offer access, or even unmetered usage for certain services – and you can save a bit of cash by doing so!

This is where our interactive TV provider bundle comparison page comes in handy. Instead of wading through the profuse and often confusing terms of service documents out there – where the specific details of the available plans and bundles are listed – you can get an overview that exactly matches your needs, all on one page.

To get started, just select the kind of bundle you’re looking for – we’d suggest broadband with a TV subscription to start. Then pick the type of service that you have available to you – NBN, ADSL or cable – as well as the amount of data you want per month. Here we recommend unlimited to make the most of your preferred streaming services, but your needs may vary. Choose a monthly maximum price, then hit the search button.

The result? You’ll instantly get a list of providers, bundle plans and details on what’s included, as well as details on the minimum costs – not to mention all the links to provider websites to get more information from the source.