Amid much fanfare, streaming video giant Netflix has launched in the UK – and Amazon-owned LoveFilm immediately promised to undercut it by a pound.

There’s no doubt that streaming video is more affordable than ever, but is there anything worth watching – and if there is, do you have to huddle over your PC to watch it?

We’ve already posted a Hands on: Netflix UK review, but how does it compare to its rival?

LoveFilm vs Netflix: price

Netflix offers unlimited streaming for £5.99 per month, which has prompted LoveFilm to respond with a £4.99 streaming-only package. That package isn’t currently live on the LoveFilm site, however – or if it is, it’s incredibly well hidden – and there’s a catch: not all of LoveFilm’s content will be available to package deal subscribers. Of the 6,618 titles available to watch online, 1,004 are pay-per-view.

PPV: LoveFilm isn’t an all-you-can-watch offering: roughly one-sixth of its catalogue is pay-per-view

LoveFilm vs Netflix: devices

Both services are compatible with PCs, Macs, iPads, PS3s, Xbox 360s with Gold accounts, some Smart TVs and some Blu-Ray players, although LoveFilm only streams its pay-per-view content to PCs and Macs. Netflix is also compatible with the Apple TV, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Wii, and it has streaming apps for both iOS and Android.

LoveFilm vs Netflix: does it have Breaking Bad?

Netflix has the first two seasons of Breaking Bad ready for streaming, but LoveFilm’s only got it in its DVD rental catalogue, not its streaming one. That’s a rare content win for Netflix, though: while its TV selection is very good its selection of movies isn’t as up to date as LoveFilm’s.

BETTER SHOWS: We think Netflix is better for TV shows, but LoveFilm is better for movies

Lovefilm vs Netflix: movies

While LoveFilm’s movie catalogue contains a better selection of recent films than its rival, neither service is going to delight you if you’re after films fresh from the multiplexes: they’re more like half-stocked supermarket DVD sections, so for example LoveFilm has Source Code but not Limitless, Troll Hunter but not The Inbetweeners Movie (although it’s got that in its DVD rental catalogue), The Guard but not Due Date (that one’s DVD again), The Killing but not The Adjustment Bureau (yep, DVD-only) and so on – and Netflix doesn’t have any of them.

Maybe the supermarket analogy is the wrong one: it’s more like the DVD carousel you’ll find in a rural petrol station with three Chuck Norris movies, You’ve Got Mail and a copy of Elf.

Both sites are clearly suffering from a problem that’s plagued online video for years: the tech is there, but the studios aren’t hugely keen on providing their best, most up-to-date content for a cut of £5.99 per month. Luckily for the studios, nobody on the internet knows how to copy, convert or distribute dodgy copies of films.

PLENTY OF CHOICE: LoveFilm’s catalogue seems much broader than Netflix’s, especially when it comes to films

LoveFilm vs Netflix: quality

LoveFilm streams are 2Mbps if your connection’s up to the job, but Netflix can take advantage of faster broadband connections to deliver HD streaming where available. “Where available” is key: older content isn’t necessarily in HD, and can look pretty awful on a big-screen PC or TV. Netflix recommends at least a 3Mbps broadband connection for 720p HD, although we’d double that to be on the safe side. Both services will adjust the streaming on the fly to deliver the best picture possible.

GOOD QUALITY: LoveFilm might not offer true HD, but picture quality is still perfectly decent from across the room

NOT ALL HD: Just because Netflix can do HD video doesn’t mean all its films are HD. Swingers here certainly isn’t

LoveFilm vs Netflix: verdict

Both services are operating in what’s called the post-DVD window, so if you want a more up-to-date selection of movies than your local Tesco offers then neither service is for you. However, that doesn’t mean they’re without merit. They’re much cheaper and have a broader selection than satellite or cable TV movie channels, and Netflix in particular is very good for catching up on those TV box sets you kept meaning to buy but never got around to.

We suspect the best way to use the services is as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, pay-per-view services: for example, the combination of a Netflix or LoveFilm account and a couple of pay per view selections, iTunes rentals (or – gasp! – a real DVD, all round and shiny like movies used to be!) still works out cheaper than subscribing to a bunch of movie channels.

Netflix is the simpler, more user-friendly service and it’s the one compatible with the most devices, but LoveFilm has the better selection of content. We’d suggest trying both, and if they don’t have what you want then try again a few months down the line when all the content deals are in place. The technology’s here, but the content hasn’t quite caught up with it yet.

NETFLIX QUALITY: When the source material is good quality, Netflix’s picture quality gleams. It’s not Blu-Ray, but it’s not bad

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Liked this? Then check out 16 best TV streaming services

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