The Pocket-lint Awards are back for a 20th year and celebrate the best devices and products across 21 main categories. Each category offers six nominations of products, devices or services that have been used in full, or reviewed by the Pocket-lint team over the last 12 months.
The Best TV Streaming Service category looks at the best entertainment streaming services, the content they offer and the interfaces they offer it up on. The shortlisted nominations for the Best TV Streaming Service 2023 are:
You can click on each of the products above to read our features on each nomination, which will give you an indication as to why they have been nominated and what we love about them. You can also read a brief summary on each below for a quick breakdown.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon’s Prime Video service is the streaming home of a range of top class Amazon Originals TV series, such as Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Jack Ryan, and The Boys. Plus, thanks to Amazon’s acquisition of Hollywood studio MGM, it regularly hosts the entire James Bond movie franchise. It also provides video in up to 4K and with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, giving the best experience depending on your home entertainment setup.
Apple TV+
A relative newcomer to the streaming scene compared to others, Apple TV+ has rapidly gained critical acclaim for its TV series and movie selection, which are exclusive to the platform thanks to a tight commissioning process. Ted Lasso is a particular highlight, along with Bad Sisters, Mythic Quest and Severance. Apple also makes its own movies for the platform, most often in the best quality possible – 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Coda stands out among a fine selection, but there are many others worth a watch.
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer is a yardstick for free streaming services, being the UK’s largest platform for terrestrial TV shows. Not only was it the first among its peers to adopt Ultra HD and HDR, it continues to be the only one to do so. It also hosts a vast collection of British programming, both on demand and through the array of live BBC channels.
Disney+
Disney+ has rapidly become a must have for fans of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and, of course, Disney’s own movies and TV shows. In the UK and Europe, the service also offers “Star” – a section for TV shows and films that wouldn’t normally fit under the House of Mouse’s umbrella, such as The Walking Dead and Grey’s Anatomy. As with the other great services on this list, much of the content on Disney+ is offered in the best formats possible – 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
Netflix
Netflix is arguably the most popular on this list for a good reason – it has regularly offered some of the biggest TV series in terms of buzz. It’s the home of Tiger King, Squid Game, The Crown and Stranger Things, for starters, not to mention shows like Bridgerton. There are also exclusive movies galore, starring the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Netflix launched a cheaper, ad-supported tier in 2022, which widened the service to a larger audience, while its top tier continues to offer premium video and audio options, including 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. It has bumped that top tier up in price in 2023 though.
Now
Now
Now is the streaming service from Sky and, as such, offers the gamut of excellent content available on the firm’s other platforms (Sky Glass, Sky Q and Sky Stream). That includes HBO programming, such as House of the Dragon, White Lotus and Succession, plus plenty of its own Sky Originals. Gangs of London and Brassic are particular highlights. You currently only get a maximum of 1080p video and 5.1 sound on Now, but the way its payment system is constructed means you can add and remove packages on a monthly basis – including all of Sky Sports – without the need for a contract.
How the Pocket-lint Awards judging works
The winner for the Best TV Streaming Service category will be decided by the Pocket-lint team, along with a panel of expert judges from publications across the industry. Following a vigorous scoring process, the Best TV Streaming Service winner for 2023 will be announced at an in-person event on 9 November 2023, along with the winners from the other 20 categories.
A Product of the Year winner will also be announced, chosen from the winners of the 21 categories and a winner of the New EE Superfast Award will also be revealed at the event. On the night, we will be announcing the results on the Pocket-lint Twitter handle as they unfold and there will also be a feature detailing the winners once the ceremony is over.
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