Video Streaming: 9 Useful Tips

DVDs and linear television are waning in popularity year over year, while streaming movies and series over the Internet is on the uptake. While there are many differences between different streaming services, all of them offer one major advantage: videos can generally be watched on demand at any time. That advantage gives the video streaming an edge over linear TV broadcasts. Here, you can find useful tips on how to get the most out of video streaming.

1. Compare video streaming services

There are major differences between what is offered and on which terms across different video streaming services. There are flat-rate offers, pay-per-view offers and free streaming platforms. Before you settle on a paid flat-rate service, make sure to get informed about exactly which movies and series are included in the flat fee. The moneyland.ch video streaming comparison provides a practical overview of the costs and benefits of services offered in Switzerland.

2. Use the right Internet connection

In order to stream high-quality video at its best, your Internet connection must be capable of transferring data at high enough speeds. An Internet connection with a data transfer speed of at least 10 Mbps is recommended for streaming video in high definition (HD). If more than one person in the same home stream video on separate devices at the same time, your Internet connection should ideally provide 10 Mbps of bandwidth per device. You will need a significantly faster connection in order to watch ultra-high definition (UHD) video.

3. Compare movies and series offered

The list of videos which you can watch with a streaming service plays a deciding role in determining which service best suits you. Note that international service providers like Netflix typically offer much fewer videos in Switzerland than they offer their U.S. customers. You should also note that service providers can remove videos from their offers at any time.

In addition to the total number of movies and series provided by a streaming service, you should check whether the service includes the specific videos you want. Being able to access a huge library of videos will not do you much good if the movies or series you want to watch are not included. Some companies like Netflix, Amazon or Sky produce their own series and only make them available on their own platforms.

4. Take advantage of special offers for sports fans

Some streaming services are dedicated entirely to sports enthusiasts. Three such services - Blue Sport, Dazn and Sky Sports - are available in Switzerland. Soccer fans in particular will find these services interesting. Depending on the streaming service and which sports you are interested in watching, not all major sporting events will be available for streaming. Make sure to get informed about whether or not the sports and events which you want to watch are included in a streaming service before you sign up.

5. Use your TV’s time shifting function

Many Swiss streaming services also offer TV streaming packages. These are included in the moneyland.ch TV package comparison.

Many TV streaming packages allow for the use of the practical TV time shifting function. This lets you view any broadcast which was aired during the previous few hours or even days. Depending on the service provider, you can watch programs up to 30 hours or 7 days after they have been broadcast. Another advantage of the time-shift function is that you can easily skip annoying advertising breaks.

Some TV plans have forced advertising breaks, while others do not. In the TV plan comparison on moneyland.ch, you can select whether or not to include offers with non-skippable advertisements.

6. Use free offers to save money

There are numerous free video streaming platforms on the Internet. The most popular of these is Youtube, which is operated by Google. Youtube not only includes original content and short video clips, it also includes a significant number of full movies. However, the range of movies available in high resolution is severely limited. The increasing amount of advertising on many Youtube channels poses another disadvantage. Try less-popular streaming platforms for quality legal content without excessive advertising.

7. Avoid streaming via mobile

Streaming video involves the transfer of very large amounts of data. Depending on the resolution, up to 5 gigabytes of data may be transferred for the streaming of a single hour of video.

Unless your mobile plan includes unlimited data in its monthly flat fee, you should avoid streaming series or movies over the mobile network. Streaming data on your mobile will quickly use up your data allowance, leaving you to cope with either a throttled (extremely slow) data connection for the rest of the month or with additional charges, depending on your mobile plan.

This point becomes far more important when you travel abroad. As a general rule, you should completely refrain from streaming over mobile networks while traveling internationally. Streaming via mobile while traveling can result in exorbitant data roaming charges. Use wireless local area networks (WLAN) to stream video instead.

8. Use the offline mode

Some video streaming services let you watch video in offline mode. The video is saved to your device and can be played directly from your device without the need for an Internet connection. Because the app cannot transfer data while in offline mode, you do not need to worry about data charges when you use it. The moneyland.ch video streaming comparison clearly shows which service providers offer offline functionality.

9. Use apps

Many streaming services let you stream video using apps. That apps for Android and iOS (iPhone / iPad) are broadly offered goes without saying. But many people do not know that apps for other devices like gaming consoles and Apple TV are also offered. Some streaming services also offer apps for the TV decoders provided by Swiss telecom service providers like Swisscom, Sunrise and UPC. Amazon, Netflix and Sky Sports are examples of services which provide such apps.

Many TV sets also support apps. These TV sets are normally marketed as Smart TVs. Unfortunately, standards vary between TV sets. You TV set will not necessarily be compatible with the Smart TV app offered by the streaming service of your choice.

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