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{{data.paywallPrompt.callToAction}}This was published 7 years ago
What are the best-value options to replace Presto?
Australian streaming service Presto is shutting down in February next year, unable to fend off more successful rivals Netflix and Stan*. When its closing was announced, it had 130,000 customers. What alternative services should those viewers consider?
For many people, the answer will be "I've already got more than one of these things, so I don't need a replacement". According to Roy Morgan, the majority of Presto customers also subscribe to another streaming service (typically Netflix but often Stan as well).
Foxtel Play lets you access some of the Foxtel-exclusive series, such as Westworld. HBO
Presto co-founder Foxtel is hoping its more devoted customers will jump to Foxtel Play, which offers a similar range of movie titles but skewed towards newer releases, as well as catch-up viewing for most series currently broadcasting on Foxtel. If you don't want a Foxtel pay TV subscription but do want to watch some of the series it has exclusive rights to, such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead or Westworld, then Foxtel Play may be a sensible choice.
However, the price tag is high compared with its rivals. As of December, Foxtel Play is divided into five effective channels: Drama and Entertainment each cost $15 a month, or you can pay $25 for both. There are additional options for Lifestyle, Documentary and Kids which cost $10 a month each. Finally, you can buy Sports for $25 a month or Movies for $20 a month, both of which require you to have at least one other pack. It's a lot less like Netflix and a lot more like Foxtel without the cable.
Netflix's original series The Crown is a fan favourite. AP
Sign up for everything and that's a whopping $100 each month. You don't have to pay for channels you don't want, and you'll get live options like sport that are missing from other services but you're still paying a lot more for a service that doesn't cover every genre.
By comparison, a basic Netflix package costs $8.99 a month, and the most expensive plan (for watching on four screens with 4K streams) is $14.99 a month. There aren't any separate channels to pay for: if it's on Netflix, you can watch it. The same applies to Stan, which has just one price: $10 a month.
One strategy to consider if you're tempted: only paying for Foxtel Play when your favourite series are broadcasting new episodes, and suspending it at other times. Every streaming service offers that option, but Play's high prices make it particularly useful to not pay every single month if you're not regularly making use of it. The same logic can be really useful during school holidays.
And remember: there's plenty of stuff you can watch for free across YouTube and the various catch-up apps for free-to-air television: ABC iView, SBS On Demand, 7PLUS, 9Now and tenplay. That $15 a month may not seem like much, but if you weren't regularly watching Presto, it's better saved or spent elsewhere.
Angus Kidman is a technology expert and the editor-in-chief for comparison site finder.com.au.
* Stan is part-owned by Fairfax Media, publishing of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.