Looking to switch to a new streaming platform? Sky Stream and Now are both packed with a huge variety of content, but which is better?
We’ve broken down all the biggest differences between Sky Stream and Now to help you choose which streaming service is right for your home.
The Sky Stream is now available from £24 per month at Sky
Pricing
Both Sky Stream and Now can operate on monthly rolling contracts which can be cancelled at any time.
Sky Stream is priced at £29/month after a one-month free trial or starting at £24/month on an 18-month contract with Sky TV and Netflix Basic included as standard, though other add-on packs and services are also available such as UHD/Dolby Atmos and Sky Sports.
Now’s cost will also depend on which package you opt for. Now Entertainment and Cinema cost £9.99/month separately, while the Entertainment and Cinema bundles are priced at £12/month if you decide to buy both together on a six-month contract. Now Sports costs £33.99/month while reality TV channel Hayu will set you back £4.99/month.
There’s also Now Boost which gives you Full HD, Surround Sound and ad-free streaming on up to three devices at once.
Design
The Sky Stream puck is a small, square-shaped device with rounded corners and a black finish that doesn’t require line-of-sight, meaning you can hide it behind your TV. Connections include an HDMI 2.1 input, an Ethernet port and an aerial tuner.
Now doesn’t require any separate hardware, but you can get boxes and smart sticks with the platform on them. You are required to install the Now app on your TV, computer or smartphone to access the streaming service. You can also download content straight to your phone to watch offline.
Interface and content
Like Sky Glass, Sky Stream features Sky’s Entertainment OS, which aggregates content from Sky as well as other services like BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Disney+.
The interface is divided into Top Picks, Playlist, TV Shows, Movies, Sport, Kids, Audio and Music, News, Fitness and International. We found the UI to be coherently laid out and easy to grasp with straightforward navigation.
Popular apps available on Sky Stream include ITVX, All4, YouTube, Lionsgate+, Apple TV+, Spotify and Peloton. There’s also Paramount+, Peacock and Discovery+ for those with Sky Cinema and TV subscriptions and Sky Sports if you opt for that add-on.
Sports and Music are lacking, however. There’s no BT Sport, UFC, WWE, NFL or Eurosport and you won’t find apps for Tidal, Deezer or Apple Music on Sky Stream.
There are also no individual profiles in Sky Stream but family members can access personalised playlists in the Playlist area.
Now’s interface is separated into Home, Movies, TV Shows, Sport, Kids, Hayu and the TV Guide at the top of the screen. Dive into TV and you’ll find rows for Trending, Trailers, Genres, Mini-Series, Watch Weekly and more. Like Sky Stream, Now is separated into these categories making it easy to navigate.
The Entertainment package includes content from Sky Max, Sky Atlantic, Sky documentaries, Sky History, Sky Witness, MTV, Alibi, Sky Comedy, Comedy Central and Gold.
The Cinema package is packed with movies from Sky Cinema, the Sports membership features content from Sky Sports and Hayu is packed with more than 9000 episodes of US reality TV.
Opt for the NOW Smart Stick or Box and you’ll also get access to other apps like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, All4, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BT Sport and Spotify on your TV.
Unlike Sky Stream, Now allows you to create up to five profiles for different family members to keep track of their watchlists, history, favourite channels and recommendations, including kids.
Image and audio quality
Sky Stream is available to stream in 4K as an add-on with 1080p resolution supported as standard.
The puck supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, but there’s no support for HDR10+ right now. We found the picture quality impressive with high levels of detail and sharpness, satisfying clarity and strong colours – though this will all depend on your TV’s performance and the quality of the source.
When it comes to audio, Sky Stream offers Dolby Atmos as an add-on for immersive sound when playing supported content.
Now streams in 720p as standard with 1080p content available on TVs with the No Boost add-on.
Now Boost also comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound for a more immersive listening experience on the platform.
Verdict
Both Sky Stream and Now invite you to access a wide range of Sky content including TV and movies in your living room. Both platforms also offer easy-to-navigate platforms.
Sky Stream gives you access to content from BBC iPlayer, Netflix as well as a wide range of streaming services through its platform, while Npow lets you listen on the go with its mobile apps and downloadable content.
Both platforms offer additional content like sports, surround sound and higher-resolution streaming at an additional cost. However, Sky Stream comes with 1080p resolutions as standard with 4K available at a price, whereas Now is limited to 720p or 1080p with a Boost pass.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.