Foxtel's to press play on Presto movie streaming

Australia's biggest subscription TV service Foxtel will soon launch a new Movies-only streaming service known as Presto.

Not unlike the Foxtel Play service launched a few months ago, Presto will give customers access to a streaming video from Foxtel, but with a focus on Hollywood cinema.

Subscribers will be able to stream new release and back catalogue titles and can choose to watch movies that are showing live on one of Foxtel's movie channels, or select an on-demand title to download, for a flat $24.95 per month access fee.

Foxtel plans to launch Presto 'later this year'.

The content available through Presto will come from the same catalogue available to some subscribing to a regular Foxtel Movies package, minus popular TV series running on channels like Showtime.

New and old movies will cycle in and out of the service based on Foxtel's content distribution licenses. The company's website advertises this to be about 500 movies each month, with 35 new release titles.

How does Presto stack up?

Presto is an interesting move from Foxtel given it released the Play streaming service only a handful of months ago, which includes the same movies content. It is considerably more expensive, and so Presto will be a better option for people who just want to watch the Blockbusters.

But, it's not Foxtel's own services which it will compete with most directly. Aussie company Quickflix has been in this space for a fair bit longer, and has a cheaper $15 per month price tag on streaming, plus this price includes DVDs posted to your home as well. Quickflix includes some popular US TV shows in the mix too, though new release blockbusters aren't included in the streaming price and have a separate 'pay-per-play' rental cost.

Tech savvy types will still weigh up whether US service Netflix is a better option, again. It is much cheaper (around AU$8) per month, but you do need to access it via a proxy server or a VPN, and this could cost extra depending on the route you take. Netflix has a superior range of TV shows and back-catalogue movie titles, but it is unlikely to have new release films, the way Presto promises to.

Joseph Hanlon

Editorial Director | X | LinkedIn

Joe Hanlon has been immersed in mobile phones, plans and the internet for over a decade, having written for publications like CNET, Techradar, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He steers the editorial ship and makes sure that we are always serving up the most useful guides and recommendations. If you ever bump into Joe on the street, don't be afraid to ask for a phone recommendation. It's embarrassing how much he enjoys talking about this stuff. He also loves listening to podcasts, so feel free to email Joe with recommendations.

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