Best TV streaming services 2017: Amazon Channels, Sky Go and more
Can't get home in time for your favourite show? Here are the best streaming sites for watching on the go
The rise of big-budget television shows is reviving the decades-old tradition of spending the evening relaxing in front of the television for an hour – or three.
Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Fargo have several series under their belts, with a strong following across the world who eagerly anticipate the next hour-long instalment.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways of streaming TV while on the move or when there's no screen available.
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Here are some of this year's best TV streaming sites in the UK:
Amazon Channels
Amazon has released its live TV viewing service in the UK, allowing members of its Prime subscription service to stream content from around 40 networks.
To access the features, Prime members will have to pay a small subscription fee for each TV channel – which ranges from £1.49 to £9.99 per month – on top of the £79 yearly fee for Amazon's Prime service.
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As the service streams television in real-time, the Financial Times says viewers will also have to pay the £147 licence fee on top of the subscription fees for Prime and the television networks.
Channels available through Amazon's service include Eurosport Player and ITV Hub+, as well as the US reality TV network Hayu and the global film service Mubi.
While there are a host of networks available, the Daily Telegraph says that "many of the UK's major broadcasters have declined to join in" such as Sky and BT. This could be due to rival channels "seeking to attract subscribers to their own pay-TV packages rather than allow Amazon to become their distributor".
Click here for more details on Amazon's new live TV service.
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon's Fire TV stick allows users to turn their televisions or displays into a "smart" device able to stream internet content.
The sticks themselves are similar in size to a conventional pen drive and can be plugged into any screen with an HDMI input. Buyers can then stream television shows from apps such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix, as well as music and Amazon original content.
Since its recent update, the stick is noticeably faster than before and offers better streaming stability when it's further away from the user's router, says TrustedReviews.
It also has 8GB of storage, adds the site, so buyers will be able to download several TV shows to watch offline.
Along with the boost in performance, the updated Fire TV stick comes with Amazon's Alexa voice service, allowing users to find the shows they want by speaking into the remote.
The Daily Telegraph says the new system is "fast, easy to use and transformative if you know what you want to watch".
The Amazon Fire TV stick with Alexa support is available now for £39.99.
You can read more about Amazon's streaming box here.
Now TV
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Now TV is a pay-as-you-go streaming service that opens up pay TV without the monthly subscription fees. It's owned by Sky and is therefore one of the few services that allows users to access content directly from the pay TV company.
Users can opt for a day, week or monthly pass to one of Sky's major TV packages, including Sky Sports or Sky Movies. These packages grant access to every channel available in their designated category for a minimum of 24 hours, as well as a variety of on-demand shows and films.
With prices starting at £6.99 for a day pass, ExpertReviews says that Now TV is best suited to those looking to "chop and change" their viewing habits on a regular basis.
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer has been around for some time now, but it's still one of the best on-demand services for BBC material available to UK viewers.
TrustedReviews hails iPlayer as a "game-changing" streaming service with an "intuitive" interface and a seemingly stable picture quality. The ability to search for shows and mark them as a "favourite" makes the service a "central part of some households' daily TV routine".
What's more, it's free to access and can be streamed through an array of media, including inducing laptops, smart TVs and games consoles.
TV Player Plus
Unlike BBC iPlayer, All 4 or iTV Player, TV Player Plus allows users to stream a variety of UK-based shows live and on demand.
It's a service that can be accessed both through a web browser or a mobile app, allowing subscribers to watch channels such as Eurosport, Discovery and Comedy Central. There's also a host of shows available on demand, including the Daily Show and Catfish: the TV show.
The full list of channels can be obtained through the site's Plus subscription service, which costs £5.99 and removes adverts from the website. TV Player also offers a one month free trial period. Users will need to enter their card details to access the trial.
Sky Go
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Sky Go is the ideal way of watching pay TV on the go or on a games console.
Those already signed-up to a Sky package will be able to access Sky Go on two personal devices at no extra cost. All users need to do is simply download the Sky Go app to their Apple, Android or Kindle device, or log in to the Sky Go website and stream live TV through a web browser.
Sky Go is currently only available to Sky customers, with membership costs starting at a monthly fee of £22. Additional packages, including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema, range from £18 to £27.50 extra per month.
Freeview Play
There are a host of smart TV boxes that can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime video content to regular television sets or monitors, but there aren't many that will stream live TV or satellite channels as well.
Enter Freeview Play, a plug-in streaming service which lets viewers access 70 live channels, 15 in high definition, as well as a range of on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.
A large number of 4K TVs on sale today offer the service bundled in for free. It's also a growing platform, with new streaming providers being added on a regular basis, says Alphr, although some of these services may require a subscription to watch.
Those looking to connect a smart box to a regular TV will need to invest in a "set to box", says Expert Reviews, with Humax's FVP-4000T offering the Freeview Play for £179. Panasonic "also has a range available", although cheaper options are being added on a regular basis.
Do I need a TV licence?
Watching TV on any platform, including online streaming sites and mobile apps, will need to be covered by a licence. This can be paid as a yearly fee at £145.50 or on a monthly basis at £24.