Streaming Services Comparison 2020 - Streaming Providers Tested

2023 Author: Sheila Hailey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 04:29

1. Streaming providers in the test (2020): differences and similarities
2. Netflix in the test (2020)
3. Amazon Prime Video in the test (2020)
4. Sky Ticket in the test (2020)
5. Apple TV + in the test (2020)
6. Disney + in the test (2020)
7. Conclusion and recommendation

Streaming providers in the test (2020): differences and similarities

Around half (47 percent) of all video-on-demand users in Germany not only have an account, but also use two or even more providers in parallel (source: Statista / Ampere Analysis). Nevertheless, the fundamental question arises as to which service best suits your own needs and then use it as a favorite source for films and series. The two most popular portals in Germany are Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as the following graphic shows:

However, we want to make the comparison a bit larger and also take a closer look at Sky Ticket and the quite new Apple TV +.

Streaming provider comparison 2020: key data and differences as a table

property	Netflix	Amazon Prime Video	Sky ticket	Apple TV +	Disney +
Original sound availability	almost everywhere	very often	very often	all over	almost everywhere
Film cover	mediocre	mediocre	mediocre (cinema ticket)	very bad	bad
Series coverage	Well	Well	sufficient (entertainment ticket)	bad	bad
HD resolution	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4K resolution	yes (premium subscription, some titles)	yes (some titles)	No	Yes	yes (some titles)
App coverage and quality	Outstanding	Well	mediocre	mediocre	Well
Max. Devices or profiles / max. simultaneous streams	unlimited / 4 (premium subscription)	unlimited / 2	4/2	unlimited / 6	7 profiles / 4
Biggest advantage	Best in-house productions	Best value for money	Exclusive content	Exclusive content	Exclusive content
Biggest disadvantage	Extendable film offer	Exclusive content not yet at Netflix level	comparatively expensive	tiny selection of titles	Selection only within the "Disney world"
price	7.99 euros / month to 15.99 euros / month	69 euros / year (corresponds to 5.79 euros / month) or 7.99 euros / month	€ 9.99 / month each for the entertainment and cinema ticket	4.99 euros / month (family subscription for max. 6 users)	6.99 euros / month or 69.99 euros / month
Billing	per month	monthly or yearly (change possible at any time)	per month	per month	monthly or yearly
Trial period	Yes - test now (free month)	Yes - try it now (30 days free)	No - view offers	Yes - view offers (7 days free, 1 year for new hardware purchases)	7 days

Similarities between Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Ticket, Apple TV + and Disney +

If we look at our 4 test candidates, we can immediately identify a few points that apply to all of them. These are the basic similarities of the streaming providers:

• Internet: In the past, the TV program came at fixed times via antenna, cable or satellite - today series hits like “The Walking Dead” or “The Witcher” come home at any time on demand (Video-on-Demand, VoD) and in digital form. Seen in this way, the video-on-demand providers are technically more related to YouTube than to traditional television. Nothing works without a broadband internet connection. By the way, Netflix recommends 5 Mbit per second for HD quality and even 25 Mbit per second for Ultra HD quality (4K). These values can be used as a general guideline for all VoD providers.
• Subscription: All providers tested here charge a monthly subscription fee, which averages around EUR 10. Usually there are no fixed terms, so you can quickly end your subscription. The only exception here is the annual subscription from Amazon.
• Apps and devices: Movies, series and documentaries can be viewed on numerous devices such as televisions, smartphones, tablets or PCs. The streaming providers offer a suitable app for almost every platform. Depending on the subscription plan / terms of use, the parallel use of an account on several devices is permitted at the same time.
• Offer: What can be seen on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky Ticket is a mixture of exclusive in-house productions (e.g. "Carnival Row" on Amazon Prime Video) and licensed content from other studios (e.g. " The Hobbit - Desolation of Smaug”by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). An exception is Apple TV + and Disney +, so far only exclusive series and films can be seen here.

This is how we rated the streaming providers

We each award up to 5 points in the four categories of offer (topicality and scope), user-friendliness (operation & end devices), image and sound, and price-performance ratio. In addition to our GIGA overall rating, we also name other votes, such as the marks from the Stiftung Warentest and the user ratings at Trusted.

Netflix in the test (2020)

You can't go wrong with Netflix - you could sum it up in one sentence. The range of in-house productions ("Netflix Originals") is extensive and of high quality. This applies to gripping series such as "Stranger Things", "BoJack Horseman", "Orange is the New Black", "Mindhunter", "The Umbrella Academy", "Dark", "Marvel's Jessica Jones" and many more - the potential for Binge watching is nowhere else so high.

Start photo gallery (11 photos)

But outstanding films such as "Annihilation" (2018), "Marriage Story" (2019) or "The Irishman" (2019) are also a must for cineastes. Netflix performs less well with the non-exclusive content, current productions and film classics. Only two of the top 20 best films of all time (IMDb) are currently available in Germany ("Inception" and "The Matrix"). After all, almost the entire range is also available from Netflix in the original language (OV) and with German subtitles.

The operationis largely clear and helps with individual recommendations - this applies to the website in the browser as well as the apps (e.g. for Apple TV 4K). You have a huge selection of devices, because Netflix is available for practically all cell phones, tablets and smart TVs. Restrictions can only be experienced with an ancient operating system (e.g. Android version 4.4.2 or older). Where we have to subtract one point is the information content on series and films, because Netflix does not display grades from external sources. So if you want to know how well "Star Trek: Discovery" performs at Metacritic, you have to find out outside the Netflix app (the answer is a "Metascore" of 72 by the way). Faster information about the quality of a title would make it much easier for the user to choose at the evening of the film.

Netflix: New in January 2020

When the picture and sound to Netflix earned the top rating. Although none of the providers discussed here achieve the top values of a 4K Blu-ray, there is really nothing to complain about in everyday life and without a direct comparison. Thanks to sophisticated streaming technology, Netflix always manages to deliver a sharp and fluid picture as well as decent sound - with almost no annoying start-up time (buffering) and practically no failures.

Conclusion: We have long been talking about Netflix series everywhere in everyday life - and for good reason. The in-house productions of the US provider are partly pioneering. We recommend Netflix for fans of crime, horror and comedy series who like to watch several episodes in a row. However, there are huge gaps in the series and film content of external studios and the subscription prices are a bit too high for a single user.

Netflix in the test: GIGA rating

• Offer 3/5
• Ease of use 4/5
• Picture and sound 5/5
• Value for money 4/5

Overall GIGA rating (2020): 80 percent

To the provider

Netflix in the test: ratings at Stiftung Warentest and Trusted

• Stiftung Warentest: grade 2.8 ("satisfactory"), edition 01/2020
• Trusted: 4.5 out of 5 stars, 63 percent recommendation

Amazon Prime Video in the test (2020)

Amazon Prime Video (formerly the online video store "Lovefilm") is a special case, in a sense, because the streaming service is part of a more extensive offering known as Amazon Prime. For an annual membership fee (currently 69 euros), Amazon customers get a whole range of advantages, such as free shipping, earlier access to flash offers or unlimited photo storage space on Amazon Drive. An estimated 17.3 million people in Germany are Amazon Prime customers in 2019 (according to IFH) - it can be assumed that not everyone uses Prime Video, but many have also become members because of the other Prime advantages.

For one of many sub-items within a customer program, Amazon Prime Videos is an offerbut turned out quite extensive. Even a series of elaborate in-house productions ("Star Trek: Picard", "The Man In the High Castle", "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan") is part of the entertainment offer. In total, these "Amazon Originals" cannot yet pass Netflix - but it is obvious that a billion-dollar "arms race" is taking place between the two providers. We were able to find 7 classic films from the IMDb-Top-20 on Amazon Prime Video - more than the other services in the test. Nevertheless, the entire range of films and series cannot convince us completely, there is a lack of current cinema hits by subscription, there is a lack of current cinema hits and art house films. If you want to see a certain film,can buy or rent it on Amazon and add it to its digital film library. The coverage of original versions and the provision of subtitles is good, but far from perfect.

Carnival Row - Season 1 Official Trailer

The user interfaceis not quite as user-friendly as with Netflix - a currently disturbing aspect is the mixing of subscription content and titles that can only be bought or borrowed (for an additional cost). A search for a certain film series should confuse new users with the results page because you have to look for the label "Included in your Prime membership". The fact that each season of a series and its language version is listed as a separate point does not just serve to clarity. For almost all titles there are enough customer reviews to make it easier to assess the quality. Simple and useful: A function called X-Ray provides additional information about films and series that are currently running on the television.

Picture and sound are good. In rare cases, however, a film only starts pixelated and then increases in quality after a few seconds. That was much worse in the past, apparently Amazon has optimized some technical things here. Slightly lean: Only two streams can run at the same time per account.

Conclusion: Amazon Prime Video is reminiscent of a 90s video store in a medium-sized district town - the selection is okay and somehow everyone will find something suitable. But if you have higher demands and want special titles, you will quickly end up with the rental films (usually 3.99 euros fee) or even Blu-ray discs that Amazon sells. In view of the low membership fee of 69 euros per year for Amazon Prime, Prime Video is definitely worth a recommendation - especially if you also use the other advantages of Prime.

Amazon Prime Video in the test: GIGA rating

• Offer 3/5
• Ease of use 3/5
• Picture and sound 5/5
• Value for money 5/5

Overall GIGA rating (2020): 80 percent

To the provider

Amazon Prime Video in the test: ratings at Stiftung Warentest and Trusted

• Stiftung Warentest: grade 3.3 ("satisfactory"), edition 01/2020
• Trusted: 4.2 out of 5 stars, 22 percent recommendation

Sky Ticket in the test (2020)

On closer inspection, Sky Ticket describes three packages: Sky Ticket Entertainment (for series), Sky Ticket Cinema (for films) and Sky Ticket Supersport (football, handball, Formula 1 etc.). We only rate the Entertainment and Cinema packages here, since they are to be understood as direct alternatives to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

The offeris worth a look (all new releases in our overview). With extensive and critically acclaimed in-house productions such as "Chernobyl", "Das Boot", "Babylon Berlin" or "Gomorrha", Sky Ticket doesn't have to hide from competition - on the contrary, they could even be the reason for a change. Due to an exclusive contract, most HBO series such as "Game of Thrones", "Westworld" or "Watchmen" land first at Sky. At Sky Ticket Cinema you get a handpicked but not particularly extensive selection of films - currently 1,151 titles according to Justwatch. For comparison: With Netflix you can find more than twice as many titles, with Amazon Prime Video three times as many. From the IMDb-Top-20 we were able to play four classic films at Sky Ticket Cinema,including the “best film of all time” (“Die Verurdente”, 1994).

The Boat: Season 2 Official Trailer (Sky Originals)

The service is a horror, you really can't talk about it. Sky has improved the software in recent months (e.g. offline mode was added after a long wait), but in terms of user guidance, speed and stability, the provider is still not on par with the competition. With Sky Ticket, multiple streams at the same time (e.g. within one household) are only possible on two devices. In the premium package, Netflix allows practical 4 streams at the same time. Image and sound are sufficient, but the maximum resolution "Full HD" (1080p) is too little these days, a sound output in 5.1 surround is missing.

Conclusion: If you subscribe to both Sky Ticket Entertainment (series) and Sky Ticket Cinema (films), you get total monthly costs of EUR 19.98 - in our opinion, this is clearly too expensive. We recommend not using the cinema package and only booking the entertainment package (9.99 euros / month). Here you get enough high-quality productions that can provide entertainment for several months. Basically, at Sky Ticket you have to turn a blind eye when it comes to technology so that you don't get too excited.

Sky Ticket in the test: GIGA rating

• Offer 2/5
• Ease of use 2/5
• Picture and sound 4/5
• Value for money 3/5

Overall GIGA rating (2020): 55 percent

To the provider

Sky Ticket in the test: ratings from Stiftung Warentest and Trusted

• Stiftung Warentest: grade 3.6 ("sufficient"), edition 01/2020
• Trusted: 2.8 out of 5 stars, 1 percent recommendation (no typo!)

Apple TV + in the test (2020)

SEE - Official trailer of the series with Jason Momoa on Apple TV +

"Apple TV + will be the platform for some of the highest quality home-made stories TV and film fans have ever seen," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president (March 2019). Less than a year after this announcement, however, the “will” must continue to be emphasized. Because the offer has been so small since the start in November 2019 that you could easily memorize all available titles:

Start photo gallery (20 photos)

Apple does not offer content from other studios on Apple TV + - if you want to see them, you can still pay purchase or rental fees on iTunes. A pretty crazy decision in view of the tough competition in the streaming market.

Technically, Apple TV + is exemplary: 4K HDR image and Dolby Atmos sound, plus original versions and subtitles. The little material that is available to choose from is therefore of excellent quality. The overview in the Apple TV app makes your hair tear. Everything is listed here in a jumble: films and series from Apple TV +, rental and purchase titles, Starzplay, the Arte media library, Sky Ticket and much more. Although this is well-intentioned, because all content should be bundled in just one app - in practice, however, it is chaotic and not useful. The ease of useis so bad that one wonders where Apple's proven expertise in this area has gone. The app is available for all Apple devices (iPhone, Mac etc.) as well as some newer smart TV models and Amazon Fire TV. A version of the Apple TV app for Android smartphones is still a long time coming, you have to use the browser here (https://tv.apple.com/).

Conclusion: The selection of titles is too small for Apple TV +, most of the series are only just beginning. After all, the quality of the content is promising and the technology is top - that's the way to go. To quote Apple again: “Customers who bought or will buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac from September 10, 2019 will receive Apple TV + for one year free of charge. - This is exactly the only way, in our opinion, you should use Apple TV +! Apple TV + costs a reasonable 4.99 euros per month, but we still recommend waiting for a while to book. The service has not yet paid for the monthly subscription costs because the competition in the form of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video is just as overwhelmingly stronger.

Apple TV + in the test: GIGA rating

• Offer 1/5
• Ease of use 3/5
• Picture and sound 5/5
• Price-performance ratio 1/5

Overall GIGA rating (2020): 50 percent

To the provider

Apple TV + in the test: ratings at Stiftung Warentest and Trusted

• Stiftung Warentest: Note 4.2 ("sufficient"), edition 01/2020
• Trusted: no rating available yet

Disney + in the test (2020)

With Star Wars, Pixar and the Marvel films (MCU), Disney + puts some hot blockbusters on the scale that should lure the user out of the competition. There are also some interesting entries like all Simpsons episodes or of course the cartoon classics from the past decades, which everyone should have seen once. All in all, a very family-friendly program that does without dark content.

Exclusive series at Disney + call themselves "Originals" and their number is still manageable. In this area, Disney will still have to keep up to keep up with the competition. The first highlight is definitely “Mandalorian” - a Star Wars action series that is at the forefront in terms of production technology and that alone justifies a monthly fee.

THE MANDALORIAN - Official Trailer (Disney / Lucasfilm)

The user interface is based on Netflix, sorted into categories such as "Action" or "Documentation" or "Mickey Mouse". At first glance, however, it is not clear whether a film or a series is hidden behind a tile - GIGA editor Thomas has already noted this in his detailed first impression of Disney +.

Technically, Disney has got off to a good start - in the middle of the corona crisis, in which providers have to throttle. The image quality is good, we hardly noticed any start delays and no pixel formation. The sound is available in most blockbusters as 5.1 sound, the picture in Dolby Vision. If you are a true nerd but collect Blu-rays, you will not find an adequate transfer in the streaming service: Not all films are (currently) available in 4K as a stream (e.g. "Rogue One" we only get in HD on our Apple TV 4K displayed) and for individual titles the range of audio tracks is poor (e.g. Avatar only in German). There are often a few extras, such as deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes looks.

Conclusion: The world of Disney is colorful and easy to digest - that has always been the case. This is the biggest strength, but also the biggest weakness of the Disney + streaming service. For Pixar, Star Wars and MCU fans the decision is clear anyway, they will get a subscription (unless you already have everything on Blu-ray). Families with children can also recommend Disney +, where many hours of great entertainment are guaranteed. But if you like it controversial, scary or profound, you're more likely to find it on Sky, Netflix or Amazon. The Disney offer is rich in gaudy colors but fenced to a certain extent (max. FSK 12) - the comparatively low subscription price of 6.99 euros per month is therefore appropriate.

Disney + in the test: GIGA rating

• Offer 2/5
• Ease of use 4/5
• Picture and sound 4/5
• Value for money 4/5

Overall GIGA rating (2020): 75 percent

to the provider

Disney + in the test: ratings at Stiftung Warentest and Trusted

• Stiftung Warentest: no rating available yet
• Trusted: no rating available yet

Streaming providers in the test (2020): conclusion and recommendation

Finally, we want to make recommendations that describe the user - maybe you recognize yourself in it?

• Netflix recommendation: Anyone who likes to spend time on series and films. Unless you always want to see the latest blockbuster movies, you have to switch to rental offers outside of Netflix.
• Recommendation for Amazon Prime Video: Film and series lovers who are also Amazon customers - and would also like to buy the latest blockbuster separately.
• Recommendation for Sky Ticket Entertainment: Series junkies who are “done” with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video or who absolutely want to see the exclusive titles on Sky Ticket. Otherwise no recommendation.
• Recommendation for Apple TV +: No recommendation - unless you enjoy the free trial subscription for 1 year thanks to Apple hardware purchase.
• Disney + recommendation : Recommendation for families with children. Mainstream fantasy fans will also get their money's worth. No recommendation for arthouse and horror fans, they won't find anything here.

In order to save money, it is advisable for all providers to split the costs between several users. But be careful: “Account sharing”, ie the transfer of account access data to friends or third parties, is a thorn in the side of the streaming services. You only wish to use it within a household (e.g. Netflix) or a family (e.g. Apple TV +).

If you do not want to spend a cent on series and films, you can also rely on free providers: The media libraries of the public service broadcasters should be mentioned first and foremost. So you can find some interesting films at Arte or at Erste. However, the media libraries cannot keep up with the selection of the payment providers discussed here. What is strongly discouraged is illegal streaming sites (often with ".to" domains) - their use can have criminal consequences.

Related to:

Streaming 2019 in Germany: What is illegal? What is legal

If you are a fan of various film franchises and series, you will hardly be able to avoid multiple payment subscriptions. Ultimately, it is a question of costs, which can quickly amount to several hundred euros a year. The wish that you can see everything ever produced with a single subscription belongs to the land of dreams - the reality of the streaming market is different.

In the end, the recommendation remains: Choose the provider that best suits your interests and get the subscription there. If you notice that after a while, the selection no longer gives you anything and your useful life becomes shorter, then quit consistently. A future re-registration is usually straightforward and quick. Apart from that, you are also welcome to take a break from the media and let the latest series hype rush past you on purpose. Or as a clever commentator on Reddit put it in relation to the “Game of Thrones” constraint prevailing at the time: “Relax. It's just a TV show”. ("Relax, it's just a TV show").