The Netflix logo is shown in this illustration photograph in Encinitas, California October 14, 2014. Netflix Inc shares were down 3.1 percent at $435.28 after the announcement. The streaming video company will announced its quarterly result
IN PHOTO: The Netflix logo is shown in this illustration photograph in Encinitas, California October 14, 2014. Netflix Inc shares were down 3.1 percent at $435.28 after the announcement. The streaming video company will announced its quarterly results later on October 15. Picture taken October 14, 2014. Reuters/Mike Blake

Streaming video services are now becoming a big market in Australia. First there was Quickflix, the pioneer in video subscription in the country. Presto Entertainment and Stan have also joined the streaming bandwagon. However, the three players are anxious with the entry of United States video streaming giant Netflix this coming March.

Apparently, the competition is on among Quikflix, Presto, Stan and the soon-to-launch Netflix. It would be interesting to get to know the new major players in Australia’s growing video streaming market.

First on the list is Stan, which is a joint venture between Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media. The two companies figured out two main reasons people were not enticed in using Australian streaming services like Quickflix or Presto. First, the services could be quite expensive and second, the services fail to offer materials that customers wanted. Thus the launch of Stan, another streaming product option that Australians might actually use.

The Guardian reports that Stan offers its services for $10 a month. During its launch, the new entry offered over 750 titles. The company aims to widen its services in February by offering exciting new releases. Apparently, the service has collaborated with Sony, BBC Worldwide, ABC, SBS, and Viacom. The deal is expected to give consumers wider range of Hollywood, Australian, and foreign language titles.

On the other hand, Presto is another Australian streaming company originally fully owned by Foxtel. The service was launched in March of 2014 and has initially streamed movies only. But Foxtel knew that it had to expand by offering TV shows as well.

Currently, Presto offers three different subscriptions: Presto Movies for $9.99 a month, Presto TV for $9.99 a month, and bundled option Presto Entertainment, which costs $14.99 a month. The company does not tie its customers with any contract which gives them the option to give up the service anytime they want, Life Hacker reports.

One loophole for Presto is its pricing which appears to be higher compared to its rivals. As mentioned, Stan’s service which offers both movies and TV shows costs $10, while Netflix is expected to cost around AU$9.99 (US$7.99) and also features movies and TV shows.

Additionally, consumers in Australia still have a few notes to consider. They can view the four subscription services via the web browser on the computer. This also holds true with Apple gadgets and some Android devices. It will be a good option for some, but for consumers who prefer to view movies and TV shows on a much bigger screen and with better sounds, Quickflix and Netflix will be the better options.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may e-mail the writer at : e.reyes@ibtimes.com.au