Watching movies and TV series online has never been easier. In recent years in Italy there has been a proliferation of platforms and services that allow the viewing of original content by paying a monthly subscription, or by purchasing the individual film or TV series. The merit of the success of TV on demand is surely due to Netflix that has brought to Italy a new way to watch TV series and movies.
The feature that distinguishes streaming video services is the possibility to watch movies and TV series online at any time: you just need a compatible device and a stable Internet connection. Most of the services available in Italy all offer a monthly subscription that allows access to a very large catalog of content. But there are special cases such as Chili Tv that allows users to purchase a single piece of content without having to pay a monthly subscription. RaiPlay and Mediaset Play, on the other hand, are the two online platforms of Rai and Mediaset that in addition to allowing you to watch free TV on the Internet, offer the possibility to watch movies and TV series on the Internet. Here are the best platforms and sites to watch movies and TV series online.
How Netflix works
First in the United States and then also in Italy, Netflix has forever changed the relationship between the user and TV. In order to watch your favorite TV series, you don't have to wait for the classic weekly appointment, but you can watch all the episodes of a fiction in the same day (hence the term bingewatching). Netflix allows you to watch original streaming movies and TV series at any time. Netflix's database offers over 2,500 pieces of media content including movies, TV series, documentaries, stand-up comedy and cartoons.
To access Netflix and watch movies online you need to pay a monthly subscription that starts at €7.99 and goes up to €13.99 (up to 4 devices simultaneously).
How Amazon Prime Video works
Amazon Prime Video is the video streaming service included in the Amazon Prime subscription (€3.99 per month or €36 per year). It offers an extensive catalog with original TV series and movies and multimedia content released in theaters or on television in recent years. With Amazon Prime Video you can watch movies and TV series online or download them to the platform for offline viewing.
For the Italian audience there is a large catalog of movies and dramas to choose from, including content produced by RAI with which Amazon has closed a partnership agreement.
How Chili Tv works
Chili Tv is a platform where you can buy movies and TV series online and watch them from the comfort of your own device. Chili works differently than Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. You don't pay any monthly subscription, but you just buy the content you want. On Chili TV you can find the latest movies and the best TV series of the moment.
How does Infinity work
Infinity is the TV on demand of Mediaset that offers a very large catalog of movies and TV series. The operation is similar to that of Netflix, you pay a monthly subscription and you have access to all available content. The platform supports any type of device: smart TV, computer, tablet and smartphone. In addition, you can download content and watch it offline. On Infinity you can watch the best online TV series such as Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. The cost of the subscription is 7.99 euros.
How Now Tv works
Now Tv is the streaming service that offers the best channels of Sky. To use Now Tv you don't need any satellite system, but you just need to connect a USB stick to your TV (in case your TV is not smart) and have a good Internet connection. Now Tv offers several packages to which you can subscribe: soccer, documentaries and cinema. By purchasing the Cnema package you'll be able to watch movies online on the channels offered by Now Tv, while the Serie Tv ticket gives you access to all Sky dramas. The monthly subscription ranges from a minimum cost of 10 euros to a maximum of 20 euros. The Sports package is excluded and has a monthly cost of 29.99 euros.
How RaiPlay works
RaiPlay is the on-demand service of the State TV, where in addition to being able to see the RAI channels in live streaming for free, it is possible to retrieve the programs of the previous days and the best TV series and films produced by RAI. In order to use RaiPlay is not necessary any kind of subscription, but simply register to the platform. RaiPlay is available from the browser by accessing the site, or from smartphones and tablets by downloading the application on the Google Play Store and App Store.
To watch movies and TV series online on RaiPlay, simply access the platform and click on the menu icon. A window will open with all the various sections of the platform: click on Film or Fiction to access the original content produced by RAI, to watch on demand at any time of day.
How Mediaset Play works
Mediaset Play is the answer of the Biscione TV to RaiPlay. On Mediaset Play you can watch live streaming for free Channel 5, Italy 1, Rete 4 and all other channels of Mediaset. In addition, on the platform are available on demand all the original content produced by Mediaset, including movies and TV series. Mediaset Play is available from the browser and from the app (downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store).
To watch movies and TV series online on Mediaset Play you need to launch the platform, enter your credentials (register if you are not subscribed) and click on "On demand". A pop-up window will open with all available content: click on "Fiction and TV series" or "Film" to access the Mediaset catalog. To watch a film online, simply choose it from the database, click on the Enter icon and wait a few seconds for playback to start.
How SkyGo works
One of the platforms with the largest number of films and TV series online is SkyGo, the on-demand service of Sky satellite TV. On SkyGo, in addition to live streaming channels, there is a section dedicated to content on demand with movies and TV series aired on Sky channels. In order to use SkyGo and watch movies and TV series online you must be a subscriber to satellite TV and have a Sky account. SkyGo is available for tablets, smartphones and computers. The SkyGo application can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and App Store.
To watch movies online on SkyGo you need to launch the platform, enter your credentials and access the section dedicated to on-demand content. Here you will find all the movies and TV series to watch online at any time.
How TIM Vision works
Another platform where you can watch movies and TV series online is TIM Vision. As you can guess from the name, this is the TV on demand of TIM, one of the major players in the telephone network. TIM Vision offers a rather large catalog consists of documentaries, sports, news, movies and TV series. The service is available on smartphones, tablets, computers and smart TVs, just download the application from online stores. The monthly subscription to TIM Vision is 4.99 euros, but for TIM customers there is a discount that varies depending on the phone subscription. In addition to on-demand channels, TIM Vision also offers the ability to rent movies online at a great price.
How Apple Tv+ works
Apple Tv+ is the Cupertino-based company's new TV on demand service. The platform was unveiled on March 25, 2019 and will make its official debut in the fall of 2019 in over 150 countries, hopefully including Italy. Apple Tv+ is very similar to Netflix: it will have hundreds of exclusive content and will allow watching movies and TV series online. The Cupertino-based company has already announced collaborations with great directors and actors. The price of the monthly subscription to Apple Tv+ has not been announced.
How Disney+ works
We know almost everything about Apple Tv+, while Disney+ is a project that has yet to be defined. This is the streaming service that Disney wants to launch in the U.S. by the end of 2019 (no word on whether it will also come to Italy). According to rumors, in addition to new and exclusive content, the platform will host all the movies and TV series produced over the years by the Disney group.