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What’s the best digital TV movie service?

Our digital TV expert says...

While the first thing that comes to mind when you think of film services might be Sky Movies, there are other options - even if you're looking for a cheap package or don’t want to pay a monthly subscription at all.

The UK’s big three digital TV providers all offer specific movie packages, but many subscription packages also include film channels like Film4, Movies 24 and True Movies, that don’t cost any extra.

However, if you want to watch the latest releases and know you'll make the most of a premium movie channel, it might be worth investing.

Sky

Sky (www.sky.co.uk) customers can of course enjoy hundreds of movies by signing up to either Sky Movies 1 or Sky Movies 2, which cost £8 each on top of your monthly subscription.

Or if you want to go all out, the Movies Pack offers over 450 movies a week but does cost an additional £16 a month.

Sky Movies 1 gives you access to:

• Sky Movies Comedy
• Sky Movies Family
• Sky Movies Classics
• Sky Movies Modern Greats
• Sky Movies Drama & Romance

While Sky Movies 2 offers:

• Sky Movies Action & Adventure
• Sky Movies Crime & Thriller
• Sky Movies Sci Fi & Horror
• Sky Movies Indie
• Sky Movies Comedy

The Movies Pack gives you access to all of these channels as well as the Premier channel and Disney’s Cingemagic for the kids.

If you take the Sky HD pack for an extra £10 you'll also be able to watch movies in the very sharpest high-definition.

Even if you don’t want to sign-up to the Movies Pack, you'll be able to access Sky’s on-demand service Sky Anytime. It shows over 200 hours of the best TV including HD programmes, latest movies, exciting dramas and gripping documentaries all at the touch of a button.

Sky even offers a 3D TV channel for Sky World customers. So if you've got a 3D ready TV you could really take your movie channel to the next level.

Virgin Media

Even as a Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) customer you can still add Sky Movies to your package. Sky Movies 1 or 2 costs £14.50 a month if you're an M+, L or XL customer - or £26 a month if you take the M TV package.

If you want the full choice of Sky Movies channels, including Sky Movies 1 and 2, plus Premiere, Showcase and Disney Cinemagic, it will cost you from £21.50 a month on top of your standard subscription.

The provider also offers an Asian Collection for £10 a month, with everything from the latest news updates to Bollywood blockbusters over 11 channels.

Its on-demand TV offering is also worth checking out, with direct access to the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and Channel 4’s 4oD as well as three on-demand movie services with hundreds of titles. It launched its own 3D offering in October 2010, with on-demand 3D movies including A Christmas Carol 3D, Step Up 3D and Garfield’s Pet Force 3D.

Customers with a HD ready TV and a V HD or V+ HD set-top box will also be able to watch movies in high-definition.

BT Vision

BT Vision (www.btvision.bt.com) customers can’t get Sky Movie channels, but do have access to a wide choice of pay-per-view movies starting from £1.99. Alternatively, you can sign-up to its Vision Film Club Pack for £6.99 a month or as part of a Value Pack starting from £14.99.

The Vision Film Club Pack offers over 75 films every month with 20 new movies each week.

Online movie services

Faster broadband speeds mean that you can now watch movies online, with instant access to some of the latest releases and classic titles from streaming and download services.

LOVEFiLM, which offers a DVD rental service through the post, now also offers online movie access. It has a selection of free-to-view movies and short films, as well as more than 3,000 titles that are free to watch if you're signed up to a LOVEFiLM package.

If you just want to watch the occasional movie on a pay-per-view basis, the company also offers more than 800 titles - all ready to stream whenever you want.

YouTube Movies is another option if you want to watch films online, while the BBC iPlayer and 4oD also often allow you to watch movies online.

Watch your download allowance

Although the internet has opened up a whole new world for online movies, you do need to keep an eye on your download allowance if you watch a lot of TV and films online. Some broadband packages come with a set download allowance, but even those that offer “unlimited” broadband usually still come with a fair usage policy, which could see your connection slowed down if you regularly download too much.

Sky and Virgin Media both offer genuine unlimited broadband packages - that come without a fair usage policy or traffic management. Sky’s Unlimited broadband comes with speeds of up to 20Mb, while Virgin Media’s XXL package offers superfast downloads at up to 50Mb.

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If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@digitalchoices.co.uk