HD Premium is the package for people who want dependable everyday viewing without paying extra for 4K. You get HD and Full HD picture quality where available, the same six subscription lengths and the same one to four screen options as 4K Premium, at a lower price.
Our best HD plan is 12 months on 1 screen for £64.99, which works out at £5.42 a month. Select this plan on the prices page.
Who HD Premium suits
- HD and Full HD TVs. If your TV isn't 4K, it can't show 4K detail, so HD Premium gives you everything your screen can display.
- Smaller screens. On TVs under about 43 inches, and on phones, tablets and laptops, the difference between Full HD and 4K is hard to see from a normal viewing distance.
- Modest broadband. HD streams need far less bandwidth than 4K, so they're more forgiving on slower connections, busy Wi-Fi and homes with several people streaming at once.
- Older streaming devices. Many older sticks and boxes can't decode 4K but play HD perfectly well.
What you need
Any HD-ready, Full HD or 4K TV, a device that runs a compatible IPTV player app, and a stable internet connection. As a rough guide, allow around 10 Mbps of real-world speed for each screen watching in HD. Netflix, for comparison, recommends 5 Mbps for its HD streams, but live TV benefits from extra headroom.
Popular choices include an Amazon Fire TV Stick, an Android TV box, or an app on your Samsung or LG smart TV. Our devices guide covers the full range.
HD, Full HD and 4K compared
| Format | Pixels | Rough broadband per screen | Package |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD (720p) | 1280 × 720 | Around 5 to 10 Mbps | HD Premium |
| Full HD (1080p) | 1920 × 1080 | Around 10 Mbps | HD Premium |
| 4K Ultra HD | 3840 × 2160 | Around 25 Mbps | 4K Premium |
Which of these you see on a given channel depends on how that channel is broadcast. Many players can show the stream's resolution in an information overlay during playback, usually from the info or options button, if you're curious what you're watching. As a rough guide to data use, an hour in HD uses around 2 to 4.5 GB, which matters if you watch on a phone away from Wi-Fi.
Getting the best HD picture
- Let the TV do the scaling. Set your streaming device to your TV's native resolution (4K on a 4K TV), so HD channels are upscaled once, cleanly.
- Match the frame rate. UK channels run at 50 frames per second. Turning on frame-rate matching on your device, where it's offered, keeps sport smooth.
- Pick a sensible picture mode. Standard or a calibrated mode usually looks more natural than Vivid, which exaggerates edges and noise in HD pictures.
HD Premium or 4K Premium?
Choose HD Premium if value matters more to you than the sharpest possible picture, or if any part of your setup (TV, device or broadband) isn't 4K-ready. Choose 4K Premium if you have a 4K TV of around 50 inches or more, a 4K-capable device and fast broadband, and you want the extra detail when 4K content is available.
On 12 months and 1 screen the difference is £74.99 for 4K Premium against £64.99 for HD Premium.
HD Premium prices
Every price is the total for the full length, with the monthly equivalent underneath. Select a price to open it in the plan selector.
| Length | 1 screen | 2 screens | 3 screens | 4 screens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | £11.99 | £16.99 | £21.99 | £26.99 |
| 3 months | £24.99£8.33/month | £34.99£11.66/month | £44.99£15.00/month | £54.99£18.33/month |
| 6 months | £39.99£6.67/month | £54.99£9.17/month | £69.99£11.67/month | £84.99£14.17/month |
| 12 months | £64.99£5.42/month | £89.99£7.50/month | £114.99£9.58/month | £139.99£11.67/month |
| 24 months | £109.99£4.58/month | £149.99£6.25/month | £189.99£7.92/month | £229.99£9.58/month |
| 36 months | £149.99£4.17/month | £199.99£5.56/month | £249.99£6.94/month | £299.99£8.33/month |
The lowest monthly equivalent is on 36 months and 1 screen, at £4.17 a month. If you'd rather keep your commitment short, the 1-month plan is £11.99. Our guide to budget IPTV covers how to get the best value without cutting corners.