Freesat has launched Curzon Home Cinema, the arthouse on-demand service, on its Freetime smart TV platform.
Curzon Home Cinema, also available online, on Samsung Smart TVs and BT TV is the first paid on-demand service to come to the subscription-free Freetime.
Recent independent films such as Venus in Fur and Blue is the Warmest Colour as well as Cannes Palme d’Or winners, including Michael Haneke’s Oscar-winning Amour, Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark and British filmmaker Mike Leigh’s Secret and Lies are available to watch now.
The move could mean Freesat may eventually offer paid-for streaming services such as Prime Instant Video or Now TV.
Emma Scott, Freesat’s Managing Director, said: “We are excited to launch our first film On Demand player, which enables Freesat viewers to watch some of the best independent films available, often on the day they are released in the cinema.”
“Now Freesat’s Freetime viewers can enjoy a brilliant selection of films including both new releases and classics, yet they only pay for what they watch. The partnership demonstrates our commitment to our viewers to provide the best choice about how, what and when to watch great entertainment.”
Phil Mordecai, Director of Curzon Home Cinema, said: “The launch of the exciting new Curzon Home Cinema online video service in combination with the launch of the Freesat App illustrates our unprecedented support for this growing sector. Our curated seasons and pioneering cinema content makes Curzon and Curzon Home Cinema a clear home for any film fan.”
Films are available for as little as £1, although most titles are priced at £2 and £4. Curzon will also let viewers watch films that are currently showing in cinemas for £10. Titles are available to watch 48 hours after purchase and require a continuous stream of 2Mbps.
HD streams (up to 720p HD) are available if your broadband connection can support it. Curzon doesn’t list the minimum require speed for HD streams, but similar platforms including Netfliux recommend around 5Mbps for HD, so we’d expect you’d need the same for Curzon Home Cinema.
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