How can I get Lovefilm? Amazon’s live streaming TV and film service

What is Lovefilm? 

Latest news about LovefilmLovefilm, owned by Amazon, is a library of films, TV episodes and video games, available to stream on-demand via broadband and by post.

It requires a monthly subscription, but there’s no long-term contract. There are also pay-per-view new releases online at typical rates of £2.99 or £3.49/viewing.

There are more than 8,000 film and TV titles available to stream over broadband, while the postal service has more than 86,000 titles and 8,000-plus video games for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii or DS.

How much does Lovefilm cost?

Lovefilm Instant is the streaming video service, and costs £4.99/month, with a one-month free trial.

Lovefilm By Post costs £5.99 on its own, or £7.99/month for Instant and DVD/Blu-ray Post with one disc, which you return to Lovefilm when you want your next film to be sent out. It’s £9.99/month with two discs and £13.27/month with three discs.

Adding games by post increases the cost to £11.22/month for two discs or £14.99/month with three discs.

What’s on Lovefilm Instant?

Lovefilm has deals with TV and film producers including Aardman, Miramax, Twentieth Century Fox, StudioCanal, NBC Universal International TV Distribution, Universal Pictures, Disney UK, ABC TV, ITV, BBC Worldwide, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, eOne, Icon Film Distribution, and Momentum.

In practice, this includes films such as Kick Ass, Tyrannosaur, The Dark Knight, Zombieland, Source Code, and Four Lions. TV shows include complete series of Lost, Brothers & Sisters, Life, Blackadder, Spooks and Thomas the Tank Engine.

More than 8,000 titles are available on Lovefilm Instant, with around 1,000 of them pay-per-view new releases.

Can I watch Lovefilm Instant in high definition?

Lovefilm has more than 200 HD films and over 700 TV episodes in HD, including Apocalypse Now, Attack The Block and Planet Earth.

HD films are in 720p on Xbox 360, Samsung TV/Blu-ray, and LG TV/Blu-ray, and Sony TV/Blu-ray/PS3. PC and Mac users can watch in 1080p.

How fast does my broadband connection need to be for Lovefilm?

Lovefilm recommends at least 2Mbps for standard-definition streams, 3Mbps for 720p high definition and 12Mbps for 1080p HD.

How much of my broadband will Lovefilm use?

A typical standard-definition two-hour movie is about 700MB, but hi-def movies are much bigger: in 720p it’s about 1.6GB and a two-hour HD film at 1080p will consume about 10GB of data.

Can I download Lovefilm Instant movies to watch later?

No, Lovefilm is currently a streaming-only service that needs a live internet connection.

Can I watch Lovefilm on my PC or Mac?

On a PC or Mac, once you’ve registered at Lovefilm.com and set up your trial or subscription, just choose a film and start playing. You’ll need Microsoft Silverlight 4 installed, but if you don’t have it your browser will download the software automatically.

Can I watch Lovefilm on my iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch?

Lovefilm is available on the iPad only, using the Lovefilm app from the App Store, but you’ll need to register and set up your trial account at Lovefilm.com first.

There is also a Lovefilm iPhone app for managing your rental list on the postal service.

Can I watch Lovefilm on my Android tablet or phone?

No, there’s no support for Android devices at present. Nowever, there is a Lovefilm Android app for managing your rental lists on the postal service.

Can I watch Lovefilm on my Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii?

Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 owners can stream from Lovefilm Instant in 720p HD, and access the full movie and TV catalogue, once you’ve registered in at Lovefilm.com. There’s no Nintendo Wii support.

PS3 owners need to connect to the Playstation Network and look for the Lovefilm icon under the Video menu on Xross Media Bar.

Xbox 360 owners need an Xbox Live Gold subscription as well as their Lovefilm susbcription, and can find the Lovefilm app under Video in the Xbox marketplace. Use can also use Kinect to control playback if you have it.

Can I watch Lovefilm on my smart TV or set-top box?

Lovefilm is available on a wide range of smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players and digital set-top boxes from Sony, Samsung, and LG.

On Sony Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players, home cinema systems and the Sony Network Media Player, look for the Lovefilm icon under the Video menu on Xross Media Bar.

On Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players, Lovefilm is on the internet@TV page, but you’ll need to get a five-letter code from the app and enter this at lovefilm.com/activate to pair your TV or Blu-ray player with your Lovefilm account.

LG Smart TVs and Blu-ray players purchased after November 2011 host Lovefilm in the Premium section of the Smart TV menu. You’ll then need to follow the on-screen instructions to pair your account to your Smart TV device. 

Latest news about Lovefilm 

• PlayStation 4 launches with BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Lovefilm Instant
• BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Lovefilm Instant free to watch on Sony PlayStation 4 from launch
• Marvel Anime adaptations of X-Men, Wolverine, Iron Man and Blade head to Lovefilm Instant
• Lovefilm pitches Mozart and sport for new drama pilots
• Stephen King series Under The Dome coming to Lovefilm in the UK
• Lovefilm on Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players gets playlist update
• Amazon and Microsoft Xbox won’t swallow Netflix all-you-can-eat viewing
• Lovefilm exclusively nabs New York crime caper Copper
• Batman and Superman get animated as Lovefilm Instant signs Warner Bros deal
• Lovefilm Instant sign up Curious George, Rastamouse and other kids favourites
• Lovefilm invites Instagram #lovefilmtinytrailers to boost Vikings invasion
• Lovefilm Instant update brings wishlists to Xbox 360 app
• The Walking Dead come to eat Lovefilm Instant UK brains exclusively
• Amazon and Lovefilm move into original drama with Harry Bosch
• Disney Movies on Demand comes to Lovefilm
• Stephen King’s Under The Dome set for Lovefilm
• Amazon and Lovefilm promise more TV pilots after picking first winners
• Lovefilm launches exclusive invasion with Vikings
• Amazon Originals pilots on Lovefilm go live and free for all
• Amazon greenlights latest Lovefilm pilot Betas, a Silicon Valley comedy
• Lovefilm lands One Tree Hill and Terminator TV in Warner Bros deal
• Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles mutant morph onto Lovefilm
• Doctor Who and Top Gear added, plus HD boost for Sony Bravia app
• Viewers will decide the fate of 11 new kids’ and comedy pilots
• Marvel super heroes assemble for on-demand cartoon action
• Complete The IT Crowd, Inbetweeners and Shameless in Channel 4 deal
• Knight Rider, The Office USA and Heroes signed up
• Watchlists added to Lovefilm Instant, queue up downloads
• Wii U gets Lovefilm Instant access
• Lovefilm Instant hits Wii now, Wii U ‘shortly’
• Amazon Instant Video hits Wii U, Lovefilm Instant to follow?
• Thousands of cartoons including Sonic and Paddington Bear incoming
• Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD bring Whispersync to the party
• Wallace & Gromit bring Aardman’s Creature Comforts aboard
• There Will Be Blood when Lovefilm adds Miramax catalogue

Doctor Who and Top Gear added, plus HD boost for Sony Bravia app

Doctor Who, Luther, Top Gear and other BBC shows have joined Lovefilm’s Instant library, which is now available in HD on Sony Bravia smart TVs and Blu-ray players.

The expanded deal with BBC Worldwide brings the likes of The Office (UK), Extras, Primeval, Jonathan Creek, Ashes to Ashes, Spooks and Whitechapel.

There’s also a huge range of BBC factual shows like Planet Earth now available to stream on Lovefilm Instant.

Jim Buckle, Managing Director at Lovefilm, said: “The evolution of our TV offering has been unstoppable over the past year. We’ve got some of the best British TV content ever made, and we’re first choice for TV fans who want good quality shows, instantly.” 

The Lovefilm experience has also been enhanced on Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray players with 720p high definition videos, available at the same price as standard-definition videos.

February 11, 2012

Viewers will decide the fate of 11 new kids’ and comedy pilots

Lovefilm viewers will help decide the fate of 11 new TV series being tried out by parent company Amazon’s in-house studios.

Amazon Studios is making single episodes of five children’s shows and six comedies that could be turned into full series if they win enough viewers and positive feedback.

The pilots will go out this year on Lovefilm in the UK and Germany, and in the USA and Canada on Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video.

Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said: “Production is already underway for the first set of comedy pilots we announced in December, and now we are excited to add even more pilots to the list – five amazing preschool children’s series. 

“Our children’s series come from industry luminaries with credits such as Blue’s Clues, Rugrats and Dino Dan. We think parents – and our very youngest customers – are going to love the magical combination of entertainment and learning that they’ll discover in these children’s series.”

The six comedy pilots are:

• Alpha House: written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ’88), Alpha House follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC.  
• Browsers: written by 12-time Emmy-winning comedy writer David Javerbaum (The Daily Show) and to be directed by Don Scardino (30 Rock), Browsers is a musical comedy set in contemporary Manhattan that follows four young people as they start their first jobs at a news website.
• Dark Minions: Big Bang Theory co-stars Kevin Sussman and John Ross Bowie wrote Dark Minions, an animated workplace series about two slackers just trying to make a paycheck working an intergalactic warship.
• The Onion Presents: The News: a smart, fast-paced scripted comedy set behind the scenes of The Onion News Network that shows just how far journalists will go to stay at the top of their game. Written by The Onion’s Will Graham & Dan Mirk (The Onion News Network, The Onion Sportsdome).
• Supanatural: animated comedy series about two outspoken divas who are humanity’s last line of defense against the supernatural, when they’re not working at the mall. It’s written by Lily Sparks, Price Peterson and Ryan Sandoval, and will be produced by Jason Micallef (Butter) and Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show).
• Those Who Can’t: written by Andrew Orvedahl, Adam Cayton-Holland and Benjamin Roy (Grawlix), who were discovered through Amazon Studios’ online open door process, Those Who Can’t is a comedy about three juvenile, misfit teachers who are just as immature, if not more so, than the students they teach.

The five children’s pilots include: 

• Creative Galaxy: an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue’s Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
• Oz Adventures: problem solving series where Dot, Dorothy’s daughter, goes off to Oz everyday with the children of the beloved characters from L. Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wizard of Oz. In each episode, the yellow brick road leads Dot to a new magical location where she solves problems alongside her Oz friends.
• Teeny Tiny Dogs: from Rugrats creator Howard Baker, Teeny Tiny Dogs follows Butch, Butterfly, Dinky and Polly as they help one another navigate the big world despite their teeny, tiny, small size. This series promotes happiness through friendship, learning, growing and developing a strong sense of self as seen through the eyes of canine friends.
• Tumbleaf: a preschoolers’ series set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Children will be enriched by narratives that promote play through exploration and cognitive reasoning.
• The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project: Anne, a young scientist, creates three robot helpers to assist her scientific experiments in the back of her dad’s junkyard. This science-based series from creator J.J. Johnson (Dino Dan, This is Emily Yeung) aims to introduce kids to science and technology in a fun, new way.

February 5, 2013

Marvel super heroes assemble for on-demand cartoon action

Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Silver Surfer all of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are teaming up for the ultimate showdown – on Lovefilm Instant.

A new content deal struck with Disney sees the old school Marvel cartoons from the 90’s arriving on Lovefilm Instant.

Jim Buckle, Managing Director at Lovefilm, said: “We already have a fantastic range of animated TV content on offer for our customers and it is great to see it expand with Marvel animation as a result of this new deal with Disney.”

Lovefilm’s been busy tapping into a stream of heroic nostalgia of late; Knight Rider and Heroes are now available to watch in their entirety thanks to an earlier deal with NBCUniversal.

Though not yet available on Lovefilm Instant, last year’s superhero blockbuster Avengers Assemble is available to rent from regular Lovefilm if you need some live-action Marvel goodness to go with your retro fix.

January 29, 2013

Complete The IT Crowd, Inbetweeners and Shameless in Channel 4 deal

A 4oD collection has added more than a decade of Channel 4, E4 and More4 shows to Lovefilm, including Drop the Dead Donkey, cult drama series Queer As Folk, and all four series of Teachers.

The deal with Channel 4 will expand with complete series such as Peep Show, Friday Night Dinner and Father Ted to Lovefilm’s TV section, which last week lost out to Netflix in the TV stakes.

Lovefilm’s MD, Jim Buckle, said: “Our TV offering has gone from strength to strength and this deal will bring even more iconic British content to the service. We’re proud to offer more diverse and exciting instant television programming to our members than any other subscription service.” 

Sarah Rose, Channel 4’s commercial boss, said: “We’re very proud of our rich archive of shows on 4oD and we’re delighted to find another platform for many of them on Lovefilm.

“Our growing mix of classic comedy, drama and documentary spanning 30 years of broadcasting, complements Lovefilm’s already diverse range of great programmes and films.”

January 21, 2013

Knight Rider, The Office USA and Heroes signed up

US TV hits and classics including Knight Rider, The Office: An American Workplace, 30 Rock and Heroes are coming to Lovefilm.

The streaming video provider has signed up NBCUniversal to supply hundreds of episodes of TV series, from recent hits to classics.

The deal includes shows from both US network channel NBC, and NBCU’s cable channels such as SyFy and E!, although on-demand rights to some shows are owned by other UK broadcasters.

January 16, 2013

Watchlists added to Lovefilm Instant, queue up downloads

Lovefilm has just launched Watchlists for Lovefilm Instant, which lets you queue up lists of films and TV episodes as you go.

Ideal for boozing through an entire series of Downton Abbey or 24 or setting up a Kubrick marathon, Watchlists can be easily set up simply by clicking the ‘Add To Watchlist’ button net to Lovefilm Instant titles when browsing the site on PC or Mac.

Removing titles from your list is equally easy, simply click ‘remove’ beneath any titles to clear anything out of the playlist.

Watchlisting isn’t yet available for any other platforms or apps, so you won’t be able to do this on your smart TV, PlayStation 3 or iPad, at least not yet. Given that Lovefilm Watchlist has been ‘the most frequently requested’ feature from Lovefilm Instant members it’s perhaps only a matter of time before it becomes a feature on other platforms too.

December 14, 2012

Wii U gets Lovefilm Instant access with second screen bonus

Nintendo and Lovefilm have put the ‘short’ in ‘shortly’ by enabling Lovefilm access on the new HD console just a week after promising it (see our previous story, below).

The Wii Shop Channel on the Wii U now hosts a Lovefilm Instant app for download, and we’ll be taking a closer look at it in our Christmas-week roundup of smart TV entertainment services.

The Wii U GamePad controller can also be used as a second screen to watch films instead of using your TV, or browse the Lovefilm library and access extra information like cast and episode guides.

December 10, 2012

Lovefilm Instant hits Wii now, Wii U ‘shortly’

The Nintendo Wii is now home to Lovefilm Instant, with the movie-streaming service set to arrive on the new Wii U HD console shortly.

The Lovefilm application can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel today, and lets members watch, search, browse, rate and review titles using their existing membership package.

Other than ‘shortly’, there’s no date set so far for Lovefilm on the Wii U.

Shelly Pearce, marketing and PR director for Nintendo UK, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Lovefilm to offer Wii owners and soon Wii U owners on-demand film and TV content to enjoy.

“Lovefilm has a proven track record of success and innovation in film distribution and is a very welcome addition.” 

December 4, 2012

Amazon Instant Video hits Wii U, Lovefilm Instant to follow?

Amazon has announced that its US-only Amazon Instant Video service will be heading to the Nintendo Wii U.

The streaming service will also roll out ‘internationally,’ prompting speculation that Lovefilm Instant will be live and kicking on the Wii U when it lands on these shores at the end of November.

According to Digital TV Europe, ‘Amazon Instant Video’ will be heading to other markets once it lands on the Wii U Stateside. Seeing as Amazon Instant Video is a US-only thing we can take this to refer to any Amazon-owned streaming service, such as Lovefilm Instant here in the UK.

We’ve reached out to Lovefilm for some more information. We’re not really expecting to hear much since the Wii U isn’t going on sale here until the end of the month. But we have spied this forum post from back in September, which suggests that Lovefilm is preparing to launch on the soon-to-be-replaced-Wii.

Would Lovefilm really put so much efforting in bringing on-demand movies to a console that’s virtually at the end of its life cycle and not consider its replacement? We’ll find out soon enough.

November 22, 2012

Thousands of cartoons including Sonic and Paddington Bear incoming

Lovefilm has added a number of children’s TV shows and cartoons to its on-demand service.

Over 2,000 classic and current cartoons including Inspector Gadget, Mona the Vampire and Dennis the Menace will be headed to the Lovefilm line up.

The deal was done with DHX Media, one of the leading content providers which also sees classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Paddington Bear hitting Lovefilm Instant screens.

Jim Buckle, Managing Director at Lovefilm, commented: “DHX Media has created some of the best children’s TV of recent years and we are pleased to bring their great content to our service. Lovefilm Instant is the first choice for parents who want high quality, fun and safe entertainment for their children, so naturally the addition of shows such as Mona the Vampire and Paddington Bear is an exciting prospect for us.”

The new titles will be available to watch on all devices that can get Lovefilm, so that’s PC, Mac, iPhone and Android devices including the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD. For the full list of supported devices and how to get Lovefilm Instant, check out our feature below.

November 21, 2012

Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD bring Whispersync to the party

Lovefilm has finally arrived on the Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tablets, bringing Whispersync to the on-demand party.

Whispersync, if you’ve not heard, is Amazon’s trademark software that lets you sync bookmarks between devices. The idea being that you start reading an ebook on your phone via the Kindle app and then pick up where you left off on your laptop or Kindle.

Combined with Lovefilm, Whispersync’s functionality should be obvious – it’ll let you start watching a movie on your Kindle Fire and then carry on watching it at home on your smart TV, games console, PC or Mac.

As well as this Amazon and Lovefilm have added something called X-Ray For Movies. This is perfect if you’re one of those people who is like ‘Hey, isn’t that so and so from…?’.

X-Ray for Movies lets you call up things like cast information for actors in a movie’s scene and see what other films they’ve been in. All of this information is powered by IMDb and can be accessed while the movie continues to play.

As well as this you can queue up unlimited playlists of films and TV shows so you’re never stuck for something to watch.

Lovefilm is rolling out to Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD’s today; head over to the Amazon Appstore on your device.

October 24, 2012

Wallace & Gromit bring Aardman’s Creature Comforts aboard

Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts and Angry Kid are now part of Lovefilm’s catalogue, thanks to a deal with Aardman.

The British animation powerhouse has added its entire back catalogue to Lovefilm Instant, including animation series, shorts and Wallace & Gromit’s full-length features.

September 11, 2012

There Will Be Blood when Lovefilm adds Miramax catalogue

This summer, Miramax’s film catalogue will be added to the Lovefilm Instant on-demand video library, including There Will Be Blood, The Aviator, Sin City, and Quentin Tarantino’s cult classics Kill Bill and Jackie Brown.

Jim Buckle, Lovefilm’s managing director, said: “We are thrilled to bring Miramax films to our customers. This exciting deal will enable us to deliver even more high-quality content to our members and reinforce, once again, our leading position as the first choice subscription service when it comes to exceptional range and unbeatable value for money.”

July 31, 2012