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Recombu Awards 2016: Best on-demand TV service of the year

We reveal the winner and full nominees for the best on-demand TV service of 2016, including home entertainment packages from Sky, Netflix and Amazon.

Although 2016 has been a rather ridiculous year in many respects, it’s also been bloody brilliant for TV fans. With more and more on-demand telly streaming services now offering 4K and HDR video, you can get stuck into plenty of Ultra High-Definition shows and binge on boxsets as much as you like.

Competition in this category was as fierce as ever, and the following on-demand TV services all offer a strong catalogue of on-demand content and some excellent features, to enhance your home entertainment experience. But of course only one can win, and this year it was the rather brilliant and impressively flexible Sky Q.

To see the rest of the Recombu Awards 2016 winners, in categories such as Best Mobile Phone and Best On-Demand TV Service, check out our Recombu Awards hub.

Best on-demand TV service winner: Sky Q

Sky has had a busy 2016, and the fruits of that intense labour was Sky Q, the first truly compelling multi-room home entertainment service. ‘Fluid viewing’ is the key feature, with the ability to pause and continue watching your streamed or downloaded content from any other room in your home. You can even switch to a mobile device thanks to the Sky Q app, with next to no disruption.

Sky is constantly improving the service too. We’ve already had a neat split screen mode for sports, while 2017 will bring several other important updates to make it better than ever. Which all added together makes Sky Q our pick for the best on-demand TV service of 2016.

Check out our full Sky Q tips and tricks for more on this excellent service.

Best on-demand TV service nominee: Netflix

Netflix has proved itself one of the ultimate saviours of stop-in Saturdays, offering a strong variety of streaming content to keep you glued to your sofa. In 2016 we saw some excellent Netflix exclusives, including the likes of Luke Cage, Stranger Things and a new series of Black Mirror, as well as the continuation of Bojack Horseman and Narcos, which just keep on getting better.

And now that you can finally download Netflix shows to watch offline, as well as stream in glorious 4K, there’s very little to dislike about this on-demand service.

Best on-demand TV service nominee: Amazon Prime Video

Amazon’s Prime customers have access to an ever-growing range of TV shows and movies, with more exclusive content appearing on Prime Video every month. The catalogue is stronger than ever and the bulk of available video can be downloaded onto your mobile device, to watch on holiday.

Considering this is all included in the great-value Prime subscription means you’re getting strong value for money.

Best on-demand TV service nominee: BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer comes at no extra charge for license fee payers, giving full access to all of the Beeb’s excellent broadcasts. You can restart live shows, so you never miss a second even if you’re running late. And of course you can download content to enjoy on the move.

Best on-demand TV service nominee: Now TV

If you want a flexible home streaming service with all of the great content found in a Sky package, then Now TV is the answer. In 2016 we saw the all-new Now TV box launch, which offers full pause and rewind functionality for live telly. You also now get greater choice with the Now TV Combo Deal, while sports fans can as usual grab themselves a Sports Pass whenever their team is on the telly.

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