This article was published on May 31, 2012

LoveFilm launches HD streaming on consoles, Smart TVs and the desktop in the UK and Germany


LoveFilm launches HD streaming on consoles, Smart TVs and the desktop in the UK and Germany

Amazon-owned video streaming service LoveFilm has finally launched its new HD service in the UK and Germany, offering pixel-perfect streams to rival its rival Netflix.

Rolling out its new service gradually, content will be streamed in 1080p to desktop computers in both the UK and Germany, while 720p streams will be delivered to Xbox 360 and Smart TVs in the UK only.

LoveFilm’s new HD streams are limited in their use, the company still doesn’t offer full mobile access to its streams. It only offers an iPad app, with both iPhone and Android apps operating as queue managers and delivering trailers.

Both the iPad and the PlayStation 3 have been omitted from the HD listing and there isn’t any word as to why they don’t support the new HD streams. In the UK, Netflix has offered HD streams by default and has a full range of mobile apps available to subscribers.

If you’re a LoveFilm customer and wish to take advantage of the new HD streams, you will need a minimum 4Mbps Internet connection for 720p streams and a 12Mbps for fill 1080p playback.

UK regulator Ofcom states that the average Internet connection is 7.6Mbps, some customers could come in for some playback issues.

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