Clubcard TV: Tesco launches rival to Netflix, Lovefilm and Now TV

Clubcard TV, a new TV and film streaming service, has been launched by Tesco. But is it any good?

Tesco has launched Clubcard TV, a streaming TV and film service available to all Clubcard members. And it doesn’t cost a penny.

Clubcard TV has been put together with blinkbox, a film streaming service which Tesco bought back in 2011.

So how does it work?

What you need for Clubcard TV

First up, you need a Clubcard as you have to hand over your number to register for the service. Given Clubcard is free and only takes a couple of minutes to sign up for, it’s not the worst hoop to jump through!

After that all you need is a computer and internet access. You can connect your computer to your TV so you can watch the films on your telly, but you can’t stream through games consoles like the PS3, Xbox or Wii as you can with other streaming services, though this is apparently coming later.

The TV and film selection

The big question of course is whether there’s anything on there that you’d want to watch. And it’s fair to say the selection of TV shows and films on Clubcard TV at the moment is a little patchy.

TV shows include The Only Way Is Essex, Supersize vs Superskinny and Doc Martin. It’s perhaps telling that at the moment the most popular shows on there are for kids: Batman: The Animated Series, The Mask: The Animated Series, Flash Gordon and Care Bears are all on the most-watched list.

The film selection isn’t much better. The most recent film I could find on there was Journey to Promethea from 2010 (a film with a score of a whopping  2.8 out of 10 on IMDB). Beyond that there’s plenty from 2007, including Nancy Drew and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the odd classic like The Shawshank Redemption.

But it’s slim pickings.

You’ll also have to put up with occasional ads, based on your shopping habits.

Interestingly, the free films selection has disappeared from blinkbox, suggesting the two services may merge at some point.

A soft launch

It’s worth bearing in mind that Clubcard TV is only in its Beta stage of development, so while we can take advantage now, it’s far from the finished product.

As a result I’m not going to be too harsh on Clubcard TV just yet. After all it is free, unlike its main streaming rivals, though in fairness they are only around a fiver a month each and offer a far more enticing viewing selection. They are also available for viewing in more formats, whether through a games console or in some cases on your smartphone or tablet.

So there’s a long way to go before Clubcard TV can truly rival Netflix, Lovefilm or Now TV. Check out The cheapest way to watch films for a comprehensive guide to the different services and how they compare.

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