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svtplay.se
I'm discovering more and more great free TV streaming services that exist abroad, which makes me wish I could expatriate myself from the United States. In countries like Sweden, where these services are abundant and of high quality, it would be a dream come true to be able to watch tons of high-quality programs without having to pay a cent.
Then again, if any American knows well, there are countless other reasons why a Swede might tend to think that America looks very alluring, free TV streaming services aside? You're telling me that if I were to become a Swedish citizen, I could have access to amazing, free TV streaming sites like SVT Play, free health care, free college education (all the way through a Ph.D.!), and free daycare services for my kids? Where do I sign up?
Okay, okay, I know that these things are not technically "free," in the truest sense of the word - Swedish citizens are typically taxed roughly 62% of their personal income, in addition to paying a fairly steep 25% consumption tax - but, hey, if these taxes end up meaning that I have to pay less to lead a comfortable and healthy life, I am all for it.
All of that being said, perhaps it is not entirely accurate to call SVT Play a free TV streaming site so much as it is to say that SVT is a privilege afforded to all Swedes as a result of what they pay in income tax. If you live in Sweden and you are not taking advantage of SVT Play at least once in a while, well, you might as well be throwing money away! That being said, one can't help but wonder if a free, government-run, quasi-access TV network's streaming service is truly one of the best free TV Streaming sites available. Well, by the end of this review, this is what we will have figured out, once and for all.
SVT Play is a streaming site that offers free TV streaming in a "catch up" format. This differs from the usual way of accessing content that you would find on, say, Netflix, where a series or movie is made available for prearranged, contractually mandated amount of time (usually at least 1 year).
If you're like me, you might have missed an episode of your favorite show and want to watch it right away. Catchup TV streaming services like SVT Play are designed with the regular, Over The Top cable TV viewer in mind. As the name implies, if you miss the airing of a broadcast program, you can catch up with SVT Play within 30 days after it airs. After that 30 days, if you haven't caught up by then, well, unfortunately, you're out of luck (unless you can find it on another streaming service elsewhere).
SVT Play is a streaming site that offers a wide range of content, including TV series, movies, documentaries, news programs, stand-up comedy specials, broadcasted events and ceremonies, and even live concerts. This site is one of the most consistently impressive on the market because SVT has a history of providing engaging entertainment.
History
SVT Play, as we know it today, was not launched until December of 2006. However, SVT can trace its roots back to the 1920s when the Swedish government decided to adopt a media structure that was very similar to that of the British Broadcasting Company. In other words, radio was to be a monopoly that was funded through licensing fees and structured as a limited company. It was then known as Radiotjänst, or Radio Service Ltd.?
In 1954, technology became affordable enough for a public/private media entity to begin running test transmissions on television. The very first television transmission occurred on October 29, 1954, from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Still, regular TV programs weren't broadcast in Sweden until 1957. Meanwhile, at the same time Sveriges Radio (SR) was undergoing seismic shifts in ownership, giving both the State and the press 40% of the company shares; the remaining 20% would belong to the company itself. In 1967, the State increased their own share to 60%.
And so, Sweden's Television station, Sveriges Television, or SVT was born. And from this point on, SVT would embark on a steady growth and expansion plan. This involved expanding the number of channels that it offered, which naturally led to a broader selection of regular programming. By the middle of the 1960s, SVT had become a multi-channel media powerhouse with everything from sitcoms to dramas ranging in genre.
Today, SVT Play makes it possible for you to watch anything aired on SVT no matter when or where you are (so long as you are in Sweden and it is within 30 days of broadcast). What a long way we've come.
Design
I appreciate the no-nonsense approach to site design at SVT Play. It is very minimalistic and barebones, things that I tend to appreciate in any streaming site. One thing that I have noticed about free TV streaming sites (and premium ones too) is the fact that they tend to be too cluttered, like they are trying to do too much or cram way too much content onto every page. Thankfully, at SVT Play, understanding the value of the adage ?less is more.?
Not only is SVT nicely paced and spaced in its layout, but it also embraces an underrated and underdiscussed element to good site design - one that I am going to refer to as alternation. You might also call it patterning. What I mean is that, as you scroll down the SVT Play home page, you start to notice a pattern of alternating thumbnail sizes. One category presents content with smaller thumbnails, the next with longer ones. The page then volleys back and forth in this nature. What I think is amazing about this design technique is that it tricks the eye into believing that it is taking in a dynamic user experience, even though it is just a matter of alternating the dimensions of rectangles!
Enter a TV show or movie to discover great site design. The media player is large and nearly spans the entire screen in width. The background is black, resulting in a sort of cinematic effect. Below the media player, you will find a side-scrolling list of similar shows to stream - everything I could ask for from a TV streaming site, at least from a design perspective? Everything is right where I want it to be.
Content and Features
So, this is one area in which the SVT Play streaming service falls short. It's not in terms of content - it has over 2,000 titles to stream for free at any given time. However, there are a few features that the service is lacking - like features that would make it easier to find what you're looking for. Although SVT Play is doing well in terms of content, it could use some additional features to help people find what they're looking for more easily.
There are not many user-friendly features, though. I can browse by channel, by category, and by genre. That's about all I'm able to do on SVT Play. I would have liked to have seen some customizable features - such as being able to add shows to a list, rating them, marking them as "watch later," or leaving comments. Outside of viewing tons of great content, there is not a whole lot that you can do on SVT Play.
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