svtplay.se

The more I learn about the many free TV streaming services that exist abroad, the more I wish I could expatriate myself from the United States. Maybe that is a little bit of an extreme act just to be able to watch tons of high-quality free TV programs and take advantage of the great free TV streaming services that are available in countries like Sweden. You're telling me that if I were to become a Swedish citizen, I would have access to amazing, free TV streaming sites like SVT Play? I'm interested! Where do I sign up?

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.

This paragraph is about how SVT Play is not really a free site because people have to pay taxes to use it. However, it is still a good site because it offers free TV streaming for everyone in Sweden.

With SVT Play, you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as it's currently available on the site or app. SVT Play is a streaming site and app that offers "catch-up" viewing of TV shows and movies. This model differs from the typical way of obtaining content where a show or movie is made available for a prearranged and contractually mandated amount of time (usually at least 1 year). With SVT Play, you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as it is currently available on the site or app.

Catchup TV streaming services like SVT Play are designed with the regular, Over The Top cable TV viewer in mind. These services offer a way for viewers who missed the airing of their favorite programs to catch up on them. Each service has different durations for how long past broadcasts will be available, but they are typically available for thirty days after airing. After that thirty days, if you have not watched the program, it is unavailable unless you find it on another streaming service.

Though most content on SVT Play takes the form of episodes from TV series, there is a wide range of content that goes far beyond simply sitcoms and dramas. If it aired on one of SVT's cable channels within the last 30 days, you will be able to find and stream it on SVT Play. This results in plenty of movies, documentaries, news programs, standup comedy specials, broadcasted events and ceremonies, and even (previously) live concerts. As far as free TV streaming sites go, SVT Play certainly has one of the most consistently impressive lineups – but that is because, lucky for all of you TV lovers in Sweden, SVT has a history of providing engaging, thoughtful, and downright good entertainment.

History

Although SVT Play as we know it today was not launched until December of 2006, Sweden's public broadcasting system can be traced back to the 1920s. At that time, the Swedish government decided to adopt a media structure similar to that of the British Broadcasting Company. In other words, radio would be a government-owned monopoly with licensing fees and structured as a limited company. It was then known as Radiotjänst, or Radio Service Ltd.? On October 29, 1954, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm transmitted a television signal for the first time. This event happened three years after regular television programming was to air in Sweden, on May 15, 1957. Meanwhile, at the same time as SR underwent shifts in ownership, giving 40% of the company to the State and 20% to the press, Sveriges Radio (SR) was undergoing seismic shifts as well. On December 2nd 1967, SR increased their own share to 60%.

And so, in 1965, SVT was born as a result of the restructuring of the Swedish television industry. This led to a steady stream of growth and expansion with SVT offering more channels and a broader range of regular programming. By the middle of the 1960s, SVT had become a multi-channel media monopoly with everything from feel-good sitcoms to stoic dramas.

Today, SVT Play makes it so that you can watch any and everything aired on SVT even if it is from long ago or far away (as long as it is broadcast within 30 days of when it airs in Sweden). What a long way we have come.

Design

I appreciate the no-nonsense approach to site design at SVT Play. It is very minimalistic and barebones, which are attributes 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 often try to cram way too much content onto every page. SVT Play, thankfully, understands the value of the adage "less is more." Not only is the layout of SVT well paced and spaced, but it also embraces an underrated and underdiscussed element to good website 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. I think that, in addition to providing a sense of stylistic organization, it also 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 explore its well-designed website design. The player is large and nearly spans the entire screen in width. The background is black, creating a cinematic effect. Below the player, you will find a side-scrolling list of similar shows to watch - everything I could ask for from a streaming site, at least from a design perspective? Everything is right where I want it to be.

Content and Features

However, the number of features offered leaves something to be desired. SVT Play does well in terms of content, with over 2,000 titles to stream for free at any given time. However, the number of features offered is not as strong as it could be. There are not many user-facing features, though. I can browse by channel, by category, and by genre. That is about all that I am able to do on SVT Play. I would have liked to have seen some customizable features - such as the ability to add shows to a list, rate them, mark them as ?watch later?, or maybe leave comments. Outside of viewing tons of great content, there is not a lot that you can do on SVT Play.