Lovefilm Instant adds HD streaming

Lovefilm has added HD films to its Lovefilm Instant movie streaming service.

Previously only standard definition content, the service has around 900 HD titles as of today, roughly 200 films and 700 TV episodes.

The addition of HD content comes hot-on-the-heels of Lovefilm's new streaming agreement with Universal.

The HD content is clearly marked with an HD badge and there's an HD content channel so you can browse what's available.

Films in HD included Attack the Block and Apocalypse Now, while TV series in HD include Lost, Human Planet and Planet Earth.

HD streams are available on PC and Mac, Xbox 360 and LG and Samsung smart TVs, while Lovefilm is working on bringing HD content to its service on Sony kit, including the PS3, and iPad.

For full 1080p resolution you will have to use a computer or laptop, with the other devices streaming in 720p.

Lovefilm recommends a 3Mbps connection for watching 720p content or a whopping 12Mbps for 1080p.

What's more, Lovefilm helpfully points out that if you have a data allowance, HD streaming will chew through it much faster, suggesting 2 hours of 1080p HD content will use around 10 Gigabytes of data.

You can find out more on the Lovefilm Instant HD website.

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join whathifi.com on Facebook

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).