Merry Christmas! Well, almost at least (if you're reading this when it goes live), but we have one last-minute gift suggestion from the UK's largest supermarket. Tesco have teamed up with Sky to bundle up a Now TV Box, two months Sky Cinema pass, a voucher for the Sky Store, and a Beauty and the Beast Funko Pop figure. Sweet.
Why Beauty and the Beast? Well, the movie (y'know, the new live-action one starring the girl from Harry Potter - that one) will be available to stream on Now TV from Christmas Day. That is why this is such a good combo pack, at a very attractive price. The whole thing will set you back only £20.
It's good, because the Now TV Box itself costs £15, and we can imagine the Funko Pop is at least a tenner. Meanwhile, the two month Sky Cinema pass is worth at least £40, and the voucher is for £5.49 - about what you'll need to rent a recent film from the Sky Store. So quids in!
However, as good a deal as it is, there is a reason why the Now TV Box retails for so very little. Despite being made by Roku, a company who's products have featured a lot on this site, it ain't fantastic, if we're being honest, especially when compared to the likes of the Roku Streaming Stick +. For a start, the highest resolution it will stream in is 720p, which is just okay. We think that Tesco and Sky definitely intend this package to be aimed at people who might not be overly tech savvy, and who therefore might not have a TV with a resolution higher than 720p anyway, so it entirely depends on your existing hardware.
Aaaaaaaand... the Now TV Box does not work like other streaming devices, mainly because it comes from one of the main UK streamers, Now TV (which is Sky). Therefore you can't download Netflix or Amazon Video, and can only watch catch-up channels, like the BBC iPlayer, All Four, and 5 On Demand. So not bad, but not great, especially considering Netflix and Amazon possess the vast majority of online stream-able content. But, y'know, this is a Now TV device, after all.
Still the remote is decent, and batteries are included. Connection and set-up is also speedy, and once you've signed up to your Now TV account you'll be streaming in minutes. Oh, and the Funko Pop is pretty cool, too. There is a choice of getting a Belle or a Beast (that we've seen). It doesn't come in a dedicated Funko box, which will make it slightly less attractive to collectors, but it is a nice inclusion nonetheless, especially for a young fan of the film who is looking forward to watching it on Christmas Day.
Great deal, good value. Check it out.
£20
Available from www.tesco.com