Lovefilm Instant has been a mainstay of the PS3's XrossMediaBar for a considerable while, but even the biggest fan would say that in operability terms, it lagged behind the more recent addition Netflix. Not so anymore, as version 2.0 of the PlayStation 3 application has arrived and it's almost unrecognisable in comparison to its former iteration.

A number of key changes dramatically improve the offering from the first time you load it up. The homepage is completely different: it's is easier to navigate, you can access your recently watched shows instantly, and a new Watchlist has been implemented, allowing you to tag shows and films you'd like to watch later in order to have them placed in one convenient folder.

Search and recommendations are streamlined, meaning you need not have a degree in advanced remote controllotics to get to specific content anymore. It is also far easier to find TV shows than it has even been, which is important considering the effort Amazon is putting into original content for its streaming services in the US and UK.

The new Lovefilm Instant also shows more effectively where you have got to in a film or TV programme, so it's easier to pick up where you left off on any compatible device. And the interface during playback is easier on the eye and simpler to understand too.

"Since the PS3 was one of the first devices to run Lovefilm Instant, it’s fair to say that a freshen-up was due. And, happily, this is more than just a facelift. The app’s functionality has been rebuilt, so it's an under-(inter)-face lift too," writes Darren Bignell, senior communications manager on the company blog.

"I could bang on about SmoothStreaming technology, adaptive bitrates and the like (although I'd need to understand it properly first), but the short version is this: it looks better, it plays better, it (hopefully) makes your PS3 streaming experience better all round."