![]() Apparently, StarHub's advice is to use a wired LAN connection. I wasn’t able to test that as it would require tweaking of my home network (to use a StarHub provided router) and StarHub wasn’t willing to risk my other devices being unable to connect to it without reconfiguring all of them. ![]() Some commenters in our forums have said that they have had problems like video stuttering and jerkiness when watching Singapore’s free-to-air channels over the new TV+ box when connected wirelessly. But worse is that this seems to be across any choice made on the device.īasically, any choice made results in a wait.Īnd more waiting, as you can see from the following quick split-screen video we made to compare the StarHub TV+ box (top half of the screen) versus the regular non-smart StarHub TV box (bottom half of the screen) when changing channels:-įrankly, I’d rather go back to my old “dumb” StarHub box and not have to suffer from the performance lag, which wasn't exactly a wonder on the old box, but it still made channel surfing a more reasonable experience than on the StarHub TV+ box. But choosing a movie to watch from the on-demand options or even swapping between the channels results in a wait of more than six seconds. I didn't have much time with StarHub’s first Android TV box, but if this is meant to make me want to give it a second take, then the StarHub TV+ box needs more work. Performance issues mean another round of disappointment But unfortunately, in my extended trial run at least, it can’t. StarHub has also fixed their previous omission this time with the new StarHub TV+ box pre-installed apps including essentials like Netflix and HBO Go (both of which will require standalone subscriptions to the respective services to work).īut navigation takes some getting used to and still has its quirks.įor example, scrolling through options, making a choice and choosing to go back, sends you back to the top of the list rather than just one level prior which means you need to scroll all the way back down to where you were before to keep going.īut all this can be overlooked or at least, accommodated if the box performs and can meet the demands of the “always-on” generation of viewers. Not having used the first StarHub box beyond the initial launch event and whatever firmware updates that might have enhanced the box at a later stage, I thought the interface this time around looked fine. To put it through its paces, I decided not to rush it with just my own initial viewpoints, but after more personal consumption in the last three months along with my family to see if everyone is comfortable with the offering - from kids to adults. This is where the newer StarHub TV+ service comes in to hopefully solve the divide. So the HomeHub Plus plan was more of a patch that included a popular OTT service option in addition to StarHub TV channels, but there wasn't yet a seamless way to consume either option across devices. ![]() Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research attributed this to more consumers in the city-state accessing on-demand content almost anywhere via high-speed 4G and fixed fibre networks, resulting in more consumers “cutting the cord in favour of cheaper and more convenient OTT streaming services” (AKA, Netflix and services like Viu.) This came with a 1Gbps fibre broadband service, a StarHub Entertainment Pass for their StarHub TV service (not using the streaming box), a two-user Netflix Standard subscription, all for S$79.90 a month.Ī recent report in the Business Times in Singapore said that the number of pay-TV subscribers for both Singtel and StarHub had shrunk even further from the peak in 2015. However, the biggest concern was the disjoint in how one managed and accessed streaming content versus StarHub TV channels.įast forward to this year in March, StarHub launched a bundle, called HomeHub Plus. And while YouTube and Spotify were pre-installed, Netflix and Amazon Prime weren’t. It was however not without its kinks such as a cluttered interface and slow response time. This isn’t the first time that the company has released an Android TV box, with the telco first having launched one in 2018 as their StarHub Go streaming box. And as a StarHub TV subscriber for some 15 plus years now, I was excited to try it out. ![]() StarHub recently released a new Android-based TV box that forms the backbone for their new TV service, StarHub TV+. Note: This feature was first published on. Getting the best out of Pay TV and OTT services?
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