90 days with StarHub's TV+ and here's what I think about the new service

Note: This feature was first published on 29 Dec 2020.

Getting the best out of Pay TV and OTT services?

StarHub recently released a new Android-based TV box that forms the backbone for their new TV service, StarHub TV+. And as a StarHub TV subscriber for some 15 plus years now, I was excited to try it out.

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. It was however not without its kinks such as a cluttered interface and slow response time. And while YouTube and Spotify were pre-installed, Netflix and Amazon Prime weren’t. However, the biggest concern was the disjoint in how one managed and accessed streaming content versus StarHub TV channels.

Fast forward to this year in March, StarHub launched a bundle, called HomeHub Plus. 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.

A 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. 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.)

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. This is where the newer StarHub TV+ service comes in to hopefully solve the divide. 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.

Better the second time around?

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.

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).

But navigation takes some getting used to and still has its quirks.

For 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.

But 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. But unfortunately, in my extended trial run at least, it can’t.

Performance issues mean another round of disappointment

Our real bugbear is the performance.

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. Simple navigation is fine. 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. Something unacceptable these days. But worse is that this seems to be across any choice made on the device.

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Basically, any choice made results in a wait.

And 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:-

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Frankly, 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.

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. 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. For more advice on the recommended setup, forum users have confirmed the best setup options here and here.

An easier way to overcome limitation faced to watch free-to-air channels when using other networking configurations/setup is to rely on a digital TV antenna if your TV has a DVB-T2 tuner. If your TV doesn't come with this, you can purchase a dedicated DVB-T2 capable DTV set-top box with an antenna. We've covered more on this and localised solutions in this article. The downside of course is you'll have more devices and connections, but it's a sure way to get it working with no fuss.

But what's the OTT, On-demand, and app usage experience like? What about the value proposition? We answer these important questions and more on the following page.

On-demand should be on demand

As an Android-based box, you can install games and apps via Google's Play Store. I can't say I recommending this as a gaming platform though. The finicky remote isn't the best way to control things and performance issues we spoke of earlier, still, cause games to lag. 

As the image above shows, you are also able to install the apps for streaming services that StarHub supports. Familiar favourite Netflix is available, as are some from the new service like beIN SPORTS CONNECT. 

From the Home menu, you can get access to OTT and on-demand channels and choose content from there without needing to go to the channel itself. I found this handy as it meant quicker access to the content I wanted and not needing to memorise another channel number.

But, what was it like using an OTT service?

In terms of video stuttering and jerkiness, I did notice it on some of the on-demand videos, but not all. So I guess it can be a hit or miss affair. For some videos, there was almost a slight "jump" effect similar to what you might encounter when yfaced with buffering issues. 

I’ve used Netflix on my laptop, my iPhone, streamed it to a TV via Chromecast, used it on my Apple TV box, and even used it on the normal StarHub TV box (thanks to the HomeHub Plus plan) and enjoyed it all. This time around accessing Netflix with the StarHub TV+ box I encountered connection error messages and dropped signals that spoilt the viewing experience. This just further proves that the choking point is the new StarHub TV+ box. And get this... the StarHub TV+ box is pegged at S$5 per month if you aren't signing up for at least a one-year commitment. We wouldn't mind if the box performs to meet usage expectations in 2020.

I should note that the StarHub TV+ box I used was connected via a wired connection and not relying on my own, scratch built, home Wi-Fi solution. So whatever I've experienced is nothing to do with wireless strength or connectivity issues.

What about the StarHub TV+ app experience?

Using the StarHub TV+ app on my iPad was fairly simple. I didn't try all the options as I wasn't provided with a sports pack subscription but the on-demand channels and content reflected what you'll get on the StarHub TV+ box well. So it seems StarHub managed to fix the multi-device channel availability issues from the previous incarnation and that's good news. Channel playback through the app also felt smoother than watching content on the big screen using the StarHub TV+ box.

On a side note, I've used the app in its previous confusing incarnation and was unable to access any of the content overseas (due to copyright and licensing issues) but wasn't even allowed to use a VPN to try to reach it from a Singapore based server. Given the current travel restrictions, we don't yet know if these restrictions persist on the new app, but given the reasons why it wasn't available previously, it's likely to hold true even now.

The channel swap and price comparison

As covered in our news of the launch of StarHub’s TV+ service and box, their channel options have also been reworked.

Unlike the Education, lifestyle, kids, and news etc packs of old, there are now only six TV+ passes with most people choosing two to three passes. Add-on packs range in cost from S$1 to S$24.90 per month.

Subscribers can also add-on fibre and Netflix for an additional S$49.90 (which then essentially makes it a HomeHub+ bundle plan, but more on this later). Prices can also vary depending on whether you choose to be locked into a contract or not. Possible breakdowns are as follows.

StarHub TV+ Passes on a 24-month contract (add S$10 for a 12-month contract, S$20 for no-contract) are priced as follows:-

• Entertainment - S$30/ month
• Asian+ - S$30/month
• Sports+ - S$20/month
• Malay+/Indian+/Filipino+ - S$15/month
  *Note Indian+ on a 12- and a 24-month contract comes with access to Hotstar
• Other add-ons are available as well

So technically speaking, a StarHub TV+ plan offering starts from as low as S$15/month, which is a fairly low asking price if its offerings fit your consumption needs. As part of the launch promotion, customers will get 12 months HBO Pak (U.P. S$13.98, no cancellation charge after the 12 months) and 12 months StarHub TV+ box free (U.P. S$5 with 12 months commitment). This promotion applies for both StarHub TV+ and HomeHub+ packages.

The HomeHub+ bundle package consideration

A HomeHub+ Bundle two-year contract without promotional offer (S$64.90 with Malay+/Indian+/Filipino+, S$69.90 with Sports+, S$79.90 with Entertainment+/Asian+) comes with:-

• 1 StarHub TV+ Pass
• Superfast 1Gbps Fibre Broadband
• StarHub Smart WiFi mesh router
• Netflix (Standard account) – add S$4 to upgrade to Premium
• Free 12 months HBO Pak and 12 months rental of StarHub TV+ box

If you're wondering how this bundle plan compared wth their previous hub plan before the StarHub TV+ service came along, here's how they stack up when distilled to their basics:-

In essence, the new StarHub TV+ plan or HomeHub+ bundle lowers the entry point to StarHub's offerings if you prefer OTT options to serve your entertainment fix (like Netflix) and better utilise StarHub's offerings to solve the channel gaps that existing OTT options don't offer legally through the Singapore market.

For example, if you're a sports fan but would like to use Netflix or others for entertainment needs, you could take up the Sports+ package and not be tied up paying for other channel groups that you may not require (which previously, you had to mandatorily pay for the Entertainment Pass). Similarly, if you prefer StarHub's one-stop solution for Indian, Malay or Filipino language sector of offerings and marry it with OTT options, once again, the new StarHub TV+ or HomeHub+ bundle offer a decent pairing.

A glimmer of hope: Improved but still needs some work

While we did have some issues with the new service, it’s not all doom and gloom.

The interface is improved over the last iteration and if the few quirks can be figured out, it’s definitely something worth using once the performance issues can be ironed out. Fortunately, the StarHub TV+ app usage experience is better and if you mostly intend to use mobile devices to consume content, you won't face the kind of performance issues we've noticed using the StarHub TV+ box. If you're thinking about bypassing the box and loading the StarHub TV+ app on to your Android TV however, that's not going to work for now.

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And that is the key to it all - just pure performance of the StarHub TV+ box. Right now, from what I’ve seen during the usage over the past few weeks, I can’t say that I could recommend this to anyone younger than 35. The waiting would probably result in numerous TV+ boxes being thrown at walls in frustration.

But iron this out, and StarHub could have a convincing reason for someone to choose the StarHub TV+ platform wholeheartedly for one's home or mobile devices. Maybe the third time will be the charm?

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