Did you know: video streaming family plans, that Singaporeans know and love,
Are in fact premium options by video streaming services intended for individual household members to enjoy their service with minimal disruption?
However, Singaporeans being the resourceful people we are, were quick to group together and subscribe to these video streaming family plans regardless of whether we were in the same household.
To be honest, these ‘family plans’ are great – you get to enjoy quality entertainment at great value, and doing so isn’t explicitly against the terms and conditions of these services.
But with more streaming services such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime becoming increasingly popular, 1 big question always crops up,
“How many devices can watch / download shows at the same time on video streaming family plans?”
So if you’re getting bored of your usual cable tv, YouTube, or whatever streaming service you’re subscribed to,
Read on, because we’ll be closely examining all the video streaming family plans available from the various streaming services in Singapore!
By the end you’ll be able to decide whether other services are worth subscribing to as a ‘family plan’,
Or whether you’re better off sticking to a single-person subscription!
1. Netflix
The official name Netflix has for it’s family plan is ‘Premium Plan’:
At just under $20 a month, with 4 devices,
Split among 4 people, each person is essentially paying (19.98 * 12) / 4 = $59.94 a year, or a little under $5 per month!
Not a bad deal; A lot less troublesome than sharing an individual account around and having to deal with pesky password verifications.
Being able to download content on up to 4 mobile devices means no one’s daily travel or waiting times will ever be a bother again!
2. Disney+
Even though Disney does not explicitly state they have a family plan available for Disney+ subscription,
The availability given to a single account suggests that household wide usage is encouraged,
However, this doesn’t mean you can go around sharing your password with 10 people,
Disney still restricts the number of simultaneous streams to 4,
And has been known to block accounts if repeated wrong passwords are entered or if an unusually high number of devices using the account is observed.
At $119.98 annually, split amongst 4 people one person is effectively paying $2.50 per month.
So if you and your friends/family are diehard fans of Disney, the Star Wars Franchise, Marvel, and 20th Century Fox titles, it’s definitely worth getting for even just 4 people!
3. Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is Apple’s player in the video streaming market, and is priced monthly at an extremely competitive price of $4.99 a month.
With a whopping 6 simultaneous screenings possible, and the ability to link up to 5 other Apple ID’s to your Apple TV+ account,
Apple TV seems to be one of the most friendly towards sharing of subscriptions.
Many people also assume that you need to own an Apple TV device in order to access Apple TV services,
However, this isn’t the case at all!
Simply download the app or access the site from your device, and you’re all ready to watch!
However, it may be a big turn off to you if you’re an Android phone user, as the app isn’t available on the Google Playstore.
So if you and your friends are already avid fans of Apple and their original production serieses,
Having an Apple TV subscription will cost your group almost next to nothing at $5 a month.
4. Amazon Prime Video
As part of it’s Amazon Prime package,
Prime Video is bundled on top of Amazon’s ultra-fast delivery service, further discounts on Amazon & a premium experience on game-streaming platform Twitch.
At just $2.99 you get access to one of the world’s widest range of available titles (Over 18,000!) & original productions,
Which includes critically acclaimed serieses ‘The Office’ and ‘House M.D’.
However, in comparison to the other streaming services, Prime Video only allows a maximum of 3 simultaneous screenings.
Pretty understandable if you consider the price you’re paying – it’s hard to argue that $2.99 a month isn’t great value
But if you and your friends are looking to watch similar titles together you may be disappointed as only 2 devices are allowed to have the same title downloaded at any time.
5. HBOGO
American-based channel HBO skyrocketed in popularity in 2019 with the finale of their critically acclaimed ‘Game of Thrones’ series,
Today, the HBO GO is available on both Apple App & Google Play stores for download & streaming.
Possibly the most expensive streaming service Singaporeans can subscribe to, at close to $14 a month,
One gets unlimited access to HBO’s past and present library of titles & movies including Sex and the City, The Wire, & Curb Your Enthusiasm.
However at a meagre 2 simultaneous streamings permitted and a maximum of 3 registered devices,
For a catalogue of movies similar to Netflix, unless you’re a fanatic of their original serieses & trademarked content,
Then HBO GO may be worth getting to share with your friends & family.
6. Hayu
Owned by NBCUNiversal, Hayu specialises in reality tv such as Keeping Up With The Kardasians, The Real Houswives, and Travel Diaries.
With an extremely niche selection of shows – you’re getting a relatively decent price at just $4.99 per month
BUT you’re only allowed to stream on 1 device at a time with a maximum of 5 devices allowed to register to the account & download episodes.
Worth it? Most definitely if you thoroughly enjoy reality tv on its own,
As sharing options are severely limited with Hayu, your friends are probably best having their own subscription anyway.
7. meWatch Premium
A premium version of meWatch: Singapore’s free streaming service for locally produced television & dramas,
meWatch Prime creates a more flexible streaming experience by offering these local dramas for download & streaming on up to 2 devices,
With early access of 1-week given ahead of free meWatch users.
The app is available for usage on iOS and Android devices,
And if you’re a user of TPG or Starhub data services – you get to stream meWatch with unlimited mobile data!
We’ve covered all the available plans & sharing options from video streaming services available in Singapore,
So what streaming service are you looking to subscribe to this year?
Let us know in the comments below!
Stay safe and happy streaming!
