A theatre on your iPhone

LAUNCHED EARLIER this year, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service iflix lets you enjoy tens of thousands of hours of top TV shows and movies in HD quality at a very affordable price.

It has TV shows and movies from top studios including Fox, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, MGM, Starz, Redbull TV, KBS, SBS, Phranakorn Film, Thai PBS and M Pictures, plus lots of programmes and animations for kids. Parental control features limit children from accessing inappropriate content.

You can use your iflix account on up to five devices, from a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a smartphone, a tablet computer or Internet TV. Best of all, one account can be used on two devices at the same time.

When the iflix service is used on a computer or Internet TV, the web browser allows you to play movies right away. When you want to use the iflix service on a smartphone or tablet, you must download and install iflix app first. It’s available for both Android and iOS operating systems.

I tested the iflix service using my True Super Speed Fibre 15 Mbps connection and was pleased to see that the movies streamed smoothly and in good HD quality, especially when streamed on a desktop computer linked to the router using a LAN cable.

I also tested it on a notebook computer linked to the router using 802.11n Wi-Fi connection. Here again streaming speed and movie quality excellent. That quality was retained using an iPad Pro linked to my Linksys WRT1200 AC router with 802.11ac protocol.

The service will delight anyone wanting to watch several episodes of their favourite series in a row, thanks to an option that’s designed to play the entire season in one sitting. Simply find the icon on the left side of the movie progress bar at the bottom of the screen, click on the series icon and the entire list of available episodes will pop up.

Another nice feature of the iflix is that the server remembers the progress of the movie you have watched so that you can resume playing from that point on even if you switch to another device. For example, after you have completed half a movie on your desktop computer, you can open the iflix app on your tablet and pick up from where you stopped. Just click on the movie poster on the main screen.

Another very nice feature of iflix is that it allows you to download movies using your fast Internet connection at home for watching later on the go. This will allow you to save your 3G or 4G airtime and ensure that you can watch good quality films no matter where you are. 

When you play a movie using the iflix app, the movie is played in full screen by default but when you play it with a web browser on your notebook or desktop computer, it plays in a window with an icon for you to select the full screen mode.

When a movie is played in window mode, it will show a play progress bar. A subtitle icon on the right side lets you switch between no subtitles, English and Thai subtitles. Some movies also have a dubbed Thai narration.

The service’s home screen has a menu for accessing your account details and for browsing the video contents, which are divided into three main groups – TV, Movies and Kids. A search bar is also provided for you to locate a movie tittle quickly.

There are two language options for browsing the contents on the home page – Thai and English. The available videos are also grouped into sections: New and Trending, Most Popular, Darkness is Rising, It’s Time for Summer, Fambam, Hallyu Stars, Super Heroes, Classy Men, Let’s Just LOL, and So Much Drama! Your viewing history is displayed at the bottom of the home screen.

Among the series currently available is the 2016 Golden Globe winner Mr Robot, which is exclusive to the iflix service.

The service is available in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. You can try it for free for 30 days after which you must subscribe for a modest free of Bt100 a month or Bt1,000 a year.

 

Key Specs

- Service fee: Bt100 a month, Bt1,000 a year

- Devices: Connect up to 5 devices

- App: Available for iOS, Android

- Offline capability: Download and watch offline

- Founder: Catcha Group

- Partners: Over 60 top studios