Entertainment With iflix

A bit of sad news first: My computer broke! This is nearing the 3rd week of my nightmare. (Long story, and it involves an update that I didn’t want and chose to uninstall.) But luckily, I still have a working–albeit old and super slow–spare laptop at home. While I am awaiting a recovery CD that is currently stuck at customs–ugh, more on that later–I have been making the most of going on my smartphone to do a host of tasks. Believe me, these last two weeks have put my mobile phone to the test, and I gotta say that my Sony Xperia Z2 is doing a decent job.

And in addition to keeping up with work via smartphone, I am able to let off steam by indulging in some gripping television (and movies!) via an iFlix subscription.

iFlix

In retrospect, I don’t know why I didn’t start using it sooner… Well, okay, it’s because I’m a cheapskate! But I saw an iFlix promo with Citibank credit cards that slashed the annual subscription in half from the original rate of PHP 1,308 to only PHP 654, so I decided to sign up for the free trial last month. And so far, I think I’m getting excellent value.

5 Things I Like About iFlix:

1. Good Resolution — I’m no authority on ultra HD media or whatever, but there is a 40″ TV that I hook up my laptop to via HDMI cable, and the resolution of the media is DVD quality. And if the internet connection is slow, the resolution automatically adjusts itself to something lower. However, there seems to be no manual way to adjust that resolution, unlike on YouTube.
2. Connected Mobile Devices — Each account can accommodate up to 5 devices. So far, I’ve only been using my laptop and mobile phone to stream. I have installed the app on my phone, so operating from there is easy.
3. Offline Watching Option — This is only applicable to mobile devices, but I am benefiting hugely. I often find myself in transit, waiting in legendary Manila traffic for long periods of time, so having the capability to download up to 10 shows or movies for offline viewing is a huge deal for my sanity.
4. Wide Selection of Content — I did my research, comparing iFlix with other locally-available streaming services, and I like the variety this particular company offers. There are a lot of Asian movies and TV shows. But even if I find myself watching mostly American movies and series, I also like the selection on that category. Granted, some of the shows are seasons behind, but iFlix also has some awesome complete series that I haven’t seen yet or have been meaning to re-watch. (My current TV/movie picks can be found below!) I notice that they have also been adding new content weekly.
5. Promo! — Hard to beat PHP 654 for 1 year, especially if you plan to regularly stream. The 50% off promo is ongoing until January 31, 2017. You can find more info on that HERE.

Of course, it goes without saying that you are at the mercy of your ISP. December 2016 was excellent for streaming. It came as a surprise, since December is usually when the internet connection is ridiculously slow or constantly disconnects. In my case, January 2017 was when the bad internet happened. And now I’ve been calling PLDT to complain (and am, frankly, considering switching ISPs). But as far as iFlix is concerned, it’s functioning properly. I have even taken to downloading the media on mobile, so that I can watch offline while in bed. Meaning, I don’t have to suffer through eternal buffering.

So here’s what’s currently on my playlist:

What I’m Watching

1. Pretty Little Liars — I saw half of the first season two years ago, then gave up. iFlix has the complete series, so I can binge watch when time permits. The show reminds me of Desperate Housewives in the sense that it’s a whodunit with a lot of sass. I’m currently on season 2.
2. The Vampire Diaries  — Possibly the last one to see this! I’m still on season 1, and I’m still undecided on how to feel. I’ve seen all of True Blood, so there are times when Vampire Diaries gives me that True Blood for teens vibe. I’m going to let it unfold some more to see if I’m really into this.
3. The Detour — This was just added last week! It’s a show about a family on a “vacation from hell”. Remember National Lampoon’s Vacation? Yeah, it’s kind of like that, but with biting humor befitting the 2010’s.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer — This is where it all started for me! I was obsessed with BTVS, complete with a collection of TV tie-in novels. But because all I could watch the series on is the now-defunct Studio 23 channel, I was only able to start at season 3 or 4. I still want to know how it all started! And, BTW, I’m totally planning to watch Charmed after.
5. Unlucky Plaza — I’ve already finished this movie, so this is more of a reco. It’s a sad/funny story of a Filipino immigrant trying to make it in Singapore with disastrous results. Entertaining + intense is a great combination in this movie, so it breaks the mold on the usually overly-dramatic “Pinoy abroad” theme.

Do you still get your fix from TVs and DVDs, or are you the streaming type?