iPhone Chinese Entertainment Apps

[xiaofan]

Just check my old iPhone 6 again, QQ Music seems to be back in the app store.

 

[xiaofan]

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/alibaba-backed-music-app-xiami-to-shut-down-in-february

Xiami will stop offering music listening or download services on the platform from Feb. 5. Users are barred from registering and buying memberships or tracks from today, per the statement Alibaba posted to its WeChat and Weibo accounts.

Just switched my Xiami Music VIP to Netease Music (网易云音乐) VIP for free as part of Taobao 88 VIP benefits. Unfortunately Netease Music is only for Android as it is not in the Apple Singapore app store. China VPN is needed for quite some songs.

QQ Music also requires China VPN for quite some songs.

So in the end, China VPN is still required to have better user experiences even after you pay for the VIP of apps like Tencent Video, QQ Music, iQiyi and Youku.

 

[drag0n]

Today i watched Transformers: The Last Knight on Youku (cast to tv) and i somehow find that I don't really have the surround sound experience (i have 5.1 home theater set-up). Whereas, i remember the other time when i watched Wandering Earth on Netflix, there was the helicopter sound which 'flew past' my surround speakers.

I did a search and found that there are netizens asking (in chinese) about whether the chinese video apps (iQiyi, etc) have 5.1 audio. And I see answers stating that there are very few video source from these apps that have 5.1 audio, mostly are stereo.
Any users here can attest to that?

 

[xiaofan]

Today i watched Transformers: The Last Knight on Youku (cast to tv) and i somehow find that I don't really have the surround sound experience (i have 5.1 home theater set-up). Whereas, i remember the other time when i watched Wandering Earth on Netflix, there was the helicopter sound which 'flew past' my surround speakers.

I did a search and found that there are netizens asking (in chinese) about whether the chinese video apps (iQiyi, etc) have 5.1 audio. And I see answers stating that there are very few video source from these apps that have 5.1 audio, mostly are stereo.
Any users here can attest to that?

I have no 5.1 audio system to test, but you can try the following.
1) look at those movies lables as VIP 帧享, that may have the surround sound effect.
2) search for 杜比全景声 movies, that may support Dolby Atmos.

If you can not get the surround sound effects from the above sources, maybe DLNA Cast is a potential problem.

Hopefully those who with 酷喵VIP can chime in to clarify as well.

 

[drag0n]

I have no 5.1 audio system to test, but you can try the following.
1) look at those movies lables as VIP 帧享, that may have the surround sound effect.
2) search for 杜比全景声 movies, that may support Dolby Atmos.

If you can not get the surround sound effects from the above sources, maybe DLNA Cast is a potential problem.

Hopefully those who with 酷喵VIP can chime in to clarify as well.

Thank you for the good pointers!
Yea i realise Transformers: The Last Knight doesn't have 帧享, while the older Transformers shows have. *
I've just tried casting a show with VIP 帧享 (The Upside) to TV, but i can't select 帧享 when casting, max is 1080p. But if just watching on mobile, i can select that.
I suppose this is a 酷喵VIP feature.

 

[drag0n]

But for the VPN situation, it is not very clear to me whether the TV box side needs to have the VPN, I think not based on my experiences. But there may be exceptions.

I am currently testing out iQiyi and when i try to cast video that requires vpn (Transformers 5) to TV, the 银河奇异果TV App shows that it's region locked. But when i cast using Happycast, it can work.

For Youku, i realise that when i signed up VIP, i can cast even shows that require vpn (Eg. The Huntsman: Winter's War) on the TV, without requiring vpn on the tv box.

I wonder if anyone has iQiyi VIP to test this and see if it's a Youku only feature (that VIP can somehow 'unlock' for no need of vpn on the TV)? Or does it applies also to iQiyi.

If i can watch on the TV without vpn on the TV's network, then i can go ahead and get 电视果 (can watch iQiyi in 4k with just tier 1 VIP). However, if Vpn is required, then i'll have to consider other options..

 

[StarLightJewel]

for youku i think some shows you can play it on the pc/mobile fine but on TV app you can see only the trailer or just abit of the episode but wouldnt be able to play it. unless you cast it from mobile or google chrome.

 

[xiaofan]

I am currently testing out iQiyi and when i try to cast video that requires vpn (Transformers 5) to TV, the 银河奇异果TV App shows that it's region locked. But when i cast using Happycast, it can work.

For Youku, i realise that when i signed up VIP, i can cast even shows that require vpn (Eg. The Huntsman: Winter's War) on the TV, without requiring vpn on the tv box.

I wonder if anyone has iQiyi VIP to test this and see if it's a Youku only feature (that VIP can somehow 'unlock' for no need of vpn on the TV)? Or does it applies also to iQiyi.

If i can watch on the TV without vpn on the TV's network, then i can go ahead and get 电视果 (can watch iQiyi in 4k with just tier 1 VIP). However, if Vpn is required, then i'll have to consider other options..

For Youku, once you sign up the VIP, many videos will not require VPN. However, there are still some videos require VPN.

For Tencent Videos, I have not got the VIP long enough but quite some videos do not require VPN but some will require VPN. I believe this is the case with iQiyi too.

I have both mobile version VIP subscription for Youku (RMB 88 per year) and Tencent Video (RMB 98 per year), as well as VIP for QQ Music (RMB 90 per year). In the end I just add AJS VPN subscription (RMB 198 per year). I am not fully using them as I only use them a bit over the weekend, but no complaints for paying RMB474 per year, which is less than S$100.

On the other hand, my Singtel TV is S$11.95 per month after 50% discount, or S$143.4 per year.

 

[xiaofan]

for youku i think some shows you can play it on the pc/mobile fine but on TV app you can see only the trailer or just abit of the episode but wouldnt be able to play it. unless you cast it from mobile or google chrome.

Yes that is correct if you only have the mobile/tablet/PC version of VIP, and not the TV version VIP (酷喵VIP).

 

[StarLightJewel]

Yes that is correct if you only have the mobile/tablet/PC version of VIP, and not the TV version VIP (酷喵VIP).

i have the 酷喵VIP tho

 

[xiaofan]

i have the 酷喵VIP tho

That is good.

If you have 4K TV, then yes it is worth paying for TV version VIP of Youku (酷喵VIP), Tencent Video (超级影视VIP) and iQiyi (星钻VIP).

 

[drag0n]

for youku i think some shows you can play it on the pc/mobile fine but on TV app you can see only the trailer or just abit of the episode but wouldnt be able to play it. unless you cast it from mobile or google chrome.

Yes i realise on Youku TV app i can't find some of the videos (eg, Tranformers movie series) but can cast from mobile app.
As for cast from google chrome i tried from desktop it doesn't work. Never tried google chrome mobile before. It does work for you? cast using what? Chromecast?

 

[drag0n]

On the other hand, my Singtel TV is S$11.95 per month after 50% discount, or S$143.4 per year.

wah that time my Singtel TV the box rental alone is close to $12/mth, total up like $40 per month i think, so i cancelled it once contract over. How come yours the price so different?

 

[StarLightJewel]

That is good.

If you have 4K TV, then yes it is worth paying for TV version VIP of Youku (酷喵VIP), Tencent Video (超级影视VIP) and iQiyi (星钻VIP).

Yea, seems like some shows just cant play from the tv app directly

 

[StarLightJewel]

Yes i realise on Youku TV app i can't find some of the videos (eg, Tranformers movie series) but can cast from mobile app.
As for cast from google chrome i tried from desktop it doesn't work. Never tried google chrome mobile before. It does work for you? cast using what? Chromecast?

Yea via goolge chrome. Xiaomi tv has the bulit in chromecast.

 

[xiaofan]

wah that time my Singtel TV the box rental alone is close to $12/mth, total up like $40 per month i think, so i cancelled it once contract over. How come yours the price so different?

Last time my Fibre Entertainment+ bundle is at S$69.9 per month and later S$74.9 per month (500Mbps Fibre plus SingTel TV Family Starter pack).

So I decoupled the bundle in 2018 and got the better pricing. S$39.9 for the 1Gbps internet (upgrade) and S$11.95 for the Singtel TV Family Favorite pack (downgrade).

I have SingTel Circle (Fibre broadband, SingTel TV and expensive SingTel Mobile Combo 2 plan) and that is why they give me 50% discount on the subscription and free basic box rental (not the recoding box). My one is 12 month contract so I need to renew every year.

Still some people also got the same 50% discount without SingTel Circle because various promotion from SingTel TV side.

For example, they have the 50% promotion now with six month contract.

****
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/tv/packs

New to Singtel TV?
Enjoy 50% OFF our Singtel TV Packs
on a 6-month contract (from U.P. $21.90/mth).

Plus, 6 FREE months of HD DVR Set-Top Box & Singtel TV GO!
****

 

[StarLightJewel]

Seems hard to get this now. I am being charged $4+ for the box and i got a random annyeong pack just to keep the singtel circle working

Last time my Fibre Entertainment+ bundle is at S$69.9 per month and later S$74.9 per month (500Mbps Fibre plus SingTel TV Family Starter pack).

So I decoupled the bundle in 2018 and got the better pricing. S$39.9 for the 1Gbps internet (upgrade) and S$11.95 for the Singtel TV Family Favorite pack (downgrade).

I have SingTel Circle (Fibre broadband, SingTel TV and expensive SingTel Mobile Combo 2 plan) and that is why they give me 50% discount on the subscription and free basic box rental (not the recoding box). My one is 12 month contract so I need to renew every year.

Still some people also got the same 50% discount without SingTel Circle because various promotion from SingTel TV side.

For example, they have the 50% promotion now with six month contract.

****
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/tv/packs

New to Singtel TV?
Enjoy 50% OFF our Singtel TV Packs
on a 6-month contract (from U.P. $21.90/mth).

Plus, 6 FREE months of HD DVR Set-Top Box & Singtel TV GO!
****

 

[xiaofan]

Seems hard to get this now. I am being charged $4+ for the box and i got a random annyeong pack just to keep the singtel circle working

I intend to cancel the SingTel TV now that the kids are not watching cartoons on TV but rather on YouTube, and the benefits of SingTel Circle is not as good as last time. Previously the yearly free handset upgrade is real. Now you need to pay S$150 for the yearly phone upgrade. The phone upgrade is now only free after 18 months.

The combo 2 plan is also expensive and I need to pay Data x 3 to have 6GB data which makes it even more expensive. So in the end, it is not worth to continue with SingTel Circle any more. I will switch the Combo 2 plan to SingTel SIM only after contract expires next January.

 

[StarLightJewel]

I am keeping it due to the 30% multi line discount. If dont have at least 20% discount. I think sim only plan would be better.

I intend to cancel the SingTel TV now that the kids are not watching cartoons on TV but rather on YouTube, and the benefits of SingTel Circle is not as good as last time. Previously the yearly free handset upgrade is real. Now you need to pay S$150 for the yearly phone upgrade. The phone upgrade is now only free after 18 months.

The combo 2 plan is also expensive and I need to pay Data x 3 to have 6GB data which makes it even more expensive. So in the end, it is not worth to continue with SingTel Circle any more. I will switch the Combo 2 plan to SingTel SIM only after contract expires next January.

 

[drag0n]

Yes SIM only plan got alot of data and good price. Handset just buy separately can liao. For me getting a mid-range phone i think it's cheaper than the total sum paid for 2 years combo plan minus the data cost.

i have the 酷喵VIP tho

Ok back to topic, i think with 酷喵VIP you can select the quality to 帧亨 (high framerate, high resolution, HDR, dolby atmos surround sound) when casting to TV? i only have the tier 1 VIP so can only select this when watching on mobile, but when casting to TV, max quality available only 1080p.

I'm not sure about casting with google chrome, have to test that out.