The Netflix vs DStv battle has been brought to my door, with Netflix hounding me around with ads. I have had to ask myself if Netflix is really a better option for me. Should I ditch my DStv subscription for Netflix? I analyse the situation and arrive at an answer. This article might help you answer the question too.
DStv has been my default television platform for years, whether it is for news, entertainment, or education. The same goes for every other member of my family. Actually, I don’t watch television much, so it serves other members of the family more than it serves me.
Mrs. Mo has a suite of favourite shows in the evenings, Monday to Friday, and the Mo kids have their favourites too. Me? I put on the TV when I am working so I have some sound in the background. I sit down to actually watch it only on occassion. Yes; I know I am an odd fellow.
But in the last few weeks, Netflix has been chasing me around social media and offering me a free month trial. After the first month, I would have to subscribe. The Basic plan costs $7.99 monthly, which is about ₦2,840. That isn’t much, but if you add up Internet connection costs, I’d be looking at something in the range of at least ₦18,000 monthly to keep a Netflix subscription going. And I would be at the mercy of our very unstable ISPs.
To use Netflix, I need an unlimited data plan. Smile’s Unlimited data plan is throttled. So is Spectranet’s. Both ISPs throttle at around 100GB usage, and then you get dropped to a creepy-crawly speed. Ntel’s Unlimited Monthly data plan would have been my go-to, except that for some reason, their network is gone from my location. The last time I subscribed, it went to waste because of lack of network.
This is one of the biggest advantages of DStv yet – the fact that it does not depend on an Internet connection. Of course, in addition to the TV, you can also stream your favourite shows via the DStv NOW app. On a few occasions, I have streamed on the app and it worked fine. Mrs Mo also has the app on her phone just in case she needs to catch up with one of her favourite shows.
Also note that Netflix’s Basic plan gives me access to watch on only one device. To get access to the same number of devices that I have on DStv (4 devices), I have to subscribe to the Premium plan for $12 monthly.
At first glance, Netflix might appear cheaper, but factor in your Internet subscription costs and you just might be shocked to see how much more you would spend on it each month.
In addition to DStv, I have an IROKOtv account which I haven’t bothered renewing. IROKOtv has some really good movies that I enjoyed watching occassionally last year before my subscription ran out.. But once my subscription expired, there has been no motivation to renew. As a matter of fact, if not for Mrs. Mo and the kids, the DStv account would be dormant too.
The summary is that I am not a television person. I am not keen at all. For the latest movies, I prefer to drive down to the cinema and enjoy the experience with others – shout, laugh and comment together with other viewers in front of a big screen.
So, as it stands, DStv is likely to remain my default television platform for a while. It is the most cost-effective and most convenient option on the table for me (read the Mo family). That does not have to hold true for you. What you need to do is use the information I have provided above to work out what options are best for you (and your family).
Will you ditch your DStv subscription for Netflix?
The video entertainment wars is sure interesting. DStv wants your money. So do IROKOtv and Netflix, among others. Who gets it depends on a number of variables in your life. Will you ditch your DStv subscription for Netflix? The ball is in your court.