So alam kong push na push ang Discovery Plus sa mga ads niyo these days, so ako na munang bumili. The quick and general answer is that yes, ₱129 for a whole year is a steal and I think most people will find one or two shows that makes this worth it.
THE PRODUCT
This is a subscription to a combination of what would have
been several channels on Cable TV, namely
- HGTV
- Food Network
- TLC
- Investigation Discovery
- Asian Food Network
- Animal Planet
- Travel Channel
- Discovery Channel
Just to be clear, ₱129 is a promo rate that gives 1
year. Expect it to be ₱129 monthly or ₱999 annually once this promo is over. So, huwag kalimutan na mag-unsubscribe after a year, kapag hindi na itutuloy.
Again, subscription TV has no program schedules, so it’s all
self-service programming. Currently, you will be able to watch in on your phone, computer, or smart TV. As of writing, we tried looking for the app on a Samsung Smart TV model
from this year, but could not find the app yet (though I am sure this will be
updated soon). On our TLC however which is more vanilla Android, it’s one of
the top apps right now. For now, you will just have to do a computer-HDMI-TV
setup to get it on your small screen, for those that can’t find it yet.
BUYING GUIDE
- Amazon Prime: It’s known for its series exclusives like American Gods and The Boys. It’s mostly about movies and series. It has some other TV, but not a big selection. Their non-fiction is lumped in either Documentaries or Reality TV. It goes for ₱259 a month.
- Netflix: Like Amazon Prime, it’s known for its series exclusives and it has had a lot of wins these past 2 years. It has a good selection of movies and other series, but it has an okay non-fiction, marginally better than Amazon Prime. Its basic package cots ₱369 (do check the other packages),
- HBO GO: Again like the previous two, is known for its movie and series exclusives. It probably has the worse in terms of breadth of non-fiction, but it’s somewhat saved by its high-brow documentaries like Chernobyl. It goes for ₱149 a month (with Globe)
- Discovery+: This is the subject of the review. It’s funny to lump this subscription with the others primarily because it’s a different genre in a sense. It’s not about blockbuster movies as it is about the Discovery Channel type shows: so think Discovery, Food Channel, Home Improvement and all the others (Crime, Paranormal, etc). This is what the other subscriptions are weakest at.
ANG OKAY
The best way to position Discovery+ is as a supplement. A big part of our relationship with the TV is actually idle surfing. These are the times when we have finished the latest Netflix viral series and want to watch some more. If you are the type that idle-surfs on home improvement, or on science documentaries, this is perfect for you, because the other subscriptions, while having samplers, really don’t focus on these genres. So for example, Blue Planet II, is on Discovery+, and this is the award winning nature documentary. Its okay cousin, Our Planet, is on Netflix. Studio McGee’s Dream Home Makeover is on Netflix, but that is nothing on the many home improvement shows that are on Discovery+.
Tapos kung ito yung type of shows na hinahanap niyo talaga (as in hindi siya idle surfing lang), mas perfect pa ito for you
ANG HINDI OKAY
So it’s a supplement, and that means, on its own, you won’t get
blockbuster movies or the future hit series that may come out. The strength of
subscriptions like Netflix and Amazon is breadth.
VERDICT:
■■□□ Perfect but only in its categories
If more than 60% of your viewing hours is on home
improvement or science/nature documentaries, this is right up your alley. But if
your are an occasional dabbler only, your better off with the samplers of these
categories on Netflix.