5 Things you need to know about Netflix in Malaysia

Netflix has finally gone global and Malaysians are now able to enjoy unlimited TV shows on demand. In the past, Netflix is only accessible at selected countries and the only way to get it here is by using a VPN.

With our very own Malaysian based iflix around, should you bother with Netflix? Read on to find out more.

1. Getting Netflix

Netflix is available on almost any internet connected screens you can think of. You can watch it directly from your desktop web browser or on a mobile device running on Android, iOS or Windows Phone.

To watch it on the big screen, it supports most modern SMART TVs or you can stream directly from Google Chromecast or Apple TV. If you have a gaming console at home, it will also work on a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. You can learn about the full Netflix device support over here.

To get started, just register a new account at www.netflix.com. Signing up is as simple as keying in your email and password, followed by your credit card details. It shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes to start watching. Netflix is offering the first month for free and you can cancel the subscription anytime before your trial period is over.

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2. Pricing and Options

Netflix is available from RM33/month, which is quite close to its US pricing of $7.99/month (about RM35). There are 3 options available, with the base subscription giving you SD quality with a single stream. Want better quality and more screens? You’ll have to fork out more for it.

HD will cost you RM42/month while UHD tops off at RM51/month. So if you have a family that wants to watch Netflix separately at the same time, you would need to get the Premium plan that supports 4 simultaneous streams.

Do note that the cost is for subscription only. If you’re watching it on 3G/4G connection, you will incur data charges from your mobile telco. For binge-watching, it is cheaper and best experienced with a fixed broadband connection.

3. Internet Connectivity

Since Netflix is only as good as the connection you’re on, you’ll need to have a decent internet for a buffer-free experience. At the very least, Netflix says you’ll need to have 0.5Mbps to watch and a recommended 3.0Mbps connectivity for Standard Definition. If you’re on Streamyx, your connection is barely making the cut.

For an optimal experience, fibre broadband is recommended such as TM Unifi, Maxis Fibre or Time Broadband. For Ultra HD quality up to 4K, Netflix reckons that it needs 25Mbps of download speed. Like most content providers, the 4K UHD content is limited to selected titles and you can find them by searching for “4K” or “UHD”. Of course, you would need to have a 4K supported display in the first place.

Recommended Connection
0.5 Megabits per second – Required broadband connection speed
1.5 Megabits per second – Recommended broadband connection speed
3.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for SD quality
5.0 Megabits per second – Recommended for HD quality
25 Megabits per second – Recommended for Ultra HD quality

Internet Consumption
Low (0.3 GB per hour)
Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)
High (Best video quality, up to 3 GB per hour for HD and 7 GB per hour for Ultra HD)

By default, the Playback quality is set to Auto for the best experience based on your current connection. If you need to cut down on bandwidth consumption, you can lower the playback quality under “Your Account” > “Playback Settings”. Looking at the rate of 0.7GB per hour for Standard Definition, you better restrict your Netflix viewing to WiFi only.

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4. Offline Viewing Not Available

If you’re a frequent traveler or simply want to catch up on your shows in areas with bad connection, you’re out of luck. Netflix does not offer offline viewing and it looks like they won’t offer it anytime soon.

Its local rival iflix has started to offer offline downloads for iOS and Android users. You’re allowed to download up to 10 titles (movies or TV shows) and it will stay on your device for 7 days. So you can stock up your iPad with shows and you can watch it anywhere without worrying about internet connectivity.

5. Content Selection

While the Netflix service is officially here, you won’t get the full library like the folks in the US. From our quick search, several popular TV Shows are not available including Friends, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., House of Cards, Big Bang Theory, Flash and Agent Carter.

It does, however, carry a couple of Netflix titles such as Daredevil, Marco Polo, Orange is the new Black and Jessica Jones. In some aspects, iflix seems to be more relevant to our market as it carries Asian based shows in Malay, Thailand, Indonesian and Chinese. The playback also supports audio dubbing and subtitles depending on each respective show. If you love watching Anime, you should check out the Anime content comparison by TheHypedGeek.com

So in short, you won’t get the full blown Netflix experience in Malaysia. This is due to programming rights by each respective countries as some shows are exclusive to specific networks. Want the best out of Netflix? VPN is still the way to go.