Just about a month ago we covered the offline feature of the updated Astro on the Go (AOTG) app. Now, Astro is bringing its video on demand service to its home PVR devices, as well as a brand new packaging for this collection of services. The new OD (On Demand) service by Astro come in three different options: OD Free, OD Plus, and OD Store.
With OD, Astro recognises the growing trend of content consumption and is now focused on the three categories within, which it calls ‘individual space’, ‘smart device space’, and the ‘in home and mobile spaces’. Astro hopes that these segments will grow from its current 800k registered individual users to more than 3 million in 5 years. Astro is targeting 500k connected PVRs for this year, up from its current 181k, and is aiming to increase its current 1.8 million AOTG downloads to 2.5 million within the same period. Astro hopes that those numbers will help to increase the consumption (by active users) from the current 140 minutes weekly to more than 180 minutes before the end of this year.
OD Free
According to Astro, OD Free is actually a repackaged version of the Free VOD service that was offered previously. It comes with new content, an updated interface and is available to all PVR users. It allows Astro subscribers to download shows in advance and watch them at a more convenient time/pace.
The service is now available to all PVRs and require an internet connection. There are basically two types of PVRs that has been offered by Astro: one comes with built-in Wi-FI and the other without, but the latter still can go online with its built-in LAN port or via an external Astro Wi-Fi dongle. Either way, if you don’t own a PVR, this service is not available to you.
Connecting via Wi-Fi enabled PVR is just a matter of connecting to the home network [press ‘Home’ button and select > Settings > Network > Wi-Fi] and proceeding to the On Demand Entertainment section [press ‘Home’ button and select > On Demand > browse categories]. For more info and setup instructions, please proceed to the How-To Guide section.
Astro claims that users will be able to choose from virtually an unlimited collection of on-demand content (that is also free), as well as the tiles from the Same Day as The U.S. catalogue. Do bear in mind that all of these will still be tied to the kinds of Astro packages that users subscribe to.
Some of the content on offer are foreign shows such as Empire, Scandal, The Walking Dead, Heroes Reborn, Quantico, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Game of Thrones, The Blacklist, and The Voice, as well as local ones like Akademi Fantasia, Classic Golden Melody, and Super Spontan.
OD Plus
Just like the free version, OD Plus is the updated and repackaged version of the older Astro Plus, and all existing subscriptions to Astro Plus will be automatically converted to OD Plus instead. The OD Plus package offers even more and unique movies, TV shows, and programs for kids, that have been bundled into a single monthly package with a RM 15.90/month price tag. Subscribers can also go for the OD Plus + A-List package at RM 21.20/monthly.
Astro is also extending an offer of free OD Plus subscription to customers who have an active subscription to Super Pack Plus. These Super Pack Plus users will be able to enjoy OD Plus at no additional cost, but unfortunately the offer is only applicable to subscribers who also have a PVR. Those who don’t have a PVR, will have to call Astro to upgrade. All other Astro customers who have subscribed to other packages will also get to to try out OD Plus for 3 months when they connect their PVRs to Wi-Fi by January 31 2016.
Aside from PVR, OD Plus can also be consumed on the web, and via the AOTG app (Android only for now). According to Astro, even users who do not have an Astro subscription will still be able to enjoy OD Plus via those two options. To start their subscription, new users are required to sign up for an Astro ID, login to app/web page with their Astro ID, and then purchase either one of the two available OD Plus packages. Unfortunately, it seems like the part where the Astro Payment Gateway was supposed to come up (which was to be right after the verification step) is broken and didn’t actually come up, neither via web, not via the AOTG app.
With OD Plus, users are said to be able to catch everything from TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, How To Get Away With Murder, Agent Carter, Big Bang Theory, to Hollywood blockbusters such as the complete Harry Potter collection, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Subscribers will also get to catch Korean favourites including Infinite Challenge, and Just Married, as well as anime from the Animax channel.
OD Store
The final option is the OD Store pay-per-view service that allows users to purchase the latest shows or movies, in either a single title or an entire collection. OD Store is the updated version of VOD Store service from before. Although an internet connected PVR is a must to make any purchases from the store, subscribers with the AOTG app will still be able to watch most of the On Demand shows on their mobile devices. They will just have to look for the ‘GO’ logo on the shows to indicate as such.
Within OD Store, customers will be able to make a purchase of their shows from the 4 types of offerings:
- Astro Best: Presents the latest Hollywood and Asian titles within as little as 3 months after their cinema run in Malaysia.
- Astro First: Presents the latest local and Asian titles just 2 weeks after their debut at the local cinemas.
- A List: Contains critically acclaimed and/or award winning films from around the world. These are presented in their own languages, and come with subtitle options in Bahasa Malaysia, English, or simplified Chinese.
- Selected Movies or TV shows: Get a wide range of titles including series, sports, lifestyle programs, and documentaries.
The purchased content will charged to the subscriber’s monthly Astro bill and the content itself will be available for viewing for a minimum period of 48 hours. The actual expiry period will be indicated on the screen for each of the shows, with some even stretching up to 30 days.
As mentioned earlier, there will be a wide range of shows that will be on offer, from Hollywood, local, and other Asian countries, and these will be offered in many languages including Malay, and other Chinese and Indian dialects/languages. Some of the titles on offer now are Jurassic World, Insidious chapters 2 & 3, the Saw movie collection (all 7 movies), and Jejak Warriors.
The post Astro’s OD services are the latest video-on-demand options for Malaysians appeared first on TechAttack.my.