Viu Review: Is a Premium Viu Subscription Worth It?

Recently, I've grown an obsession with the show  "The Return of Superman". The combination of my obsession and impatience for the new episodes led me to subscribe to Viu Premium. 

What is Viu?

Viu is a video streaming service for Asian shows (and movies, if you do get Viu Premium). The Viu Premium subscription costs SGD$5.98 per month; its key highlights are unlimited downloads, priority viewing and lesser advertisements. Keyword: lesser.

Some may wonder, "why not just use Free Viu?"

I've used Free Viu before, but I wanted/needed the unlimited download feature. I was in Malaysia and Viu was my back-up entertainment. This feature came in handy during the times when I had nothing to do. 

Features:

Taken from Viu.com

Unlimited Download

Compared to Free Viu that allows one free download, Viu Premium grants users unlimited downloads. These will automatically expire after a week, which saves up space on your phone. 

The downloading speed is a little slow compared to Netflix. The other day I put its speed to the test when I was trying to download the Korea drama, Fight for my way.

Despite giving Viu a headstart, I managed to download episodes 1 and 2 on Viu, while I finished downloading the entire seven episodes on Netflix. Needless to say, Netflix wins in terms of downloading speed and this comes in handy when you're in need of last minute entertainment.

Uninterrupted Viewing with Lesser Advertisements
As I've said, the key word is "lesser". 

With Viu Premium, one advertisement always plays before the disclaimer. The type of advertisement varies. At times they offer a "skip ad" button, and for the unfortunate ones, they have no "skip ad" button. I really hate those. 

Yes, I wish that there were no advertisements at all with Viu Premium. 

It can get annoying with repetitive advertisements. But, compared to Viu Free and most websites, this is acceptable If you really hate ads, you can download the episode and turn off your wifi. My friend told me she does this, and it also allows her to stop her text notifications from coming in lol. 

Priority Viewing
Viu Premium allows you to watch the latest episode 8 hours after the original telecast. Viu Free, on the other hand, takes 72 hours.

Most websites aren't this fast, or even accurate, in uploading with subs. I used to feel disappointed and frustrated in the past whenever I was really into a new drama.

This is great for people who want to watch the latest episode with subs ASAP. However, do note that not all recent dramas are available on Viu!! For instance, some recent dramas that I've seen are Arthdal Chronicles and Chief of Staff, but these aren't on Viu (for now).

All Access Pass

The All-Access Pass allows viewers to watch Asian movies, as well as Kids entertainment. They have categorized their movies as Korean movies and Asian movies. 

Sadly, the Asian movie list looks... pathetic. 

I counted the number of Asian films available, and it's roughly around 80 at the moment. 

Majority of the selection in the Asian Movies category are Chinese and Cantonese movies. As a fan of Japanese and Thai movies, I was sad at how these weren't offered. Hopefully, there will be more available in the future. In the meantime, I'd recommend other apps or sites if you're looking for more movies.

They have a wide range of Korean movies available. However, don't expect to see the latest Korean movies. In case you didn't realize, the desktop version allows you to categorise movies according to the year. But... the year is not based on the year the movie was released. Instead, Viu arranges it according to the year it was made available on Viu. So, if you're looking for a 2017 film, it's probably in the 2018 film section.

I checked for the films released in 2019 (like Innocent Witness, Hit and Run Squad and Parasite), but none of these movies are available on Viu (yet?). 

Other than these, Viu Premium also has additional features, such as:
- HD resolution (Free Viu only has up to 480p)
- TV access. 

Viu Vs. Others. 

(By others, I only mean Netflix, Viki Rakuten and maybe some streaming websites LOL)  

Currently, I have Netflix (subscribed by my Sister and I'm just leeching off huhu) and Viu. Yes, Netflix also has Asian dramas available. 

I downloaded Viki recently, and I checked their subscription plans. For Viki, it is more expensive for a one-month payment. Each month costs $6.98, so it's an extra dollar. They do have annual subscription plan ($68.98), which is that is cheaper than Viu when added up all together. However, Viki does not offer downloads, which was a reason I didn't even try subscribing to any of their plans. Also, from what I've seen so far, they don't have the latest dramas available.

One feature that I wished Viu had is being able to see the shows I'm currently watching on the front page. Netflix has this, and it's so much easier. It annoys me a little how I have to search every time I want to continue a series. Plus, sometimes I forget which episode I'm at, so I have to guess and check.

Viu is good if you're a K-drama addict and you need to watch the latest episode. I feel safer using Viu because some websites have weird pop-ups, and I always worry that it's going to be some virus. Interestingly enough, Viu also has a "lifestyle bits" section. The videos in this category are mainly Youtube videos, from people like Joan Keem, Liah Yoo, etc., but with eng subs. I don't really use this category that often.

Also, unlike Netflix (well, depending on the plan you get) it allows me to view on multiple devices at the same time. I tried playing from my phone and laptop simultaneously and it worked.

Overall:

So, back to the question: is Viu Premium worth it? I guess it depends on your personal preferences. 

If you're not an avid K-drama fan, and maybe you don't watch so regularly, you could stick to Free Viu. Plus, if you're watching older K-dramas, for instance, those that were released in 2018, all of them are available even for Free Viu users. 

But, if you are interested in subscribing, Viu offers a 7-day free trial. SGD$5.98 is cheaper than most streaming websites. I liked the unlimited download and priority viewing features of Viu Premium. Maybe if you're like me, you could subscribe cause you're going overseas, and you need some entertainment. 

If you're subscribing for the movies, it will be worth it if you wanted to watch Korean and Chinese films only. They have an adequate list of Korean movies available, although not the latest. Their Asian films are mostly Chinese and Cantonese movies and it would be nice if there were more Japanese, Thai and even Filipino movies available. Hopefully, they'll add more movies. 

As for the advertisements, having no ads at all would be even better. But, yes, it is nice to have just one rather than having multiple ads pop up throughout the episode. So I would prefer premium Viu compared to Free Viu. Trust me, it's so irritating to see the same advertisment over and over again. If you absolutely hate the ads, just download and switch off your wifi. 

Personally, I'm probably going to unsubscribe because I'm starting school soon. Especially after I just applied for a tuition fee loan LOL. #TimeToSaveMoney

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In case I needed to put another disclaimer: I paid for this subscription :-)

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