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In the two weeks that my relatives from New Zealand were in Malaysia to spend their summer break with us, I noticed that my two cousins leant more towards screen-based activities. This is especially the case when they had time to spare or preferred to be in my bedroom in which I had allowed them to use for their entire stay.

One conversation with them went roughly like this:

“I finished the movie,” my younger cousin of the two told me, looking rather glum, as I watched her switch positions on the mattress she was using while holding her smartphone in one hand.

Aware that she had watched at least two on a channel available via satellite TV that day, I asked, “Oh? Which one?”

She replied, “Me Before You.” She continued “It’s so sad.”

Confused, I asked her, “Oh? How did you watch it?”

She said, “I found it online.”

Expressing my amazement, I said “Oh, it’s online? Wow!”

Upon realising that they probably needed good Internet connection, I asked, “Is the connection OK?”

My other cousin replied, “Yeah, it’s fine, as long as we have access to it.”

Laughing a little, I said, “Oh, OK then.”

I decided to exit my bedroom and leave them to their own devices. It took me some time to grasp the fact that one of my cousins was actually (re-)watching the movie through her phone screen.  She had missed certain parts of the movie because we went out for a couple of hours. (If you’re wondering whether I’ve actually watched the movie, here goes: I never quite got to watch the ending, despite trying to do so in my flights to and from Japan. By the time it was made available on satellite TV, I was watching for the sake of watching :P) Personally, I’ve yet to experience watching a movie from my smartphone. Besides, I know of some people who have been pressing me to upgrade my Internet speed and sign up for certain platforms, but I don’t know if the day will come. Ironically, despite having taken three courses on film and television studies as an undergraduate, and having analysed a fair bit of news articles and press releases on the technology and film and television industries for work in the past, I must admit that I’m still very much inclined towards the written word. After some scouting around, I finally found at least one person I could talk to about the various access points through which TV programmes and film are consumed today.

Adrian Lai Sher Wynn, who is working at one of Malaysia’s dailies, says he used to spend a substantial amount of money on DVDs. As he is increasingly spending time on his tablets and smartphone today, he no longer sees the need to do so. This is thanks to the proliferation of mobile apps and online, subscription-based platforms.  He explains, “As I wish to watch my favourite TV series Game of Thrones at my own leisure, instead of waiting for the show to be aired on HBO (with the possibility of missing it), I can now do so via the mobile app Astro GO, which comes together with my Astro IPTV subscription*.” When asked if he still watches TV programmes via satellite TV Astro, “Unless my parents are watching something that I may be interested in, I rarely do so.” He continues, “These days, with my line of work in mind, I’m more drawn towards current affairs channels like Channel News Asia, a recent addition to the line-up of channels available in HD.”

Following the launch of Netflix in Malaysia in 2016, Lai reveals that he made the decision to sign up for the Standard Plan as it allows up to five concurrent users and HD viewing. Based on my understanding, one account can have multiple user profiles. Under each profile, a watch list can be generated. In turn, Netflix tracks one’s watch list to serve each user with better recommendations.  Lai says that he is now binge-watching the TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother every day, as he didn’t have a chance to watch it when it first premiered in Malaysia via satellite TV. He clarifies “I only do so outside of working hours.”  Netflix also produces original series, which is part of the reason why it is popular. For Lai, the series that he enjoys include Stranger Things and Disenchantment.  Speaking of ease of use of Netflix, he said, “Content is neatly sorted as per my preferences and the Search bar is really helpful.” Interestingly, he has taught his parents to use Netflix, as it can also be enjoyed via a smart TV. In fact, due to the user-friendly nature of the app on the TV, his parents can now navigate independently. Of course, they must first be able to use their TV remote control. This is despite the fact that his parents are not equipped with the knowledge on how to use a laptop or a desktop. At the same time, he adds, “My parents have smartphones but they only use it to call and text.” Whenever he gets access to the Smart TV, which is now mainly used by his parents, he will watch Netflix on it. “Provided I’ve downloaded the Netflix app into my phone and the TV is connected to the Internet, I can just log in using my Netflix account, and watch shows as per normal. Alternatively, my Samsung phone has the ability to pair with my Samsung TV via something called Samsung Smart View,” he enlightens.

When asked if he still goes to the cinema, this is what he had to say:

It’s an activity I’d do with my best friend. I remember going to the cinema alone once. Otherwise, I’d be at home, switching between mobile devices (when one is out of battery) and watching from the comfort of my bed.

Lai points out that even with the convenience afforded by such mobile devices and technologies if he had a TV of his own, he would ultimately opt to watch films and TV programmes from a larger screen with a better sound system. This is especially so as he spends between two and four hours per day on Netflix, depending on his availability.

*Based on my clarification with the participant and my own research, Astro IPTV offers the same channels as per one’s typical Astro subscription with the addition of some channels in HD, personal video recording, optional voice services, as well as the Video-On-Demand (VOD) service, which allows subscribers to watch shows they have missed. In order for Astro GO to be usable, a subscriber must ensure that his/her Astro account is linked first. Astro IPTV users also get to enjoy High Speed Internet under a package with Maxis Fibre Broadband. As Astro IPTV subscribers can access channels via the Maxis Fibre Broadband connection, a satellite dish is not necessary.