So you’ve heard about the latest that SingTel’s mio TV have got to offer.

It’s hard not to really; they are everywhere in the news! But just in case you’ve just returned from outer space, Youth.SG is here with the big scoop:

Coming soon this September, mio TV will launch its Season Pass in a bid to catch a substantial share of the English-speaking market. This snazzy new service offers the latest seasons of popular American TV series, such as Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Prison Break, debuting from September.

And when they mean ‘latest’, they really mean within 24 hours of the episode’s premiere in the United States. And of course, subscribers can watch these episodes again whenever they want as they’ll be downloaded to their mio TV platforms.

Honestly, that’s pretty cool in itself, especially since subscribers can choose from over 50 of these top American TV series.

But that’s not all. mio TV is also offering Favourites-on-Demand for subscribers who wish to re-cap the previous episodes of their favourite TV series. From now until Oct 31, subscribers can watch ten of these popular TV series, such as Gossip Girl, Nip/Tuck and Pushing Daisies, for just S$9.99 per month.

As great as all these sound though, I’m not entirely convinced on how well Season Pass and Favourites-on-Demand will sell.

The thing with mio TV’s latest services is they seem to be targeted at young chappies like me, who tend to be very busy internet-savvy individuals. This, of course, leads to some of the obvious reasons why these services might not take off well…

Can watch for free, pay for what?

You’ve probably been in one of these situations before:

Situation #1

A: Eh, new episode of Gossip Girl is out on XXXXXX.com since yesterday.

B: Yeah lor. How hot is Nate Archibald, can! 

Situation #2

A: Hey, hurry up. I want to go home to watch Prison Break on Channel 5.

B: Haha! I already know how the season ends lor! You don’t have broadband?

When did the above take place? Months before Favourites-on-Demand and Season Pass were even introduced, and it’s likely to be still taking place.

The fact that live web streaming has won fans years before mio TV even debuted means SingTel has to offer something more than just flexibility, which the internet offers, and the latest episodes.

Laptops are the new TV

Honestly, I rarely watch TV at home. My father usually dominates the living room with wrestling and Korean channels. Unfortunately, I’m really not keen on watching burly men in tight underwear grapple one another, nor am I amused by Korean variety shows.

When YouTube caught on like wild bushfire around the world, it became an unstoppable force. People like me became addicted, and suddenly, I didn’t need to sit in front of a television to watch a show. For instance, I’ve became so accustomed to watching (legal) DVDs on my laptop that it’ll be so unnecessary to actually pay to watch them on a bigger screen. Sure, it might be more shiok, but do I really need to be able to see the actors’ pores and acne to enjoy a good show?

Got money, no time

Sure, episodes downloaded from Season Pass are available for about a month after the season finales. But is one month really enough for busy subscribers to re-watch their favourite shows?

Although I’m sure offering the latest American TV series has gotten drama fans excited, some will soon realise that paying just to watch these shows without any extra benefits, such as recording, is just not worth it. Until SingTel provides more than what the internet offers, I think mio TV will continue to be unlikely-in-demand.

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THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF JUL 28-AUG 3 :: The Light Issue