Following the ban on analogue signals, Digital TV signals have become the new way of seeing a high-quality picture on television in Nepal. In this tough rivalry, we will look at the top 5 digital TV and movie streaming apps that are commonly used in Nepali households.
Overview of Digital TV
With high-speed internet access tucked away in everyone’s pockets these days, video streaming has become a particularly lucrative business. Most users can now stream HD video with little to no lag, which would’ve been a far off dream 15 years ago. Platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, etc provide rich high-quality video streaming services where anyone can create and “broadcast” themselves. Giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc have capitalized on this in a different way by providing paid video streaming for content like series, movies, documentaries, etc. As cheaper and faster internet facilities are improving in Nepal, many movie streaming apps in Nepal have popped up as well.
In this article, we will go in-depth over the Top 5 movie streaming apps in Nepal. Here, you can watch movies and series in Nepal without having to use Paypal, Mastercard, Credit Cards or any other inaccessible payment options, and in cheap prices that can be easily afforded by users.
Note: We will not be counting international platforms like iFlix or Netflix Nepal in the main list, though we will have a section within this article that will focus on this.
FAQ About Digital TV platform in Nepal
How many OTT platfroms are there in Nepal and which is the best one?
Following the restriction on Analogue broadcasts, businesses started to turn their focus to delivering Digital TV signals. I recall that immediately after the cable TV ban, Dish TV began to adapt subscription methods and expanded into areas where the internet or Net TV could not reach. However, things started to change with time. Watching TV became more digital, and the OTT platform gained popularity. As a result, many streaming service providers have begun to embrace innovation and technology to succeed. Therefore, several digital TV companies implemented different broadcasting standards. However, their ultimate goal is to give the highest quality video and audio to their clients.
As for the best, it’s difficult to say which one is the finest. However, to assist you in making an informed decision, we have compiled a list of Nepal’s most popular digital TV service providers.
Top 5 TV and Movie Streaming Apps in Nepal
1. NetTV
NetTV is one of the oldest OTT(Over-the-Top) streaming service providers in Nepal. This handy app provides a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) TV feed directly to your mobile, smart tv or web browser. With a wide selection of national and international channels to choose from, it has little below over 100k users already.
Released just a bit over a year ago, this number shows the massive growth opportunity for streaming platforms in Nepal. NetTV was the first OTT/IPTV in Nepal to get a Nepal Government-issued license to operate IPTV(TV feed over the Internet). Currently, NetTV supports Web TV and mobile app streaming.
NetTV promises a wide selection of over 200 channels to choose from, including channels like Kantipur HD, AP1HD, AL-Jazeera HD, Zee Tv HD, Sony Ten 1 HD, etc. Different channel packages like Nepali, Hindi, English, Kids, Sports, Infotainment, etc are available for users. What’s more, users can also buy on-demand movies or series, and pay for the view. WorldLink, Vianet, etc users can log in using their ISP-provided info, or one can make an account from their email, google mail account, or Facebook account as well. eSewa, Khalti, and IMEpay are the accepted payment methods.
Also read: Daraz & eSewa Partner to Power Online Payments
NetTV aims to develop an open platform where anyone can host and sell their content. According to them, the distribution cloud is through local ISPS, which ensures quality and full HD delivery without any internet traffic-related lags. However, there does still seem to be problems while streaming, especially in high traffic times (like football matches, popular TV show broadcast times, etc). Nonetheless, it is one of the better movie streaming apps in Nepal for Nepali and international content.
2. WOWtime
WOWtime is the underdog of this list that is slowly but steadily gaining popularity for itself. This streaming service is backed by Nepal Telecom, and aims to bring OTT services to Nepali customers. Not only does it support live TV, but also on-demand movies, radio channels, and more.
Registration for WOWtime is done through the Nepal Telecom phone number exclusively, meaning that you will need a Nepal Telecom number to register for an account. However, you can then use this service through WiFi or any other data network after that.
Also read: NTC’s e-Shiksha Pack: Study more for a lot less
The great thing about WOWtime is that while you can enjoy this service over WiFi, you can buy also a subscription, as you would for mobile data, exclusively for WOWtime. This is a great thing if you experience problems like load shedding, unstable cable connection, poor WiFi, etc, and can’t wait to watch your favorite club’s match or the episodic answer to the all-important question: “Rasodi mein kaun tha?“.
3. Fopi
Fopi is the newest kid on the block that demands attention. Developed by Aaviskar Technology, it has a comparatively lighter customer base than NetTV or WOWtime. However, it has a number of great features that aren’t available on the other two platforms.
Fopi provides online viewing, as well as offline saving features, for its content. Fopi is a piracy-free platform, meaning that this content is likely protected under DRM(Digital Rights Management) even when downloaded offline. Customers can enjoy on-demand movies, TV series, regional movies, songs, and videos directly from their viewing device. Fopi claims to include almost 70% of Nepali media content, and also the largest content of authentic Nepalese media. The company seems to be expanding its horizons to international content as well.
Content on Fopi is very affordable, with prices ranging from Rs 30 – Rs 50 for new movies and Rs. 15 for an audio album. Payment options for Fopi include Fopi Balance (a top-up balance that can be directly loaded onto Fopi), eSewa, NTC balance, or from payment to an offline Fopi Pasal. Although in a toddler stage right now due to a low customer base, we can see clear potential for this platform skyrocketing in popularity in the future.
4. Nepal Television:
Nepal Television is one of Nepal’s largest broadcasting organizations in-studio and transmission infrastructure, established in 1983. Nepal Television currently provides a total of 4 channels and recently has also expanded its reach to mobile and online service through the official Nepal Television App.
Customers can enjoy HD content from all of NTV’s four television channels:
- Nepal Television (General Entertainment and News)
- NTV Plus (focuses on Sports and Entertainment)
- NTV News (News)
- NTV Kohalpur (Regional news and entertainment)
Backed by NITV, a leading OTT/IPTV development and consulting firm based in Japan, the app aims to provide international coverage for its different channels.
The features for this app include DVR/Catch-up TV for up to 1 week (all 4 channels), Electronic Program Guide(EPG), On-Demand content, Online Newsfeed, Featured old video Library for VOD and offline viewing. Although the lack of variety (only Nepali content) might put some people off, this is still a solid app for its genre.
5. DishHome GO:
DishHome GO, as the name might suggest, is an app for DishHome cable TV subscribers. Customers of DishHome can install this app and enjoy content from the comfort of their smartphones.
However, a major con for this platform is its lack of content. The content for this platform is severely limited, and it doesn’t seem to provide much more than a handy mobile experience for TV streaming. You can give it a shot if you are a DishHome customer since this service is available for free. Users can log in using their customer ID. In addition to general TV streaming, you can also contact the support team, check balance, add or remove channels, etc.
Which is the cheapest OTT in Nepal?
Which is the most expensive OTT in Nepal?
Honorable mentions:
The popularity of Netflix in Nepal has skyrocketed recently. Netflix Nepal aims to expand Netflix services to Nepal, given the amount of Indian content it has been putting out lately.
If you look on the internet, you can find numerous people selling Netflix plans that accept eSewa, Khalti, etc. While a good share of these is legit, there might also be different things going on under the hood: selling hacked accounts, carded accounts, etc… stuff that you want to avoid. We advise you to buy from reputed sellers only or buy through someone you know who lives abroad. (Pro tip: One way of finding out reputed sellers is through a referral from already long-time users, or by looking up past customer experiences).
iFlix Nepal attempted to expand its horizons to Nepal too and backed by NCELL, the second-largest mobile provider in Nepal, it had an okay-ish run. Customers could recharge their iFlix subscription using the NCELL balance. However, NCELL announced the termination of its iFlix support in June 2020. Since then, this platform has pretty much nosedived in popularity in Nepal.
Also read: Prabhu TV to provide a month of free streaming for Ncell users
Conclusion:
While there are a lot of promising stars in the game, we would not be kidding if we told you that the review stars in these apps are fewer than what you could see on a cloudy night. Many Nepali streaming apps don’t even cross the 2-star rating: and none seem to come even close to the 4-star mark. This could be influenced by early versions of the app where the service was not very usable, but there are still numerous performance issues in almost all of them, including the ones on the list.
However, there is no doubt when we say that the content streaming market in Nepal has a bright future. As movie producers, freelance videographers, and indie creators continue to grow, it’s inevitable that they will need a platform to monetize their efforts. This is still a pretty new stage for Nepali streaming apps though, but we are bound to see developments in this field in the future.
What are your thoughts on this article? Did we miss your favorite /OTT provider? What are some issues you’ve faced while using streaming services? Put your thoughts in the comments section below!
