Today, we’ll be unpacking the best features that the PLDT Home StreamTV offers.
This is an Android media streaming device that lets users play online content on their television that has an HDMI port. It also doubles as a speaker with Dolby Audio output.
With what it has so far, it begs a couple of questions: what else can it offer as a home entertainment system? Does it make your overall entertainment experience better?
For starters, it consolidates your favorite streaming apps and services in one platform. It offers a 4K viewing experience of your favorite content and delivers rich sound via powerful speakers.
It also features hands-free controls of your TV and Smart Home devices, powered by Google Assistant. In other words, you can simply look for what you need via voice control.
Considering modern households are moving closer to the full smart home experience, we’d say that this is a great find. For those who would like to know more, let’s deep-dive into what StreamTV can offer.
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Out of the box, you will get the StreamTV device, a remote control, an HDMI cable, and a power adapter.
It’s fairly easy to set up, as you just have to make use of the HDMI port and plug in the power adapter. You may also use its Ethernet port if that’s what you prefer. The remote also comes with a free pair of batteries.
From here, take the remote. Hold the volume down and OK buttons for Bluetooth pairing. Next, the device will ask you if you want to continue setting up via your Android phone.
You will have to open the Google app and type or say, ‘Ok Google, set up my device’. Quick setup enables you to sync the Wi-Fi connection used by your phone to the StreamTV.
Once finished, it’ll recommend popular apps like Spotify, Disney+, and Prime Video for installing.
Overall, it’s a straightforward process supported by Google Assistant and the Google Play Store. You should be able to enjoy a hassle-free time upon setting up the PLDT Home StreamTV.
After setting up, we went to log in on Spotify as soon as possible. We logged in via QR code using our iPhone’s dedicated camera app. Worry not, as it also works on Android devices.
We were pleasantly surprised at how good the audio quality was from the device speakers. We went around our office for a test, and it did provide excellent coverage. We’d compare the loudness to that of half a full-size basketball court.
It wasn’t just loud either, the music and sound stage itself was notably balanced. This means that the bass or treble wasn’t as prevalent, but also means that there’s less ear fatigue.
As a small quality of life feature, you may also opt to use the output from your television instead. Simply go to Settings (the gear button found in the home screen) and change the sound output.
You may also opt to use YouTube Music as another platform for music streaming. Considering how much the device is worth, we’re sure you will find that the StreamTV excels under this segment.
For video streaming quality, the PLDT Home StreamTV offers up to 4K resolution. We tested this by playing YouTube clips and found that it delivers vivid imagery.
You can also cast from your device straight to the StreamTV setup. To do this, simply click the cast button found on the upper right of your selected YouTube video. From here, select the StreamTV device and it should be good.
In addition, if you avail of the device until September 30, 2024 you will get free access to a handful of streaming apps.
These include Lionsgate Play (5 months), Viu (3 months), Pilipinas Live (1 month), Cignal Play (1 month), and BlastTV+ (2 months). You can purchase beyond the end of the month and still enjoy these services via paid subscription.
One of the great features that the PLDT Home StreamTV offers is its hands-free experience via a smart assistant.
Powered by Google Assistant, you can use your voice for navigating your device.
You will find a microphone button on the remote. A bar below the television screen will appear to let you know it’s listening in.
Above, the photo tells you that you have to start with “Ok Google”, but this isn’t necessarily the case. We tried the most minimal effort prompts like “Go to Spotify”, “Take me to the app store”, etcetera. It worked just as fine, so you don’t have to be super finicky about it.
With what the device offers, you can use this to go straight to a song you want to play or conveniently search for your favorite show, app, or game.
If you are uncomfortable with Google Assistant being constantly active and listening to all conversations, you can turn off the microphone by simply pressing the mic button down as shown above. It’ll leave an orange light on to let you know it’s muted.
Last, but not certainly not the least, StreamTV offers screen mirroring. For this segment, we used a colleague’s Samsung Galaxy S23+.
We found a handful of uses for this during our time with the device. You can opt to use the bigger display projection for when an HDMI cable is unavailable, meetings, and even gaming.
As seen above, we talked about our calendar dates and work commitments using the device. We didn’t want to have to look for another HDMI cable, so we did some forward thinking. We ended up using the device as an immediate alternative.
We realized that the device could definitely be used for sudden or informal meetings. You don’t have to make the effort to look for another cable and can avoid huddling to see a small screen.
A colleague even tried to game on it, and it worked as intended. One thing to note though, the screen mirroring quality can fluctuate depending on the device’s internet speed.
Wrapping up, we can vouch that the PLDT Home StreamTV is a great find. It’s a solid home entertainment system that shows progress in local smart home development.
Plus, it comes with a great price range. You can experience what it offers for only PHP 229 per month for 24 months. It’s also available for a one-time fee of PHP 4,289.
You can enjoy its great features and platforms like HBO GO, NBA League Pass, Spotify, Disney+, and more. Don’t forget about the free subscriptions on Lionsgate Play, Viu, Cignal Play, BlastTV+, and Pilipinas Live as well.
These are available for free when you purchase until September 30, 2024 48.
PLDT Home StreamTV specs:
4K resolution
Amlogic S905X4 chipset
Mali-G31 MP2 GPU
2GB RAM
8GB storage
Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth 5.0
HDMI output
2x microphones
Android TV OS 11
Google Assistant support
