WeTV is an international version of the Chinese streaming service, Tencent Video. It is one of the top platforms you will come across if you are looking to watch Asian movies and dramas.
But is the streaming service worth it? Given that there are not many platforms (particularly legal ones) focused on Asian content, WeTV can be a worthwhile streaming service.
However, before you sign up, there are a few things you should know about the streaming service. Below is a look at them:
1. What are the subscription options?
One of the top things to know about WeTV before signing up is the service’s subscription options. The streaming platform operates on a freemium model, with both free and premium subscription plans.
The free plan grants you access to a portion of WeTV’s library, allowing you to watch several movies and dramas for free. In addition, you can watch the first few episodes of premium TV shows for free on the plan.
However, the free plan is ad-supported, so you can expect to watch quite a few advertisements when streaming. In addition, the plan has several restrictions, including limited video quality, no simultaneous streams, and no offline downloads.
If you are not satisfied with the basic plan, you can subscribe to the VIP plan, which offers access to premium content.
The VIP plan is available at $5.99 (monthly subscription), $17.49 (quarterly), and $56.99 (annual). You can also purchase a one-time VIP package at $7.99 (one month), $21.99 (3 months), or $79.99 (12 months).
Besides the premium content, the VIP plan comes with several other perks, including:
- Watching some of the content (especially dramas) in advance.
- Simultaneous streaming on two devices.
- Offline downloads with fast download speeds.
- No adverts.
- 1080p Full HD video resolution.
- Discounted prices for paid content (movies or TV shows that you can buy or rent to watch on the platform).
2. What content is available?
WeTV is one of the top streaming platforms that specializes in Asian content. A huge portion of the content library is Chinese, which is expected given that it is a Chinese-owned service.
However, since it is geared towards an international audience, the platform also features content from other Asian countries. This includes Korean, Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Philippine content.
Types of WeTV content
All of the content offered on WeTV is video-on-demand; the platform does not offer live TV channels. Below is a look at what you can enjoy when you sign up:
- Movies
WeTV has a large collection of movies, both new and old. They are available in several genres, from feature films to action, comedy, suspense, fantasy, musical, period costumes, and kids’ movies.
Some popular titles on the platform include Mystified, Brotherhood, The Red Sparrow, The Guardian, Heart’s Movie, Paper Beauty, The Unbeatable, Revival, and The EOD Squad.
- Dramas
If you are a fan of Asian dramas, you will love WeTV. The platform has a large collection of Asian dramas, which come in several genres, including action, comedy, romance, family, fantasy, sci-fi, historical dramas, and even LGBTQ series.
Some of the top titles on the platform include When We Were Young, The Princess’s Gambit, Coming for You, My Naughty Assistant, The Bangkok Boy Series, The Secret Contract of the Witch, and Apple My Love.
- Anime
One of the top things to love about WeTV is that the platform offers anime content. And even though their animal selection is not large, you can enjoy some decent selections.
Some of the popular anime titles on the platform include Renegade Immortal, Deviant, The Westward, The Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, Power Race, Swallowed Star, CMFU College, Gun God, and Whited Nighttime.
- Variety show
Lastly, WeTV offers a collection of on-demand variety entertainment content. This includes reality TV shows, game shows, musical shows, and much more.
Some popular variety entertainment titles include Chuang Asia, Bravo 650, Go Fridge, The Oasis, The Untamed Fan Meeting in Thailand, Tencent Video All Star Night, Girls Like Us, and Super Novae Games.
Where does WeTV content come from?
WeTV has a diverse library, with content from several sources. Below is a look at some of them:
- Tencent Video library
A large portion of WeTV’s content is from Tencent Video’s library. This is where most of the Chinese content on the platform comes from.
However, while a significant portion of the platform’s content is from Tencent, not all of Tencent’s library is available to users. For example, Tencent Video library features sports, documentary, and news content, which are not available on WeTV.
- WeTV Originals
WeTV produces its original movies and dramas. The originals are tailored for an international audience and, thus, most of them are not available to the Chinese audience via Tencent.
- Localized content
In addition to original content, WeTV partners with content producers to offer localized content. Most of the localized content is from Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
3. How good is WeTV’s user experience?
Chinese streaming platforms have garnered a reputation for offering a poor user experience. Therefore, it’s reasonable that you might be concerned about WeTV’s user experience.
The good news is that the platform is well-regarded where user experience is concerned. Below is a look at some of the top aspects of WeTV’s user friendliness.
An easy-to-navigate interface
WeTV offers a minimalistic user interface, which is uncluttered and very easy to navigate. The menu features only the essential navigation buttons – Home, content categories, “Explore” button (for browsing content), and a search function.
WeTV also offers a “FREE” button, which you can use to access free content available under the basic plan. This is a handy feature, as it saves you from attempting to watch content, only to find that it is restricted to premium users.
Subtitles and dubs
Another top thing to love about WeTV is that it offers subtitles and audio dubs for its content.
The subtitles are available in a variety of languages, including:
- English
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Thai
- Vietnamese
- Indonesian
- Malay
- Korean
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Likewise, the streaming platform offers audio dubs in a variety of languages, including English, Thai, Indonesian, and Malay.
4. Where is WeTV available?
WeTV is available in over 100 countries worldwide. It is especially popular in Southeast Asia countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore, where it is one of the leading streaming services.
WeTV is also available in the United States and several other countries, including North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania.
In Mainland China, WeTV is accessible as Tencent Video.
While the streaming platform is readily available worldwide, it may be subject to censorship in some countries. For example, in 2020, Taiwan banned WeTV (Tencent Video) and several other Chinese streaming sites.
5. Which devices does WeTV support?
WeTV is available across multiple platforms and devices. For starters, you can access the streaming platform on computer browsers via its official website.
You can also access the platform on mobile devices via the WeTV app, which you can download from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The WeTV app is also available on Smart TVs, including LG TVs and TVs running on Android TV OS.
You can also stream the platform’s content via a range of streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Chromecast.
Lastly, you can access WeTV on YouTube. The platform has several channels, including WeTV English, WeTV Philippines, WeTV Turkish, and WeTV Malaysia, where it shares some of its content library with subtitles and audio dubs.