Bored in Singapore? Consider One of These 3 Entertainment Platforms for Your Home

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In Singapore, it’s not uncommon to spend up to 50 hours per week at the office. In fact, a news report released late last year concluded that Singaporeans work the longest hours in the world.

So naturally, once you finally manage to get released from your jail cell/office at the end of the work day, you’re looking forward to two important activities when you get home – relaxation and entertainment.

Sadly, if you’re coming home to a television set that only the basic channels, or worse – you’re subscribing to StinkTel’s mioTV and dealing with overpriced, crappy service, it’s time to change.

It’s time to consider one of these 3 entertainment platforms for your home:

The Big 3 Entertainment Platforms Out There

Listen, I know your pain. Being stuck with basic cable or having completely unreliable cable service even though you pay $100+ a month is terrible. But there are many entertainment platforms out there that can provide you numerous streams of entertainment – including games, movies, and music.

Here are the “Big 3” entertainment platforms out there:

• Playstation 4: The Playstation 4 is the most popular entertainment platform out there. It boasts 500GB hard drive space, Blu-ray player, AMD x86-64 CPU, and an AMD Radeon GPU. What does it all mean? To some, those specs make it the most “powerful” platform out there.

• Xbox One: The Xbox One is another the closest “gaming” platform to rival the Playstation 4. While its specs aren’t as powerful as the PS4, it still boasts an impressive 500GB hard drive, Blu-ray player, AMD 8 core APU, and an AMD Radeon GCN. It’s not out currently, but will hit the Singapore market on 23 September 2014.

• Apple TV: Apple TV is an entertainment platform of a different sort. It’s what you’d call a “digital media device” that’s primarily meant to stream any movie, TV show, game or song on your iTunes library. While it’s a very Apple-centric device, it also allows you to access various streaming services (though many might not be available in Singapore yet).

I know there are other entertainment platforms out there such as Amazon Fire TV, Roku3, and Sony’s knockoff of Apple TV – called Sony TV (which is set to come out this year).

However, there’s a reason why these 3 entertainment platforms are the “Big 3,” it’s because they’re the most prominent platforms out there today (well, almost, everyone’s still waiting for Xbox One to show up to the party!)

Let’s Look at Gaming

When it comes to the “gaming wars,” the battle between the PS4 and Xbox One is about as heated as anything going down in the Middle East today. While I won’t get into which entertainment platform has better games, I will just say that each platform attracts its own unique set of “gamers” with the unique titles offered by each.

In terms of the number of games offered, both Playstation 4 and Xbox One offer about the same number of games. Apple TV on the other hand, offers thousands of games.

In terms of game quality, game developers invest millions of dollars in the games produced for both the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. With both platforms, you can expect to play games that offer the best possible graphics and gaming experience.

Apple TV on the other hand offers quantity, but not (visual) quality when it comes to the games offered. That’s because iOS devices are limited in their graphical output, and the gaming studios making iOS games tend to be smaller.

Let’s Look at Streaming

One of the biggest selling points to these entertainment platforms is their ability to stream movies, TV shows, and music through various streaming service providers. Granted, many of these services require an additional monthly fee or a “rental” fee if you’re looking to watch a particular movie or show.

Here is an overview of the streaming services offered by each of the Big 3:

*Note on Streaming Services: Unfortunately, many of the good streaming services aren’t available in Singapore yet. However, it’s still possible to get such services by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). There are also ways to get streaming services such as Netflix on your Playstation 4, as this article shows.

However, what Apple TV has on both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One is this – iTunes. You can buy or rent movies and TV shows, play music, and play games using AirPlay to stream anything in your iTunes library to your TV.

So the larger your iTunes library, the more appealing AppleTV will be as an entertainment platform.

Which One is Best for Your Home

That really depends on two things – the price you’re willing to pay and what kind of entertainment you enjoy.

If you enjoy TV shows and like the convenience of being able to buy or rent your favorite shows via iTunes, Apple TV would be a great choice in terms of value.

If you’re primarily a gamer first and have the $600+ to buy the system and another $70+ to buy each game, then by all means go for either the Playstation 4 or Xbox One. Plus, these systems will allow you to play any DVDs or Blu-ray disks you own.

If you don’t have the cash but really want one of these systems – save up for it! The last thing you want to do is be broke midway past the month because you made a poor buying decision based on emotion.

What entertainment platform do you prefer? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on Facebook! For even more useful information on everything personal finance, visit MoneySmart today!

Images:
Xbox, PS4, Apple

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