Some surprises are great, like when your significant other plans you a surprise birthday party and they really catch you off guard, but pleasantly so. Other times surprises can be a whole different kind of story – like when you buy something online, say a trendy pair of jeans, thinking to yourself ‘well that’s an amazing bargain’, only for them to arrive and turn out to be child-sized and could no more fit over an ankle let alone the rest if your legs.
Personally, I love to know exactly what I’m getting and precisely what I’m paying for. It gives me an element of control over an otherwise chaotic and busy lifestyle.
I also love being able to pick and choose for myself, so I end up with exactly what I’m after.
So, when it came to selecting technology to power my home internet, TV and my landline, I didn’t exactly want a ‘one size fits all’ product. Where’s the flexibility in that?
Melita’s Flexi Bundle couldn’t have a more appropriate name. You get to choose the features that make sense for your household. It’s the ultimate kind of flexibility and it was perfect for me.
For those of you not yet familiar with how a Flexi bundle works, here’s a quick run-down of the amazing features that you can choose from, and how I worked it out for me using their bundle builder, which kept me informed of the total price for my selections.
What internet speed makes most sense?
I have very specific needs, like getting super-fast internet wasn’t even a question. I’m a multi-device specialist, or that’s how I like to phrase it. It’s very often that I’ll have my favourite show on Netflix on in the background from the second I get home. At the same time, I want to be able to browse the internet on my mobile and I want to be able to set up my laptop to finish off those last two presentations and upload them to the office ready for the morning.
On the other hand, my partner is a little obsessive about online gaming. It went without saying we needed something super-fast, stable and reliable.
Melita had three internet plans to choose from and even their starting point at 250 Mbps as part of their Flexi Bundle is faster than you get most other places. I settled on the 500 Mbps which is the mid-range internet option. As my demand on the internet at home increases in the future, no doubt I’ll look into upgrading to the GigaPower 1Gbps/1000 Mbps connection.
They also offered me a static IP at additional €5 per month but I had no need for that personally.
What TV package did I need?
I was toying with the idea of just getting a Starter NexTV package. It comes with 20 digital and 9 HD channels, including the most popular Italian channels (perfect for when mum visits as she can’t live without her Italian soap operas).
But in the end, I went for the 140+ NexTV package. I know it’s quite a jump and I skipped the middle level with 90+ channels, but I couldn’t resist the fact that I could get 90 channels in HD including my favourites like Animal Planet, Discovery, Nat Geo and Fox. Plus, I wanted to give that Top Crime channel a look as well – nothing like spending a weeknight getting lost in a great murder/mystery TV show.
The interactive NexTV box is also awesome.
Especially for someone like me, a person who loves flexibility and choice. I’m a great multi-tasker – but it can be a bit tricky when you don’t want to miss your TV show at the same time as needing to do other things. The NexTV box made everything stress-free. Cooking dinner and need to get off the sofa to check it isn’t burning? Just press pause. Accidentally got caught up in some hot gossip on Facebook while watching something on the TV? Quick rewind.
Need to search for a show but only remember the actor’s name? No problem. The NexTV box has got this brilliant search feature where I can easily search by actor, title, category, director, content or even year. Be gone days of pointless zapping to try and find something I want to watch.
If we’re having a bit of a squabble about what sports to watch on the big screen, well that’s also no longer a problem with the split screen function. Though you might have to amicably decide which running commentary to listen to.
And I can also record three shows while I’m watching a fourth. Or I can have a look at the OnDemand library when nothing on live TV tickles our fancy, and if we want to continue watching while we are snuggling down in bed, no probs – we just switch to watching on our mobiles.
And what about a landline?
There were a few options here. Personally, I went with the basic telephony fixed line plan. We hardly ever use our landline as our mobiles tend to be almost physically attached to our bodies. I could have opted for all landline calls to be included in the same monthly fee with Telephony Fixed Unlimited, or I could have gone with all landlines and mobiles included in the Telephony Fixed and Mobile Unlimited, but I just couldn’t see the need for our household.
Having said that I did add the option for 100 free minutes to the EU, Australia, Canada, China and the USA at just €3/month. We have some relatives spread across the globe and it’s always good to have those calls covered – extra peace of mind.
Being able to choose was exactly what I wanted, and the result was a Flexi Bundle that totally worked around my demands. Fast internet, great choice on TV and a landline just to have an option if a mobile isn’t handy, doubtful – but you never know.
Every home is different, perhaps two avid gamers would have preferred to opt for the GigaPower internet connection. Or perhaps a larger family might opt to include the great plans on mobile on offer as well. But that’s what makes this so unique, it’s up to each household to decide.
We also got to access Melita’s nationwide 10 GB of free WiFi as well, so we’re permanently connected to super-fast internet even when we are out and about. It’s a great bonus. One of those more pleasant-style surprises I was talking about.
It’s a flexi bundle because you get to choose what’s right for you. And that worked perfectly for us.
Don’t take my word for it. Have a bash at building your own bundle.
