Neon NZ for Android

New Zealand’s streaming app

Lightbox NZ is a streaming application that lets you watch new and exclusive TV shows and blockbuster movies. It offers a large library of video content, from binge-worthy TV series to popular movies fresh from the cinema. The software requires a monthly subscription, either standard or premium, to get its service. 

What it offers

There are many mobile streaming applications available in the app market today that offer both movie and TV contents, and Lightbox NZ is just one of them. Like Netflix, this app provides users with hundreds of titles to choose from, with new content added all the time. More, it also offers TV series exclusive to the app.

The app also works similarly like Netflix in a way that it allows users to create profiles to have their own Lightbox experience. In its homepage, users can see thumbnails of the titles they offer, organized in various categories. The app also provides a preview of the recently added content, as well as the popular ones.

Lightbox NZ lets you watch across multiple devices, so the whole family can enjoy streaming without fighting over what to watch. More, you can watch as much as you like, ad-free. You can even keep a list of the shows you like in the My List feature. With this, you don’t have to search for the movie or TV show every time you use the app. You can also connect with Chromecast to stream shows on a bigger screen.

To get a better experience, Lightbox NZ requires compatible devices and broadband.

What you need to put up with

Lightbox NZ is a great alternative to popular video streaming apps if it works. However, while it does sound promising, you need to put up with its reliability issue. After its latest update, the app constantly crashes in the middle of your streaming. And that’s if you manage to open the app, which is another problem.

Even if you have a decent, if not strong, internet connection, launching the app is still hard. When the app is not loading fast, it gives you an error message saying that the server has an issue. And if you lost connection from your WiFi, the entire app closes, requiring you to go through the annoying process of opening it again.

Another thing that you will find frustrating about Lightbox NZ is its movie rental. Sure, you can rent a movie without a contract. However, most of the time, the link they send you to your email does not work. You cannot download them properly either because the app freezes in the middle of the process. And if you managed to download the movie, you still need an internet connection to watch them.

Its also no use to get a hold of the support team to raise your problem as they only send you a generic email that’s not helpful at all.

Not worth it

Lightbox NZ would have been a nice app to try if you are looking for fresh and exclusive content. The app offers a great catalog of shows and movies. And with its interface very much like Netflix, usability won’t be a problem. However, as it is right now, the app is frustrating. From opening the app to streaming or downloading, you will experience issues after issues that you won’t get to enjoy your binge-watching. It is understandable if Lightbox NZ is a free application. But it is not. Users pay a monthly subscription and even pays for a movie rental, so they should have an experience worthy of the money they shell out. All in all, this app is not worth any penny.