ShowMax: the latest revolution in home entertainment [SPONSORED]

ShowMax which launched in South Africa a couple of months ago is a “subscription video on demand” service. What this means is that its large library of series and movies, which includes more than 20 000 episodes of international and local shows and films, is stored on servers as digital files and accessible over the internet.

It’s so simple, in just 3 easy steps you’re on the way to hours of endless entertainment at a low cost. Or if you aren’t sure just yet you can check what’s on offer with a 7 day free trial. If after that you aren’t sold you can cancel your subscription. No contract, no tie downs.

All you need to do is:

• Connect to the internet
• Register for an account
• Browse through the content library and you can be streaming video over your broadband connection in seconds on multiple devices.

Need more info? No problem

Step 1: Connect to the internet

ShowMax costs R99/month, but that doesn’t include your internet costs. An uncapped 4Mbp/s ADSL line (or faster) is recommended for the best viewing experience.

ShowMax uses adaptive streaming, which means that the video quality can self-adjust depending on the speed of your internet connection. So if your connection is slower, ShowMax will automatically adjust the resolution as well, meaning that you can keep watching without interruption.

So which data packages should you consider? Well that depends how much binge-watching you want to do. Two hours of streaming requires roughly 1GB of data. Have a look at some of these data deals:

• Telkom Mobile’s 10 GB SoftCap
• Cell C’s Smartdata 10 GB
• Vodacom’s 20GB + 20 GB 24 Month Contract with Top Up
• MWeb’s 50 GB Capped ADSL DataOnly
• Vox Telecom Uncapped 8Mbps+Line
• Afrihost’s Uncapped DSL

Step 2: Register for a ShowMax Account

To get started go to ShowMax.com and click sign up. Here you can sign up with Facebook or with an email address. Once you’ve signed up it will require you to enter your payment details. Don’t worry though, once you’ve entered these details you get your 7 day free trial. If you sign up with a PayPal account, keep in mind the exchange rate so the actual subscription may vary from R99.

If after seven days, or at any stage of your trial you still aren’t convinced that R99 a month is worth it for all that content, you can cancel your subscription and won’t be automatically billed. If you used PayPal as a payment method and you cancel your account will be refunded

ShowMax is a subscription service so no contracts. You pay R99 for a month subscription and get a month worth of access. What’s more you can cancel at any time after paying your subscription and still have access to content until the end if the billing cycle, after which you won’t be billed again.

Step 3: Browse the content library

Over 20 000 episodes of series and 400 movies, the options are endless. And the best part is that ShowMax is totally legal. There’s no more buying dodgy DVDs off the street or visiting malware-laced websites to download bad copies of your favourite shows

What sets ShowMax apart is the local content available. Shows are diverse and will appeal to all local audiences – Egoli, isBaya, Molly & Vors and Criminal Minds.

International content includes HBO, abc Studios & BBC. Series include Game of Thrones, Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Suits. Fresh from the UK is Jekyll and Hyde – and within 24 hours of the original airing in the UK.

Loads of movies have been added in October, like Dirty Dancing, Saw, Transformers and Shutter Island

Have a look through the extensive catalogue, you are sure to find something to satisfy any craving – reminisce in some old school movies or catch up on all the episodes of the most talked about series you’ve been dying to watch.

Need to know info:

• You can watch on two devices simultaneously.
• If you don’t have a Smart TV, connect your laptop to your TV with a HDMI cable and go from small screen to big screen
• You can access ShowMax online as well as through its Android (4.1.0 or higher) and iOS (iOS 7 or higher) apps, as well as on Samsung (including Tizen) and LG Smart TVs (WebOS, NetCast).
• The ShowMax iOS and Android apps are free… but you cannot sign up to ShowMax with a phone or tablet, you’ll have to do that via the web.
• New payment methods coming soon
• Chromecast and Apple TV are coming soon
• Download option coming soon
• Add to my watch list coming soon.
• Loads more content and fun features are coming too