ShowMax announced today that it has launched a new lower-priced service available exclusively to Vodacom customers on an add-to-bill basis. For R49 per month, subscribers get unlimited access to a comprehensive catalogue of TV shows, movies, kids shows, and documentaries. This new service has a strong focus on local content, is optimised for lower data consumption on smartphones and tablets, and is billed directly to a Vodacom account with no need for a credit card.
Head of ShowMax Africa, Chris Savides, said that “ShowMax Select is all about making internet TV even more accessible. It’s half the price of our existing ShowMax Premium service with a strong focus on local content. We designed Select to be viewed first and foremost on mobile devices, with multiple options for managing data consumption.”
As the cost of smartphones and tablets continues to fall, more and more South Africans are getting connected and can access internet TV services such as ShowMax. A major barrier, however, is the fact that many services require payment via credit card. This excludes the majority of the population who don’t have a credit card.
Savides added that “Internet TV services should be accessible to everyone, not just the lucky few who have credit cards. By partnering with Vodacom, we’ve made it simple to charge both ShowMax Select and ShowMax Premium directly to your Vodacom account, no credit card needed.”
At launch, ShowMax Select has more than 10 000 TV show episodes and movies including local hits like Isibaya, Shaka Zulu, Binnelanders and Dineo’s Diary. On top of that, the service features international favourites like Teen Wolf, Merlin, The Driver and Line of Duty. More than half of the content on ShowMax Select is local. New content will be added weekly.
To reduce data consumption, ShowMax Select has been optimised for viewing on smartphones and tablets. Subscribers have the choice of three different streaming video quality settings. The default level is standard definition which uses almost 40% less data in comparison to the default setting on ShowMax Premium.
As with ShowMax Premium, ShowMax Select gives subscribers the ability to download shows to smartphones and tablets to watch offline, choosing from four different file sizes. Using the most data-efficient setting, downloading a 20-minute TV show will require approximately 80MB. Subscribers not wanting to use mobile data can also download shows via Wi-Fi. Up to 25 shows can be downloaded at any one time.
Source - IT News Africa