Netflix or Showmax? The answer is...

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MisterBigglesworth

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...before I get to my opinion on this topic, let me first address all those articles on the net on this topic. They all pretty much suck, because they are all misleading in some form or another. Most approach the topic from a which has HD point of view, mobile device point of view...which has the better content etc. A bit of a miss if you ask me...

So, to summarise my experience using both...

Showmax
Pros
  • Lots of content for the family, especially for smaller kids.
  • Price of R99 a month is reasonable I think

Cons
  • It can be dog slow, waiting for content to update as you scroll down.
  • You cannot start watching a movie (or any content) and then continue later. If you exit halfway, you have to download it again and fast forward to where you left off
  • A terrible user experience overall, from searching for content to accessibility of content

Netflix
Pros
  • Love the unique original series Netflix have like Stranger Things etc
  • Simply top notch user experience from ease of use to suggestions based on what you watch
  • I can watch a movie, turn it off and next time continue watching from where I left off
  • The mobile experience is incredible, downloaded a movie to my mobile to watch offline - simple, easy and quick.

Cons
  • More expensive than Showmax
  • Not as much content as the US side of Netflix, which sucks. Quite a few times I wanted to watch a movie, but it's not open to SA version.
  • For the kiddies, content is quite limited

Summary (TLDR)
Both have their pros and cons and some series are exclusively only available on one platform. For me, there is no clear winner - which means I have had to take both.

Which do I prefer? Thats simple....Netflix. If I didn't have kids, I probably would have told Showmax to go suck a fatty. I hate having to re-download a movie to finish watching it and then FFWD to where I left off. It's idiotic (If there is a way around it, please share :whistle:).
 
MisterBigglesworth said:
...

Summary (TLDR)
Both have their pros and cons and some series are exclusively only available on one platform. For me, there is no clear winner - which means I have had to take both.

Which do I prefer? Thats simple....Netflix. If I didn't have kids, I probably would have told Showmax to go suck a fatty. I hate having to re-download a movie to finish watching it and then FFWD to where I left off. It's idiotic (If there is a way around it, please share :whistle:).
Click to expand...

Same boat here. In fact, your post could be written by me. Killed my DSTV, but needed something suitable for the kids and Netflix limited. Using an AppleTV with both. Easy enough to navigate for the non-tech users in the house.
 
Netflix all the way

Better service, better picture

Yes, the Bigger US catalogue is sad.

But I subscribe to both, and i found myself watching more netflix than showmax. I use my ebucks to pay for showmax, I dont think I would pay actual money for it. The content quality has dropped in the last few months.
 
I have Netflix & found a working DNS service. There is simply no comparison.
 
MisterBigglesworth said:
I hate having to re-download a movie to finish watching it and then FFWD to where I left off. It's idiotic (If there is a way around it, please share :whistle:).
Click to expand...

When I watch Showmax on my Android TV and come back to a show I'm halfway through, it always gives me the option of resuming from where I left off or starting over. What devices are you watching on? Or are you only talking about watching things you have downloaded rather than streaming them?
 
veethree said:
When I watch Showmax on my Android TV and come back to a show I'm halfway through, it always gives me the option of resuming from where I left off or starting over. What devices are you watching on? Or are you only talking about watching things you have downloaded rather than streaming them?
Click to expand...

You're lucky your Android TV even works with Showmax, a lot of users cannot get it working as apparently the device is rooted.
 
It's a Mi Box - they seem pretty bomb proof from my experience and all the reports on this forum.
 
Lupus said:
You're lucky your Android TV even works with Showmax, a lot of users cannot get it working as apparently the device is rooted.
Click to expand...
Exactly! But why is that? Is it done on purpose? Given the bandwidth, one should be able to view showmax from Tanzania (Mtwara). When I called the help line I've been told I should stop pirating and they put the phone down. Showmax loose lots of customers. They don't seem to care much about it though.
 
No idea, I just couldn't get it to work and my device isn't even rooted
 
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