Showmax 2.0 pain for Android TV users

Many people who use the new Showmax through its Android TV app have continued to report bugs and issues with the MultiChoice and NBCUniversal service since its launch nearly two months ago.

The original version of Showmax was shut down shortly after the Peacock-based Showmax 2.0 app launched in early February 2024.

Users reported many early problems, including device compatibility changes, and complained about a limited catalogue during the migration.

However, MultiChoice South Africa CEO Marc Jury said that for a complex migration at a massive scale it had run incredibly well, with close to 100% of users successfully moved to the new platform, well above industry standards.

The broadcaster nonetheless acknowledged that some customers had experienced challenges using the platform and encouraged them to contact its customer care teams through its online Help Centre.

A perusal of the app’s reviews on the Google Play Store in early April 2024 shows that many users have remained particularly frustrated with the Android TV iteration of the app.

While Showmax 2.0 has an average rating of 4.2/5 for its Android mobile version, the ratings from Android TV users are dismal, with an average score of 1.6/5 from 2,250 reviews at the time of publication.

MyBroadband found over 50 1-star ratings for the Android TV app just since the start of March 2024, with a sole 4-star rating and 2-star review being the only odd ones out.

Among the common frustrations expressed by users included:

• Random freezes and exits while the app is in use.
• A lack of subtitles in entire shows or certain episodes.
• Jumping to different points in a title’s timeline requiring manual fast-forwarding with no skip-forward or skip-backward options.
• Freezing upon startup requiring that the app be force-stopped or TV restarted to become functional again.
• The skip intro button randomly disappearing on some titles.
• Episode skipping button only appearing at the end of credits in some titles.
• Limits on the number of titles that can be saved to personal lists.

There appeared to be far fewer complaints about how the Apple TV, Hisense VIDAA U, and Samsung Tizen versions of the app were performing, aside from older Hisense and Samsung smart TVs no longer being supported.

Showmax recommends updating apps

MyBroadband asked Showmax whether it was aware of the issues plaguing its Android TV app.

The streaming service said it was constantly monitoring all platforms and addressing any issues as quickly as possible.

“Android TV is a more open system used by a wide variety of manufacturers across Africa,” Showmax said.

It is recommended that customers download the latest TV firmware and the latest version of the Showmax app for the best possible experience.

We also asked why many titles did not have subtitles available two months after the service launched.

Showmax said it strived to provide subtitles for as many titles as possible and was always working to add more.

“The availability of subtitles is influenced by several factors, including user demand, the volume of new content on the platform at any one time, different language requirements and the complexities of working across sub-Saharan Africa with its very diverse markets and languages,” Showmax said.

This did not explain why highly popular TV shows like The Office and The Rookie did not have the most common subtitle language — English — supported on our Android TV.

Showmax also provided some general feedback on the new app’s performance to date.

“Customers are actively engaged with the new app and watching across a wide range of devices,” the service said.

“The strong content slate is also driving record viewership, with documentaries like Tracking Thabo Bester breaking viewership records.”