Review of ShowMax

The good folks at ShowMax asked me to try out their new video on demand (VOD) service which launched recently in South Africa.

So just what is VOD? Well it’s certainly not like the good old days when it took you around 1 hour to rewind a video.  I remember those days with so much love.

Now you can have well over 10 000 hours in your pocket so to speak.

ShowMax is similar to products like NetFlix and DStv BoxOffice.

The ability to watch what you want when you want.

It’s available on various devices with an internet connection.  These include mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops and even Samsung and LG smart TV’s.

At the moment you can get some big TV shows like Game of Thrones, Entourage, The Wire and many more.  They also have a huge movie catalogue and even local African content.

John Kotsaftis, General Manager of ShowMax South Africa said: ‘We’re unashamedly ambitious in what we’re aiming to achieve with ShowMax.’

So how does it work?

I tested it out on an iPad using their App. 

The App is pretty simple to use and you can select an option from Movies, Series or a Watchlist.  If you get stuck there is a handy Help section.

You can also go directly to movies or series and select from various categories such as action, horror, comedy etc.

So will it take off in South Africa?

I tested it out using a Wi-Fi connection.  Certainly at present the speeds in South Africa are not the best but as more and more areas get rolled out with high-speed internet these types of services are going to take off.

I’m sure that South African Filmmakers will be checking out ShowMax as this service offers filmmakers a new option for distribution deals.

It also offers a different option for people who can’t afford satellite television options.

ShowMax is offering this service at R99 a month which is not bad.  That’s about the price of one good DVD.  You can have the service on 5 different devices. You can also watch two different streams on different devices simultaneously.

However don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself, ShowMax is offering everyone a 7 day free trial so you can check out the service for yourself.

You can find out more on www.showmax.com

Find them on Twitter @showmaxonline

#showmax

Have you tried ShowMax? Let us know what you think of the service on Twitter using @UmhlangaLife and the hashtag #showmax

(Image courtesy ShowMax)

Review by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Review of The Mercury Wine Week

The Mercury Wine Week

What an eventful and beautiful evening spent at the Mercury Wine Week 2015. As a newbie to the wine world, there was much learning and tasting to be done.

On the tip of learning one had never realized just how big the wine industry is in South Africa with a really large following too. I had the pleasure of first tasting the Checkers South Africa Rosé selection, with the help of their team I first got to understand the difference between rosé, dry wine and sweet wine. For which I didn’t think at first there would be a difference, but soon it became clear that it rested with your pallet much like cheese flavours. That was provided by Lancewood which made it all the more enjoyable.

Pacing myself through the Suncoast Durban venue filled to capacity you could feel the ambience of leisure and the goodness that grapes can make the heart feel. People negotiated business deals, chatted about parenting and most importantly their favourites from the wide selections of wines to taste. I was particularly drawn to the Spier Wine Chenin Rosé collection, made with a collection of sub-tropical fruits you could smell the mango and pineapple in the glass, as it hit your lips it was elegant to your taste buds.  Another wine that was really enjoyable for me was the Big Easy Rosé collection from South Africa’s second most loved golfer Ernie Els, which goes really well with your pasta and fish dishes. A plus with all these ranges is that since they are light to the taste you could get away with having a glass over lunch, during a working day.

The general advice I heard from the winemakers gathered at the Wine Week, was that if you are a first time wine taster or would like to develop a love for wine.  Start with tasting sweet wine it offers a sweet tasted instead of the general bitter taste. You are then able to graduate to the Rosé section of the beverages menu and ultimately develop your pallet for red or white wine. Here’s a toast to another successful Mercury Wine Week. 

Review by Amanda O Mathe

Twitter @Onapower

Your Weekend Event Guide

Saturday

Sunday

Coming Soon

Durban Fashion Fair August 26 - 29 Suncoast 

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Review of the Segway Gliding Tours Durban

This week I was invited to try out the Segway Gliding Tour in Durban.  For those that have never done it, it is a wonderful experience and something to put on your bucket list for people of Durban and for Tourists from South Africa and Worldwide.

Once you put your helmet on, you head off to the Segway Training at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and you are given some tips on how to ride and do a few practice rides with the expert guides who are with you all the way along the ride.  Once you get the basics it is pretty easy to glide around.  Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward and turn by using a ‘Lean Steer’ which is explained to you by the guides.  It’s all in the hips and knees, that’s all I’m saying. The Segway can go up to 23km/h but it will slow down automatically to notify you that you are going fast.

When you have the basics down you are taken on a wonderful guided tour of the Moses Mabhida Stadium.  Lovers of architecture and design will love this. 

Next you are taken along the beachfront and you really get to appreciate the beauty of the Golden Mile from high up.  You seem to whizz past everyone else. 

You even experience a pier on a Segway and that is something else. 

After that you take a long winding route back along the beachfront and past the sights which include coffee shops and of course Suncoast. 

The last stretch is wonderful and you might even get to push to up to 20km/h and enjoy the breeze as you go. 

There’s something called the Segway Smile, you will discover it along the way, you find yourself having so much fun you just have to Smile.

Before you know it you are back at the Stadium where the ride began and sadly you have to get off until the next time.

Interesting Segway Facts

The battery will last you for 40kms.  That’s about 2 hours at max. speed. 

They change the tyres around 3 or 4 times a year. 

Final Verdict: Highly Recommended

Contact Details for Segway Gliding Tours

Address: Shop 16A Moses Mabhida Stadium, 44 Isaiah Ntshangase Avenue, Durban, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 31 303 4534 or +27 (0) 83 226 9334

Email: mms@segwayglidingtours.com

Web: www.segwayglidingtours.com

Open 7 days a week.

Review and Pictures by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Your Weekend Event Guide Durban

Plenty of events coming up this weekend in and around Durban

Coming Soon 

13 September 2015 - From Durban View Park, Marine Drive, Umhlanga from 8:30am

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

11 mind-blowing music acts to rock BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio

A wonderful lineup will set the stage on fire at People's Park on 6 September 2015

Here is what awaits you:

Durban's Veranda Panda

Khuli Chana

MonArk

Mafikizolo

MiCasa

Thandiswa Mazwai

AKA

You can also look out for Prime Circle, Matthew Mole and Beatenberg.

They will be joined by the winner of East Coast Radio's #BeTheBand competition. The finals are being held at Palm Court, Gateway 8 August 2015.

Tickets to BP Durban Day with East Coast Radio: Computicket

6 September 2015

Gates open 11:30am

More details on www.ecr.co.za

#BPdurbanday 

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Countdown to Loeries Creative Week Durban 2015

It's almost time for the Loeries in Durban and they have negotiated some huge specials just for you if you are coming down to take part in all of the events.

Just some of what you can expect:

• Creative Week
• Judging Week Mon 10 - Thu 13 August
• DStv Seminar of Creativity - Fri 14 August
• Awards Ceremony - Sat 15 and Sunday 16 August

The Loeries has partnered with some local hotels just for you.

The best place to stay is the Elangeni starting from only R450 per person sharing including breakfast.

Other hotel options include Suncoast and Garden Court.

You can also get up to 18% savings on your SAA Flight and 20% off Hertz car rental

For more info on all the specials visit loeries.com

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton