shomi Beta Launched!

Confession time! I am a TV junkie… though that’s becoming quite the misnomer, as I’m more liable to watch “TV” on my computer, tablet or even my smartphone these days, instead of an actual TV screen (though I won’t ever give up my baby in our entertainment room!) And is the “junkie” bit such a big surprise? It sometimes feels like I can’t get enough of story-based entertainment, particularly the action/adventured themed variety, which is why I’m all uber-excited over the Rogers/Shaw joint teamwork that brought us a new way to watch TV and Movies. It’s called shomi (Show Me,) and its become one of my favourite apps ever.

Just last week, shomi invited TheHubs and I for a sleepover at the Hazeleton Hotel down in Yorkville, Toronto, so that we could binge on the current shows available on their soon-to-be launched beta app. We had such a great time exploring what shomi has to give so far. shomi is a Canadian-made app for past TV/Movie viewing. It doesn’t (yet) have shows/movies that are currently airing, but if you haven’t seen a certain show (or missed last season’s) shomi is a great way to catch up! It’s currently in beta and only available for Rogers or Shaw customers for now, though they are working diligently for this app to be made available to everyone soon.

A quick note: “Beta” isn’t just a catchy keyword; in developer-speak it means that the program isn’t quite ready for the team to say “It’s finished!” (Okay, developers *never* say those two words, ever. Facebook developers are still hard at work, and that site has existed for over a decade.) So shomi, in beta, indicates the program is at a point where potential users are needed for the developer team to learn what works, and what doesn’t. So for an app that is still learning and being developed, shomi is at a fabulous start!

We wound up watching the Fantastic Four movie (so goofy!,) and checking out exclusive TV content like Sons of Anarchy (a show that’s not available on similar Canadian Movie/TV apps.)

Here are some great aspects available or coming soon to shomi:

• Up to six profiles – with parental controls to ensure your kids only have access to the content you’re comfortable with them watching.
• Data vs WiFi connection notice; shomi will warn you if you’re on your data plan, so that you don’t waste the precious bytes while a WiFi connection is available.
• Guest currated themes, for a great collection of movies that you don’t have to go searching for. Find a theme you love, and enjoy the movies/TV shows collected! The collections will be continually updated for fresh content to enjoy.
• Trailers to sample movies before you watch! With similar apps (okay, I’m looking at you Netflix!) you can’t check to see if a movie your not familiar with will actually be something you’re interested in. With these trailers, you’ll get some idea before committing.
• shomi has exclusive access to channels like FX.
• Currently available online, Rogers/Shaw set-top boxes, Android/iOS tablets and smartphones. Soon to join chromecast, smart TVs, and game consoles.
• $8.99/month with a 30 day free trial – cancel anytime.
• If you’re a Rogers or Shaw cable/internet subscriber, you have access to shomi’s beta, and with a 1 month free trial, what’s better than free TV/Movies?

shomi on my LG G2 Smartphone

Easy set up on my phone. Perhaps too easy… I’m not sure if shomi takes paypal as a payment option (though I hope it will soon if not yet!) When I had created my shomi account through myRogers (as a Rogers customer, I’m not sure what the process is for Shaw customers,) it didn’t ask for any billing information. I can only imagine that it would charge the credit card attached to my Rogers account after the 30 days. I’m not sure though, as payment never came up. *shrugs*

I’ve already bookmarked the shows/movies that I haven’t seen yet, but am curious to see. Some of this is content I never knew existed in my cable-less world. I’m not sure if I’ll get a chance to watch all of this before my 30 day trial is up (as if that really was a concern, lol.)

Defiance sounds right up my alley. I’ve been lamenting for some years now that there aren’t any iconic space-based shows out there anymore. It died with Battlestar Galactica and Stargate.

This is how Defiance looks like on my LG G2 smartphone. Great controls for easy watching.

shomi had a party the night before their app launched, and I had to share this pic! My phone truly disliked me that night, as only one out of roughly 15 pictures actually looked good. The rest are horrifically pixelated/blurry… not sure what was up with that. This is quite a funky pic of Orlando Jones (of Sleepy Hollow fame, among some fantastic movies! Evolution anyone?)
//instagram.com/p/u9XCXcquxq

If you love watching TV/Movies, and are a Roger or Shaw customer, I truly recommend trying out shomi. It’s bound to have something you’ve yet to see.