The operators of the Video on Demand platform relied fully on an uncomplicated subscription model: for a flat rate of € 8.99 per month, users could access as much content as they liked. Meanwhile however the end of the offer is sealed and Watchever places the service to the
Watchever will be switched off on 31 December 2016
While new customers are no longer accepted, existing customers still have full access to their subscription until the end of the year. In the following, we describe the services included in Watchever until 31.12.2016.
Watchever placed a strong focus on series, but also films, documentaries and children’s programmes were not neglected. The subscription had no minimum term and could be cancelled at any time at the end of the current contract month. All interested parties were able to test the Video on Demand service free of charge for 30 days.
Watchever: Video on Demand for lovers and explorers
For 8.99 €/month, Watchever offered users the full catalogue of series and films to choose from right from the start – there was no “locked away” content at Watchever, which, for example, first had to be unlocked via premium packages.
Watchever was available on a wide variety of devices, ranging from PCs and smart TVs to tablets and game consoles. Further down on this page, we’ll take a closer look at how Watchever could be used on the TV.
Extensive program including original sound
Watchever enthusiasts of sophisticated series had the greatest pleasure because they found a multitude of highlights, from US street sweepers to hits and insider tips from the British BBC programme. The extensive film fund was also convincing, although the selection of current blockbusters at Watchever was somewhat thinner than other services. This was an effect of Watchever’s “One price for all” model, but on the other hand there were no payment barriers.
A further plus was the possibility of being able to call up most of the content offered not only with the German audio track, but also in the original language if desired. In the Watchever program there were even some pearls that had not been translated before.
Watchever functions: Browse, discover, share, recommend
In general, there was a lot to discover on Watchever, for which the portal provided a comprehensive search function that allowed users to browse the content by genre, title, actor and director – trailers were available for most of the films on offer. Anyone who came across something they were interested in could add the title to their personal “watch list” with a simple click and thus reserve it for later viewing.
Series at Watchever
In addition, bott Watchever a rating system. On the basis of its own film ratings, the portal also created personalized film tips with watchever content to suit the user’s taste. Those who linked their Watchever account to their Facebook account could also share their own ratings on their chronicle and compile a recommendation list for friends and acquaintances.
Watchever on the go: Offline mode for smartphones & tablets
Watchever was available as an app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Watchever offered a special offline mode so that the use of Watchever outside the home WLAN did not drive the data volume to undreamt-of heights. In addition, up to 25 titles could be downloaded to the device – including a maximum of 5 films – which could then also be played without an active Internet connection. The Watchever content could also be taken on trips abroad, as the normal streaming offer could only be accessed within Germany for licensing reasons.
In order to enjoy Watchever in optimal picture quality, the provider recommended an Internet connection with at least 2 Mbit/s. The Internet connection should be at least 2 Mbit/sec. This applied at least to content in standard resolution, but for the smooth and reload-free retrieval of HD videos the Internet connection should be at least 6 Mbps. If the access speed fluctuated once during streaming, Watchever automatically adjusted the picture quality
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Watchever system requirements
For the technical implementation of the video transmission on PCs and laptops, Watchever relied on the Silverlight browser extension provided by Microsoft. Watchever could thus be used on Windows machines as well as on Macs. Linux, on the other hand, was not supported.
The own Watchever account could be activated on up to five devices, whereby the list of registered devices could be revised at any time. Up to three different videos could be viewed simultaneously via one account.
That’s how Watchever got on the TV.
In order to get the Watchever videos on the big screen, it was of course possible to connect your own PC or laptop to the TV via VGA or HDMI cable, for example. But it was also much more elegant:
Watchever App for Smart TVs
Many modern flat-screen televisions can be connected directly to the Internet. For a growing number of these TVs, Watchever offered an app to bring the service directly to the TV. Recently, for example, devices from the manufacturers Samsung, LG, Phillips and Panasonic were supported.
Watchever for Playstation and Xbox
Watchever was also at home on the Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The user interface was adapted to the respective controller, the Watchever app for the Xbox also supported gesture and voice control via Xbox Kinect. In order to use Watchever on the Xbox, a paid Xbox LIVE Gold account was required in addition to the actual Watchever subscription.
Watchever on the Apple TV
Until recently, there was no way to transfer Watchever content from the iPhone or iPad directly to the TV, be it via HMDI cable or the wireless AirPlay function. However, there was also a Watchever App for the Apple TV, with which the video on demand portal could be called up and conveniently controlled via the Apple TV remote control or remote touch function via the iPhone or iPad.