Disney this week launched a brand-new app for its streaming service, Disney+, in South Africa. The new app, which must be downloaded and signed in to separately from the original app, promises several improvements. The House of Mouse also introduced a new ‘Basic’ tier for R50/m, which replaces the ‘Mobile’ plan from before.
The company announced the app in July, though it didn’t detail the sort of improvements we could expect. Users who haven’t downloaded the new app have until 12 October to do so, after which the old app will no longer be available. The sooner, the better. The Stuff Team reports that certain content has gone missing from the old app.
Don’t wait to switch
Subscribers don’t need to worry about much. They’ll continue to be billed as usual during the changeover, though users formerly on the Mobile plan will be transitioned automatically to the new Basic plan. “Customers will be able to sign up to the Basic plan through MTN, with details on the availability to be shared in due course.”
The big talking point for Disney+ is a more intuitive streaming experience. Specifically, a new “dynamic homepage, simplified navigation, and recommendations inspired by what customers enjoy watching and what’s popular in their country,” Disney said. The app also supports something called ‘Junior Mode’, which expands the range of parental controls. 25 audio languages and subtitles are now supported, as is watching content abroad.
Read More: Disney+ is reportedly eyeing a free, ad-supported tier
The Basic plan has retained its R50/m price, but adds a decent bit of value to the proposition. Where before customers could only access Disney+ on their mobile device, the Basic plan can be used on TVs, laptops, and smartphones. It caps content resolution at 720p and only offers one concurrent stream, however. Offline downloads are no longer available, either. Instead, that feature is being used to prop up the R180 Premium plan.
Users watching from an LG-branded TV may have some trouble downloading the new app. This week, two Stuff members had trouble updating and installing apps — not just Disney+ — with no real fix in sight. After struggling to update the YouTube app, we gave up before trying again roughly forty minutes later, and the issue was fixed. We had no such luck with the new Disney+ app, however.
If you’ve experienced similar problems with your LG TV lately, or the Disney+ app, let us know by commenting below or emailing stuff@stuff.co.za.
