FAQ

What IS CINEFILE?

cinefile is the Swiss streaming service for lovers of international and Swiss arthouse and independent movies. 

The attractive and hand-picked film library of more than 650 titles is constantly supplemented with the best new feature films as well as selected reprises, classics and short films. All films are available for single rental with the Basic registration without any subscription obligation. The 99 most popular films are available in the unique Stream99 monthly or annual subscriptions. All films are available in HD and original version with selectable subtitles, partly also in German or French dubbed versions. In addition, there is bonus material such as reviews, video essays, live interviews and film portraits. Learn more about our products here.

The offer is completed with the clearly arranged Swiss cinema program, from multiplexes to art house cinemas and open airs. All films with synopses, trailers, ratings and short reviews, clearly arranged or filtered according to your preferences, optionally also in your personal watchlist.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BASIC AND STREAM99?

The Basic registration is free and allows you to rent movies without any subscription obligation. You will also receive the weekly newsletter with the latest streaming and movie news. Discover the whole movie library here.
 
The Stream99 flat rate subscription bundles 99 of the most popular movies, with 1-2 new arthouse films and classics added weekly. You also get access to bonus material on the films and see no advertising on cinefile.ch. Stream99 is available as a monthly subscription as well as an attractive annual subscription, which saves you two monthly fees. Additionally, you have 20% discount on all pay per view movies. The weekly newsletter is also included. Learn more about Stream99 here.

WHAT DOES STREAMING ON CINEFILE COST?

The flatrate subscription Stream99 gives you unlimited access to 99 of the most popular movies for CHF 9.90 per month or CHF 99 per year, which is less than one franc per movie. Additionally, Stream99 customers have 20% discount on all pay per view movies. Pay per view movies normally cost CHF 8, older movies 6. Current theatrical films released simultaneously for cinema and streaming cost CHF 16. 

HOW LONG CAN I WATCH A RENTED MOVIE?

All films for single rental are available for 48 hours from the start of the rental. There is no time limit in the Stream99 flat rate subscription.

CAN I CANCEL A STREAM99 SUBSCRIPTION AT ANY TIME?

Yes, you can cancel the Stream99 monthly subscription monthly, the Stream99 annual subscription annually. With the free Basic registration no cancellation is necessary, because it does not include a subscription.

I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE OR CANCEL THE SUBSCRIPTION, WHERE CAN I DO THAT?

Log in to cinefile and then click on your customer account picture on the top right, then on "customer account", then follow "change subscription". On mobile, you can go directly to the customer account by clicking on your customer account picture in the top right corner.

HOW CAN I PAY ON CINEFILE?

On cinefile you can pay with credit card and with gift vouchers. You also have the possibility to load a credit on cinefile, which you can use for movie rentals as well as for the Stream99 subscription.

HOW CAN I GIVE CINEFILE AS A GIFT?

We offer gift vouchers with a value of 25 and 50 francs or Stream99 annual subscription vouchers.  You can order vouchers here.

WHERE CAN I REDEEM MY GIFT VOUCHER?

Log in to your cinefile account and click on your customer account picture on the top right. Now you will see the menu item "Vouchers".

ARE THERE LANGUAGE VERSIONS AND SUBTITLES AND WHERE DO I CHOOSE THEM?

Yes, we offer a comprehensive selection of languages and subtitles.

As soon as the movie starts on your device, you will see a settings icon at the bottom right of your screen: Click on it, choose language and subtitles, click into the movie frame for the menu to disappear.

Chromecast specialty: If you stream the movie from your laptop, tablet or smartphone to your TV using Google Chromecast (see instructions below), first start Chromecast streaming and only then choose the language and subtitles.

CAN YOU STREAM CINEFILE ON TV / BIG SCREEN?

Yes. Use the following setup to bring cinefile content to your TV:

For Apple devices use AirPlay:

• Connect Apple TV with the TV by using an HDMI cable.
• Make sure the box is in the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple device you are using to stream cinefile. Use the Safari browser to do this.
• In your cinefile browser window, click on the AirPlay icon in the bottom right corner. Done!
• Use the Audio and cc icons to select the available language and subtitle versions at any time. To stop the stream, click on the AirPlay icon again.
• Please note: Apple TV devices of the 3rd generation and older can only stream the picture, but no subtitles to the TV, because Apple no longer offers updates of the current operating system TV iOS for these devices.

For Windows and Android devices use Google Chromecast:

• Connect your Chromecast to the TV with an HDMI cable.
• Make sure Chromecast is connected to the same Wi-Fi as your laptop, tablet or smartphone which you use to stream cinefile. Only use the Chrome browser to do this.
• In your cinefile browser window, click on the Chromecast icon in the bottom right corner and select your Chromecast connector. Done!
• Please note: select the language version and subtitles after activating your Chromecast connection. To finish the transfer, click on the Chromecast icon again. The Chromecast connection is currently missing in the Android app. When casting with your Android device, please go directly go to our mobil  website.

IS THERE A CINEFILE APP?

There is a cinefile app for Android via Google Play Store. We are working on a solution for Apple and TV devices.

CAN THE MOVIES BE DOWNLOADED AND WATCHED OFFLINE?

No. The movies cannot be downloaded. You need a permanent Internet connection with sufficient bandwidth.

WHAT BANDWIDTH DO I NEED TO STREAM MOVIES?

To stream movies in HD, you need an Internet access of 10 Mbit/s or more. If your access is slower, our player will automatically jump to a lower resolution to ensure smooth playback of the movie.

WHICH BROWSER DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR STREAMING?

Our streaming runs on all popular browsers. However, experience shows that the Chrome browser runs particularly stable and is less prone to glitches.

WHY DO THE FILMS SOMETIMES interrupt?

The data transfer from our streaming server to your end device runs through numerous nodes and covers a long distance, so it is very difficult to determine where a bottleneck occurs. However, experience shows that data congestion is most likely to occur at the end customer's provider when the local network is heavily loaded during peak times. If a movie hangs permanently, this may have to do with a crash of the streaming player. In this case, we recommend restarting the movie. If you click on "Continue movie", the player will automatically jump to the point where you left the movie. 

CAN I INTERRUPT THE STREAMING?

Yes, you can pause any movie as many times as you like. If you return to the movie later, you can choose to continue streaming seamlessly or restart it. 

CAN CINEFILE BE USED ABROAD?

No. For licensing reasons, cinefile movies can only be streamed in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

CAN I UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE NEWSLETTER?

Yes, you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the "Unsubscribe" function in the footer of the emails at the very bottom.