1. The most frequent general questions
How does Sooner work?
Sooner is a hybrid platform offering both access to an extensive catalogue available by subscription, and films which you can rent and buy.
Click here to go to the”How it works“ page
I have a subscription and I’ve watched a film. I notice I’ve been debited. Why is that?
If you have a Essential / Family / Student subscription: this subscription gives you unlimited access to all the films that do not have a special label on the display image. The other films, which carry a “ticket” label, are only available to rent. Those with the “infinite” label are only available to buy. If you rent/buy a film with one of these stickers, you will be debited.
If you have taken out a Premium subscription, you have unlimited access to the films without a sticker and three access tickets/month enabling you to rent the latest films. Any additional rentals must be paid for, and will trigger a debit.
What do the stickers on certain films mean?
The “ticket” sticker on the display image of a film means that the film is available to rent. You will have unlimited access for 72 hours.
The “infinite” sticker on the display image means that the film is available to buy. It will be available indefinitely (subject to the exploitation rights granted by our rights-holding partners).
How do I use Chromecast with Sooner?
There are several ways to cast Sooner on your TV.
To broadcast from an Android smartphone, just click on the Chromecast logo in the bottom right corner of your screen (make sure that your smartphone and your TV are connected to the same wifi network).
To use Chromecast from a computer, simply go to the Chrome menu and select “Cast”.
It is not possible at this time to use Chromecast from iOS smartphones and tablets.
We have noticed a compatibility problem with Chromecast which seems to be linked to the fact that Apple is trying to promote Airplay, its own broadcasting system, which means owning a compatible Apple TV.
Our dedicated applications for SmartTVs are under development. We will keep you informed as soon as possible of their launching.
I have found no solution to my problem. What should I do?
Contact us from the help space accessible from the Home Page.
We can also be reached at support@sooner.lu. Our team with be able to answer your questions within 72 hours.
Go to https://sooner.be/actualites-contacts/ to find out how to contact Sooner’s different departments.
2. Managing my account
Where can I find my film history?
To find your film history and your watch list, click on the first logo at the top right of the screen.
I’ve forgotten my password, how can I reset it?
If you are not logged in, enter your email address in the login box and click on “forgotten password”. Enter the 6-digit recovery code that we have sent to your email inbox. Check your spam if necessary!
If you are still logged in, log out and proceed in the same way.
I want to cancel my subscription, what should I do?
You can cancel at any time with a single click from your profile. Click on “Subscription & Purchases”, and below your formula, click on “Cancel my formula”. We recommend that you cancel the subscription at least 24 hours before the renewal date so that your cancellation can be taken into account.
If your subscription was taken out from the Android/iOS application, you can cancel it from your GooglePlay/iTunes account.
For more flexibility, we suggest that you go directly through the website to purchase and manage your subscriptions.
The subscription will then stop at the end of your free trial period, or at the end of the current invoicing period. Your account will be deactivated and your data will be anonymised. Your account may be reactivated in the future, in which case you will find all your past data.
I have a Premium subscription. If I cancel it, will I still have access to the films I have rented?
Yes, you will still have access to the films rented during the 72-hour period, even if you cancel your subscription in the meantime. Just keep your ID to log into your user account.
I want to change my subscription, what should I do?
To change your subscription, nothing could be simpler. Just go to your profile under “Subscription & Rentals” and amend the formula selected. The change will be effective from the end of the current period.
I have a SOONER account on Auvio Premium, but my ID details are not recognised on Sooner.be. Why?
A part of the SOONER catalogue is available via the Auvio platform for only €7.99/month. This offer is managed by RTBF and not by SOONER. Your Auvio Premium account is therefore not valid on Sooner.be. Therefore, if you hold an account on SOONER, it will not be valid on Auvio Premium either.
3. My banking data and transactions
What payment methods are accepted?
You can subscribe to SOONER using a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card, or by SEPA direct debit via the Stripe payment platform. It’s also possible to subscribe via PayPal. Sooner also offers the option to subscribe using Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Are transactions secure?
All the transactions on the Sooner.be site are fully secured by our partner Stripe.
When will the amount of my subscription be debited?
Your subscription is debited from your account on the first day after your trial period, and subsequently each month on the anniversary date.
I would like to change my payment method, what should I do?
To change your payment method, contact us using the support space on the SOONER platform.
Where can I find my invoices?
Your invoices can be found and downloaded from your “Subscription & Rentals” space on Sooner.be.
4. What is SOONER?
What is Sooner?
SOONER is a VOD platform offering a catalogue of more than 7,000 films. Cinema films that have won awards at the biggest festivals of the world, films from independent makers, little gems to discover and masterpieces that reward watching time and time again.
The more than 7,000 films in the catalogue are divided into two categories:
- The catalogue of films without labels accessible with a subscription (see the four subscriptions on offer).
- The catalogue of films with “Ticket” and “Infinite” labels on the display, a collection of various generally more recent films that are only available to rent or to buy individually. Three access tickets per month for these films are included in the Premium package_._
For more information, go to our “How it works“ page
Can I try out SOONER free of charge?
Of course! You can try three subscription formulas free of charge for 14 days: the Essential, Student and Family offers. If you are satisfied, your subscription will start automatically and you can continue to benefit from the service without interruption. You will then be debited on the first day following the end of your trial, and every month thereafter. If you do not want to continue your subscription, you can stop it at any time. It will then end after your 14 days’ free trial. Note that the Sooner Premium offer has no trial period.
Can I explore the catalogue without creating a user account?
The catalogue is accessible to everyone. However, you will need to create a user account to watch a film.
How do I register? How do I log in?
Register on Sooner
1. Go on the “Register” page by clicking on “Sign in” from the homepage.
2. Select the method you wish to use to register - via email or via other connection methods such as Amazon, Apple, Google or Facebook. If you chose the later, click on the corresponding logo to register.
3. If you are registering using an email address, type in your email and a password and click on “Go”.
4. Then, click on “Create a new account”.
You will NOT receive a confirmation via email, the confirmation will only appear on the Sooner subscription page.
5. Wait a minute, you will be logged in automatically.
6. Your account has been created. Then, click on “Next” to continue.
7. Select a subscription plan. If you do not wish to start a subscription but only rent or buy films individually, you can ignore this step by clicking on the Sooner logo at the top of the page.
8. Enter your method of payment to confirm your subscription, then click on “Pay”.
If you chose one of the following monthly subscription - Essential, Family or Student - your 14-day free trial starts now!
Log in / Log out
1. Go to the log in page, accessible by simply clicking on LOGIN from the homepage.
Please always use the same method to log in as the one you used to register. Otherwise, you will create a new account with no subscription.
2. You will know you are successfully logged in when you can see the 3 logos in the top right corner of the page. You will stay logged in as long as the Sooner page stays open.
3. To log out, go to your profile (“head” logo in the top right corner) and click on “Log out”.
How do I watch a film on Sooner?
The platform gives you a range of options for watching a film: by subscription, or by renting or buying a film outside the subscription.
· If you have a SOONER subscription:
SOONER offers four monthly or annual packages. Find the one that suits you best:
o Student subscription at €6.99 /month: this package, only for students, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without special labels on the display images).
o Essential subscription at €7.99 /month: this package, open to everyone, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without special labels on the display images).
o Family subscription at €9.99 /month: this package, open to everyone, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without special labels on the display images) on up to four screens.
o Premium subscription at €14.99 /month: this package, open to everyone, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without special labels on the display images) plus three access tickets to watch new items (films with “ticket” or “infinite” on the display image).
· If you want to rent individual films:
It is also possible to watch a film without using one of our subscriptions. Just click on “rent this film” and enter your bank details. You will have unlimited access to the film for 72 hours.
· If you want to buy a film online:
If you want to access this film for more than 72 hours or without having to connect to the platform, you can also purchase it by clicking on “buy this film”.
For more information, go to our “How it works“ page
I’m not sure which formula corresponds best to my needs. Is it easy to change it later on?
You are free to change your subscription at any time from your profile, under the heading heading “Subscriptions & Purchases”! Any change of subscription will take effect from your next monthly payment.
5. My 14-day trial period
When does my 14-day trial period start?
Your free trial period starts when you create your SOONER account, when you have chosen your formula and entered your bank details.
How do I subscribe at the end of the trial period?
Your user account is already created. Payment for the subscription of your choice will be automatic unless you cancel before the end of the trial period.
I do not want to continue my SOONER subscription at the end of my trial period. What should I do?
Just unsubscribe before the end of the trial period. To unsubscribe, click on “Subscriptions & Purchases” in the profile menu and then on “Cancel my formula” just below the formula that you had previously activated.
Can I access all the films in the SOONER catalogue during my trial period?
During your trial period, you have unlimited access to all the films that are not marked “Ticket” or “Infinite” on the display image:
Films displaying a ticket are only available to rent.
Those with the ‘Infinite’ label are only available for outright purchase.
Can I access all the films available to buy or rent from SOONER during my trial subscription period?
No, the films available to buy or rent are not available during the trial period.
6. The catalogue
My subscription is active but it doesn’t allow me to rent this film. Why?
If you have a Student, Essential or Family subscription, this gives you to access to all the films that do not have a “ticket” or “infinity” label. These are only available to rent or buy.
There are two ways to watch the films that are inaccessible with the subscriptions listed above:
- In addition to the general catalogue, the Premium formula includes 3 access tickets/month enabling the user to watch three films that are only available to rent.
- It is also possible to rent or buy a film individually, without using one of our subscriptions.
What films are offered by Sooner?
Sooner offers a wide range of films, from the great classics to contemporary gems. Feature films, shorts, documentaries that have won awards at the world’s biggest film festivals. Sooner presents high-quality films for confirmed film buffs and for those looking for new cinema experiences alike.
Each week, new titles are added so you always have more choice.
How can I explore the catalogue?
There are several ways to choose from our thousands of programmes. You can be guided by the recommendations on the home page, where you will find films presented by collection - by theme, director, actors, country, festival, etc. Our selections are all put together lovingly by our team of film buffs. You can also sort by combining filters and keywords, such as the year, film maker, actor, theme, title, country, etc.
We urge you to sign up to our newsletter so you always hear about the latest releases on Sooner.
How can I find a particular film?
If you have a particular film in mind, you can use the search bar to find it. You can also use our filters and keywords to find your film.
You can also carry out a search by filmmaker by entering the name directly into the search bar, which will give you the whole filmography of the filmmaker in question that is available on SOONER.
How are the films on Sooner chosen?
Our Acquisitions team works all year round to unearth the best films, taking an active part in the largest film markets in the cinema world: Cannes, Berlin, Clermont-Ferrand, Paris, and more.
We have been working for more than 10 years with 250 rights-holding partners, including most Belgian distributors.
7. General technical questions
What devices can I use for Sooner?
You can watch Sooner on all your devices (smartphones, tablets and computers) at https://sooner.lu
· The iOS mobile application is already available on your iPhones et iPads and work with Airplay to cast films on your TV. The Android mobile application is still in development.
· It is already possible to watch your films on your TV via Chromecast or Airplay.
· We do not yet have an application available for smart TVs. You should also note that smart TV browsers can’t support SOONER, we are working on it for 2021.
Is my device compatible with the Sooner platform?
To watch our films on the internet, make sure you have the most recent browser and operating system versions, and a good internet connection:
· the latest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge, Safari or Opera
· internet connection of at least 500 Kbit/s
Can I stop watching a film and go back later to the same point?
Yes, you can stop a film and go back later to the same point on the same screen.
The films you are watching can be found under “Continue watching”.
Is it possible for several people to use my account on several screens at once?
If you have a Student or Essential subscription you can only watch your films on one screen at a time.
If you have a Family or Premium subscription you can watch the films on a maximum of four screens at the same time.
Depending on your subscription formula, if the screen limit is exceeded you will receive an error message, and you will have to stop watching on one other device to launch your film.
Can I share my account with other people?
To keep your personal information secure, you may not share your account with anyone outside your household. Your ID is strictly personal.
Can I use Sooner when I’m abroad?
Under the Regulation on the cross-border portability of online content services in the internal market, Sooner and its contents will be available throughout the European Union on condition that the user account was created in Belgium. So you can watch our films while you are travelling or on holiday!
I’ve noticed an issue in the language or subtitling of a film. Who should I contact?
If you encounter a technical problem during your film, please contact our support team directly from the support space on Sooner.lu.
How to use Chromecast with the iOS app?
Chromecast is unfortunately not supported by the iOS application at this time.
We have noticed a compatibility problem with Chromecast which seems to be linked to the fact that Apple is trying to promote Airplay, its own broadcasting system, which implies to have a compatible Apple TV.
For the moment our solutions are:
- use ChromeCast to cast from your computer to your TV.
- connect a computer/tablet to your TV via an HDMI cable.
- cast from the Chrome browser of an Android smartphone.
Our dedicated applications for SmartTVs are under development. We will keep you informed as soon as possible of their launching.
I’ve encountered a reading problem. What should I do?
If you encounter a technical problem during navigation, you should follow these instructions:
- restart your device
- limit the number of open tabs on your device
- first empty your cache and relaunch the Sooner page. If this doesn’t work:
- open another search engine (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari) and relaunch the Sooner page. If that doesn’t work:
- connect in incognito mode.
If none of these five methods works, please contact our support team by clicking on the help button at the top right of the screen.
Our team will get back to you within the next 72 hours.
You can also contact us directly at support@sooner.lu
Can I watch my films off-line?
This function is not yet available, but will be very soon !
8. Subscription questions
I can’t see my subscription in my account
If you can no longer see your subscription in your account from the “Subscription & Rentals” page, you might have accidentally created a new account.
Connect using the log-in method you used to identify yourself when you took out your subscription. Make sure you always use the same log-in method to connect to your Sooner account.
If you still cannot find your subscription, please contact Sooner support. We’re here to help.
What are the different subscriptions?
There are four formulas giving you access to our general catalogue:
- Student subscription at €6.99 /month: this offer, only for students, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without “ticket” or “infinite” labels on the display images).
- Essential subscription at €7.99 /month: this package, open to everyone, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without “ticket” or “infinite” labels on the display images).
- Family subscription at €9.99 /month: this package, open to everyone, gives you unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without “ticket” or “infinite” labels on the display images).
- Premium subscription at €14.99 /month: open to everyone, gives unlimited access to all the titles in our general catalogue (films without special labels on the display images) plus three access tickets enabling you to rent new VOD items (films which are not in our general catalogue and which are marked with a ticket on the display image).
Why are some films not available with the subscription?
It may be that the film you want to watch is not available because of your subscription. This means that we do not have unlimited licensing rights for this film.
Additionally, we follow the media chronology applied by all players in the VOD sector, which states that a film can only be made accessible via subscription two years after it has been released in cinemas. That’s why you will find no films less than two years old available with your subscription.
9. Rental questions
Do I have to create an account to rent a film?
You will need to create a user account to rent a film on Sooner. This ID is used to log in in order to have unlimited access to your film for 72 hours, and to rent others.
I have rented a film. How long is it available?
Your film is available for 72 hours, during which time you can watch it as often as you like.
Why are the films to rent not all the same price?
The prices are determined depending on whether they are feature films or shorts. The price also depends or whether or not the film is recent. A film recently released in cinemas will be more expensive to rent that an older film.
Why are some films no longer available to rent?
Like all players in the VOD sector, we follow the media chronology. This is a general organisation which ensures respect for a certain order with respect to the exploitation of a film:
- we can exploit a film by renting it 4 months after cinema release
- 8 months after cinema release, the film must be withdrawn for 16 months, in order to protect the exclusive rights of paying chains. The film will be returned online after this period.
Must I have a Premium subscription to rent a film?
Not necessarily. It is also possible to rent a film individually, without using a Premium subscription.
The Premium formula gives access to the subscription catalogue plus three access tickets every months so you can rent new films.
I chose the wrong film. I haven’t watched it (or much of it), can I cancel?
Once you have validated your choice of film, it will be not possible to cancel it and will remain available for 72 hours.
10. Purchase questions
How long is a film available after you have purchased it?
Purchased films are available indefinitely, subject to the exploitation rights granted by our rights-holding partners. We undertake to make a purchased film available for at least five years. If this duration cannot be respected, compensation will be provided.
Is it possible to watch this film on a device other than the one on which I bought it?
Absolutely. You can find your purchased films on all your devices, in your lists available online at sooner.be.
Do I receive a DVD when I buy a film on Sooner?
No, after you purchase a film on our platform, it will be in your list of films, accessible from the Sooner platform.