Digital TV struggles in SA

Hanno Labuschagne

Hanno Labuschagne

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Digital TV struggles in SA

Communications minister Solly Malatsi has assured that he will make a decision about the switch-off of old analogue TV signals long before the current 31 December 2024 deadline.

"One thing I will not do is to leave the pronouncement on that decision very late and very close to that deadline because it just creates unhealthy and unnecessary anxiety in the sector," Malatsi said in a recent interview with MyBroadband.
 
The unspoken reality is that it will result in thousands of existing TV Licence payers to stop paying as one can now control access to the digital broadcast, limiting it to only those with valid, paid-up, TV Licences.

My money is on the SABC not going this route, choosing to keep it free-to-air and keeping the existing TV Licencing model.
 
Reality is they need a **** load of decoder boxes, and a way to distribute them, and a media campaign that targets the affected population groups.

But good luck with anyone in this country getting it done right.
 
LCBXX said:
The unspoken reality is that it will result in thousands of existing TV Licence payers to stop paying as one can now control access to the digital broadcast, limiting it to only those with valid, paid-up, TV Licences.

My money is on the SABC not going this route, choosing to keep it free-to-air and keeping the existing TV Licencing model.
Click to expand...
TV license payment is already low, they have little to lose in reality
 
elf_lord_ZC5 said:
Reality is they need a **** load of decoder boxes, and a way to distribute them, and a media campaign that targets the affected population groups.

But good luck with anyone in this country getting it done right.
Click to expand...
Or they can ban the sales of new TVs that don't support the Digital TV standard, will be massive headache for suppliers and retailers though.
 
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How it started - 21 July 2009

Communications Minister to address the official launch of the Digital Dzonga Council​

Communication Minister General (Ret) Siphiwe Nyanda will address the official launch of the Digital Dzonga and introduce the Digital Dzonga Council to the public. The Department of Communications and the Digital Dzonga Council will also give an update on South Africa's Digital Broadcasting Migration programme.

The Digital Dzonga Council is an advisory body appointed by government in 2008 to oversee South Africa's migration to digital terrestrial broadcasting. The launch will be preceded by a media information session.

All media are invited.

Details of the event are as follows:
Date: 21 July 2009
Time: 11h00 (Media information session) 12h00 to 14h00 (official launch)
Venue: The Roundhouse, Constitution Hill, 1 Kotze street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg


How it went - 1 April 2010

Minister of Communications dissolves Digital Dzonga Advisory Council​

The Minister of Communications General (Ret) Siphiwe Nyanda today held a meeting with members of the Digital Dzonga Advisory Council.

The Digital Dzonga Advisory Council was appointed by the Minister of Communications to advise the minister on and oversee the complex process of migrating South Africa's analogue broadcasting services to a new digital technology known as digital terrestrial television or Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).

The 12 member council consists of representatives from every sector including the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, broadcasting, labour and consumer groups.

The council was appointed in 2008.

Minister Nyanda told the members that he received a report suggesting a possible conflict of interest by some of the members of the council.

This was due to the fact that most members are employed by organisations that have interests, directly or indirectly, in the value chain of the migration process.

The minister feels that the Department of Communications and the migration process shouldn't be compromised as a result of this issue.

In the wake of these issues, Minister Nyanda has taken a decision to dissolve the Digital Dzonga Council with a view to reconstitute it urgently.

Invitations for nomination of suitable candidates will be issued shortly.

Minister Nyanda thanked the outgoing members of the council for their contribution.

"I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for laying a solid foundation for this crucial project. It is my belief that we will be able to use this basis you have laid to ensure an efficient and smooth migration process."

The Council's outgoing Chairperson Lara Kantor thanked the minister, on behalf of the entire council, for the opportunity afforded to them to be part of this process.


How it's going so far... August 2024

ANALOGUE TV CUTOFF DEADLINES MISSED BY ANC - 2024.jpg

SABC-TV-Licence 2.jpg
 
Personally, I would have gone with an encryption, enabled decoding box. Would give you a few more options down the road. Free to air channels just get transmitted unlocked.
 
Communications minister Solly Malatsi has assured that he will make a decision about the switch-off of old analogue TV signals long before the current 31 December 2024 deadline.
Click to expand...
Ahem... there are 4 months and a few days left till the end of the year... so in reality that "long before deadline"-train has departed already...
 
elf_lord_ZC5 said:
And the indigent population buys a new TV every how many years?
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whichever the rate is, if the math is new tv = guaranteed new channels the adoption rate will increase, remember these are the same people who figured out the way to get free power. (in urban areas)
 
Have it setup on all our tvs. It isn't bad.either works and signal is clear or doesn't work.

While it looks okay on the smaller 1080p tv we have the 4k one is almost unwatchable it's so bad. Etv shows up as 576i and although they claimed to broadcast the Olympics on sabc in 1080p it was just as bad as etv signal ,yet some of sabc content comes through on 720p which looks decent.

But the content they show on there is another story.
 
Polymathic said:
whichever the rate is, if the math is new tv = guaranteed new channels the adoption rate will increase, remember these are the same people who figured out the way to get free power. (in urban areas)
Click to expand...

TV theft will suddenly go thru the roof, at a dizzy rate of knots.
 
Curt889 said:
Have it setup on all our tvs. It isn't bad.either works and signal is clear or doesn't work.

While it looks okay on the smaller 1080p tv we have the 4k one is almost unwatchable it's so bad. Etv shows up as 576i and although they claimed to broadcast the Olympics on sabc in 1080p it was just as bad as etv signal ,yet some of sabc content comes through on 720p which looks decent.

But the content they show on there is another story.
Click to expand...

The first days games on SABC where not great. But the second and third day things settled. The picture was good 1080p at 24FPS, which is not the best I have seen, but it was as good as anything I have seen from DSTV.
 
elf_lord_ZC5 said:
Reality is they need a **** load of decoder boxes, and a way to distribute them, and a media campaign that targets the affected population groups.

But good luck with anyone in this country getting it done right.
Click to expand...
Polymathic said:
Or they can ban the sales of new TVs that don't support the Digital TV standard, will be massive headache for suppliers and retailers though.
Click to expand...

I recently went on a hunt for one of these DVB-T2 decoder boxes, or anything similar - even those electronic shops run in flea market style that keep things for years longer have nothing now. The one guy said it's the first enquiry in years.

So how exactly are they going to practically even start to catch up? Through their failing post offices?? What a laugh
 
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