DStv Now explains low-quality RWC streams

[Jamie McKane]

DStv Now explains low-quality RWC streams

DStv Now customers have complained of low-quality video when streaming popular sports fixtures, such as South Africa's games in the Rugby World Cup.

Low-bandwidth streams generally result in a pixelated and blurry image which can stutter intermittently if your connection is particularly bad.

 

[Mercury12]

DStv also noted that broadcasting live content is far more difficult than simply streaming pre-recorded content to customers.

Then hire the skill required! A streaming service like Hotstar caters to a population in Indian much bigger than SA and they rarely struggle to stream live events.

 

[Rabobi]

Lol

The nerve of these fking twats. Sky sports looks like 4k compared to dstvnow. Oh and its also live

 

[quovadis]

Funny, Youtube Live Streams are always perfect at HD or 4K. With all the resources Multichoice have you would think they would be able to provide a service instead of deflecting.

 

[NeonNinja]

Well, stop explaining and fix?

 

[NeonNinja]

Funny, Youtube Live Streams are always perfect at HD or 4K. With all the resources Multichoice have you would think they would be able to provide a service instead of deflecting.

You're comparing Google to Multichoice? Really?

 

[daveza]

Short version - somebody else's fault.

 

[Fulcrum29]

That’s rubbish! YouTube is fine but DStv Now looks terrible, so clearly the problem is with your service.

Great point! The key here is supplying pre-recorded content is different from supplying live content. In the case of YouTube or Showmax or Netflix, shows can be stored (the technical term is ‘cached’) close to the customer. In the case of live content, we’re taking the stream from Japan and distributing it in South Africa without the same ability to pre-load it as close as possible to the customer, so any bottlenecks downstream from our servers can have an impact on video quality. The other obvious difference is with YouTube or Showmax or Netflix, people aren’t all watching exactly the same thing at the same time - which presents a whole bunch of technical challenges.

This comparison should be made with other live IPTV services, but oh wait... It is 'illegal'. I had stutter on DSTV Now, switched to ITV through a VPN which was congested at the time and it was still a smoother experience than DSTV Now. The pool games weren't a good experience through DSTV Now. It improved a bit with the quarters, but the Japan vs Springbok game kept on skipping on a superb connection. Could as well had load-shedding at the time, but I also have DSTV Premium... so... but the convenience in having DSTV Now to watch live events like these on the 'go' isn't convenient at all.

They speak about cache but do speak about CDN in live IPTV terms. Yes, capacity is expensive. Just say so.

 

[skusku]

DSTV is trying to avoid the blame and put it onto everyone else.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Well, stop explaining and fix?

They did elaborate:

So are you saying you can’t or won’t fix it?

Live streaming with huge numbers of concurrent users is a technical challenge that video services worldwide are grappling with - if it were as simple as just increasing capacity we’d most definitely have done that long ago. But we’re not backing down - we’re working with content distribution networks and others, and we are making headway.

The OpEx meetings didn't go too well...

 

[system32]

Funny, Youtube Live Streams are always perfect at HD or 4K. With all the resources Multichoice have you would think they would be able to provide a service instead of deflecting.

+1
Youtube concurrent livestream records:

• Fortnite 1.1m livestream
• SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch 2.3m livestream
• Red Bull Stratos jump 8m livestream

I personally watched the SpaceX Falcon Heavy in 1080p - no problems.

MonoChoice need to up their "game".

 

[SilverCode]

If DSTV set up peering agreements with local ISPs, they could multicast over UDP to send out live broadcasts. It would be much more efficient than individual TCP connections all sending the same data.

 

[quovadis]

You're comparing Google to Multichoice? Really?

Yeah and why is that a problem? Multichoice has plenty of resources available to provide a streaming service which is a fraction of the size of what Youtube delivers for a boxing match between two Youtube creators.

 

[S1ght]

I dunno...Pretty sure there was no congestion on my line here in Germany but the quality still drops to 240p (or whatever) in the game. In fairness though! It's only for a few minutes and the majority of the stream comes through at 720/1080 (I honestly don't know which 1)

 

[quovadis]

If DSTV set up peering agreements with local ISPs, they could multicast over UDP to send out live broadcasts. It would be much more efficient than individual TCP connections all sending the same data.

There's no lack of local bandwidth available in SA since everyone is peering these days.

 

[cavedog]

This answer sounds like it was copied from a FAQ page.... Typical

Q. Why is the stream buffering?

A. When your internet service provider experience congestion or high latency the stream quality will drop.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Awesome explanation DSTV, nice to know that down stream congestion in this country discriminates against DSTV, but not NetFlix or Amazon Prime Video. Regardless if it is a fiber connection or a Fixed LTE link.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

There's no lack of local bandwidth available in SA since everyone is peering these days.

Except if you are on Seacom ...

 

[Peon]

Q. Why does DStv shift the blame when their glorious amazing systems dont work properly?

A. Because we sit in an Ivory tower and are beyond reproach. We charge what we want and its tough siht.

 

[redspark]