DStv premium pricing – really expensive?

[Aquila ka Hecate]

Not true. I did not have PVR 2 weeks ago and still had HD for R665. I have since turned on PVR functionality. If you look in DSTV self service, there is a separate option to turn HD on and off at no additional cost for the Premium user. When I turned premium on, I did not have HD turned on and only when playing around on self service did I see the additional option for HD, but definitely not charged.

Well, thanks for that.

It might have been helpful if DSTV had told us, though. We cut the PVR (at Premium) and the HD just went away, only to pop back up when we asked for PVR access back again.

It's not helpful of DSTV at all. But I don't think anyone's accusing them of being helpful.

 

[Ricard]

Its not cost or count... its quality of Content!!!!

If the content is value for money, then all is happy. So far the repeat rate on DSTV is far too high

 

[Petec]

They have competitors, and those competitors are free to bid for the sports licences. If they get outbid, then it is their own fault

Buuuuuut,

South African monopolies think us here in SA are all that and the bees knees. But in reality, the rest of the world only barely gives a shiit about SA, because it's awesome to holiday here and cheap to make international movies.
Proportionately, we are a pi$$ squirt compared to the rest of the world and we can take our local sports and quite frankly, shove it, if the internationals are not able to competitively showcase their sports here.

In this anti-competitive environment you then get what we have here, which is high prices for poor offerings, albeit offerings that the rest of the ignorant populous think are top notch.

 

[jphegers]

The cheaper Dstv packages favor the black people, granted they are earning less so cannot afford the premium package but what about the pensioners who also struggle to make ends meet there is no cheaper package that include either Rugby or cricket which is totally bias towards football only.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Plus you have to pay the "rental" fee to download a dstv box office hd movie. Seriously?

And you honestly expect me to eat the tripe, that dstv compares (apples vs apples) to overseas offerings? It does not. This article is only valid if you compare us to the moon for example.

To try propaganda me by saying, that there are contract and service delivery issues overseas, is utterly insulting and disingenuous.

Yes, you site the examples in this article (which I honestly will not even bother to investigate), but no sane person would go for these packages when you have polar opposite packages, compared to dstv, readily available overseas.

I fear that this article is actually an attempt to get us to accept the current status quo, and just silently eat it up...
Well, nope... Nope, I will not.

Relax! MyBB knows their audience. They know full well what would happen if they stirred with an article like this. Look at the top of this page You see those banner ads? Well guess what. The other thousand plus peed-off forumites reading and responding are also exposed to those adds.
MyBB objective completed.

 

[TelkomUseless]

They have competitors, and those competitors are free to bid for the sports licences. If they get outbid, then it is their own fault

When Dstv bought their licenses there was no competition (SABC doesn't really count). We had 1 competitor (Top TV, which don't have access to sport licenses). So where all other providers?

I say open the floor for all with equal footing. DStv had protection from the start... which makes it almost impossible for other companies to compete.



But to honest.. I got gatvol (all the repeats etc) for dstv 16 years ago, haven't had Dstv since I moved out 16 years ago... and will never get it. I can live without them...

 

[Bighit]

The cheaper Dstv packages favor the black people, granted they are earning less so cannot afford the premium package but what about the pensioners who also struggle to make ends meet there is no cheaper package that include either Rugby or cricket which is totally bias towards football only.

Technically, you're wrong. DSTV mobile on the Walka has Rugby and Cricket for R49 a month. While not ideal, it does serve a purpose.

 

[warwickw]

Technically, you're wrong. DSTV mobile on the Walka has Rugby and Cricket for R49 a month. While not ideal, it does serve a purpose.

I have the 7" Walka, its rubish the picture quality is useless, watching soccer on it was painful as you cant even see the ball, imagine watching golf or tennis ha ha.

All DSTV mobile is good for is listening to the channel commentary.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Technically, you're wrong. DSTV mobile on the Walka has Rugby and Cricket for R49 a month. While not ideal, it does serve a purpose.

Uhm. He was talking about pensioners. Their eyesight are not the best in the world and a little walka screen is not exactly ideal.
You have to do better than that.

I agree with jphegers that Monochoice are doing their darnest to get the lower income black viewer onboard on the cheaper options. I dont have a problem with that. Its about $$ afterall. But then at the same time they should also cater for lower income white peepz (and yes this is a class that is growing fast!) and pensioners. But they dont give a willy.

 

[Icedman]

The author makes no note that on the "international dollar", DSTV Premium is the MOST expensive. That should be the headline.

The next highest package (Dish Premier) includes hardware, installation, double the number of channels and TWENTY TIMES the number of HD channels. The hardware being a whole home DVR solution with up to 5 HD independent viewing environments.

 

[Jan]

The author makes no note that on the "international dollar", DSTV Premium is the MOST expensive. That should be the headline.

It'll be nice and sensational, but it wouldn't be entirely fair since the US prices exclude sales tax. Slap on our 14% on the Dish and Directv packages and they actually come out more expensive.

Remove our 14% VAT from the DStv price, and it also becomes cheaper than the top-end Directv and Dish offerings.

Drawing specific conclusions from this comparison is actually very hard. You can only speak to general things, which I tried to do.

Also: while I fully agree that the overseas offerings are largely superior to DStv's, don't believe all the stuff you read in their marketing material.

"Free DVR upgrade!" ... if you sign a contract, and agree to pay a DVR and HD access fee for the duration, and... and... and...

 

[Jan]

Relax! MyBB knows their audience. They know full well what would happen if they stirred with an article like this. Look at the top of this page You see those banner ads? Well guess what. The other thousand plus peed-off forumites reading and responding are also exposed to those adds.
MyBB objective completed.

Yikes, dude. That's more than a little crass.

Yes, our objective is to get as many people clicking and reading as possible, and the advertising model supports that, but for a journalist (well, us at least) it's got nothing to do with delivering impressions.

My objective as a writer is still purely selfish, of course: I want to get as many people to read what I wrote as possible (because narcissism, I guess), but I also want them to come back tomorrow.

 

[Jan]

Another thing regarding the promo prices. I changed providers for my dad for his cable connection. They gave us a price for a year, but not tied into a contract ... it was month-to-month. It is currently at a 25% discount which expires after a year. They told me to phone in after a year and ask for a new promotion price and they'll give it to me. If you tell them give me a better price or I'm leaving, they do it. They have a loyalty department just for that.

Interesting perspectives, thanks. So that South Park episode wasn't entirely accurate, I take it?

Which provider are you referring to? I'm also curious to know if there were competing cable providers in your dad's area? I wonder if they're so accommodating if they know they have you by the short and curlies...

 

[elvis_presley]

Also: while I fully agree that the overseas offerings are largely superior to DStv's, don't believe all the stuff you read in their marketing material.

If you take price and emotion out of it, DSTV's content really is world class. We get all the good series very quickly, and it has a very complete bouquet. Not everything about DSTV sucks. People don't like giving them credit where it's due. It's black and white on these forums - it seems you either have to hate something completely, or fanboy over it unconditionally.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Yikes, dude. That's more than a little crass.

Yes, our objective is to get as many people clicking and reading as possible, and the advertising model supports that, but for a journalist (well, us at least) it's got nothing to do with delivering impressions.

My objective as a writer is still purely selfish, of course: I want to get as many people to read what I wrote as possible (because narcissism, I guess), but I also want them to come back tomorrow.

No ill feelings. I actually prefer those type of (almost sensational?) articles. Makes for good reading on the forum. Brings out all the characters!

 

[claudirim]

Cant compare us to US dollar and UK pound, we earning ZAR. Pay me in US dollar and Im happy to pay the prices on the list.

Indeed, the minimum salary in UK is 1000 pounds = R18k. Also they are comparing the top expensive companies in the world. In many European countries an equivalent dstv premium costs 10Euro offered by different providers, usually it becomes very cheap if it's bundled with a telephone line and other services.

 

[Jan]

If you take price and emotion out of it, DSTV's content really is world class. We get all the good series very quickly, and it has a very complete bouquet. Not everything about DSTV sucks. People don't like giving them credit where it's due.

I guess it depends on your perspective. Honestly, I've never been a subscriber for long, but a lot of the stuff I'm interested in doesn't seem to be on there. A bit left-field (and not exactly what one would consider "grown-up" content), but I've been watching a lot of Legend of Korra recently. While DStv does have a Nickelodeon channel, it doesn't seem to be screening the new seasons at all.

We don't seem to have much in the way of sci-fi either: Dominion recently started in the US and I don't see that on the DStv series calendar at all.

It's black and white on these forums - it seems you either have to hate something completely, or fanboy over it unconditionally.

Not always, but when it comes to DStv and Vodacom, it certainly feels that way doesn't, it?

 

[Necuno]

Dominion is just buffy, angel, etc rehashed and not so good either...

 

[Skerminkel]

I don't think many people read the article. They saw "DSTV" in the headline and hit the forums to moan. Most their grumbles were well covered in the article.

Well, duh! You clearly did not read the instructions for interwebs forums. Who ever said is was supposed to be objective and based on fact. The rules clearly allude to a perceived preference for wild criticism and ad hominem attacks on other forumites and the title of the original piece.

 

[elvis_presley]

Well, duh! You clearly did not read the instructions for interwebs forums. Who ever said is was supposed to be objective and based on fact. The rules clearly allude to a perceived preference for wild criticism and ad hominem attacks on other forumites and the title of the original piece.

Oh, STFU you a**hole. You always come with this crap.

better?