DStv prices from 2000 to 2012

they take advantage because they don't have any threatening competitor in SA.
 
I hardly watch any TV series, movies, etc on DSTV anymore. Got an uncapped ADSL contract and a media server. There isn't anything that DSTV has in these categories that cannot be sourced elsewhere.

All DSTV has going for it presently is live sports.
 
Ditto!

ajules said:
Well I am in the category that looked to the Internet for my media needs after getting gatvol of these arbitrary price increases in a market sector where prices have traditionally fallen.It is a pity that the DOC is so useless and even more of a pity that so many consumers are so uninformed and accepting of these price increases.
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Razza said:
to be fair most of the increases are in line with inflation.
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So you 're saying the typical ~20% DECREASE in data prices per annum can be reversed to a 5%, inflation-linked, INCREASE? ;)

I can live with that :D
 
Greggle said:
This article is missing quite a few important considerations. If you're going to report something as a journalist, at least report all of the facts and let those facts draw the reader to a conclusion.

So additional things to consider ... how many more channels have the added over this period? What new technology have they introduced (HD)? Come on RPM ... you can do better than this!

PS No, I dont work for Mutichoice but I do work in IT and so have an idea of the kind of costs involved!
While their subscriber base has gone up their costs would have gone up too!
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True, but it's only because of no competition that they can justify price increases and not because of what you have mentioned. In a competitive world businesses go for economies of scale to remain relevant in the market. How else would you justify why telecom costs are coming down?

1. You ask how many channels they have added. Consider how many base stations and products mobile operators have added.
2. You ask what new technologies they have introduced (HD). Consider what new technologies mobile operators have introduced (GPRS/EDGE, 3G/3.5G, HSPA+ etc).
3. For other things like coverage, I won't even go there. Yet MultiChoice has been in the market longer than mobile operators.

Like you, I don't know their cost structure but I doubt it will be a lot higher than that of mobile operators. You'll be surprised at how MultiChoice will reduce the prices in future (under similar economic factors) should there be competition. I personally don't think it is necessary for RPM to provide all those details and justify the reasons why MultiChoice has kept increasing the prices - the answer is simple - LACK of COMPETITION.
 
vzta22 said:
True, but it's only because of no competition that they can justify price increases and not because of what you have mentioned. In a competitive world businesses go for economies of scale to remain relevant in the market. How else would you justify why telecom costs are coming down?

1. You ask how many channels they have added. Consider how many base stations and products mobile operators have added.
2. You ask what new technologies they have introduced (HD). Consider what new technologies mobile operators have introduced (GPRS/EDGE, 3G/3.5G, HSPA+ etc).
3. For other things like coverage, I won't even go there. Yet MultiChoice has been in the market longer than mobile operators.
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I was discussing this with RPM the other day and had exactly these kind of points.

The mobile operators put billions per year into infrastructure and it's always the latest, greatest kit. The network is never older than a few years. Right now we're refreshing large parts of the radio network, for example.

To put is in context, satellite TV providers have one or two 'base stations' and that gives them 100% population coverage.
 
Greggle said:
This article is missing quite a few important considerations. If you're going to report something as a journalist, at least report all of the facts and let those facts draw the reader to a conclusion. So additional things to consider ... how many more channels have the added over this period? What new technology have they introduced (HD)? Come on RPM ... you can do better than this!
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Sometimes it is good to only give the most basic facts. I would not have done a story if MultiChoice actually provided the prices, but because the official channels said it does not exist, and then for another channel to have all the prices at hand is really interesting.

There are indeed other factors like added value to subscribers, but there are also the increased viewership, higher advertising fees (and even potentially more advertising) and the like. An article with all these factors will be challenging because MC does not want to provide information.
 
[)roi(];8217031 said:
snip... got rid of DSTV 3 years ago and never looked back.
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In the process of canning DSTV & iBurst, and going over to uncapped ADSL. The latest price increase left a bitter taste in my mouth, and cannot continue to support Multichoice. It's gonna suck not to have the sport anymore, but I'm done feeling as if I'm being ripped off.
 
Well, considering that they repeat everything more than they did in 2000, they probably thought the price can double too ... :erm:
 
Another factor to consider: Multi-choice employs many people - and every year they expect a salary increase because of increases in costs of living (don't you?) - along with running costs of the business itself, all of which go up each year as we all know.

Not picking any sides here but just pointing out there are a huge amount of variables in this equation.
 
and if multi-choice fired a bunch of people to cut costs we'd see another ABSA debacle :)
 
blunt said:
Another factor to consider: Multi-choice employs many people - and every year they expect a salary increase because of increases in costs of living (don't you?) - along with running costs of the business itself, all of which go up each year as we all know.

Not picking any sides here but just pointing out there are a huge amount of variables in this equation.
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My heart bleeds... this happens everywhere. If the employees keep demanding salary increases then they need to accept the inevitable result.
 
MickeyD said:
My heart bleeds... this happens everywhere. If the employees keep demanding salary increases then they need to accept the inevitable result.
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If they don't, they can buy less and less things each year with their money, as the money is worth less due to inflation. So their standard of living drops, or they start getting deeper into debt, especially with the higher-than-inflation increases in fuel costs, or if the interest rates starts going up.
 
It's not that it's too expensive, it's simply too expensive for the entertainment value I'm getting out of it.

Like the guy said in the comments section .. TV has become such a bore I rather spend my entertainment time online.
 
vzta22 said:
True, but it's only because of no competition that they can justify price increases and not because of what you have mentioned. In a competitive world businesses go for economies of scale to remain relevant in the market. How else would you justify why telecom costs are coming down?

1. You ask how many channels they have added. Consider how many base stations and products mobile operators have added.
2. You ask what new technologies they have introduced (HD). Consider what new technologies mobile operators have introduced (GPRS/EDGE, 3G/3.5G, HSPA+ etc).
3. For other things like coverage, I won't even go there. Yet MultiChoice has been in the market longer than mobile operators.

Like you, I don't know their cost structure but I doubt it will be a lot higher than that of mobile operators. You'll be surprised at how MultiChoice will reduce the prices in future (under similar economic factors) should there be competition. I personally don't think it is necessary for RPM to provide all those details and justify the reasons why MultiChoice has kept increasing the prices - the answer is simple - LACK of COMPETITION.
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I think it is hard to compare Multichoice to the Mobile Network business. In my mind the two are simply not the same. There are more mobile subscribers per household than there are DSTV subscribes surely ? I think that speaks to the economies of scale.

In any event, as consumers it will be hard for us to work out of DSTV is being excessive because we do not have all the information about the costs involved.

Yes, much is available off the net, but based on that alone one cannot make the decision to disconnect from Multichoice because in any household people enjoy different things. So the value derived from DSTV is different to everyone else.

The value we get from their service is a personal thing and an evaluation criteria will not be the same for all of us.
 
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