DStv Streama review - October 2022

[sdrawk]

Maybe the plan is over the next 6 months slowly start removing Showmax and DSTV from Apple / Android TV / Tizen / WebOS etc and force one to buy this hardware.

And that would be the end of Showmax if they ever did that.

 

[6ix]

DSTV "Feel Every Moment" ... 3 seconds after you click

 

[Senor]

Perfect, my ex's Christmas gift sorted. Last year she got a Mara phone.

 

[freematrix]

Looks like they ware wanting to push this as their main streaming product which means no longer support on other devices.
Saying to customers: It wont work on your device but here we have a device you must buy from us that we support and you wont have issues.
This is counter to market trends where just about all devices support Netflix, Disney, Apple etc etc.
They are relying on a stupid user to keep their revenue stream (excuse the pun).

 

[cavedog]

The DSTV android app is slow in general especially in the Live TV menu. I think it's the EPG loading that slows it down.

So, the Streama is basically some Chinese box that is wiped and DSTV installed its proprietary software to make it worse.

 

[Thor]

DSTV is the issue, their APP is ISP support's worst nightmare.

Yes Ma'am I understand you have a 500Mbps fiber line, but DSTV will still buffer ma'am.

 

[OhYeah84]

We tested the DStv Streama — with disappointing results

MyBroadband tested the DStv Streama box and found it delivers what was promised, only a few years late, and at a much higher price than competing devices offering open ecosystems and better user experiences.

As promised, the DStv Streama box lets viewers without smart TVs stream DStv, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Showmax over the Internet.

Links to bigger versions of the GIFs (too big to embed in article or forum post):

https://imgur.com/a/O9wjgwX

https://imgur.com/gHzz8ze

https://imgur.com/OBBFK2g

Awesome...a product from the early 2000s.

 

[R13...]

Nice review.
Late to market with a device that no one needs or wants. They seem to have just ported their current apps over to this box. Why would anyone need this when smart TVs come with those apps?

 

[Dolby]

Nice review.
Late to market with a device that no one needs or wants. They seem to have just ported their current apps over to this box. Why would anyone need this when smart TVs come with those apps?

.. because I suspect they're either going to :

a) Kill off smart TVs and other platforms
b) Differentiate the product on their own platform

 

[G.A.S]

I'd say it performs ... as expected?

 

[sdrawk]

Nice review.
Late to market with a device that no one needs or wants. They seem to have just ported their current apps over to this box. Why would anyone need this when smart TVs come with those apps?

Why yes, it does sound like it was designed by out-of-touch board members

 

[konfab]

DSTV's customers:
Your app is slow and has input lag.
DSTV's customers:
Your streaming quality is subpar and slow

DSTV:
Here is our own subpar and overpriced hardware for you to use.

These apps are not exactly computing prime numbers whenever the button is pressed. They are doing basic rendering of pictures and 2D shapes.

 

[LCBXX]

Can you pause, rewind or record broadcasts on the Streama?

 

[wingnut771]

Can you pause, rewind or record broadcasts on the Streama?

No.

 

[OhYeah84]

.. because I suspect they're either going to :


b) Differentiate the product on their own platform

They are already. It's useless and slow!

 

[deesef]

So the about 10-year old Mi Box works as well as the latest incarnation of DStv excellence. Ha ha

 

[w@nted]

Maybe the plan is over the next 6 months slowly start removing Showmax and DSTV from Apple / Android TV / Tizen / WebOS etc and force one to buy this hardware.

This. Discovered yesterday that the DSTV app was not available anymore on my Samsung smart TV. Still worked last week.

 

[Dolby]

They are already. It's useless and slow!

But I think it's useless and slow everywhere

 

[Dolby]

This. Discovered yesterday that the DSTV app was not available anymore on my Samsung smart TV. Still worked last week.

Isn't it old Samsung ?

I haven't checked my 2019 yet

EDIT : It's on my Samsung

 

[w@nted]

Nice review.
Late to market with a device that no one needs or wants. They seem to have just ported their current apps over to this box. Why would anyone need this when smart TVs come with those apps?

Isn't it old Samsung ?

I haven't checked my 2019 yet

I think mine is a 2017 model. Will have to check. Sucks though (For the sport). Netflix etc. apps still work without any issues. So not sure why DSTV app is so special to not support the TV anymore