DStv without a decoder - 2020 expected release date

[deweyzeph]

Other than maybe the fact that smart cards are linked to decoders these days, and you can't buy a stand alone smart card without owning a decoder.

Yes, obviously you need a decoder to activate. Just get a cheap one, activate the card, then stash it away in your cupboard and use DSTV Now.

 

[quovadis]

If they don't make it cheaper than full on DStv, then they can just as well leave it. Seeing as the service won't be burdened by satellite costs, it needs to be much cheaper.

Why would it be cheaper? A broadcast satellite down-link costs the same if you're broadcasting to 1 customer or 1 continent of people. The best you could probably hope for is the same. Also, the smart card is still an effective way of limiting access within a household. Having 2 kids and mom and dad using 4 devices is way harder to enforce. The only possible way to be competitive would be to allow people to pick which channels they want - I doubt though that they'll want to end their cross-subsidy bouquet model.

 

[Swa]

The survey indicated that it would be priced around the same point and there are no special bouquets. They may introduce a bundled internet service at a price.

 

[GhostSixFour]

Why would it be cheaper? A broadcast satellite down-link costs the same if you're broadcasting to 1 customer or 1 continent of people. The best you could probably hope for is the same. Also, the smart card is still an effective way of limiting access within a household. Having 2 kids and mom and dad using 4 devices is way harder to enforce. The only possible way to be competitive would be to allow people to pick which channels they want - I doubt though that they'll want to end their cross-subsidy bouquet model.

I'm saying the streaming model needs to be cheaper than the satellite model, because they don't have the burden of satellite costs..

 

[GhostSixFour]

Yes, obviously you need a decoder to activate. Just get a cheap one, activate the card, then stash it away in your cupboard and use DSTV Now.

Quite an expensive barrier to entry. The cheapest one I could find was R500,and that includes installation, so you can just as well have DStv terrestrial along with the streaming option.

 

[SeRpEnT]

I'm saying the streaming model needs to be cheaper than the satellite model, because they don't have the burden of satellite costs..

Don't forget about the extra cost of setting up extra server capacity for the streaming model. Servers are not cheap. And if this goes large scale it will add up. They can barely cope with demand on DSTV Now large sports events so server upgrades should be high on their priority list when it comes to launching full DSTV streaming.

 

[grok]

YES!!! Finally!!! My boycott of DSTV is starting to pay off!!!!


Lol, I doubt I'll resubscribe just had to get that out of my system.

 

[GhostSixFour]

Don't forget about the extra cost of setting up extra server capacity for the streaming model. Servers are not cheap. And if this goes large scale it will add up. They can barely cope with demand on DSTV Now large sports events so server upgrades should be high on their priority list when it comes to launching full DSTV streaming.

Yeah. Servers are expensive, but have you ever launched a satellite?

At least with servers they can go cloud and increase as needed. I'm not saying a streaming model will be cheap, I'm saying it needs to be cheaper than a satellite based one.

 

[Dan C]

There's nothing stopping you from getting DSTV Now at the moment. Just get a smartcard, activate it and then throw it away and use DSTV Now only.

Make sure to drive over it first.

 

[Swa]

Don't forget about the extra cost of setting up extra server capacity for the streaming model. Servers are not cheap. And if this goes large scale it will add up. They can barely cope with demand on DSTV Now large sports events so server upgrades should be high on their priority list when it comes to launching full DSTV streaming.

Yeah and their satellite costs don't suddenly disappear. It's an extra cost over and above where with satellite they simply add another subscriber and their base cost don't increase.

 

[satanboy]

They still have a long way to go to compete with Netflix on streaming.
I have a 100mbps fibre line and DSTV Now is buffering. Netflix does not.

I have a 20mbps fibre line and it never buffers.

 

[Lupus]

Should they do this, MWEB should add this as a value proposition to it's packages to increase its subscriber base, but knowing how both Multichoice and MWEB work, they'll never want to do this even if it's to the benefit to their parent company.

When did Internet Solutions and Multichoice become siblings? Mweb split from Naspers years ago bought by DD/IS and Multichoice split from Naspers beginning of this year? So why would they do something like this? For who's benefit?

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

When did Internet Solutions and Multichoice become siblings? Mweb split from Naspers years ago bought by DD/IS and Multichoice split from Naspers beginning of this year? So why would they do something like this? For who's benefit?

/facepalm

 

[Lupus]

If they don't make it cheaper than full on DStv, then they can just as well leave it. Seeing as the service won't be burdened by satellite costs, it needs to be much cheaper.

Agreed, needs to come in at a competitive price.

 

[justmaimane]

Yes, obviously you need a decoder to activate. Just get a cheap one, activate the card, then stash it away in your cupboard and use DSTV Now.

Content is directly proportional to your bonquet

 

[Swa]

When did Internet Solutions and Multichoice become siblings? Mweb split from Naspers years ago bought by DD/IS and Multichoice split from Naspers beginning of this year? So why would they do something like this? For who's benefit?

They missed the boat when they both still had the competitive edge.

 

[Lupus]

They missed the boat when they both still had the competitive edge.

Yup that they did.

 

[JustAsk]

I'm saying the streaming model needs to be cheaper than the satellite model, because they don't have the burden of satellite costs..

With satellite, your broadcast cost lowers with scale. The more subs, the less it cost per sub, as it is a fixed broadcast cost.
With streaming it is the opposite. The more subs you get, the higher is your (total) streaming cost.

Its push vs pull.

 

[lawries72]

Misleading headline - tantamount to click bait.

 

[ConfusedR]

I have a 20mbps fibre line and it never buffers.

You must be one of the lucky ones.