Failed Altech Node cost Altron millions

..and we needed an article to confirm this?

“Unfavourable market conditions, such as the current economic environment creating pressure on the consumer, together with increased competition in the video-on-demand (VOD) environment resulted in insufficient subscribers for the business to be viable,” said Altron in its interim statement.
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So many words to say your offering wasn't value-for-money?
 
Kark idea, period...combining push vod with home automation was like selling chicken feet with your prime cut steaks.
 
herbertk said:
Great idea but k@k content ....
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I don't think the content was such a problem, it was exact same content as you find on MTN Frontrow, right down to the Rental vs. Subscription content.

Issue was definitely the costs (subscription of R300 p/m when MTN FrontRow is R100 p/m) and then a Decoder that costs a fortune @ R3000 . That is simply too much of a barrier to entry when you can get DSTV installed for cheaper and/or can get MTN Frontrow up and running for R0.

I still maintain, VOD over Satellite is still great idea while our "broadband" in SA is not reliable enough to stream HD content consistently. I will probably jump on a future service doing the same if the price is in-line with VOD services like Showmax/Netflix . I had a 100x better experience watching a HD movie rented on this satellite service than trying to stream it on MTN/Showmax/Boxoffice.
 
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Yep, the start up costs were always going to beat it, especially when R300 a month *could* have been reasonable.

They should have taken a longer term approach and sold the decoder for a few bucks with a couple of months free included. No one can watch your service of they don't have the box, and not many are prepared to be R3k guinea pigs.
 
diabolus said:
I don't think the content was such a problem, it was exact same content as you find on MTN Frontrow, right down to the Rental vs. Subscription content.

Issue was definitely the costs (subscription of R300 p/m when MTN FrontRow is R100 p/m) and then a Decoder that costs a fortune @ R3000 . That is simply too much of a barrier to entry when you can get DSTV installed for cheaper and/or can get MTN Frontrow up and running for R0.

I still maintain, VOD over Satellite is still great idea while our "broadband" in SA is not reliable enough to stream HD content consistently. I will probably jump on a future service doing the same if the price is in-line with VOD services like Showmax/Netflix . I had a 100x better experience watching a HD movie rented on this satellite service than trying to stream it on MTN/Showmax/Boxoffice.
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I live on a farm with no affordable broadband so I SERIOUSLY looked at this, but in the end the content was just so limited that it was not worth it. Haven't looked at front row etc...
 
herbertk said:
I live on a farm with no affordable broadband so I SERIOUSLY looked at this, but in the end the content was just so limited that it was not worth it. Haven't looked at front row etc...
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Well then i'm sorry to admit it, DSTV with their latest and greatest Explora decoder that can record and have additional space for all the Box Office Rentals will give you pretty much what you want. Last i checked they are making all the "older" series available "on demand" on this decoder to binge on , these series tend to be what you get on Showmax...
 
Hands up who saw this coming.

/whole of MyBB raises hands
 
Unfavourable market conditions, such as the current economic environment creating pressure on the consumer, together with increased competition in the video-on-demand (VOD) environment resulted in insufficient subscribers for the business to be viable,” said Altron in its interim statement.


Not stupidity on behalf of the CEO?
 
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