MTN FrontRow review

Will wait and see how this service turns out before I make a move.
 
Looks interesting, from a distance.
 
Unlicensed downloading using BitTorrent or Usenet.
VPN/proxy “piracy” which lets South Africans access services such as Netflix and Hulu.
Click to expand...
Typical "FUD" - Paying for content is now considered "piracy" :rolleyes:

Reads like a PSA from your local content provider.
 
Last edited:
Not being able to cancel your subscription from the website = epic fail! How can you even think of launching a subscription-based website in 2014/2015 that's missing possibly one of the most essential pieces of functionality that a subscription-based website should have?
 
bwana said:
Typical "FUD" - Paying for content is now considered "piracy" :rolleyes:

Reads like a PSA from your local content provider.
Click to expand...

That's why it's in inverted commas ;).

Bypassing geoblocks has been considered piracy by copyright owners for quite some time - nothing new there.
 
Jan said:
That's why it's in inverted commas ;).

Bypassing geoblocks has been considered piracy by copyright owners for quite some time - nothing new there.
Click to expand...

The article sounded like it was written by that Multichoice employee qwertyza.
 
Jan said:
That's why it's in inverted commas ;).

Bypassing geoblocks has been considered piracy by copyright owners for quite some time - nothing new there.
Click to expand...

But why is the special description reserved only for [legitimate] streaming services and not for "unlicensed downloading using BitTorrent or Usenet" - aka piracy?
 
bwana said:
But why is the special description reserved only for [legitimate] streaming services and not for "unlicensed downloading using BitTorrent or Usenet" - aka piracy?
Click to expand...

I don't think I follow.

I differentiate between the two so that readers who aren't familiar with geoblocking workarounds can understand that MTN FrontRow will have to compete against Netflix - even though Netflix hasn't launched in South Africa - and that guys like MTN and Times Media Group are probably unhappy about having to compete against Netflix.
 
Jan said:
I don't think I follow.

I differentiate between the two so that readers who aren't familiar with geoblocking workarounds can understand that MTN FrontRow will have to compete against Netflix - even though Netflix hasn't launched in South Africa - and that guys like MTN and Times Media Group are probably unhappy about having to compete against Netflix.
Click to expand...

Don't worry Jan - most of us readers got it. As I indicated in a post after your first article, just to be seen as one of many competing services is their first (and biggest) problem right there.
 
So far, the Node and Vidi have flattered to deceive (me). Looks like FrontRow will too. What I don't get is these folks are coming in at market related prices but have far from market related content to offer.
 
Review disclosure: the reviewer signed up for the service with his own credit card, which he finances from his salary. He wasn’t charged (possibly because he was one of the first 1,000 users), but even if he were billed, the delicious food and coffee he gets at the MyBroadband offices more than make up for it.
Click to expand...

Subliminal message detected!
 
Nothing about Audio options (Stereo, DD5.1, etc) nor details about how the Video quality scales and up to what it scales (480, 720, etc)
 
Lack of an online ability to unsubscribe (thanks MTN but dealing with your call centre is not an option). Fail.
Forcing me to use Silverlight on a PC to watch also a no-go. I have a perfectly good flat screen I would rather use. (and no, running HDMI from my laptop to my TV is not something I want to do).

Call me when you get to 2015 and we can talk again
 
Just got some more feedback from MTN: "From the 29th January 2015 the unsubscribe option will be available on the MTN FrontRow website." -- Larry Annetts: Chief Marketing Officer, MTN SA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X