Good to know, but this will be a very expensive task to the man in the street.The HD-ready decoders with personal video recorder functionality sound great and hope it's has dual view?
DSTV will be using the "
Pace TDS850" as the new decoder, it has HDTV support and PVR functionality.
Dual View functionality is a thing of the past, it's been blamed as one of the culprits limiting the current PVR's development due to it's complexity. The new Pace decoders will allow you to watch one channel and record another or record two and watch one
stored programme. The decoder only provides output for a single viewing environment (i.e. all the output connectors show the same picture). There may however be the option to purchase a second decoder and have the content shared between the two decoders.
As far as costing goes, expect this decoder to be priced well above the current PVR. Pace's entry level HDTV decoder, the
DS810XE, with no PVR functionality and no built in encryption support launched at £300 and although it's currently on special for
£100 it normally retails for £180 ~ R2600 (The reason for the special is that BBC's HD test channel will be coming to an end soon and this was the primary reason for people purchasing the decoder).
Does that mean that you will only require a LNB decoder for HDTV from mulitichoice, and nothing else ? If so, then that is awesome news...
To receive HDTV, you'll need to purchase the new Pace TDS850 decoder (mentioned above) as well as a purchase a
quad LNB (or at least a multiswitch). It's also been stated that viewers should have at least a 90cm dish to receive the HDTV broadcast, unless you specially purchased a 90cm dish expect to currently have a 60cm dish.
So it's going to cost more than their SD offering? Good luck to them! LOL
Initially the test HD channel will be available for free and used as way to encourage users to upgrade to the new HDTV PVR decoders. Once DSTV reach a point where they can provide sport and other premium content in HD, they'll be selling this as their premium package or as an add-on package.