Set-top boxes will have control access

ellyally said:
Does this finally mean I don't have to pay a tv licence?
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Yep, we are finally free!

But all we have to do is wait until they cut off the terrestrial signal, then we can stop paying our licenses, since not having a STB means you can't receive a signal.
 
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Garyvdh said:
Yep, we are finally free!

But all we have to do is wait until they cut off the terrestrial signal, then we can stop paying our licenses, since not having a STB means you can't receive a signal.
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There will be something in the small print.
 
One thing I still don’t understand is why TV’s sold in South Africa doesn’t incorporate digital tuners.
They have been transmitting DTV transmissions for three years now. The set top boxes are only a transition period to enable TV viewers with analogue sets to receive digital transmissions. I am in the TV installation game, and I find this very frustrating. Many countries around the world including Africa have TV sets with DTV tuners incorporated, so why not South Africa. A lot of money could have been saved with the supplemental of set top boxes if TV’s were sold three years ago with digital tuners. :confused:
 
Great, push up the price of local made STBs to prevent them being exported to areas using cheap China exports. Could have imported those same China exports you idjits. :rolleyes:

Does anybody know if we'll still be able to import our own?

Garyvdh said:
They can try, but if you are physically unable to receive a signal, it is in effect the same thing as having your TV denatured.
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Not so. There won't be a signal after the cut-off but your TV set would still be able to receive a signal technically. Expect them to keep the law as current to try and keep that parastatal afloat.
 
ellyally said:
Does this finally mean I don't have to pay a tv licence?
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if you decided not to pay - they can't blacklist you.
See "Sunday Times: How the SABC lied to us"
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/66/83796.html

And why support lairs and propaganda.
SABC boss Tshabalala ‘lied about degree’
http://www.heraldlive.co.za/sabc-boss-lied-degree/

Hlaudi Motsoeneng lied in SABC application: 4 E’s and an F in ‘matric’
http://www.citypress.co.za/news/hlaudi-motsoeneng-lied-sabc-application-4-es-f-matric/
 
Utterly Confused said:
One thing I still don’t understand is why TV’s sold in South Africa doesn’t incorporate digital tuners.
They have been transmitting DTV transmissions for three years now. The set top boxes are only a transition period to enable TV viewers with analogue sets to receive digital transmissions. I am in the TV installation game, and I find this very frustrating. Many countries around the world including Africa have TV sets with DTV tuners incorporated, so why not South Africa. A lot of money could have been saved with the supplemental of set top boxes if TV’s were sold three years ago with digital tuners. :confused:
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The one in our lounge (a Samsung smart TV, about a year old) can and does receive DTV transmissions over our old aerial. We live in a bad spot where the analogue has always been bad, but the digital signal is crystal clear.
 
Swa said:
Not so. There won't be a signal after the cut-off but your TV set would still be able to receive a signal technically. Expect them to keep the law as current to try and keep that parastatal afloat.
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I also think that's the route they are going to try to take. But it will only last until the first court case when a consumer takes them to court for being forced to pay for a signal he is not getting. This will eventually go to the concourt where the law will be declared unconstitutional.
 
Garyvdh said:
I also think that's the route they are going to try to take. But it will only last until the first court case when a consumer takes them to court for being forced to pay for a signal he is not getting. This will eventually go to the concourt where the law will be declared unconstitutional.
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I'm just not so sure that will be the outcome. Unfair doesn't necessarily mean unconstitutional. The current tax based on owning a tv set already has people being taxed that don't watch it and people watching it without being taxed.
 
Utterly Confused said:
One thing I still don’t understand is why TV’s sold in South Africa doesn’t incorporate digital tuners.
They have been transmitting DTV transmissions for three years now. The set top boxes are only a transition period to enable TV viewers with analogue sets to receive digital transmissions. I am in the TV installation game, and I find this very frustrating. Many countries around the world including Africa have TV sets with DTV tuners incorporated, so why not South Africa. A lot of money could have been saved with the supplemental of set top boxes if TV’s were sold three years ago with digital tuners. :confused:
Click to expand...

My Sony has a digital tuner built in, only problem it's DVB-T1 and not T2. The newer sets will no doubt come with usable decoders.
 
dabbler said:
My Sony has a digital tuner built in, only problem it's DVB-T1 and not T2. The newer sets will no doubt come with usable decoders.
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Yup. The reason they haven't been pushed into the local market. Also the uncertainty with encryption which is still not cleared up. TV news is reporting it to have encryption.
 
biena said:
Are these 5 million household going to be asked to show a valid tv licence before getting a freebie ?

As to the tv licence, the sabc are already saying it is not only for tv.


http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/SABC/SABCTVLICENCES
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That is the original plan, but I bet they will waive this requirement in practice.
The total amount approved for these free and heavily subsidised STBs is R 4.3 Billion.
The original plan was for 5 m sets, now they changed it a bit to 6m. So the cost per STB will be roughly R 716 for the Gov orchestrated and manufactured ones, while they can be imported for R 450, retail, incl VAT. When Gov would not impose special import duties.
Read also my comment on page 1 of this discussion.
 
Jan said:
Got comment from MultiChoice on this. Apparently "STB Control" as used in government decoders will not include conditional access or encryption.

I've updated the article accordingly.
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This morning some spokeswoman (I don't think she was part of DoC though) was on 702 and she said that the DMAP will include a provision for a "control mechanism". When asked if this could be used for conditional access/encryption, she said that this will only be clarified in the final policy which will highlight what will be implemented.

She didn't answer the question if SABC would then be able to suspend non TV-license-payers (which in my mind is an obvious outcome). She did make some BS excuse via a "control mechanism" is necessary: to provision OTA updates and she also mentioned that Kenya did not include a control-mechanism and their set-top programme failed because of it (although everyone knows that the Kenyan government used cheap-ass devices which had a high failure rate).

Honestly don't care. I think it would be better to have STB control as it will then allow premium content and manage access which will then hopefully level that Monochoice-monopoly.
 
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