Showmax vs DSTV Streaming Quality

[leviathan1701]

Good evening,

We've been subscribed to Showmax Pro for quite a while now and the streaming quality is pathetic despite the fact that we are running a 30mbps connection with direct cable connection to the TV / Laptop. It buffers every few seconds as well. Very seldomly is it actually decent. We are considering going with DSTV's subscription service instead.

Before we pull the plug on Showmax, is the quality on DSTV's streaming packages better or are we going to potentially run into quality and buffering issues there too?

For reference: https://www.dstv.co.za/get-dstv-packages/dstv-streaming-packages/

As a last resort, we would get the dish, but want to try out their streaming options first.

Using free services is not an option... parents are elderly and don't want to go through the "hassle" and "complexity".

Parents only want to watch sport. They aren't interested in movies and series.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DeTector]

Good evening,

We've been subscribed to Showmax Pro for quite a while now and the streaming quality is pathetic despite the fact that we are running a 30mbps connection with direct cable connection to the TV / Laptop. It buffers every few seconds as well. Very seldomly is it actually decent. We are considering going with DSTV's subscription service instead.

Before we pull the plug on Showmax, is the quality on DSTV's streaming packages better or are we going to potentially run into quality and buffering issues there too?

For reference: https://www.dstv.co.za/get-dstv-packages/dstv-streaming-packages/

As a last resort, we would get the dish, but want to try out their streaming options first.

Using free services is not an option... parents are elderly and don't want to go through the "hassle" and "complexity".

Parents only want to watch sport. They aren't interested in movies and series.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I am on a 200mb line and streaming quality and issues on DSTV drove me to go back to using the dish option. Showmax is way better than DSTV for me. Both services are mobile first though, so optimised for the small screen and low data speeds. Almost better with slow internet. But when the big game comes on that is when the problems start with DSTV streaming

 

[OnlyOneKenobi]

I've found that it is largely dependent on the device you stream through, eg. some content buffers and struggles to stream through an Explora decoder but works 100% with an Apple TV, Browser on PC or Android TV. It is strange that you are having issues with a direct connection to a laptop. What type of internet connectivity do you have - Fibre? WIFI? LTE? 30Mbps should be more than enough. As far as I am aware both DSTV and Showmax used to stream at 720p though it might be 1080p these days.

 

[leviathan1701]

I've found that it is largely dependent on the device you stream through, eg. some content buffers and struggles to stream through an Explora decoder but works 100% with an Apple TV, Browser on PC or Android TV. It is strange that you are having issues with a direct connection to a laptop. What type of internet connectivity do you have - Fibre? WIFI? LTE? 30Mbps should be more than enough. As far as I am aware both DSTV and Showmax used to stream at 720p though it might be 1080p these days.

We have LTE. Sometimes the speed is reaches even higher. Latency is around 15ms on average. Can't imagine that would be an issue.

Strangely enough though, we tested Showmax on both a low spec laptop and a mid tier desktop. There was fair less buffering on the desktop. Maybe that's just coincidence, I'm not sure.

We connected by both direct cable to make sure WIFI wasn't causing any issues.

 

[Affieplaas]

I have a 1,000mbps fibre (one thousand mbps) connection and DSTV Now is sometimes so slow that it is unwatchable - apple tv 4K connected via ethernet to the router. I have had times where I wanted to watch a Springbok rugby game in my home cinema room on the projector and big screen when it was so slow with so much buffering that I had to go back to lounge where the DSTV decoder is. Showmax streaming is maybe a little better but the ultimate quality is also limited. It is mostly 720p resolution with stereo only sound and so grainy on a big screen that is unpleasant to watch.

In conclusion streaming via DSTV Now is much worse than Showmax. On a 30mbps line you will be dead in the water on DSTV Now.

DSTV and Showmax via satellite are both capped at 1080i.