TopTV discusses mistakes and improvements

I was enjoying the article until it deteriorated into a re-hash of the porn controversy.
 
"The focus for the next month is a full business review,” Mbalo said. “We need to assess our strengths, our weaknesses, the opportunities and threats to the business; we need to look at our service; we need to listen to what our customers are saying and we need to take a critical look at our content offering.
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Tune in next week for the second part of Mbalo's business lecture series, moving on from SWOT analysis to SCRUM compliance ;)
 
brilliantt said:
I was enjoying the article until it deteriorated into a re-hash of the porn controversy.
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I'll split that off into a separate article next time ;-)

Unfortunately for you, there are people that want an update on the saga.
 
only 13 written submissions were presented to ICASA on this issue,
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Thirteen religiots managed to impose their Bronze Age mentality on the whole country. So much for freedom of speech.
 
http://www.techcentral.co.za/toptv-to-launch-hd-channels/19275/

“If you go to Maponya Mall in Soweto, and speak to the guys selling TVs, they’re only selling HD TVs and that’s the case across the country,” Govender says. “The market is taking to it and we need to be there from a technology point of view.”

So ... a year ago, their research shows their client base want HD. Did that client base sell their widescreen TVs in the last year, and go back to 4:3? Seriously ... can you buy a 4:3 TV these days?

Wake up Top TV ... it is 2012 and broadcasting in 4:3 is not acceptable!

If your client has money to blow on your service, they probably have a 16:9 TV.

You can brag about the Fox channels as much as you like, but while you are broadcasting shows like Castle in 4:3 zoomed in, you are wasting our time!
 
I agree, I really do not care about HD, I want better content. TopTV has great content atm, but I would prefer better content over HD`ness (I have a large HD tv, but still would prefer better content).
 
Well I signed up for TopTV in Dec, so far I'm not impressed at all. Yes, unfortunately, a comparison to DSTV is inevitable, even if DSTV's premium package is twice the price! The movies are all really old... 1 movie channel, with 2 repeat channels of the same content split over 2 and 24 hours. The series they run are all ancient, at least 2 seasons behind current. They rehash really old series as well, like Stargate, Twin Peaks, etc. Zero sport, except some rubbish soccer channels(yes I knew that when I signed up). The only channels we actually watch are Investigative Discovery, FLN, Natura and very infrequently a music channel or 2(but they play the same over and over there too!). The other channels are rubbish often airing ancient content!

IMHO I'm going to have to cough for DSTV premium if I want something decent!
 
BGE said:
Well I signed up for TopTV in Dec, so far I'm not impressed at all. Yes, unfortunately, a comparison to DSTV is inevitable, even if DSTV's premium package is twice the price! The movies are all really old... 1 movie channel, with 2 repeat channels of the same content split over 2 and 24 hours. The series they run are all ancient, at least 2 seasons behind current. They rehash really old series as well, like Stargate, Twin Peaks, etc. Zero sport, except some rubbish soccer channels(yes I knew that when I signed up). The only channels we actually watch are Investigative Discovery, FLN, Natura and very infrequently a music channel or 2(but they play the same over and over there too!). The other channels are rubbish often airing ancient content!

IMHO I'm going to have to cough for DSTV premium if I want something decent!
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Strange, the movies I watch are all pretty recent. The last couple of months has seen a drastic improvement in the content. There are plenty more channels to watch than what you mention. Like the orsm CurrentTV. I have DsTV and TopTV and I can honestly say 99% of the time we watch TopTV. Im not a sports person so perhaps why the DsTV package does not really grab my interest.

At least they play Stargate. I love my evening line up now. SG Atlantis when I get home, followed my Bones, followed by two episodes of American Dad. Would hate to change. First time in a long time that I enjoy so many shows in a row.
 
The whole porn channel saga just proves that ICASA can take action, albeit idiotic.

However, when asked specifically about HD channels and a personal video recorder (PVR) decoder, Mbalo said that those plans have been put on hold for the moment.
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As a top tv subscriber, I see no point to HD or PVR. There's nothing on that I would bother recording or would prefer to watch in HD. I only still have it because the choice of music channels are excellent. Oh and Simpsons reruns.
 
ernstcomplete said:
The whole porn channel saga just proves that ICASA can take action, albeit idiotic.



As a top tv subscriber, I see no point to HD or PVR. There's nothing on that I would bother recording or would prefer to watch in HD. I only still have it because the choice of music channels are excellent. Oh and Simpsons reruns.
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I dont watch the music channels, but the feedback I got is that TopTV music channels are better than DsTV.
 
ghoti said:
I dont watch the music channels, but the feedback I got is that TopTV music channels are better than DsTV.
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It was about the only channels I watched, as a classical music fan. The kids channels are good also. Neither was good enough to keep me as a client. I literally took my wife two months to notice that we have no broadcast TV any more.

Resorting to ship catching now.
 
Sort out customer service

jes said:
TopTV discusses mistakes and improvements

Pay TV contender, Top TV, admits to not delivering on promises and says a full business review is underway
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I was one of the early TopTV subscribers (first day) and opted out after a couple of months because of their poor customer service. It was very difficult to get through to their 'help' line and when you did, got totally incompetent, clueless people who always promised a call back but, of course never did. (Much like virtually every call centre in SA) Not to speak of their totally messed up accounts. I haven't subscribed for years but out of the blue about three months ago got an account for a months subscription! WTF? Took several lengthy calls to sort out. However I would probably renew my subscription if they would provide a printed schedule of programming.
 
Was it any better?

I just wonder how things went in the 1st few years of DSTV.........? I also think it is very difficult for a new comer to get it right the first time and all the time, who can do that anyway? So maybe theyre not doing to bad, because theyre nr 2, we now have a choice! Something we are still lacking in lots of areas.

I also prefer content, and as far as watching broadcast TV by far the most still do..... seriously :)
 
KromozIII said:
http://www.techcentral.co.za/toptv-to-launch-hd-channels/19275/

“If you go to Maponya Mall in Soweto, and speak to the guys selling TVs, they’re only selling HD TVs and that’s the case across the country,” Govender says. “The market is taking to it and we need to be there from a technology point of view.”

So ... a year ago, their research shows their client base want HD. Did that client base sell their widescreen TVs in the last year, and go back to 4:3? Seriously ... can you buy a 4:3 TV these days?

Wake up Top TV ... it is 2012 and broadcasting in 4:3 is not acceptable!

If your client has money to blow on your service, they probably have a 16:9 TV.

You can brag about the Fox channels as much as you like, but while you are broadcasting shows like Castle in 4:3 zoomed in, you are wasting our time!
Click to expand...

I think they realized that the people who are picking up TopTV or even the people who would get TopTV are not the same people who are getting HDtv's.

The people with the HDtv's already have DSTV and are not considering changing.
 
Raysmith said:
I was one of the early TopTV subscribers (first day) and opted out after a couple of months because of their poor customer service. It was very difficult to get through to their 'help' line and when you did, got totally incompetent, clueless people who always promised a call back but, of course never did. (Much like virtually every call centre in SA) Not to speak of their totally messed up accounts. I haven't subscribed for years but out of the blue about three months ago got an account for a months subscription! WTF? Took several lengthy calls to sort out. However I would probably renew my subscription if they would provide a printed schedule of programming.
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+1

I got TopTV for my dad and he cannot see the on screen guide as he is quite old. I'd love for a printed guide to be made available.
 
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