Why MultiChoice is not planning full HD broadcasts for DStv

They don't have demand from mainstream clients for full HD... Probably because a very small number of their clients are really informed about the difference between 720,1080,1080p. and 4k. For many, HD is HD... Understandably they do not advertise or claim to be full HD. I still think paying close to a grand for non full HD is ridiculous....
 
I really dont know a HD decoder that cant do 1080p in the chip design (and I have been designing decoders for 15 years) - this is a convnient excuse. The Crux of the matter is bandwidth - and since other providers are changing their backends to accomodate 4K and Deep-colour they have to change the codecs to H265 (HEVC) as it gives a very good improvement in compression.

MC have a recipe to 'Make Cookies' and that is what they will stick to doing. 4K/UHD wont happen soon... the revenue stream will be too small as people need a new TV set that is HDMI 2.0 compliant. (***WARNING *** Many 4K tellys on the market today are not 4K 60fps - they are using the old HDMI specs and only can do 4K 30fps )
 
“We also see very little demand from mainstream customers currently [for 1080p],” said MultiChoice.

If this is their current standpoint, then can you imagine how long it will take them to come around, AND even more how long for them to eventually broadcast in 1080p...

While Duffpers fiddles, the rest of SA and the world, download movies and series in 1080p RIGHT NOW.

Imagine if they had taken some of their obscene profit and invested in their own fibre network and wireless distribution, like was suggested many years ago... Bloody muppets!
 
“We also see very little demand from mainstream customers currently [for 1080p],” said MultiChoice.

If this is their current standpoint, then can you imagine how long it will take them to come around, AND even more how long for them to eventually broadcast in 1080p...

While Duffpers fiddles, the rest of SA and the world, download movies and series in 1080p RIGHT NOW.

Imagine if they had taken some of their obscene profit and invested in their own fibre network and wireless distribution, like was suggested many years ago... Bloody muppets!
 
With TV's getting bigger and bigger, more and more people will want HD without them even realizing it.
 
Spot on Richard re: " really dont know a HD decoder that cant do 1080p in the chip design..."

These okes have been sitting on their hands, while the tech and their capacity has passed them by.
 
Petec said:
Imagine if they had taken some of their obscene profit and invested in their own fibre network and wireless distribution, like was suggested many years ago... Bloody muppets!
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Do you know this statement sounds like Telkom too :D
 
Sky in the UK are launching UHD content this year, This is how far behind we are stuck on 720p. No surprise really, remember how long it took these fools to do widescreen ?? I still think some channels are in 4:3 !!
 
Agree. There is no need for Multichoice to waste money on their customers, they have no where else to go.
 
But, MultiChoice has enough money to upgrade everyone's decoders to 1080p ones for free :confused:
 
ToxicBunny said:
Wow... some people really just don't even begin to understand this.

They would have to double their satellite capacity spend (at least) to carry 1080p vs 720p. Then factor in that the older decoders can't do 1080p so then they have to broadcast SD, 720p and 1080p... and then all the associated software changes on the decoders so that they can "auto-switch" to the correct feed...

The benefit 1080p brings over 720p is not great, and is definitely not worth the extra cost to Multichoice and the price they would have to push the subscriptions up to to cater for it.
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i think if it was done properly they would of made provisioning for it, it will happen each time the quality jumps.
 
Can some please explain this to me?

I was at a fiber meeting the other night and there was a guy going on about multi choice running additional cables for Dstv? That was the one option the other one was using the fiber connection for Dstv instead. So there was definitely a discussion about bandwidth and Dstv so I'm confused why they are now saying that they have no plans for full hd?
 
techead said:
Can some please explain this to me?

I was at a fiber meeting the other night and there was a guy going on about multi choice running additional cables for Dstv? That was the one option the other one was using the fiber connection for Dstv instead. So there was definitely a discussion about bandwidth and Dstv so I'm confused why they are now saying that they have no plans for full hd?
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Bandwidth on the satellite distribution networks...

They pay X amount for so many transponders that can provide a certain amount of bandwidth per transponder.

DSTV's bandwidth issues relate purely to their collection and distribution network... if they went fibre to your house, they still need to collect the signals from overseas and that comes through the satellite transponders as well down to a base station somewhere.
 
access said:
i think if it was done properly they would of made provisioning for it, it will happen each time the quality jumps.
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So you're suggesting they should just buy up satellite capacity for the 10 year odd chunks the contracts last for, just to make provision for when the quality jumps up a level?
 
ToxicBunny said:
So you're suggesting they should just buy up satellite capacity for the 10 year odd chunks the contracts last for, just to make provision for when the quality jumps up a level?
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so a transponder can only handle 720p?

if not, no, i'm not suggesting to just buy up satellite capacity. that is one method i can think of but im no expert.

if i would have to suggest, they must break up their packages to pay per channel AND pay per month, at UHD HD SD LQ with the appropriate pricing. if they are affraid of too many single channel subscriptions, make a minumum of 5 or 3, one premium channel, one SABC channel and one random channel. what ever something of the sorts. and get online! for petes sake! poor pete.

i can guarantee, they will have returning customers.

they either dont know how or what they are doing, or its complacency and a monopolous attitude.
 
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