Business as usual for DSTV
IPTV is all but here and new offerings beamed to your computer are a practical reality. As organisations like Telkom Media gear up to compete in the broadcasting arena, MyBroadband asked that stalwart of the industry DSTV quo vadis? The answers were a little surprising and clearly indicate that Multichoice is a company which is quite confident in its value proposition.
For context, the South African broadcasting environment has long been dominated by just two players: the SABC, with its arguably dull and provincial content and dubious political stance, historically and at present, and Multichoice, which brings a wider range of news and quality programming from around the world.
Top of every subscriber’s gripe list has got to be the changes we have seen to the channels. As creatures of habit, it doesn’t take much to confuse and irk the average subscriber, and what better way than to move the channel numbers about? Jackie Rakitla MultiChoice GM: Corporate Affairs, says the organisation believes that the changes provide with enhanced navigation and channel surfing.
“The changes have come about due to very pertinent and positive feedback we have received from our customers following channel shuffle six months ago. Our customer feedback and recommendations are taken very seriously and have been instrumental in MultiChoice making further refinements to our channel numbering and positioning,” he says.
On the arrival of new competition from Telkom Media and potential other avenues (see IPTV footnote below), Rakitla says MultiChoice welcomes competition.
“We believe it is good for the industry and South Africa. MultiChoice will continue with business as usual. Since our inception more than twelve years ago we have always added new channels to our DStv platform and investigated new forms of technology to enhance our customers viewing experience,” he says, indicating that this will continue.
With the hype around HDTV, it has to come as good news that MultiChoice will be introducing widescreen as well as HDTV channels to its DStv bouquet in 2008. This means, says Rakitla, that programming can be viewed much better on the newer types of TVs which are on shop shelves.
“To view DStv channels in HD, you will also need a DStv HDTV decoder,and to connect to that decoder, your display device will have to have either a DVI or HDMI connector that is HDCP certified. MultiChoice will advise customers which TV units are compatible,” he says.
IPTV footnote
With the advent of IPTV, licensed broadcasters will change the very nature of the game as viewers will be able to choose what and when they want to see (and even on which device, from a cellphone to a giant HDTV plasma screen). Problem is, the critical link is an at-least 10-meg line into the home. Neotel, perhaps?
What about Telkom Media?
An insider at Telkom Media had this to say, off the record: “When we launch, probably in late 2008 or early next year, our offering will be very different to that of DSTV. For a start, the quality will be MPEG 4 which is a far better image, like watching a DVD. There will be 50 channels and the pricing will be cheaper.”
Our insider reckons some people will switch, some will have both and others will stay put. “We will probably have an impact on Dstv just because some people are tired of it. But I don’t think we will impact that much on [Dstv] as we are looking at a slightly different market at the mid to entry level.”
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