New HD PVR coming
Recently there have been a number of rumours circulating regarding the release of a new dual-view HD PVR decoder which would replace the current PACE HD PVR decoder that Multichoice offers.
In response to this rumour a Multichoice representative recently said that “there are no plans to replace the current PACE HD PVR with another decoder which will enable dual view without the need to use XtraView or purchase another decoder”.
MultiChoice said that “the PACE HD PVR is not going to be replaced with another decoder. The PACE HD PVR is the current model in the market and will be joined by the UEC HD PVR within the next few months. Both models are similarly specified and there will be no difference in service offerings, functionality and capability.”
Multichoice’s motivation for releasing a UEC model is somewhat elusive. There have been relatively few complaints about the PACE HD PVR hardware, and instead the majority of problems have been directed towards the HD PVR software.
Altech UEC is a South African based decoder manufacturer. Its products are circulated worldwide and are especially popular in the Australian and Indian markets. There has been no mention of which model decoder within UEC’s range Multichoice has chosen to distribute.
In the past Multichoice had a business relationship with UEC although the current HD PVR was developed and is manufactured by PACE. The HD PVR has been riddled with software bugs since its release in August 2008.
HD PVR Software update
Multichoice appears to be well aware of the problems and is planning another HD PVR software upgrade soon. “We are in the final stages of testing a new version of software that will be automatically downloaded in the next few weeks and that will resolve a large number of issues,” said MultiChoice spokesperson Fathima Ebrahim.
The update is due to bring improvements in terms of “General stability, response to remote control commands, recording reliability and availability of more interactive applications.”
An official announcement regarding the pricing point and the projected release time of the new UEC HD PVR has not yet been revealed. Multichoice did however assure its HD PVR customers that it is committed to resolving all issues raised around the HD PVR and that they are making significant progress in this regard.
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