The price of leaving DStv
The announcement by MultiChoice that DStv prices would be going up from 1 April 2015 was met with grumblings from the service’s subscriber base.
As shown in our article about DStv prices from 2000 – 2015, the annual increases normally fall in line with inflation, with DStv Easyview the only outlier this time around, due to a 34% price hike.
Most of the packages’ price increases ranged between 5% – 8%, while DStv Access and DStv Mobile remained unchanged at R99 and R49 respectively.
The price for PVR and XtraView Access is also set to rise, from R75 to R80.
The table below details the price hikes of the various DStv packages.
| Primary packages | Old price | New price | Percentage increase |
| DStv Premium | R665 | R699 | 5.11% |
| DStv Extra | R399 | R425 | 6.52% |
| DStv Compact | R295 | R319 | 8.13% |
| DStv Select | R185 | R199 | 7.58% |
| DStv Family | R185 | R199 | 7.58% |
| DStv Access | R99 | R99 | 0% |
| DStv Easy View | R29 | R39 | 34.48% |
| DStv Mobile | R49 | R49 | 0% |
| M-Net Analogue/CSN* | R315 | R335 | 6.35% |
| Access Fee | R75 | R80 | 6.67% |
| *No longer on offer – only available to subscribers still on the package. | |||
How much are the alternatives?
It is normal behaviour for a consumer to question if the service they are receiving is still worth paying for after a price increase such as DStv’s, and whether there are cheaper or better “value for money” options on the market.
With this in mind, we decided to look at how much the alternatives are to DStv – namely StarSat, MTN FrontRow, Vidi, Altech Node, and Netflix – and what they offer.
For the streaming services such as Netflix and Vidi we included the cost of a 4Mbps ADSL line and uncapped data package – a suitable option when streaming high volumes of video content.
This R665 cost was based on a Telkom line rental of R166.50, 4Mbps ADSL line rental of R299, and an uncapped data account at R200.
The price of Netflix also includes a geo-unblocking VPN service – $4.95 – like Uno Telly.
The cost of installing a Telkom copper line was not taken into account, whereas the installation costs for DStv, StarSat, and Altech Node were.
The Altech Node also requires data usage when using the Node app, and to unlock movies and series, but this was considered negligible.
It is also important to note that Netflix is considered illegal in South Africa, and may amount to copyright infringement if used.
| Broadcasting Service | Monthly cost | Installation and set-up cost | Channels/Shows and movies |
| StarSat Super | R199 | R599 (includes decoder, dish) | 78 TV channels |
| Altech Node | R299 | R1,999 (includes Node unit, dish) | 1200 movies and TV series |
| DStv Premium + PVR Access | R779 | R2,659 (includes decoder, dish) | 132 TV channels |
| Vidi | R814 [R665 + R149] | N/A | 1000 hours of TV shows, over 100 movies |
| Netflix | R828 [R665 + R163 ($8.99 + $4.95)] | N/A | Over 8500 TV shows/movies |
| MTN FrontRow | R864 [R665 + R199] | N/A | 133 TV series, 444 movies |
| Note: All prices exclude pay per view movie rentals. | |||
It must be noted the comparison above fails to convey DStv’s unmatched SuperSport offering.
None of the other satellite or streaming services have been able to replicate DStv’s comprehensive coverage of rugby, soccer, cricket, and other popular local and international sports.
More on DStv
Quit DStv repeats or we are quitting you
DStv Now launching 3 new channels
It’s no longer DStv or no DStv
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