DStv Mobile pricing and channels: DVB-H versus 3G
MultiChoice South Africa announced this week the launch of its Mobile TV broadcasting service, DStv Mobile.
DStv Mobile can be accessed on a DVB-H enabled cellphone or via MultiChoice’s newly introduced Mobile TV decoder, the Drifta.
The DVB-H enabled cellphones currently available in the South African market are the Nokia 5330, Nokia N96 and ZTE F900. DStv Mobile added that they are in discussion with various cellphone manufactures and is confident that more DVB-H enabled phones will be available in the South African market soon.
Network coverage is available in the major centres of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, CapeTown, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Mbombela, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Durban.
The DStv Mobile bouquet is currently available free of charge, and will cost subscribers R36 per month from 1 April 2011.
At the same time e.tv launched their free-to-air e.Mobile service with the eNews Channel and Channel O. e.Mobile services are available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Mbombela, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Durban.
DVB-H service versus 3G
Mark Rayner, General Manager of DStv Mobile South Africa, warned that the DVB-H Mobile TV technology is not to be confused with the recently launched DStv Mobile streaming service that utilises the mobile network operators’ 3G networks.
“The independent Mobile TV broadcast network allows users unlimited access to the channels available on the service without the payment of data charges,” said Rayner.
While the two services differ in various ways, including technical specifications and service limitations, it is still instructive to compare the two services side by side.
The following table provides a basic comparison between MultiChoice’s new DVB-H DStv Mobile offering and Vodacom/MultiChoice’s 3G service.
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DStv Mobile: DVB-H versus 3G
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| DVB-H Mobile DStv | Vodacom 3G DStv Mobile | |
| Monthly price | R36 | R59 |
| Viewing restrictions | None | 180 minutes per month |
| Resolution | 320×240 | 320×240 |
| Coverage | Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, CapeTown, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Mbombela, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Durban | 60% population coverage |
| Handsets | Nokia 5330, Nokia N96 and ZTE F900 Drifta decoder (R599) |
All 3G-enabled handsets |
| Number of channels | 10 DStv Channels | 11 DStv channels |
| Channels | Supersport 1 | SuperSport Blitz |
| Supersport 2 | SuperSport Live Events | |
| Supersport 3 | SawSee | |
| Supersport Blitz | E! Entertainment | |
| Africa Magic | Africa Magic | |
| Cartoon Network | Cartoon Network | |
| Trace TV | Trace TV | |
| DStv Events | DStv Events | |
| eNews Channel | CNN | |
| Channel O | Channel O | |
| Boomerang | ||
| Videos from M-Net, KykNET, VUZU, MK | ||
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