DStv on 4K streaming and upgrading satellite-feed resolutions
MultiChoice recently announced that it was working on 4K streaming for its DStv Now app.
“We’re continuing to develop DStv Now, with 4K streaming in testing and smart TV and Apple TV apps on their way shortly,” said MultiChoice Chief Operating Officer Mark Rayner.
The statement from MultiChoice comes at a time when it is fighting with Netflix and Amazon Prime for market share, and its focus on streaming is intensifying.
This has provided excitement for DStv Now users and streaming enthusiast – however, it has also left its satellite TV subscribers asking if there are set to be improvements in their traditional broadcast services, including resolution upgrades.
To find out how MultiChoice is working on upgrading its streaming offering, and the impact it will have, MyBroadband spoke to the company about the move.
Hardware and transmission
MultiChoice told MyBroadband there are two main components when it comes to providing higher-quality broadcasts – hardware and transmission.
“Assuming one has a TV capable of displaying 4K content, then the next thing needed is the hardware to supply that stream,” said MultiChoice.
“We’re getting there now for OTT video with things like a 4K-capable Apple TV, and we’d expect to see many more compatible devices entering the market soon.”
The company stated that the next generation of satellite set-top boxes is also likely to feature this broadcast capability.
On the transmission side, upgrading to 4K streams means more data throughput.
“If you’ve got an uncapped data package via fibre, then it shouldn’t be an issue, but if you’re streaming via 3G/mobile and paying per GB, then it very much could be a challenge,” said MultiChoice.
“On the satellite side, we would also eventually need to purchase additional transmission capacity as throughput increases – but for now we don’t see that as a limiting factor.”
The company said it is currently looking at increasing the resolutions of its DStv satellite feeds, but cannot share any specific details at this stage.
Licensing and infrastructure
Other factors must also be taken into account when upgrading resolutions, such as licensing agreements for content.
MultiChoice stated that additional licensing agreements are generally needed to cover 4K content.
The infrastructure used by the company will also be affected, as upgrades may be needed to ensure its systems can handle the higher demands of 4K broadcasts.
“The current trial was an experiment using a managed service through third-party vendors, completely delivered through the cloud without impacting existing DStv Now’s platform infrastructure and networking,” said MultiChoice.
“Updates to client-side applications would probably be needed to support different streaming and encoding profiles,” it added.
“The current trial is limited to devices that can support 4K and the necessary codecs – so effectively the stream is side-loaded and consumed on the app, without additional load on DStv’s network.”
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