DStv vs Openview – Prices and channels compared

DStv may be the largest satellite broadcasting service in South Africa, but it is not without competition.

Etv’s free-to-air satellite broadcasting service, Openview, has been seen impressive growth – reaching 2 million homes across the country earlier this year.

Unlike DStv, Openview does not charge a monthly subscription for viewers and is completely free apart from the initial cost of a decoder and installation.

DStv charges a monthly fee for all of its packages, starting from R29 per month for EasyView subscribers and moving up to R809 per month for DStv Premium.

Additionally, DStv customers must also purchase a decoder and have a DStv dish installed at their premises, although this once-off cost is cheaper than that charged by Openview.

Openview’s channel offering is not as extensive as DStv’s high-end bouquets, but it is competitive with its cheaper packages and has grown significantly.

One of the biggest changes to Openview’s offering over the past year is its improved sports offering, which extends from live football to esports and NBA.

This has made Openview a much stronger contender against DStv’s entry-level bouquets.

The cheapest bouquet available from DStv is its EasyView package, which offers viewers four entertainment, three kids, one sport, and 95 audio channels.

We compared the channels and pricing of a DStv EasyView package with Openview’s free-to-air satellite package.

DStv Easyview vs OpenView HD

Using channel information available on the DStv and Openview websites, we listed and compared the channels offered by both packages.

These included free channels available on both platforms such as SABC News and Etv.

We compared the official installation price offered by Openview with that offered by DStv installers to compare the once-off costs associated with each product.

The installation cost used in this comparison, therefore, reflects both the price of the decoder and the necessary installation.

The cost of an Openview installation is R1,599, while it will cost around R599 for an HD DStv decoder with installation included.

Considering that it will cost significantly more to install Openview than DStv EasyView, the R29-per-month charge for DStv EasyView is essentially absorbed for the first three years.

We chose to compare Openview’s offering with DStv EasyView, as higher-end DStv packages are not only much more expensive, but they also offer a wealth of content unavailable at these lower prices.

If you want to watch a wide selection of sports, international content, and the latest shows, you should select a more expensive DStv package.

Channel and price comparison

The table below provides a basic comparison of Openview and DStv’s EasyView products. Channel information was sourced directly from the broadcasters’ websites.

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