DStv Extra vs Premium vs Compact
A new DStv channel bouquet called “DStv Extra” was quietly launched recently, offering an 86-channel package for R380/month.
DStv Extra is priced to fit between the Premium (R625) and Compact (R275) bouquets, offering 13 more channels than Compact, and 33 fewer channels than Premium.
According to MultiChoice, DStv Premium offers 119 channels, Extra has 86 channels, and Compact includes 73 channels.
The table below summarises which channels Extra has that Compact doesn’t, and which channels Extra doesn’t have which Premium does:
| Premium channels not on Extra | Extra channels not on Compact |
| M-Net | BBC Entertainment |
| M-Net Movies Premiere | Comedy Central |
| M-Net Movies Comedy | E! |
| M-Net Movies Family | Fox |
| M-Net Movies Action+ | True Movies |
| M-Net Movies Drama & Romance | Kyknet |
| M-Net Movies Showcase | Africa Magic Movies 1 |
| Discovery Channel | Crime & Investigation |
| MTV | Travel Channel |
| Africa Magic Entertainment | History Channel |
| BBC Knowledge | Trace Sports |
| Supersport 1 | Nickelodeon |
| Supersport 2 | C-Beebies |
| Supersport 5 | VH 1 Classic |
| Supersport 6 | Sky News |
| Supersport 7 | |
| Supersport Maximo | |
| ESPN | |
| ESPN Classic | |
| Disney | |
| Afro Music |
Simplifying the comparison somewhat is the fact that DStv Premium includes all the channels offered by DStv Extra, while DStv Extra offers all but two of the channels on Compact: ESPN and Afro Music.
The Premium bouquet also offers access to HD channels, with Discovery HD Showcase, Supersport 1 HD, Supersport 2 HD, Supersport 3 HD, and Supersport 4 HD being counted towards the 119 channel total.
Premium also includes a number of foreign language channels such as RAI Italia, Beste van Nederlands, ERT Sat, RTPi, TV5 Monde Afrique, and Deustche Welle.
Bloomberg TV is also still counted among the channels exclusive to the Premium bouquet, but it will soon be discontinued in South Africa. Some of Bloomberg TV’s content will be rolled into the newly rebranded Business Day TV (formerly Summit), which is available not only on Premium, but to Extra, Compact, and Family bouquet subscribers as well.
The three bouquets also share the following common channels:
| Channels common to Premium, Extra, and Compact | |||
| Movies & Entertainment | |||
| M-Net Movies Action | M-Net Movies Stars | Studio Universal | M-Net Series |
| Vuzu | Universal Channel | Sony Entertainment TV | Sony Max |
| Blackbelt | CBS Reality | TCM | M-Net Movies Zone |
| Kyknet & Kie | Kyknet Musiek | Africa Magic Movies | Africa Magic |
| Africa Magic World | Mzansi Magic | Magic World | Mzansi Wethu |
| Documentaries & Lifestyle | |||
| Discovery ID | TLC | Style | BBC Lifestyle |
| Food network | The Home Channel | Fashion TV | National Geographic Channel |
| Nat Geo Wild | Animal Planet | Discovery World | Ignition |
| Free-to-air | |||
| SABC 1 | SABC 2 | SABC 3 | E-tv |
| Soweto TV | Bay TV | 1 KZN | |
| Sports | |||
| Supersport Blitz | Supersport 3 | Supersport 4 | TellyTrack |
| Kids | |||
| Cartoon Network | Boomerang | Disney XD | Kids Co |
| Disney Junior | Mindset Learn | ||
| Music | |||
| Channel O | Mzansi Music | M-TV Base | Trace Urban |
| One Gospel | |||
| Religion | |||
| Dumisa | TBN Africa | Rhema | iTV |
| News | |||
| BBC World News | CNN | eNCA | Russia Today |
| Al Jazeera | NDTV 24×7 | Parliamentary Service | CCTV News (CCTV-9) |
| CNBC Africa | Business Day TV | ||
| Specialist/Foreign | |||
| CCTV-4 | |||
Two non-permanent channels common to all three bouquets that appear to be counted as part of their totals are two channels for Big Brother Africa: The Chase (197, 198).
More on DStv and pay-TV broadcasting in South Africa
New DStv Extra package unveiled
DStv HD standards switch: what you need to know
Paid-for international video streaming illegal in SA
Top TV must register as porn distributor: FPB
Loading ...