DStv EasyView versus OpenView HD

OpenView HD, a new free-to-air satellite TV platform in South Africa, announced that it will offer 16 channels when it launches its first services in October.

According to OpenView HD, its range of genres were selected to cater to the South African viewers’ needs.

While OpenView HD is a free service, consumers are likely to compare the product with DStv’s EasyView offering.

Considering that it will cost far more to install OpenView HD than DStv EasyView – R1,599 versus R599 – the R29 per month for DStv EasyView is essentially absorbed for the first three years.

DStv EasyView offers 24 channels. It is a selection of news, general entertainment, religious, and free-to-air channels, including radio stations and open weekends.

The following table provides a basic comparison of OpenView HD and DStv’s OpenView HD products.

Component	OpenView HD	DStv EasyView
Monthly Price	Free	R29

Installation cost (estimate)	R1,599 (HD decoder)	R599 (SD decoder)

Entertainment, Culture and Lifestyle channels	SABC 1	SABC 1
	SABC 2	SABC 2
	SABC 3	SABC 3
	e.tv (HD)	e.tv
	eKasi+	Africa Magic Entertainment
	eAfrica+	Magic World
	eMovies+	Soweto TV
	Zest TV	Bay TV
	ASTV	1 KZN
	Deen TV	Tshwane TV

Children and Education	eToons+	KidsCo
	Mindset TV	Mindset TV
	Da Vinci Learning
	English Club

Religion	Spirit Word Channel	TBN
	Inspiration TV	Rhema
		iTV

Sport	—	SuperSport Blitz

News, Commerce and Specialised channels	—	SABC News
		ANN7
		Al Jazeera
		Parliamentary service
		CCTV News
		Weather24
		Business Day TV
		CCTV 4

Audio channels	—	29 audio channels