{"id":365026,"date":"2020-08-31T08:02:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T06:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=365026"},"modified":"2020-08-31T08:06:47","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T06:06:47","slug":"dstv-explora-ultra-vs-explora-3-a-must-have-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/365026-dstv-explora-ultra-vs-explora-3-a-must-have-upgrade.html","title":{"rendered":"DStv Explora Ultra vs Explora 3 &#8211; A &#8220;must-have&#8221; upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>MultiChoice recently launched a variety of new DStv offerings, which include a <a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/364372-dstv-explora-ultra-decoder-launched.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>new DStv decoder named the Explora Ultra<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Like previous Explora decoders, the Explora Ultra will enable the reception of DStv&#8217;s satellite broadcast signal to your TV and will support existing or new satellite installations.<\/p>\n<p>The new decoder sports a built-in Wi-Fi connection, however, and delivers a number of new features aimed at DStv customers with Internet connections and streaming packages.<\/p>\n<p>MultiChoice said this product will offer customers \u201cthe best of the satellite world and the best of the streaming world\u201d in a single package.<\/p>\n<p>It is currently unclear when the Explora Ultra will be released in South Africa, with MultiChoice stating that the launch date of the new decoder will be announced in due course.<\/p>\n<p>A major focus of DStv&#8217;s showcase event, during which the Explora Ultra was launched, was the integration of support for third-party streaming services into DStv&#8217;s unified platform, with the company stressing its role as a content aggregator for online and satellite services.<\/p>\n<p>The company <a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/355723-dstv-signs-big-streaming-deal-with-netflix-what-to-expect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>previously confirmed<\/strong><\/a> it had signed a deal with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, although this has since encountered problems.<\/p>\n<p>This deal is <a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/363570-dstv-bundling-plans-with-netflix-investigated-by-competition-commission.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>under investigation<\/strong><\/a> by the Competition Commission, and neither the Commission nor DStv have provided any further details as to the nature of the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>The integration of third-party streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video could be game-changer for DStv and the Explora Ultra, although the fate of this concept is currently unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Even without Netflix and Amazon Prime Video support, however, the Explora Ultra offers a number of great features over the previous-generation Explora 3.<\/p>\n<p>We compared the specifications and features of both these devices to illustrate the improvements offered by the new decoder.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Offline experience<\/h3>\n<p>MultiChoice states that the Explora Ultra will offer the same selection of offline features as the Explora 3, including standard DStv viewing and Catch Up.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The features of all Exploras are the same when there is no connection to the Internet,&#8221; DStv said. However, the Explora Ultra does offer better recommendations via its overhauled and unified home screen.<\/p>\n<p>The full list of offline features offered by the Explora 3 and Explora Ultra is as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pause Live TV for 2 hours<\/li>\n<li>Catch Up<\/li>\n<li>Box Office<\/li>\n<li>Eight-day TV guide<\/li>\n<li>Parental Control<\/li>\n<li>Interactive apps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Users are able to record up to 110 hours of content on both Explora devices, although this may vary depending on the quality of the recordings.<\/p>\n<p>The Explora Ultra has an edge against the Explora 3 in both video and audio quality, however, offering 4K video and Dolby Atmos audio support.<\/p>\n<p>It should be noted that these additional features only apply to supported media, as standard satellite broadcasts do not support 4K resolution.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Selected third-party apps on the DStv Explora Ultra offer 4K streaming content, subject to availability and subscription terms,&#8221; MultiChoice said.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Online features<\/h3>\n<p>The biggest difference between these two decoders is in their online features.<\/p>\n<p>The Explora Ultra not only offers support for third-party applications, but it also includes DStv Now and the full version of the Showmax app.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Although both have Showmax, the Ultra has the Showmax App with full features,&#8221; DStv states.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, the Explora 3 only offers Catch Up Plus and a less advanced version of Showmax.<\/p>\n<p>Using the Explora Ultra, you can watch a variety of content over your Internet connection, including videos from third-party applications.<\/p>\n<p>DStv recommends the following minimum Internet connection speeds for DStv Explora Ultra users:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SD streaming &#8211; <strong>2Mbps<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>HD streaming &#8211; <strong>10Mbps<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;For 4K streaming, we recommend checking the requirements of the individual content suppliers,&#8221; DStv said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Although a capped connection may be used for limited streaming, we recommend an uncapped connection (due to volume of data consumed when streaming), with line speed based on the customer\u2019s viewing requirements.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When combined with its retention of all the traditional satellite broadcasting features of previous Explora models, it is apparent that the Explora Ultra introduces a wealth of new features and viewing options.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how much the Explora Ultra will cost in comparison to the current-generation Explora 3, but DStv asserts that it is the &#8220;must-have&#8221; device for those who want a simple and easy way to access content across many services.<\/p>\n<p>The specifications of the DStv Explora Ultra and Explora 3 are shown below.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Specifications<\/h3>\n<div class=\"mybb_table\">\n<div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table\" style=\"width: 100%;\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"7\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #003366; font-weight: bold; color: #fff;\">\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">Specifications<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">Explora 3<\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">Explora Ultra<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"40%\"><strong>Sound quality<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\">Dolby Digital<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\">Dolby Atmos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Video quality<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>720p, 1080i<\/td>\n<td>720p, 1080i, 4K<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Connectivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Ethernet, USB for external DStv Wi-FI connector<\/td>\n<td>Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Recording capacity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Up to 110 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 110 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Smartcard slot<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>User bands<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>32<\/td>\n<td>32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>USB Ports<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Insurance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>R35 per month<\/td>\n<td>R45 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Price<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>R1,999 (including installation)<\/td>\n<td>TBA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Now read: <a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/364710-nu-metro-cinemas-to-reopen-in-south-africa.html\" rel=\"bookmark\">Nu Metro cinemas to reopen in South Africa<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DStv states that the Explora Ultra is a &#8220;must-have&#8221; device for those who want a simple and easy way to access content across many services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341028,"featured_media":364384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_threads_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[85,47498,66314,35],"class_list":["post-365026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-broadcasting","tag-dstv","tag-explora","tag-explora-ultra","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365026"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341028"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}