{"id":544963,"date":"2024-07-19T15:04:06","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=544963"},"modified":"2024-07-19T15:04:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:04:06","slug":"dstv-easyview-versus-openview-channel-decoder-and-pricing-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/544963-dstv-easyview-versus-openview-channel-decoder-and-pricing-showdown.html","title":{"rendered":"DStv EasyView versus Openview \u2014 channel, decoder, and pricing showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Openview’s new OV512 decoder is an attractive offering at R799, considering users don’t have to pay any fees once they’ve bought it.<\/p>\n

In comparison, DStv’s HD Single View decoder costs the same. However, customers must pay a monthly subscription to access the service, with the cheapest package being EasyView, which costs R29 per month.<\/p>\n

DStv also offers the decoder with dish and installation for R999. Openview doesn’t provide installation. However, its FAQ page notes that customers can buy a decoder and installation voucher from Checkers Hyper.<\/p>\n

We were unable to locate this bundle on the Checkers website.<\/p>\n

After years of teasing the new hardware, Openview launched<\/a> the OV512 decoder in early July 2024.<\/p>\n

eMedia retail executive Mmatshipi Matebane said the “new, sleek, and stylish” decoder continued the trend of cutting-edge technology for which Openview is known.<\/p>\n

It includes new features like a built-in Wi-Fi receiver and a “+MORE” button on the remote, allowing users to access on-demand “premium content” in HD quality.<\/p>\n

It also supports pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding on-demand content. Hands-on testing<\/a> of the decoder revealed a maximum resolution of 1080p.<\/p>\n

In comparison, DStv’s HD Single View decoder offers a maximum resolution of 1080i, which is noticeably inferior to 1080p.<\/p>\n

The decoder offers features like HD menus and interactive apps like SuperSport, News24, and Weather.<\/p>\n

However, it doesn’t give customers access to on-demand content or the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward.<\/p>\n

Regarding content offerings, DStv’s EasyView package currently gives subscribers access to 33 live TV channels and around 95 radio channels.<\/p>\n

Openview HD customers can choose from 20 live channels and around 28 radio channels.<\/p>\n

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as 12 of DStv EasyView’s 33 channels are freely available, including SABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, Soweto TV, Tshwane TV, and E-tv.<\/p>\n

The entry-level DStv package lacks channels in the Movies & Entertainment and Documentaries & Lifestyle categories compared to Openview. It offers four Movies & Entertainment channels and one Documentaries & Lifestyle channel.<\/p>\n

Openview offers seven channels in the Movies & Entertainment category and two in the Documentaries & Lifestyle segment.<\/p>\n

Regarding sports, DStv EasyView customers only get access to SuperSport Blitz, which is effectively a news and updates channel for SuperSport’s content.<\/p>\n

Openview customers can only watch SABC Sport, which broadcasts live football, cricket, and other sports.<\/p>\n

EasyView customers get access to a broader range of News & Commerce channels, including SABC News, Newzroom Afrika, Al Jazeera, and CNBC, while Openview customers can only catch up on news on the France 24 channel.<\/p>\n

Each package offers one foreign channel. EasyView has CCTV4, a Chinese free-to-air channel offering a range of content, including documentaries, music, news, drama series, sports and children’s shows.<\/p>\n

Openview offers Zee One, a general entertainment channel based in Germany, offering a variety of Bollywood productions.<\/p>\n

A comparison of Openview’s and DStv EasyView’s pricing and content is provided in the table below.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nDStv EasyView<\/th>\nOpenview<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Once-off installation fee<\/strong><\/td>\nR799 (decoder only) | R999 (decoder, dish, installation)<\/td>\nR799 (decoder only)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monthly fee<\/strong><\/td>\nR29<\/td>\nR0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Channel category<\/strong><\/td>\n#<\/strong><\/td>\nDStv channels<\/strong><\/td>\n#<\/strong><\/td>\nOpenview channels<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Movies & Entertainment<\/td>\n4<\/td>\nBBC UKTV, TNT Africa, Real Time, eExtra<\/td>\n7<\/td>\neExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra, eXposed, eReality, ePlesier, Star Life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Documentaries & Lifestyle<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nPeople’s Planet<\/td>\n2<\/td>\nPeople’s Planet, The Home Channel +<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Free Channels<\/td>\n12<\/td>\nSABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, e.TV, Soweto TV, Bay TV, 1 KZN, Tshwane TV, Cape Town TV, GauTV, Lesotho TV, E-tv<\/td>\n4<\/td>\nSABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, E-tv<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sports<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nSuperSport Blitz<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nSABC Sport<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kids & Teen<\/td>\n3<\/td>\nJimJam, Mindset, eToonz<\/td>\n3<\/td>\nDBE TV, eToonz, Mindset<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Music<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nMzansi Music<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nSA Music<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Religion<\/td>\n4<\/td>\nFAITH, Day Star, TBN Africa, Emmanuel TV<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
News & Commerce<\/td>\n7<\/td>\nSABC News, Newzroom Afrika, Al Jazeera, Parliamentary Service, CGTN News, CNBC Africa, Business Day TV<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nFrance 24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Specialist & Foreign<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nCCTV 4<\/td>\n1<\/td>\nZee One<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total TV Channels<\/strong><\/td>\n34<\/strong><\/td>\n20<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio channels<\/td>\n95<\/td>\n…<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While Openview’s OV512 and DStv’s HD Single View decoders are available for the same price, the MultiChoice owned broadcaster charges a monthly subscription, while Openview doesn’t.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341076,"featured_media":451690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[21484,34321,35,73878,50823,95845],"class_list":["post-544963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-broadcasting","tag-dstv-easyview","tag-dstv-hd-single-view-decoder","tag-headline","tag-mmatshipi-matebane","tag-openview","tag-openview-ov512-decoder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544963"}],"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\/341076"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544963"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":545123,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544963\/revisions\/545123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/451690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}