Want to move over to IP TV / Netflix etc etc

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colin87

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Hi everyone

Is there some kind of guide, or pros vs cons on the forums on the available services in South Africa?

I'm sick of paying DSTV.

The only current downside is that my exchange supports a max of 4MB. I think Mweb should serve my needs in terms of ISP, as they have in the past. If not, I will move over to someone else.

If the service allows you to pre-record shows, that would definitely be a plus.

I've seen people mention 3rd party services to make sure that you get full speeds as well. Any info will be much appreciated!

Thanks
 
4mb is fine for netflix .

netflix is 8 dollars a month.

unodns is 5 dollars, you need this so you can access usa only services/websites.

Use tv.com for latest releases of tv shows , you can stream HD from there also , though you need to access though your pc browser , netflix can work on xbox etc. (netflix does not have latest tv releases )
 
I'm using MWEB 1mbps on a 1mbps adsl connection for Netflix and it's awesome. 4mbps should get you near HD quality streaming

The crappy modem Telkom gave me loses wireless connection which sometimes screws with my Xbox Live account and streaming, but other than that I'm loving it.

You'll get a service called "Unotelly". It costs $5 a month if you pay for it 12 months in advance, otherwise it's $7.95 a month. It allows you to change the DNS settings on your router, so all devices connects to it can do streaming through Netflix and not be banned via their silly geographical rules. It also supports a ton of other services too.

Then you sign up with http://entropay.com. It allows you to load a virtual credit card you can use for services like Netflix, as they're picky with the region on PayPal payments and your regional credit card.

Bob's your uncle. You should be streaming in no time. If you Xbox, I do it through there instead of having a PC connected to my TV, and for that you need a Gold account. If you browse around, you can buy a Gold account code for 14 months for under R300.

In total, you're looking to spend approx R168 a month to get Netflix (which of course excludes your ADSL+Phone line) but is still much cheaper than DSTV.

It's also on-demand, and remembers where you left off, so if the power cuts out or if you too tired to continue watching, just stop/switch off and continue the next day. For series this is awesome because I usually forget which episode I'm on, and because my crappy modem loses wireless for a few seconds sometimes, it's useful to just restart and continue where you left off :)

Sometimes there's movies on there that hasn't even been released here. A ton of content. The only drawback (to me) with it is that that the content discovery isn't really that great. You have to know what you want to watch before you try and find it (and sometimes they don't have it). It's intuitive enough to suggest new shows based on what you've watched before though. Much fun. Week days I spend watching Netflix, then Friday nights I download the latest series and Saturday is spent catching up on that.

Boring life, but HELLUVA-lot cheaper than DSTV and I watch what I want when I want without adverts or schedules to adhere to.
 
Oh and even though the cost of your line + ISP and these services would equal DSTV's, when you don't stream, you can do literally ANYTHING online :)
 
What amount of data do you consume per month on Netflix AcidRaZor?
 
Thanks for all the replies! Will be doing some research today and let you know what I chose
 
Cameronkk said:
What amount of data do you consume per month on Netflix AcidRaZor?
Click to expand...

I stopped downloading series/movies etc in January when I went over to Netflix and Hulu Plus streaming, for the entire month of February I consumed 126gb

I have a 6mbps DSL line, using the equivalant speed uncapped account from Axxess. My modem averages between 1.1mbps to 1.7mbps when streaming a movie from Netflix or Hulu and quality is excellent.
 
I'm also thinking of moving away from DSTV. I see that a lot of people say that you need to have a computer connected to the TV. If you have a smart TV that can connect to the WIFI, is it possible to stream netflix or hulu directly through the TV and bypass the need for the PC? If so, then will the NetFlix and Hulu apps that come with these TV's work considering that I have set everything up correctly? Thanks for the help, I just need to know that this will work before I spend a lot on a Smart TV.
 
The only reason to stay with DSTV is for the sport, however if you know/have a dstv premium account you can stream off supersports site for major games. Otherwise to the pub!
 
Fiddich said:
I'm also thinking of moving away from DSTV. I see that a lot of people say that you need to have a computer connected to the TV. If you have a smart TV that can connect to the WIFI, is it possible to stream netflix or hulu directly through the TV and bypass the need for the PC? If so, then will the NetFlix and Hulu apps that come with these TV's work considering that I have set everything up correctly? Thanks for the help, I just need to know that this will work before I spend a lot on a Smart TV.
Click to expand...

Some TVs will support this, other will not. I've heard the LG models does not enable Netflix even with the Unotelly bypass.

You can get a cheap usb stick loaded with android for the same purpose as connecting a PC. Or just buy any other Media player with network support
 
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I have just made the switch today to Netflix and hulu, but the quality is cr@p. Is there any work around for this? I am on a 10Mb line DL@7-8Mbps. So I am not sure what the issue is?

Anyone know how if there is a fix for this? I am streaming on my xbox, and in the top left corner, it is on 1 bar all the time. It bounced to 2 then down again. The difference in quality is crazy :(
 
R15 cheaper but you watch what u want.Tired of this repeats.i have compact since i don't watch sport and there is nothing much too watch except food,food and more food.ignition tv is great but only for 1 day.its repeated for the rest of the weekend.Cant wait for cables to be laid !!
 
vsingh said:
R15 cheaper but you watch what u want.Tired of this repeats.i have compact since i don't watch sport and there is nothing much too watch except food,food and more food.ignition tv is great but only for 1 day.its repeated for the rest of the weekend.Cant wait for cables to be laid !!
Click to expand...

Sure, there are many other benefits and I completely agree with them. I just have a problem with comparing costs without including all of them. Also, it would work out more if you wanted HD content over IP. Sure, DSTV doesn't have everything in HD but for comparison purposes, the IP cost would need to include a faster line and ISP package.

Analogue line (148) + 4mbps line(425) + 4mbps uncapped (539) + Netflix (168) = R1,280

Don't know what the bitrates are for netflix but I'm pretty sure a 1mbps line would be insufficient to stream anything of decent picture quality on a reasonably sized (>32") TV screen.
 
stevenv said:
Bit misleading if you expand to all costs.

Analogue line (148) + 1mbps line(165) + 1mbps uncapped (199) + Netflix (168) = R680

So R15 cheaper than DSTV.
Click to expand...

Not entirely true.In my case I already had a 4mb Adsl line when I cancelled my DSTV so the only extra cost was in effect $7.99 for Netflix and $4.99 for Unblock-us.Even my ISP wasn't an extra cost as I already had uncapped.
 
ajules said:
Not entirely true.In my case I already had a 4mb Adsl line when I cancelled my DSTV so the only extra cost was in effect $7.99 for Netflix and $4.99 for Unblock-us.Even my ISP wasn't an extra cost as I already had uncapped.
Click to expand...

Granted if you already have 4mbps ADSL and DSTV then cutting the latter would result in a nett saving of R577 (in your case). But if you had to choose one or the other (all relevant costs included), on a pure cost comparison the IP option (with a decent connection for an overall good user experience) works out significantly more than DSTV. Ultimately it comes down to whether you want to pay a premium of R585 (R695 vs R1,280) for getting better content and less repeats.

By the way in case anyone was wondering, I don't work for Multichoice. Just playing devil's advocate..
 
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