Watching TV in 2016 isn’t quite the same as it was 20 years ago, as there’s just so much choice. And not only in terms of online vs. locally-broadcast channels, the tech itself has changed. To help our readers get to grips with it all, we’ve put together this useful guide on the television trends in South Africa today.
Analogue Television – What is it?
This one’s easy; analogue TV is what South Africa’s original system used to get television signal out to the country. Picking it up is as easy as plugging any old TV into power and connecting an aerial to its analogue input.
How do I get it?
Analogue TV is the easiest and cheapest of the bunch to get. All you need is a TV, an aerial and somewhere to plug it all in, and you’re golden. Well, sort of – with analogue TV, you’re limited to just four channels – eTV and the three SABC offerings – as well as however many local channels (like SowetoTV) are in range of your aerial.
What does it cost?
Expect to pay around R3000 for a small 32-incher, less when they are on special.
Digital TV – What is it?
Digital TV is television broadcast on a different radio frequency to analogue TV. South Africa is busy switching over to digital broadcasting in a bid to free up the wireless spectrum currently used by TV broadcasts for other purposes, like telecoms and wireless internet services.
How do I get it?
An existing aerial may work for picking up digital TV, but if you’re struggling you may need a new roof-top antenna. If your TV has a DVB-T2 tuner built-in, you’ll be able to simply plug in your antenna cable and go. If your TV doesn’t that tuner, or you want to watch pay-per-view services, you’ll need a separate set-top box to decode the signal.
What does it cost?
There’s no charge to watch channels that are broadcast free-to-air, which currently includes everything that’s available via analogue signals. If you qualify as a low income earner, you may even be able to get the set-top box for free too. Otherwise, expect to pay several hundred rand when they go on sale locally.
DStv – What is it?
If you don’t know this, welcome back from your 30-year fugue/coma. DStv is Multichoice’s satellite television service that offers up a multitude of sport, TV shows and movies from around the world, broken up into various “bouquets” that differ in price and content. It also offers its own “BoxOffice” service that lets people rent new movie releases.
How do I get it?
You’ll need to get a satellite dish to pick up DStv’s satellite signal and a decoder to decode it into watchable audio and video.
What does it cost?
Dish installations cost in the region of R1500, and decoders cost anything from R499 for standard-definition devices that don’t record, to R1 799 for Multichoice’s latest all-singing, all-dancing Explora decoder that is HD-capable and has a huge hard drive to record whatever shows you like. Subscriptions range from R39 (EasyView) to R699 (Premium).
Website: http://www.dstv.com
OpenView HD – What is it?
South Africa’s only “free” satellite TV service carries 20 TV stations (including the four public broadcasters) and eight radio stations, covering a range of local, educational and movie content. You won’t find the latest episodes of Game of Thrones here, but the selection is solid for a free service and some of the channels are in HD.
How do I get it?
You visit a big-name retailer like Game or Makro and buy an OpenView HD Starter Kit. It comes with the decoder and instructions on how to go about arranging for an official installer to come and install the satellite dish and associated cabling.
What does it cost?
All you pay is R399 for the decoder, and R799 for the satellite dish installation. There are zero monthly costs, so once you are set up, that’s all you pay forevermore.
Website: http://www.openviewhd.co.za
Netflix – What is it?
Netflix is an online video service that lets you stream a variety of TV shows and movies that’s determined by your region. All you need is a phone, laptop or PC connected to the internet and a Netflix account, and a world of content is yours, mostly quite up to date compared to what’s airing on services like DStv.
How do I get it?
Sign up for an account on the Netflix website (www.netflix.com), give them your credit card details and you’ll be billed monthly regardless of how much you watch.
What does it cost?
You’re looking at $11.99 a month to watch everything Netflix has to offer South Africans; that’s just under R200 at today’s exchange rate. You’ll also need a phone/tablet/PC and an internet connection faster than 2mbps to watch without buffering.
Website: http://www.netflix.com
ShowMax – What is it?
This South African service also provides access to a library of movies and TV shows that can be streamed over the internet. The difference is, it has more local content than overseas services do, while its other shows and movies tend to be a little less current.
How do I get it?
Simply sign up for a ShowMax account on the official website, and stream whatever you like to your phone/tablet/PC.
What does it cost?
For just R99 per month, you get access to everything ShowMax offers.
Website: http://www.showmax.co.za
MTN VU – What is it?
VU (previously MTN FrontRow) is a video streaming service from MTN. Its catalogue also differs from other providers, but you can expect a good selection of up to date TV series and movies regardless. VU’s biggest draw is that MTN subscribers can stream their movies and videos without incurring any data charges.
How do I get it?
Simply navigate to whattovu.com and subscribe. There are two subscription levels to consider – a PremiereVU account, which just lets you rent the service’s rentals and a MaxVU account that does the same; it also offers you a selection of movies and TV series “on the house”.
What does it cost?
Rentals cost between R15 and R27 depending on how new they are. A PremiereVU account is free, and gives you the option to pay R39 per weekend for unlimited viewing (excluding rentals) from 4pm on Friday to midnight on Sunday. R99 per month gets you a MaxVU subscription that grants you access to all of the site’s free content.
StarSat – What is it?
StarSat replaced TopTV as a satellite TV service back in 2014; it offers several bouquets to choose from that range in cost and channel selection from R99 to R199 per month and 45 or 74 channels, with a strong local content focus. There are also speciality bouquets that provide access to Indian and Chinese shows as well as a four-channel sport subscription. Only some of the channels are in High Definition.
How do I get it?
You’ll need a satellite dish and decoder; you can call StarSat to get everything delivered to your home, or visit an accredited StarSat retailer to buy the starter kit.
What does it cost?
The initial setup costs just R599, and that includes the dish, decoder and installation. Thereafter it’s just your monthly subscription.
