Today South Africans can break free from decoders and installation fees by purchasing a streaming only package from DStv.
While this is wonderful news, those hoping for a package similar in pricing to something like Netflix or MultiChoice’s own Showmax will be found wanting.
That’s because in all bouquets available aside from one, the streaming only offering comes out more expensive than a subscription only package.
While most DStv packages are advertised with a decoder and installation included in the cost of a 24 month contract, we’re looking specifically at the subscription only pricing.
[su_table responsive=”yes”]
Package | Streaming Only (month to month) | Broadcast and streaming, no decoder (24 months) | Price difference |
Premum | R819 | R749 | R70 |
Compact Plus | R529 | R489 | R40 |
Compact Plus | R399 | R359 | R40 |
Family | R279 | R249 | R30 |
Access | R110 | R99 | R11 |
EasyView | R29 | R29 | R0 |
[/su_table]
Now, if like us, you’re always looking for a deal you might be wondering if you can save some money by signing up for a 24 month contract and then not using a decoder.
Sure, you’re locked into a contract but you’ll save R1 680 over 24 months in a Premium package if you take that option.
The question we have is whether one can do that.
Unfortunately, following a conversation with a DStv Contact Centre agent we were told that in the case of the subscription only package one needs a decoder to be linked to your profile. This then allows DStv to create your online account for you and link the streaming platform to your decoder.
We have contacted MultiChoice for additional information but they had not responded by time of publication. When we receive a response we will be sure to update this story.
As for channel variety, you can expect the same experience as DStv’s decoder offering.
[su_table responsive=”yes”]
Package | Number of Channels | Number of dedicated sport channels |
Premum | 159 | 12 |
Compact Plus | 144 | 10 |
Compact | 127 | 4 |
Family | 93 | 3 |
Access | 67 | 1 |
EasyView | 36 | 1 |
[/su_table]
As regards the sporting channels we highly recommend investigating which channels are available on a specific channel. The above is simply a broad overview.
Something else we ought to mention is that when selecting a streaming only package you can sign-up and start streaming immediately rather than having to wait for a call back and installation.
We are incredibly curious to see how popular these packages prove to be. A common complaint about DStv has been the immense fees charged and these new streaming only packages continue that trend.