I must admit that I am not a fan of DStv despite the fact that I am a premium subscriber, who receives a monthly dish magazine by post and my statement without my consent via e-mail.
I am all for environmental friendliness so I would suggest that they rather keep the magazine and preserve nature, and sent me my monthly statement via e-mail and I will print it if I so wish. I don’t even open the dish magazine anyway as I know it will just be the ordinary repeats and lots of adverts. I must admit that there is some variety here and there, on my subscription, but what I do love is sport, actual events and movies.
What made me moving to DStv was because the SABC could not match the magic that they have promised – imagine a tagline “Mnet – where magic lives.” Mnet was the only reason I subscribed to DStv as I could not only signed up for Mnet and I was convinced it was the right decision at the time. Today I regret making that decision. My reasons are because the DStv brand changed from giving the customer various options to limited options.
I remember having a conversation with a friend who had the old decoder with the ability to watch Mnet only and was informed that the old decoder would be phased out based on the availability of stations and maybe a business decision I thought. When signing up for satellite TV was 3 easy steps, you buy the decoder, install and phone in for connection based on what’s on offer.
Today I see DStv no longer as a service provider promising where magic lives. I see the brand as “we will give you the magic IF YOU PAY.” Some would ask but why, most households having signed up for any of their packages are not even watching all content on offer but when we want movies we get repeats all the way from movies made in the early 1990’s till movies of the early 2000’s. I don’t mind being taken back on memory lane every once in a while, but with DStv it’s the norm nowadays.
If you want to watch the latest blockbuster which I agree, DStv had to pay for it, the cost are now escalated down to the customer in the form of Box Office for PVR subscribers, where you hire a latest movie for a certain period amounting to R25 per movie with DStv paying the first movie on your behalf. Some might think it’s a bargain, I obviously having a different view. Which make my liken DStv to the lottery. You donate and get nothing in return.
Simple terms as I’ve posted on #twitter I see it as a rip-off. Two quick points 1) I am not a researcher (this is based on my own views) 2) I am not a mathematician, (never really took maths serious at School) but see my calculations: The average PVR Subscriber had to part ways with any amount from between R600- R650 for subscription, the average Premium Subscriber around R590 I am not sure about the rest, maybe between R200-R400 per month, roughly calculated R6000 per annum for satellite TV, bear in mind if you miss a payment your services will be terminated there and then, without even having the opportunity to watch SABC content and you’re also expected to pay a penalty in the form of a reconnection fee.
In most cases we as subscribers spend less than four hours a day watching TV (again this was not researched), so why can’t we watch at least decent or latest movies without the need to pay R25 per movie. We already pay exorbitant amounts on the service itself. As a regular Talk Radio 702 listener, I have realized that lots of irate customers are phoning in to complain about the repeats on the satellite channels. All our pleas fall on deaf ears, the magic is gone, no one listens, posts on Facebook and twitter are ignored.
Let me assure you one thing though: If we the customer had a choice selecting our own channels, not the pre-selections things would have been better, but the service provider said no it will be too expensive. At the SABC we pay a nominal R250 for the annual licence fee, for this we get four TV Channels, without any interference, no problems when it is raining, no excuses, the same cannot be said about DStv when it is raining, the time when you really need to spend with family you cannot watch TV due to a no signal. When it comes to movies, the same outdated movie that the SABC is broadcasting is broadcasted on DStv in most cases, almost as if they competing against each other as to who is going to show the oldest movie, especially your weekend blockbusters.
I am using the latest innovation from DStv called the #drifta; this was what I call money wasted or what business people will call wasteful expenditure. The #drifta is limited to certain areas only but even in the so-called operational areas leaving the customer with weak signals/no signals/ or mostly troubleshooting, another reason why I won’t recommend the #drifta is because of the fact that on PC the screen is small, whereas you can watch a full screen on your mobile phone. Why did they not have a separate mobile product for the mobile phone and a separate product for the PC?
If it was up to me I would have recommended that potential or even active subscribers should refrain from DStv and stick to the SABC, as for movies; rather make it a family day and spend it at the Cinema with family, you won’t get any surprises; as you’ll get exactly what you are paying for, plus you get to spend some family time. My plea to DStv is: I know your main objective is to generate revenue, I know customer pleas fall on deaf ears, in fact I would have suggested that you had a toll free number for the times we are expected to stay on the phone lines, Please bring back the magic and I will pay for your services.
I am all for environmental friendliness so I would suggest that they rather keep the magazine and preserve nature, and sent me my monthly statement via e-mail and I will print it if I so wish. I don’t even open the dish magazine anyway as I know it will just be the ordinary repeats and lots of adverts. I must admit that there is some variety here and there, on my subscription, but what I do love is sport, actual events and movies.
What made me moving to DStv was because the SABC could not match the magic that they have promised – imagine a tagline “Mnet – where magic lives.” Mnet was the only reason I subscribed to DStv as I could not only signed up for Mnet and I was convinced it was the right decision at the time. Today I regret making that decision. My reasons are because the DStv brand changed from giving the customer various options to limited options.
I remember having a conversation with a friend who had the old decoder with the ability to watch Mnet only and was informed that the old decoder would be phased out based on the availability of stations and maybe a business decision I thought. When signing up for satellite TV was 3 easy steps, you buy the decoder, install and phone in for connection based on what’s on offer.
Today I see DStv no longer as a service provider promising where magic lives. I see the brand as “we will give you the magic IF YOU PAY.” Some would ask but why, most households having signed up for any of their packages are not even watching all content on offer but when we want movies we get repeats all the way from movies made in the early 1990’s till movies of the early 2000’s. I don’t mind being taken back on memory lane every once in a while, but with DStv it’s the norm nowadays.
If you want to watch the latest blockbuster which I agree, DStv had to pay for it, the cost are now escalated down to the customer in the form of Box Office for PVR subscribers, where you hire a latest movie for a certain period amounting to R25 per movie with DStv paying the first movie on your behalf. Some might think it’s a bargain, I obviously having a different view. Which make my liken DStv to the lottery. You donate and get nothing in return.
Simple terms as I’ve posted on #twitter I see it as a rip-off. Two quick points 1) I am not a researcher (this is based on my own views) 2) I am not a mathematician, (never really took maths serious at School) but see my calculations: The average PVR Subscriber had to part ways with any amount from between R600- R650 for subscription, the average Premium Subscriber around R590 I am not sure about the rest, maybe between R200-R400 per month, roughly calculated R6000 per annum for satellite TV, bear in mind if you miss a payment your services will be terminated there and then, without even having the opportunity to watch SABC content and you’re also expected to pay a penalty in the form of a reconnection fee.
In most cases we as subscribers spend less than four hours a day watching TV (again this was not researched), so why can’t we watch at least decent or latest movies without the need to pay R25 per movie. We already pay exorbitant amounts on the service itself. As a regular Talk Radio 702 listener, I have realized that lots of irate customers are phoning in to complain about the repeats on the satellite channels. All our pleas fall on deaf ears, the magic is gone, no one listens, posts on Facebook and twitter are ignored.
Let me assure you one thing though: If we the customer had a choice selecting our own channels, not the pre-selections things would have been better, but the service provider said no it will be too expensive. At the SABC we pay a nominal R250 for the annual licence fee, for this we get four TV Channels, without any interference, no problems when it is raining, no excuses, the same cannot be said about DStv when it is raining, the time when you really need to spend with family you cannot watch TV due to a no signal. When it comes to movies, the same outdated movie that the SABC is broadcasting is broadcasted on DStv in most cases, almost as if they competing against each other as to who is going to show the oldest movie, especially your weekend blockbusters.
I am using the latest innovation from DStv called the #drifta; this was what I call money wasted or what business people will call wasteful expenditure. The #drifta is limited to certain areas only but even in the so-called operational areas leaving the customer with weak signals/no signals/ or mostly troubleshooting, another reason why I won’t recommend the #drifta is because of the fact that on PC the screen is small, whereas you can watch a full screen on your mobile phone. Why did they not have a separate mobile product for the mobile phone and a separate product for the PC?
If it was up to me I would have recommended that potential or even active subscribers should refrain from DStv and stick to the SABC, as for movies; rather make it a family day and spend it at the Cinema with family, you won’t get any surprises; as you’ll get exactly what you are paying for, plus you get to spend some family time. My plea to DStv is: I know your main objective is to generate revenue, I know customer pleas fall on deaf ears, in fact I would have suggested that you had a toll free number for the times we are expected to stay on the phone lines, Please bring back the magic and I will pay for your services.
SO many questions - SO little answers…
http://www.channel24.co.za/TV/News/DStv-TopTV-ordered-to-change-contracts-20111021
ReplyDeleteCape Town – The National Consumer Commission has told DStv’s operator MultiChoice and TopTV’s operator On Digital Media to amend their current contracts with subscribers which the commission says do not apply with South Africa’s new Consumer Protection Act.
In a move that could have serious repercussions for South Africa’s pay TV industry, The National Consumer Commission also wants both South African pay TV operators to break down the channels in its bouquets and give subscribers the choice of a la carte channel subscriptions.
The Commission has issued compliance notices to MultiChoice and ODM.
The National Consumer Commission wants MultiChoice and ODM to allow subscribers to pay for the specific TV channels they want, and want the DStv and TopTV channel selection to be grouped into genres.
TopTV told Channel24 on Friday that the operator can only comment at a later stage.
“We are engaging with the National Consumer Commission on some procedural aspects,” said Thato Mahapa, senior manager of regulatory affairs at TopTV.
“We have not yet taken a decision or adopted a view as regards the signing of the notice or opposing it.”
Jackie Rakitla, general manager for corporate affairs at MultiChoice South Africa, told Channel24: “We have received a compliance notice and we are currently considering it”.
Bundling services or offering a product?
South Africa’s Consumer Act prohibits the bundling of services. The National Consumer Commission seems to regard the offering of separate TV channels together as a single product as tantamount to bundling services.
The pay TV model that South Africa’s operators follow – similar to the practice worldwide – is to aggregate TV channels that would simply not be economically viable as singular TV streams.
How the worldwide pay TV model works is that more popular TV channels and content actually subsidise less popular TV channels in order to offer a product. Because of scale and the number of subscribers, operators can offer a selection of more watched and less watched TV channels to cater for a wider overall variety of programming taste.
Smaller channels will disappear
While a so-called “a la carte” channel selection would theoretically be possible, it will actually cause pay TV operators to increase the individual price of TV channels, especially popular ones.
For instance: While subscribers would be able to subscribe to just a SuperSport channel on DStv or just a Fox channel on TopTV, less popular channels will completely disappear because of a lack of demand.
Meanwhile, news channels, kids channels carrying less commercial advertising, and less appealing channels that still deliver unique content and cater to a niche audience will disappear, leading to less choice and less overall programming diversity.
No DTH (direct-to-home) pay TV satellite operator in the world currently has the back-end technological infrastructure to organise and customise unique channel selection sign-ups to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individual subscribers.
- Channel24