Streaming has become the new norm in this age of on-demand entertainment… at least for those of us with blistering-fast internet. And DStv is slowly catching up with the competition by testing 4K capabilities on their streaming platform, DStv Now. The ability to stream content in 4K would be a welcome one but ‘DStv Now and chill’ doesn’t have quite the same ring to it…
“We’re continuing to develop DStv Now, with 4K streaming in testing and smart TV and Apple TV apps on their way shortly,” Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa Chief Operating Officer, says. “The other key priority for us is working with the telcos to deliver mobile data propositions that make watching online painless and worry-free for our customers.”
In recent months, DStv has fought an uphill battle against international streaming services for the title of top TV service in South Africa. Granted, they are regarded as the top TV-only service, although many users are now opting for streaming-only services. TV is so 2010. Meanwhile, Cell C has zero-rated data for its Black streaming service for the next couple of months in an effort to drive uptake, particularly from those consumers who only have mobile connectivity, and thus are understandably wary of streaming services that can otherwise devour data bundles.
DStv Now might be the company’s saving grace, as the on-demand platform could be available to more users on a range of devices, but they still have a lot of catching up to do — which is probably why they are engaged in 4K content testing and in branching out to more platforms. The only thing out of place here is that you’d still need a DStv package to access the service. No view-on-demand for non subscribers… not yet, at least.
There’s a lot of content available to DStv, and that the streaming service really could flourish, especially in terms of sport. According to MultiChoice, DStv Now’s average weekly usage rose 60% after the 2018 World Cup started.
DStv Now gives app users access to DStv live channels as well as an extended Catch Up library and the option to stream two separate streams on different devices simultaneously. Some content (that varies according to your package) can also be downloaded to smartphones and tablets for those times users don’t have connectivity.
They might be slightly late to the party, though, as Netflix offers 4K content on more smart devices than DStv Now supports. Hopefully we’ll see the MultiChoice-owned service split their TV and streaming services completely and give more South Africans — like those without a DStv subscription — access to their services. For now, though, the DStv Now app is available on selected smart devices (on both Android and iOS), and gives current DStv customers access to on-demand series and movies.
