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DStv's Compact comeback

Written by TVSA Team from the blog News on 03 May 2010
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On Friday (30 April, 2010) DStv responded to Saturday's launch of new satcaster TopTV by releasing a new bouquet DStv Lite for R99/month. They've also added new channels to the Compact and Select bouquet.

Rumour has it they'll also be announcing a special on regular decoders soon: a special involving decoders and installation for a set price i.e. the installation will essentially be free. We'll keep you posted if and when this is confirmed.

In the meantime, this is a rundown of the new bouquet, with the additions to Select and Compact in red:

DStv Lite R99	DStv SELECT 1	DStv SELECT 2	DStv COMPACT	DStv PREMIUM
25 Channels	34 Channels	32 Channels	44 Channels	86 Channels + 3 HD
32 Radio	32 Radio	32 Radio	32 Radio	32 Radio
10 DMX	10 DMX	10 DMX	10 DMX	40 DMX
R 99	R 148	R 148	R 232	R 529

Movies & Ent (5)	Movies & Ent (8)	Movies & Ent (6)	Movies & Ent (12)	Movies & Ent (20)
				M-Net
				M-Net Movies 1
				M-Net Movies 2
			M-NET Stars	M-NET Stars
	M-Net Action	M-Net Action	M-Net Action	M-Net Action
	Universal Channel		Universal Channel	Universal Channel
TCM	TCM	TCM	TCM	TCM
	M-Net Series		M-Net Series	M-Net Series
		kykNET		kykNet
MagicWorld	MagicWorld	MagicWorld	MagicWorld	MagicWorld
			Sony Entertainment	Sony Entertainment
			AfricaMagic	AfricaMagic
Africa Magic +	AfricaMagic +		AfricaMagic +	AfricaMagic +
				BBC Entertainment
				Discovery Channel
			VUZU	VUZU
				E! Entertainment
Zone Reality	Zone Reality	Zone Reality	Zone Reality	Zone Reality
				Animax
Soweto TV	Soweto TV	Soweto TV	Soweto TV	Soweto TV

HD	HD	HD	HD	HD (3)
				M-Net HD
				SuperSport 1 HD
				Discovery HD

Cult & Lifest (2)	Cult & Lifest (2)	CULT& LIFEST (2)	Cult & Lifest (4)	Cult & Lifest (5)
FTV	FTV	FTV	FTV	FTV
				Travel Channel
The Home Channel	The Home Channel	The Home Channel	The Home Channel	The Home Channel
			The Style Network	The Style Network
			BBC Lifestyle	BBC Lifestyle

Sports (2)	Sports (2)	Sports (2)	Sports (5)	Sports (12)
SS Blitz	SS Blitz	SS Blitz	SS Blitz	SS Blitz
				SuperSport 1
				SuperSport 2
			SuperSport 3	SuperSport 3
			SuperSport 4	SuperSport 4
				SuperSport 5
				SuperSport 6
				SuperSport 7
				SuperSport Maximo
			ESPN	ESPN
				ESPN Classic
SuperSport Action	SuperSport Action	SuperSport Action	TellyTrack	TellyTrack

Documentary	Documentary (2)	Documentary (2)	Documentary (3)	Documentary (8)
	Discovery World	Discovery World	Discovery World	Discovery World
				BBC Knowledge
				The History Channel
				C&I Network
	National Geographic	National Geographic	National Geographic	National Geographic
				Nat Geo Wild
			Animal Planet	Animal Planet
				Ignition



Children (1)	Children (2)	Children (2)	Children (2)	Children (7)
			Cartoon Network	Cartoon Network
				Boomerang
				Disney Channel
	Nickelodeon	Nickelodeon		Nickelodeon
				Cbeebies
				Kowee
Mindset Learn	Mindset Learn	Mindset Learn	Mindset Learn	Mindset Learn

Music (1)	Music (3)	Music (3)	Music (3)	Music (7)
Channel O	Channel O		Channel O	Channel O
				MTV
	MTV Base	MTV Base		MTV Base
				VH1
		MK		MK
			Trace TV	Trace TV
	One Gospel	One Gospel	One Gospel	One Gospel

Religion (3)	Religion (3)	Religion (3)	Religion (3)	Religion (3)
TBN	TBN	TBN	TBN	TBN
Rhema	Rhema	Rhema	Rhema	Rhema
ISLAM CHANNEL	ISLAM CHANNEL	ISLAM CHANNEL	ISLAM CHANNEL	ISLAM CHANNEL

News & Comm (7)	News & Comm (8)	News & Comm (8)	News & Comm (8)	News & Comm (12)
BBC World News	BBC World News	BBC World News	BBC World News	BBC World News
CNN International	CNN International	CNN International	CNN International	CNN International
	Sky News	Sky News		Sky News
			eNews	eNews
				EuroNews
				Russia Today
AlJazeera	Al Jazeera	AlJazeera	AlJazeera	AlJazeera
Parliamentary Service	Parliamentary Service	Parliamentary Service	Parliamentary Service	Parliamentary Service
CNBC Africa	CNBC Africa	CNBC Africa	CNBC Africa	CNBC Africa
				Bloomberg
Summit TV	Summit TV	Summit TV	Summit TV	Summit TV
Weather24	Weather24	Weather24	Weather24	Weather24

FTA (4)	FTA (4)	FTA (4)	FTA (4)	FTA (4)
SABC1	SABC1	SABC1	SABC1	SABC1
SABC 2	SABC 2	SABC 2	SABC 2	SABC 2
SABC 3	SABC 3	SABC 3	SABC 3	SABC 3
etv	etv	etv	etv	etv

Specialist/ Foreign	Specialist/ Foreign	Specialist/ Foreign	Specialist/ Foreign	Specialist/ Foreign (8)
				RAI International
				Beste van Nederlands
				ERT World
				Deutsche Welle
				CCTV 4
				CCTV 9
				RTPi
				TV5 Monde Afrique



Audio	Audio	Audio	Audio	Audio
DMX (10)	DMX (10)	DMX (10)	DMX (10)	DMX (40)
DMX - Adult Contemporary	DMX - Adult Contemporary	DMX - Adult Contemporary	DMX - Adult Contemporary
DMX €“ 70€™s Hits	DMX €“ 70€™s Hits	DMX €“ 70€™s Hits	DMX - 70's Hits
DMX €“ 80€™s Hits	DMX €“ 80€™s Hits	DMX €“ 80€™s Hits	DMX - 80's Hits
DMX - Love Songs	DMX - Love Songs	DMX - Love Songs	DMX - Love Songs
DMX €“ Classic Rock	DMX €“ Classic Rock	DMX €“ Classic Rock	DMX - Classic Rock
DMX €“ Rock €˜n Roll Oldies	DMX €“ Rock €˜n Roll Oldies	DMX €“ Rock €˜n Roll Oldies	DMX - Rock 'n Roll Oldies
		DMX - Classic R&B
DMX - Gospel	DMX - Gospel	DMX - Gospel	DMX - Gospel
DMX - African	DMX - African		DMX - African
DMX €“ Smooth Jazz	DMX €“ Smooth Jazz	DMX €“ Smooth Jazz	DMX - Smooth Jazz
DMX - Contemporary Instrumentals	DMX - Contemporary Instrumentals	DMX - Contemporary Instrumentals	DMX - Contemporary Instrumentals
RADIO (32)	RADIO (32)	RADIO (32)	RADIO (32)	RADIO (32)
BBC World Radio 1	BBC World Radio 1	BBC World Radio 1	BBC World Radio 1	BBC World Radio 1
BBC World Radio 2	BBC World Radio 2	BBC World Radio 2	BBC World Radio 2	BBC World Radio 2
BBC World Radio 3	BBC World Radio 3	BBC World Radio 3	BBC World Radio 3	BBC World Radio 3
Voice of America	Voice of America	Voice of America	Voice of America	Voice of America
World Radio Network	World Radio Network	World Radio Network	World Radio Network	World Radio Network
Trans World Radio	Trans World Radio	Trans World Radio	Trans World Radio	Trans World Radio
Talk Radio 702	Talk Radio 702	Talk Radio 702	Talk Radio 702	Talk Radio 702
Classic FM	Classic FM	Classic FM	Classic FM	Classic FM
Jacaranda FM	Jacaranda FM	Jacaranda FM	Jacaranda FM	Jacaranda FM
YFM	YFM	YFM	YFM	YFM
Chinese Radio International	Chinese Radio International	Chinese Radio International	Chinese Radio International	Chinese Radio International
Kaya FM	Kaya FM	Kaya FM	Kaya FM	Kaya FM
RAI Radio	RAI Radio	RAI Radio	RAI Radio	RAI Radio
Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 1	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 1	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 1	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 1	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 1
Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 2	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 2	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 2	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 2	Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 2
Channel Islam Internationale	Channel Islam Internationale	Channel Islam Internationale	Channel Islam Internationale	Channel Islam Internationale
Radio France Internationale	Radio France Internationale	Radio France Internationale	Radio France Internationale	Radio France Internationale
Radio Wave	Radio Wave	Radio Wave	Radio Wave	Radio Wave
Radio Energy	Radio Energy	Radio Energy	Radio Energy	Radio Energy
1485 AM Radio	1485 AM Radio	1485 AM Radio	1485 AM Radio	1485 AM Radio
Radio Veritas	Radio Veritas	Radio Veritas	Radio Veritas	Radio Veritas
Radio Vlaanderen International	Radio Vlaanderen International	Radio Vlaanderen International	Radio Vlaanderen International	Radio Vlaanderen International
TransAfrica Radio	TransAfrica Radio	TransAfrica Radio	TransAfrica Radio	TransAfrica Radio
Link FM	Link FM	Link FM	Link FM	Link FM
Radio Kosmo	Radio Kosmo	Radio Kosmo	Radio Kosmo	Radio Kosmo
Jozi FM	Jozi FM	Jozi FM	Jozi FM	Jozi FM
94.7 Highveld Stereo	94.7 Highveld Stereo	94.7 Highveld Stereo	94.7 Highveld Stereo	94.7 Highveld Stereo
94.5 KFM	94.5 KFM	94.5 KFM	94.5 KFM	94.5 KFM
Metro FM	Metro FM	Metro FM	Metro FM	Metro FM
Radio Pulpit	Radio Pulpit	Radio Pulpit	Radio Pulpit	Radio Pulpit
NNR	NNR	NNR	NNR	NNR
Capricorn FM	Capricorn FM	Capricorn FM	Capricorn FM	Capricorn FM

Channels in this post: Nat Geo Wild, Crime + Investigation

46 Comments

ThatDude
03 May 2010 22:51

mxim,desperate,how about dropping your ridiculous prices and give us premium subscribers HBO and BET

Cnglemother
04 May 2010 00:57

Be patient Thatdude the competition is gona get stiffer for them and we might seem em dropping their rates to match cheaptv's.

FK
04 May 2010 08:48

agree with you ThatDude - they are neglecting the premium subscribers.

Mathaz
04 May 2010 08:54

I once sent an e-mail to them explaining that Premium is way way too much for some of us especially since I only watch news during the week and only miss Premium on weekends. I requested them to open Premium on weekends for an extra fee of course but they said they'll look into it. There's also a huge gap between Compact and Premium in terms of pricing. They should have had something in between that would cost about R350.00

TheLady
04 May 2010 10:55

Eish R232 just for Sports is too much yazi..I'll stick to welfare and watch the delayed live games

Takwesha
04 May 2010 11:01

Where is 5FM?

tizoz
04 May 2010 11:22

you can forget about prices coming down, Multichoice is so not going to loose that much of their subscribers, I for one dont really see what I can possible be getting Top TV for.

Remember what happened the first day WC tickets went on sale over the counter... there was so much hype and it died within hours cause all the prime venues were already sold out but there are still tens of thousands of tickets still available in not so desired venues.... So the hype might be there for now for Top TV but I doubt it is going to last that long.....

realist
04 May 2010 11:26

Tizos: Those who hate sports with passion will definately jump ship. Presently on dstv is just repeats starting with discovery, national geographic and the movies the less said the better.

Toxic
04 May 2010 11:36

wow!!!! so we finally get VUZU...........maybe we'll get mnet and E! soon if toptv does well. i think i'll watch this from the sidelines and hopefully benefit from it.

Toxic
04 May 2010 11:38

@Takwesha that's a million dollar question. Even capriconFM is on the audio bouquet *sigh*

tizoz
04 May 2010 11:42

and Top TV wont have repeats because?

Programming is very expensive and there is no channel in the world that dont repeat their content at some stage......

I mean look at the movies channel on Top TV... there is only one Movie channel triplicated..... and you tell me you wont see repeats? check their initial lineup, you will see a not so lekka pattern....

realist
04 May 2010 11:50

Of course ther will be repeats on TOP TV. Premium has got 88 channels and there is hardly new content on that bouquet and this dstv has been in this business for how long?

For what you are paying for Top TV compared to dstv I think dstv is screwing the people paying for the premium bouquet. Take out sport on dstv and you got nothing of value to watch.

Toxic
04 May 2010 11:54

@realist true. even popular shows like KUWTK and that kimora show were repeated so often that we ended up watching seasons of repeats. Hayi. I don't watch sport so don't agree with that comment.

tizoz
04 May 2010 11:58

oh well for me it's just a thought that the "goldrush" might just not be that fruitful for Top TV.......

Agreed the price is high but hey they are unlikely to bring it down because of what Top TV is currently offering.

For a stiff sfiff competition I believe these new guys needed to think outside the box, did they really have to go and scramble on whatever that is left in the US after Multichoice took everything.....

Anyway until they blow me away then I doubt i will be changing my set top box.....

realist
04 May 2010 12:02

Hayi. I don't watch sport so don't agree with that comment.
Fair enough. I was illustrating the point that without sport dstv will be the same with Top TV.

Tox, what I’m saying is if you take out sport dstv premium will be cheap. It will cost in the region of about R350 or less. Dstv paid safa about a billion for broadcast rights for the next 5 years. For English premier league it will be more than what they paid safa. Take that equation and out and voila dstv will be cheap.

realist
04 May 2010 12:08

Out of interest, how much is the Mnet bouquet as it is equivalent to Top TV.

Toxic
04 May 2010 12:21

@realist
Oh, thought u meant premium was about sport only.......like the people who took out the premium option did that solely for sports.

Out of interest, how much is the Mnet bouquet as it is equivalent to Top TV.

would like to know too.

I think i'm going to wait this out and read about TopTV complaints before i switch or add on.

Savanah Dry
04 May 2010 12:37

I personally think DSTV is reaping us off .. i get subscribe to the premium mainly for Mnet and i have never watched sport my Tv would blow if i am to do that...
They repeat movies and weekends when you are at home and hoping to spend the day watching good tv well think again its even worse weekends.

Funny thing is there are other shows during the week that i cannot watch coz they all show at the same time and they do not bother to repeat them weekends.

So if you pay premium like me and do not have Pvr you just donating 529 every month to Dstv.

Toxic
04 May 2010 13:11

@SD true about that PVR thing. it was my experience when i was on premium too...soo frustrating. some repeats are at 3.00am like are they mad??

ThatDude
04 May 2010 14:36

Mnet on its own is like R265

Timone
04 May 2010 18:07

Can we no longer have an option of just u Mnet only, like back in the day. Its the only reason I would ever subscribe to DStv, otherwise at R529 it is just too much, over 6 grand a year!

Cnglemother
05 May 2010 00:19

People that work during the day pls explain whats going on with compact,i just got home its after 00:00,im watching Skynews.my tv has all premium channels available.im terrified by these changes manje too much to stomach.thanks to realisttv weird things are happening in tvland.

Cnglemother
05 May 2010 00:22

Cnglemother
05 May 2010 01:11

OMGucci!its like im dreaming just saw Kendra and her baby on E!im praying that premium and compact have merged.comPRAct rocks!

Cnglemother
05 May 2010 01:28

Tashi pls find out how many viewers has dstv lost since cheaptv launched so we can make sense of this awesome fiasco happening on our compact screens.im scared to turn the tv off it might go back to compact.

LM
05 May 2010 06:16

Hehehe! Cnglema, I'm watching beauty queens gone wrong on E!...i guess premium is open once again. the last time it happened was in feb/march for the whole weekend...

koketsop
05 May 2010 12:10

I wonder which tvseries top tv will have that the dish does not already have, and howe recent will their programmes be coz when it comes to the e-entertainment on the dish I give up especially with the THS....its so outdated only their reality shows are alright

poshspice
05 May 2010 12:24

Thank gaawd for Top TV, Multichoice had gotten too comfortable and forgot the mouth that feeds them......now they are loosing customers...it's a lesson never to take the market for granted....if they were providing a good service, customers would have been loyal to them, I only upgraded because my son loves car shows Ignition,Pimp my Ride, Top Gear and children's networks... ..but I am not happy with DSTV

Cande
05 May 2010 14:14

Ment alone costs 265?? Tjo id rather just open all the channels!

ThatDude
05 May 2010 15:13

okay multichoice has gone too far premium,the cashcows are subsidizing compact!they get premium at compact price!

FK
05 May 2010 20:48

@Cnga - do you still have comPRact?

Just got an email from advising me that they have upgraded my HD PVR software. Now it has a new feature called DSTV on Demand.

DStv ON DEMAND offers you the opportunity to catch up on a selection of your favourite series & sporting highlights for up to 7 days after their first broadcast on DStv. This feature is only available to DStv Premium subscribers.

I checked the series schedule out and I mean really - who told them I like series? I don't watch series. PERIOD. Why can't I have an option of choosing what I want to catch up on, choose what I wan to Record? They pretend like we are friends, as if they know my taste and why I have this damn decoder. Batho ba ba ntlhantsa big time.

Cnglemother
06 May 2010 01:58

Kwa-kwa-kwa@FK!comPRact closed while i was busy watching Larry King just b4 noon.Xmas ova.

realist
13 May 2010 07:10

Right Tizoz,
Here is the low down of what I’ve watched so far.

Top one: Haven’t watched yet.

Top gospel: Not for me, maybe the commander in chief will be interested in it since she is forever watching gospel on Soweto TV.
God TV: I’ll pass. Not for me
Christian channel: no thanks.
Inspiration: No thanks.

Movie channel: Did not take that option since I occasionally watch movies. Will stick with dstv

Hi Nolly: Of the content I watched you better be careful with your volume if you are playing via your amp. Boy, Nigerians can be noisy. So before you go to that channel check your volume first. Maybe Dorothy777 can explain why Nigerians are so loudly when they communicate.

Zee cinema: This is bollywood. I’ll pass.
BBC world: Need I say anything?
Fox News: Mostly it is about America and so it is not worth my time. Will watch if something of value crops up.

MSNBC: Haven’t give it my effort. Will report later.
Al Jazzera: Need I say anything?
France24: Not bad.
Current tv: So far it is good. Will give it some effort to watch and then see if it is impressive. So far it is not disappointing.

Welfare tv: Need I say anything?

Educational channel: Haven’t watched
RTPi: No thanks
Fashion tv: No thanks
Fine living network: The stuff I’ve seen so far was about couples getting married. I don’t think it is worth my effort.

The above is for basic option

realist
13 May 2010 07:29

For kids and music option

Top junior: Haven’t given it my effort
Jim Jam: Haven’t given it my effort
Baby tv: Haven’t given it my effort
Kidsco: Haven’t given it my effort

Afro music: As the name implies. Haven’t watched yet.
Nigezie: Same with hi Nolly. Better watch your volume. Mostly plays Nigerian music: On the whole it is not bad. You will laugh at the way Nigerian women uses make up. So far it is not bad.

Fuel tv: They say it is about sport but of what I’ve seen it was only music. I’ll give it a try and see what it is all about.
Kiss: same crap as channel O and MTV base.
Kerrang: Not for me but it is an alternative to VH to dstv. Some of the bands look like they are on a high.
Qtv: Not sure what kind of music they are playing.

Magic: The program I’ve watched is the videos that were made in the nineties. Of the music channel I’ve watched on this toptv this channel impressed me the most.

Smash hits: Same crap as channel O and MTV base.

C Music: Haven’t given it my effort.
Classica: Classical music. Not for me.

realist
13 May 2010 08:48

Family and knowledge
Star: Same nonsense as dstv. It is about gossip
For entertainment: It is a series channel. I’m no fan.
For retro: The shows I’ve seen was on welfare tv already. Will wait for something I haven’t seen. My impression so far is that I won’t be fan.

Natura: Haven’t watched. It’s a documentary series.

BET: Boy!! What a disappointment. To even say it was disappointment it is an understatement. Yesterday I saw a program where this woman has to decide which of the three guys he would date. I’m not a fan of this type of thing but I got to tell you the woman that was on that show, damn she’s got it. Beauty with brains I tell you. That was the only thing that made watch the show. I’ll give this BET a chance and see what they have in store for a month. For now I’m really disappointed. To think I bought this thing primarily because of BET.

Top history: haven’t watched yet but it is more or less the same as the history channel on dstv.
Discovery id: more or less the same as CI
Discovery travel & Living: more or less the same with the one on dstv
Discovery science: Haven’t given it enough time to evaluate
Top crime: More or less the same as CI
Top explore: haven’t given it enough time to evaluate.

So far I am not impressed. I will give it six more months and decide.

Their decoder seems to be more user friendly compared to dstv. The only snag is that their decoder does not display the channel on the decoder itself. The nice thing about their decoder is that you can preview their channel before you go full screen. I don’t know if it makes sense what I’m trying to say.

Is it worth it?
Depends on what you are looking for.

Mathaz
13 May 2010 09:02

Thanks realist but from your review i guess it's not worth it as yet, please do watch more of BET and let us know...

FK
13 May 2010 09:34

Thanks realist - eisth they (CheapTV) better up their game - I am one of those who is so ready to crosstitute. I am tired of being milked by dstv.

Cnglemother
13 May 2010 10:14

Thnx Re, its not worth it yet 4 me.dumb question,their Ftv would be the same as the one on dstv?Re pls check it for me asseblief.

Lus
13 May 2010 12:32

@realist...man i dont regret buying it , i havent had a chance to surf the whole channels yet. Most interesting programms will be after 3 months as they said so in the meantime let's patient. Yonke into eqalayo inje, i love BET.....

most channels will be like dstv but we paying low premiums anditsho? R5 and something for premium is suicide.

Lus
13 May 2010 12:33

and the instalation is for free.....!!!!!!!!

realist
13 May 2010 13:20

their Ftv would be the same as the one on dstv?Re pls check it for me asseblief.
It is a difficult homework but I’ll give it a go.

@Lus
What is so impressive about BET? Maybe I missed something, update so that I can add it to the favorites.

and the instalation is for free.....!!!!!!!!
That is the beauty of it.

Now, can someone tell me why are they allowed to advertise foreign adverts? The adverts on these shows are like you are watching ETV.

Lus
13 May 2010 13:32

Black Entertainment Television....dont know why i love it so much, i feel closer to home.

realist
13 May 2010 13:49

Lus
I've just spoken to toptv right now complaining about their excessive advertisements. All they want to know is how is toptv so far. Talk about listening skills.

Savanah Dry
13 May 2010 14:09

If its showing the same sort of progs as dtsv then i am moving to top Tv why should i pay 500 for the same thing thats costing 200 ...

Floh
16 May 2010 20:07

Thank you all guys for enlightning some of us who know nothing about PAY TV. By reading the responses, it seems like I won't be able to see the most talk abouts programmes such as BBA, Idols etc from TopTV. I also like sport. So I will stick with welfare TV, that's what I afford.

Floh
16 May 2010 20:16

I have cancelled my cellphone subscription of R250 a month, maybe I can use the money to subscribe to either topTV or DSTV.

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