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DStv unveils next-gen PVR

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 31 Jul 2013
MultiChoice has unveiled its next-generation PVR decoder, the Explora.
MultiChoice has unveiled its next-generation PVR decoder, the Explora.

MultiChoice has announced its next-generation PVR decoder, the DStv Explora.

The new decoder allows subscribers to record up to 220 hours of high-definition television - the equivalent of about 100 movies or 150 TV series episodes.

The Explora, says MultiChoice, has a 2TB hard drive, which enables a larger content selection on DStv's Catch Up service, bringing the total amount of HD content up to approximately 200 hours, all of which can be accessed on demand.

MultiChoice CEO Collins Khumalo says, in the absence of affordable high-speed broadband access for most South Africans, "delivering [the company's] content via satellite remains the most reliable way to broadcast content without buffering or waiting for downloads".

Key launch features of the DStv Explora include expanded video-on-demand (VOD) content and content discovery and user interface (UI).

Expanded capacity

"The DStv Catch Up service has been significantly expanded on the Explora, and now offers three times more VOD programming.

"We've expanded the number of series available and now also started to introduce series stacking (ie, making two episodes of selected series available on demand), which will later be expanded to four episodes," says John Kotsaftis, CEO of DStv Online.

Kotsaftis says the revamped DStv Catch Up service now includes 30 movies on demand and the content selection will be expanded to other categories such as documentaries and kids' content in the future.

The movie selection on DStv's BoxOffice feature will also be expanded to 20 new release movies, which subscribers can rent from home at any time.

Content discovery

MultiChoice says the Explora is packaged with a new HD user interface. "Content is displayed using HD poster-art, like an Internet VOD service."

The Explora also has search features that span the eight-day DStv TV guide, Catch Up, BoxOffice and Playlist.

Explora's remote control has dedicated shortcut buttons to DStv Central, BoxOffice, Catch Up, Playlist, Search, Live TV and other viewing options.

Khumalo says more features will be enabled over the coming months, including the delivery of content via broadband, setting of remote recordings and one-click BoxOffice rentals.

The decoder will be available in retail stores from 15 August, and is priced at R2 499.

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