Four months after its release, DStv Mobile will add three new channels to its mobile TV offering.
The new channels CNNi, E! Entertainment and Sony Max will join the existing nine DStv channels that have been available as part of its introductory phase.
“The content on DStv Mobile is based on extensive research and consumers have been encouragingly vocal in terms of what they want to watch on a mobile device,” says head of content, Aletta Alberts.
“From our observations and analysis of feedback, our sports channels have proved to be very popular, but we have seen strong demand for more general entertainment, which we hope to address via these new channels.”
Tech challenges
Despite bleak predictions from analysts regarding the potential success of mobile TV in SA, research indicates its popularity has boomed in recent months.
However, while demand is on the rise, the technology required to access mobile TV remains out of reach of the average consumer.
Users can only access DStv Mobile through cellphones that are enabled for the DVB-H broadcasting format, or through a mobile decoder for WiFi-enabled devices, called the Drifta. However, a Drifta unit will set consumers back R599.
“Viewing TV broadcasts via DVB-H handsets will still be limited by the small number of capable handsets in the market,” argues World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck.
The DVB-H-enabled cellphones available in SA are limited to the Nokia 5330, Nokia N96 and ZTE F900.
DStv has said it will extend access from Nokia, Samsung, ZTE, iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices and PCs, to BlackBerry, Android, and series 60 Nokia handsets and Mac computers this year.
The broadcaster concedes the challenge is to get more lower-end DVB-H-enabled cellphones in the market so that broadcast mobile TV can be more accessible.
Surprise demand
With the introductory phase of DStv Mobile coming to an end, new subscription charges for accessing the bouquet will commence next week.
The Drifta mobile decoder will have a R36 monthly fee, and the DVB-H option will have a R9 per week subscription.
Goldstuck notes that the newfound interest in mobile TV offerings was a big surprise in the research firm's 2011 Mobile Consumer Study, as this year's findings have bucked the trend.
“In the Mobile Consumer in SA 2011 report, we found that massive appetite for mobile TV had emerged subsequent to the licensing, whereas there had been none for the past four years.”
Mark Rayner, GM of DStv Mobile SA, says: “The introduction of digital mobile TV to SA has been a tremendous milestone and since November 2010, we have given consumers the opportunity to experience the service in order to encourage trial and feedback.
“A key driver of mobile television is the availability of suitable content for on-the-go consumption and we believe our improved bouquet is a step forward in this regard,” says Rayner.
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