DStv facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Industry | Pay television |
| Founded | 6 October 1995 |
| Headquarters | Randburg, City of Johannesburg, South Africa |
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Area served
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Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Products |
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| Services |
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| Owner |
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DStv stands for Digital Satellite Television. It's a popular TV service in Sub-Saharan Africa. MultiChoice owns DStv, and its main office is in Randburg, South Africa. DStv lets people watch TV channels, listen to radio, and enjoy other services. It reaches homes in 50 countries, especially in South Africa, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.
Contents
History of DStv
Early Days of Pay TV
Pay television first came to South Africa in 1986. A company called Naspers and other local businesses launched a single TV channel. This channel was called M-Net. For about seven years, one company managed everything for M-Net.
Then, in 1995, a new company was created. It was named MultiChoice. MultiChoice took over running M-Net. This included selling decoders, helping customers, and managing accounts. MultiChoice also started to grow its services in many countries outside South Africa.
DStv's Big Launch
Soon after MultiChoice started, they announced a new digital satellite TV service. It launched on 6 October 1995. This new service was called DStv, short for Digital Satellite Television.
When DStv first launched, it offered 16 channels. These included popular channels like Cartoon Network, CNN, and ESPN. There were also music channels and sports channels like SuperSport. DStv also offered radio stations. MultiChoice hoped to have 24 channels by early 1996. The launch was successful, with over 10,000 decoders sold quickly.
Within weeks, DStv added more channels. These included Discovery Channel and BBC World. This meant subscribers could watch BBC World all day, every day.
Growing Across Africa
By February 1998, DStv had 70,000 subscribers across Africa. Just a few months later, in June, this number jumped to 215,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa. By March 1999, it had grown to almost 350,000 subscribers. This growth happened as new channels like BBC Prime and National Geographic Channel were added.
In 2000, DStv started offering interactive services. These were special channels for the South African market. They had games, news, and weather. Soon, people could even access internet services and banking through their TV.
New Ways to Watch
Over the years, DStv kept adding new services. In 2000, they started using the W4 Eutelsat satellite. This helped them offer services to more parts of Africa. They also added new channels from Portugal and India.
In 2002, they launched Interactive Television. In 2003, the Dual-view decoder came out. This allowed people to watch different channels on two TVs at the same time. In 2005, DStv introduced the PVR decoder. This let people record TV shows. They also launched the DStv Compact package, which was a more affordable option.
In 2008, DStv brought out the HD PVR decoder. This allowed people to watch shows in high definition (HD). They also introduced XtraView, which made it easier to connect multiple decoders.
In 2010, DStv launched DVB over IP. This meant some services could be delivered using the internet. They also started DStv Catchup, which lets you watch shows you missed. The HD PVR 2P decoder was also released. In 2011, DStv BoxOffice launched, allowing people to rent movies. DStv Mobile also started, letting people watch TV on their phones.
Today, DStv continues to update its services. As of 2022, a company called Canal+ owns 20.1% of DStv.
Channels and What You Can Watch
DStv offers more than 200 TV channels and radio stations. The channels you can watch might be different depending on where you live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
DStv has several different packages, also called "bouquets." Each package has a different price and offers a different set of channels. There are also extra packages you can add. These include premium movie channels, or channels from India, Portugal, and France.
Most modern DStv decoders also let you access Showmax. Showmax is MultiChoice's own streaming service. You can also use other apps through your decoder if you have an internet connection.
