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Multiple choice recently unveiled its new DStv Explora Ultra set-top box, its first set-top box to feature built-in wireless internet connectivity and support for third-party streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Throughout its 25-year history, the company has launched number decoders that connect to an installed satellite dish to give customers access to its variety of satellite channels.
MultiChoice has its origins in the pay-TV station M-Net, which was launched by the major media conglomerate Naspers and other companies in 1985.
After 10 years of successful business, which included the launch of SuperSport, the company divided its operations and formed MultiChoice to oversee subscriber management and signal distribution.
That same year, the company launched DStv, one of the first satellite broadcasting services outside the US Using this technology allowed the company to broadcast even in the most remote areas of South Africa.
While M-Net only required its paying customers to have their cable box connected to a standard TV antenna, DStv customers had to install a satellite dish to receive the transmissions, along with a digital satellite decoder (DSD).
We’ve taken a look at the flagship set-top boxes that DStv has offered customers since then, and how much they cost at launch, where this information was available.
It should be noted that we did not include several versions of the same generation of decoders, which mainly had the same characteristics.
For example, manufacturers PACE and UEC each had their own iterations of the HD PVR, namely the 2P (2010) and 2U (2012), which featured exactly the same capabilities with slightly different designs and hardware.
1995 to 2005: Single View Decoders
Between 1995 and 2005, MultiChoice offered basic single-view decoders that were released with various model numbers, including DSD 660, 720, 720i, 910, 933, and 990.
These made it possible to connect to the satellite service and display channels compatible with a standard definition (SD) resolution.
2003 – dual view decoder
DStv’s first divergence from single-view set-top boxes came with the dual-view set-top box released in 2003.
This allowed customers to watch two different channels on two televisions using a single cable box.
Sure enough, it had two single-view decoders built into one unit, which is connected to the first display.
An additional receiver allows to receive a signal from a second remote control.
2005 – SD PVR
The first DStv set-top box with personal video recording (PVR) capability was launched in 2005.
This was the first PVR in Africa, and MultiChoice claimed that it was also the first PVR with dual view capability in the world.
The set-top box allowed viewers to pause, rewind, and record live TV programming on DStv channels.
It allowed up to 80 hours of standard definition recordings on its hard drive, which users could view late or at a later stage.
Fast forward was also possible on delayed and recorded content.
The break was limited to two hours and would only remain in effect until the user changed channels.
Users can watch up to three different channels on three TVs at the same time, or watch on two and record another channel on a third.
2008 – HD PVR – $ 499
MultiChoice launched 720p HD streaming in South Africa in July 2008, just in time for the Beijing Olympics.
To support these streams, it also released its first HD PVR set-top box, capable of recording and storing up to 50 hours of HD content or 150 hours of SD material.
The original 4-tuner PACE model allowed two channels to be recorded at once, while the cheaper versions released in subsequent years limited recording to a single channel.
In 2011, DStv launched its BoxOffice and Catch Up movie rental services, which were available to Premium subscribers in both SD and HD PVR.
2013 – Explore – R2,499
The Explora set-top box delivered a new HD user interface and a host of new features for the DStv experience when it launched in 2013.
This was the first DStv set-top box to offer a USB port, allowing the user to connect a DStv Wi-Fi connector to enable online connectivity to use Catch Up Plus and features such as remote recording.
Notably, it shipped with a 2TB hard drive to store up to 220 hours of TV recordings.
It also offered five more BoxOffice movies than the HD PVR decoder and three times more Catch Up content with stacking series and movies for the first time.
2016 – Explore 2 – R1,499
The Explora 2 provided improvements in streaming compression technology, which MultiChoice said would help reduce data charges on Catch Up services.
Because Catch Up meant less recording was required, DStv cut the storage space on the cable box in half.
It also came with the new A7 remote, with features including motion-sensing backlit buttons, visual feedback when a button is pressed, low battery detection, use as a universal remote, and a dedicated ShowMax button.
2019 – Explore 3 – R999
The third-generation Explora featured a smaller form factor without the usual front panel display, and instead had an LED to indicate whether it was on.
It also has no RF IN or RF OUT connectors, and cuts the two USB ports above to one, and eliminates the fan used to cool the Explora and Explora 2.
2020 – Explore Ultra – $ 499
The Explora Ultra was first announced in August 2020 and officially launched in November.
It has a variety of improvements over its predecessor, including a built-in wireless receiver for connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
It supports third-party video streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as DStv Now and the full version of Showmax.
4K streaming will be available depending on individual content providers, but will not be offered via satellite broadcasts.
Cheaper models
Along with its major HD set-top boxes, DStv has also released several other cheaper models without PVR capabilities.
This includes a series of single-view decoders such as the HD Decoder 5 series, which was released in 2014 on R499.
It was succeeded by the HD Decoder 6 in 2019, which started at a price of R399.
Mobile DStv
The company also previously offered mobile set-top boxes for its now-defunct DStv Mobile service.
The initial Drifta modem launched in 2010 was capable of receiving a DVB-H signal and transmitting it over a Wi-Fi network to a connected cell phone. It was launched at a price of R599.
Its successor, the R399 Drifta USB flash drive, was a more compact version that allowed users to connect directly to a PC and access DStv Mobile.
Launched in 2012, the Walka added a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 240 resolution to offer a complete portable TV experience.
It comes with a suggested retail price of R649.
DStv closed its mobile TV service in 2018, so these two devices are no longer supported.
Now Read: This Chart Shows How DStv Is Bleeding Premium Subscribers
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