Few hours ago, eMedia Investments unveiled the social platforms for their long anticipated pay-tv platform, Openview Ultra. A competitor to the current DStv and StarSat platforms operated individually by MultiChoice and StarTimes (with On Digital Media).
Openview Ultra as expected is coming on with two add-on packages similar to AddMovies on DStv. Instead of movies, viewers will be treated to two optional entertainment packages Pride (also known as Ultraview Pride) and Spice (also known as Ultraview Indian).
The Pride Bouquet is set to cater to the LGBTQ community with brands like FUSE and OUTtv offering reality, lifestyle, drama series and movies. Something which MultiChoice has been depriving DStv consumers with on a 24 hour basis and likely will look into overtime.
The Spice Bouquet is a Bollywood based package basically a rival to the DStv and StarSat Indian bouquets with channels such as Zee Family and Star Select. Although not much has been specified about the brands my guess it's probably a duplicate StarPlus and Zee TV.
Taking that to account, the rumoured R75/R120 monthly price range for both platforms seem accurate as they do hold a fresh content as seen with AddMovies where you don't have to wait a year and so forth to watch the latest films.
As eMedia Investments is prepping for the launch of Ultraview. A couple of developments have occurred behind the scenes with the current Openview platform.
eMedia Investments:
- Ultraview Pride and Ultraview Indian coming soon to Openview
- More Bollywood coming soon to Openview Ultra
- More e.tv coming soon to DStv customers
- Could SABC be unveiling another two channels for Openview Ultra?
- Glow TV to stop airing on the Openview platform from next month
- Could Openview+ lead to 24 hour capability of these channels?
First, Glow TV will cease to exist on the Openview platform later in the month after eMedia Investments failed attempt at ousting the channel back in 2021. Both parties refused to comment at the time of publishing if any update comes up we'll hopefully update.
As of right now, it's days are numbered and Spice from the looks it serves as a replacement or pay-tv alternative alongside Zee One, Star Life and if it's still considered an option in the coming future eExtra.
Last is in regards to the dongle, one of the first products eMedia Investments introduced when the main Openview platform got a facelift after eliminating HD from the name and adapted to the e.tv logo theme got scrapped as consumers attempted to use them.
Openview's dongles proved to be somewhat useful especially to households who miss out on daytime programming. It had proven to be controversial after eMedia Investments opted not to associate the likes of SABC 1-3 with this feature on top of the affected brands not being in HD.
My guess on the discontinuation probably had to do with Openview Ultra, eMedia Investments had mentioned working on newer versions of the Openview decoder maybe a dongle will be built-in making it the 2nd or 3rd time in 10 years eMedia rolls out another model.
Besides that, consumers were charged extra for the Openview decoder solely due to a dongle some people probably never use and this newer version of their decoder is one way to avoid such incidence from ever occuring again or at least what we hope to see.
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