Last week DSTV announced that the channel offering that is currently available will be increased and also be reshuffled on the system.
Premium subscribers will have access to a number of new channels from 1 October. The channels that will be added include a number of new movie channels and the upgrade of some of the channels from standard definition to high definition. This will include two of my favourite channels, Studio Universal and Universal channel, moving to high definition.
Another major change is the fact that the movie channels will change from general movie channels to channels with specific themes. These channels will have the following themes: Premier channel, Drama and Romance, Comedy, Family, Action+ and Showcase. These channels will be available in standard definition as well as high definition. I believe that these new channels will add to the viewing experience of viewers in the sense that you will actually be able to find movies to suit your specific mood. I have had days that I really feel like watching a comedy and then all I could find was action or drama.
The second change is the re-organisation of the channels to enable easier navigation on your decoder. The upgrades of the channel index on your decoder or PVR will happen automatically and should not cause any problems for you.
All these changes are made available because of DSTV’s migration to the new satellite (IS-20). The satellite will improve the service offering and quality considerably and is a huge step forward.
I am sure there will be many people that complain about the changes and the fact that they will need to learn where to find the new channels and also adapt to the regrouping of the channels.
All I can assure you is that it will be worth the effort.