Multichoice South Africa has launched the long awaited DSTV Mobile after years of fighting over a licence and testing.
DSTV Mobile is a mobile broadcasting service that allows you to watch TV on handheld devices capable of receiving Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVB-H) signals.
Current available DVB-H capable handsets in South Africa include the Nokia 5330, Nokia N96 and ZTE F900, however the company are in discussion with various cellphone manufactures and are confident that more DVB-H capable handsets will be in South Africa soon.
For those that do not have access the a DVB-H capable handset, do not despair. Multichoice has also launched a mobile decoder called the Drifta that will enable you to view DSTV Mobile on you iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and PC through wireless. The Drifta decoder receives the DSTV Mobile signal and then relays it to the devices through WiFi by acting as an access point. Blackberry OS, Symbian 3 and Android applications are in development that will enable more smartphone to work with the Drifta mobile decoder.
The channel line-up on the DSTV Mobile bouquet will initially include a selection of SuperSport channels (1, 2, 3 and Blitz), Africa Magic, Cartoon Network, Trace and a DSTV Events Channel. The e.Mobile bouquet contains The eNews Channel and Channel O. More channels on both services will be announced soon.
Now for the pricing, the DSTV Mobile subscription will cost you R39 per month but only from the 1st of April 2011, that means if you are an early adopter you can make use of the DSTV Mobile service for free.
The Drifta decoder will be available for R599 from major retailers from 1 December 2010 and the service can be activated via the MultiChoice call centre or the DSTV Mobile website. DVB-H cellphones will be made available through mobile network operators, Vodacom, MTN and Cell C and the subscription is activated directly off the handset.
Is it an additional R39/month on an existing DSTV premium subscription?
You do not need any DSTV subscription, this is a separate product on its own.
Please I need to instull it nw
will even us in Namibia enjoy this benefit?
John I doubt it but you can check coverage on the DSTV Mobile website http://www.dstvmobile.com
Hi
How soon can we expect this product to work with android applications??
Hi Brandon, read this article http://www.igeek.co.za/2011/01/22/dstv-mobile-android-nokia-apps-here-april/ Should be here by April 2011
Here is some more thoughts on the DSTV drifta, check it out:
http://www.high-on-it.co.za/2011/01/quick-review-of-dstv-drifta.html
hello so E63 nokia it will support?
Hi Frans, its still unknown what device will be supported in the new apps.
Hi,
Is a dvb-t receiver able to receive dvb-h signals ? I’m looking for a camping solution and this would be ideal. Supersport in the mountains for next to nothing !
Hi Stephen, I think it depends on your receiver. But I doubt a dvb-t receiver will be able to receive dvb-h as dvb-h is a superset of dvb-t. Unfortunately dvb-h is relatively new to me and I have not experimented or heard of people experimenting with it on DStv Mobile.
Only way I currently know to get DStv Mobile is through either the dvb-h capable handsets (witch would make me think that any dvb-h device would work) or through the Drifta decoder. Also note that it is subject to reception, so don’t get you hope up too high that it will work in the mountains.
where can i download the application to watch the drifter on my phone, N97
The Nokia Application is not available yet
i will love to nw more ab this mobile dstv
I wanna purchase d mobile dstv will I be able to use it in nigeria also
How do I pay for the service (mobile dstv) in Nairobi Kenya?
Is blackberry 8520 compatible for Dstvmobile?
Does the dstv drifta decoder function as the dstv mobile application and when will the app be available for blackberry your.pls urgent
Hi Oreoluwa
The receives the signal and transmits it to your phone/tablet, to recieve this signal on your phone/tablet you will need to download the relevant applications available for the different phones/tablets. As far as I know the Blackberry App is not yet available.
Please I need the list of phones that are compatible with the dstv mobile app.Am far away from home now and I can’t do without supersport channels and for how long should we blackberry user wait till.
Pls wat do I do 2 watch Dstv on my nokia e63
I got drita which im paying R36 if i purchase walka would i have to pay the xtra R36?
Hi Charles, I am not 100% sure but I think you can only use 1 device per subscription.
Hi can someone please help I need some assistance,I purchased a walka from multichoice and just need to find out how to register and were to go in.
Hi Stanley, you must phone the DStv call center on 083 900 3788 to activate the device and your subscription.
this offer is available on the phones mentioned above only because im interested but iam not using iphone, ipad. what must i do to get it
I just bought the drifter mobile decoder and I am conerned about the following-( I have not opened it up yet)
- Picture is small and will not be the size of my Samsung Tablet screen or laptop screen
- The channels may be taken away and you will be left with the not so entertaining ones afterwards
- Will this work on the LCD TV screen as a computer can connect to it
I am afraid to test the product as they might not accept if I am unhappy and wish to return.
If anybody has has a better experience or advise on my concerns please let me know.
Kathija, im not sure about the samsung tablet bu on the iPad the picture fills the whole screen, as for your laptop, dstv mobile uses technology that is designed for mobile devices, thus the quality is not the same as you would get with normal dstv. You can make the picture full screen on your laptop, but the bigger the screen the worst the picture quality will become.
As for channels being taken away, I can not comment on that and you will need to find that out from DStv themselves.
You can indeed connect your pc to an lcd, but like mentioned above, the picture quality will not be very nice.
Is the drifter a product you would recommend to somebody even though the person does not have DSTV at home
I have a black berry 8520 phone and I have downloaded the DStv decoder but it doesn’t work and I have tried registering on your wap page but I haven’t. Been successful so what can I do to ?
How does one register for DStv mobile on Black Berry
I have N97mini, i want to download dstv mobile application.
Please help me