Earlier this year MultiChoice released a cheaper HD PVR to the market called the HD PVR 2P, the HD PVR 2P was a hit from start and allows views to watch one channel and record another channel at the same time.

The popularity of the HD PVR 2P may be largely due to the affordability of the device but apart from that, it lacked certain features that other PVR users have been enjoying since the start.

For almost a year now HD PVR 2P users had to go without the functionality of being able to do series recording, I know I usually sit and schedule my recording way in advance to ensure I don’t miss my favorite series. HD PVR 2P users also do not have access to DSTV On Demand, a service that lets you download certain shows to your PVR and watch it at your leisure.

Great news for DStv premium subscribers with a HD PVR 2P is that from today DStv On Demand CatchUp and series recording will be available on the HD PVR 2P.

DStv On Demand offers a variety of general entertainment, sport and actuality programming on the CatchUp service. The programmes are available within 24 hours after first being broadcast on DStv and are normally available for viewing for a full 7 days thereafter. The CatchUp service is also available online at dstv.com with up to 80 hours of programming and movies.

MultiChoice has again hit back to stay ahead in the Pay-TV game by announcing it latest HD-PVR decoder today just ahead of the World Cup that will be broadcasted in HD.

The new HD-PVR decoder, called the HD-PVR 2P, will allow customers to view one channel and record another at the same time. It also boasts the same 500 GB HDD the previous models has, ensuring for up to 50 hours of HD recording.

The HD-PVR 2P will for now not support Video On Demand, or the ability to block record series. These capabilities will however be added later this year via a over the air software upgrade.

Good news for those that has been wanting to get their hands on DSTV’s HD offerings but couldn’t due to the high price of the decoders, the HD-PVR 2P will retail for R1999, a thousand rand cheaper than the other models currently on the market.

This is a good move by MultiChoice but I still think we need a more lower-end HD decoder on the market, specially for those that live in complex apartments and only have the availability of one DSTV feed to them. Still I welcome this HD decoder and it’s evident that the competition from TopTV is causing DSTV to drop prices.