Video streaming in Sou Africa: NODE vs VIDI vs Dstv vs Netflix

If you are a traditional broadcaster, you would have to face the fact that people are accessing content very differently than they did even a couple of years ago. Where content was previously only available on one medium, that has slowly shifted over to becoming available online as well - and there is no better example for that than entertainment.

The immediacy of online content has generated a host of providers that offer their services for a small fee, giving users the content that they want, when they want it, without being tied down to a set broadcasting schedule.

Altech launched its NODE offering today, which it bills as a new complete entertainment and smart home experience . To find out what we thought about NODE during a hands-on sessions, click here, but how does the service stack up against the likes of Netflix, South Africa's newest video on demand service Vidi, and Dstv's BoxOffice service?

Altech's NODE

Altech's NODE is a set-top box similar to a decoder, which plugs in straight to your television. While normal television channels can still be accessed, NODE is accessed through switching the television to one of the HDMI ports, and controlled with a separate NODE remote control.

The idea of NODE is to provide a home entertainment setup so that you can enjoy some of the latest movies and televisions shows for a small fee. Once a film has been navigated to, you have the option of watching the trailer for more information, adding it to your favourites to watch later, or rent it straight away for R25. Latest releases are R25, but older titles are about R15. Subscriptions cost R299 per month and its R3 499 for the NODE box itself.

Film can be browsed and sorted by genre, such as comedy, horror, drama or romance, but the television show section works on a similar interface. But the biggest difference between films and TV shows are that the shows are free to watch whenever you want.

Shows and films can also be searched for, and this is where the underside of the remote comes in. While the topside of the remote has all the usual buttons associated with a decoder, the other side houses a full alphabet of buttons to make typing in your search a lot easier.

Since all the content is being streamed to you, you will need a fairly decent internet connection, but luckily NODE can make use of a 3G connection, LAN cable or connect to your home's WiFi. Speaking of internet, it does come with a built-in web browser, so you can still surf from your couch.

But films and shows isn't the only thing that you can do with NODE. Coming in the very near future, a payment function on the home page will allow you to access and pay your traffic fines, among other things. There is also an option to access the Smart Home app, which will give you access to all your connected home automation and surveillance devices - if you have them connected, or course.

Price: R299 per month for unlimited TV, R15-25 for films, R3 499 once-off charge for the decoder.

Contract: Monthly

Free trial for NODE: No (you need the decoder).

Amount of content: about 700 hours

Dstv/BoxOffice

Digital Satellite Television, better known as Dstv, has been a staple in South African household for many years. But as the technology age caught up with broadcasters, they too had to change their mindset and broadcasting methods.

Dstv started out as South Africa's only digital satellite service, giving users access to hundreds of television shows and films on a schedule - meaning that you can only watch what is being broadcast at a specific time. Throughout the years, it has introduced the PVR and HD decoders, which lets you record shows for viewing later - a digital video recorder of sorts.

While there are a variety of channel bouquets are available, the premium service gives you at least four movies channels, a number of channels that showcase series and sitcoms, and a plethora of channels that host international programming, such as Discovery and National Geographic.

But one of the biggest attractions to Dstv is its sports offerings, with at least seven channels dedicated to almost every sport on the planet. The service, managed by parent company Multichoice, also expands that offering when major sporting events roll around, such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup.

Moving into the digital streaming space, Multichoice started to offer BoxOffice a few year ago, where you can sign up for the service to stream the latest films and series through their decoder to their televisions - as well as on desktop browsers. There is no cost to sign up for the service, but renting or downloading films do cost money.

All movies on the PVR cost R27 to rent for a 48 hour period, but you can pay less if you link your smartcard number to your online profile. There are two options available for users, BoxOffice Online, where you need an internet connection of at least 384kbps to view; and BoxOffice PVR, where films and content are delivered to you lounge through your PVR.

Price: R665 per month for Dstv, R27 for BoxOffice films

Contract: Monthly

Free trial for BoxOffice: No

Amount of content: 15 movies at a time, with titles refreshed as they become available.

VIDI

VIDI is South Africa's newest player in the video on demand space, and aims to compete with Netflix by giving users access to a large amount of films and televisions shows instantly. Where Netflix is a flat fee of $8 (R88) a month, VIDI will set you back R150 a month for its content available through the subscription, while you can rent other films and shows on offer for R27 per item.

The site works pretty much the same as what Netflix does (even its user interface even resembles it), as you browse through the different sections and genres in search of something to watch. One of the biggest draw card of the service is that it is built by and for

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