DStv parent MultiChoice has taken the wraps off a new, low-cost decoder meant to get high-definition (HD) content into more homes.
The company has announced its first HD single-view decoder, the DStv HD Decoder, which offers HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It replaces the existing standard-definition single-view decoder. It costs R499, or R799 with installation.
“The DStv HD Decoder’s user interface is similar to the DStv Explora as it’s also locally developed by MultiChoice,” the broadcaster says in a statement.
“Most functions can be performed from DStv Central, accessed through the blue DStv button on the remote control. This user interface makes for easier navigation through the HD menus and helps customers discover [content] via multiple search options directly from the remote control.”
“We recently made HD channels available to all DStv customers with the necessary HD equipment,” says MultiChoice South Africa chief operating officer Mark Rayner. “This decoder now makes those HD channels more accessible.”
The decoder is XtraView capable and can be paired with selected XtraView compatible decode, but not the standard-definition personal video recorder (PVR).
The new decoders allows consumers to view only one channel at a time. There is no PVR. It is capable of outputting both 720p and 1080i resolutions (MultiChoice broadcasts at 1080i). — © 2014 NewsCentral Media