First trial in South-Africa

Multichoice is currently trialing their Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld (DVB-H) service in Soweto, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.
This service is delivered over Multichoice’s own 800 MHz trial network, and the company has partnered with Vodacom, MTN and Cell C to ensure smooth service delivery and that SIM cards are compatible.

Most of the content which is delivered on the new DVB-H platform is syndicated with a strict requirement that encryption is part and parcel of the service. This in turn requires conditional access which is why Vodacom, MTN and Cell C are important players in Multichoice’s mobile TV plans.

The DSTV provider further envisages that consumers will purchase this new service – and be billed for it - through their cellular company rather than Multichoice since it makes sense that it will be bundled with other mobile services like voice or data.

Multichoice’s Linda Vermaas, CEO of DSTV Mobile, says that the company is confident that the service will enjoy great uptake after launch. The DVB-H product will be a commercial business in its own right, looking for high volumes at low rates.

For this trial Multichoice selected the Samsung P910, which has a direct TV button that makes accessing the service seamless. The process is as easy as pressing the TV button and selecting a channel.

Once connected, the streaming of content is very smooth – as can be expected from a broadcasting service – and the visuals and sound quality are excellent.

You can clearly read the small scrolling text appearing on news sites like CNN (which is surprising considering the size of the screen) and the sound quality is superb.

The resolution is currently 320 x 240 pixels, high enough to satisfy most mobile TV users.