Goodbye Dstv

[Oxter]

Ja, hear what you saying. We only watch what is on of course as that is what is on  and those are the choices you have. Freedom to watch what you want is pretty cool I must say

it takes some getting used to as well because you have to choose what you watch.  My better half struggles to decide as she just wants to watch everything and struggles to choose, after a while we just watch what i want to watch...so there is that upside as well

[Stretch]

Ja, hear what you saying. We only watch what is on of course as that is what is on  and those are the choices you have. Freedom to watch what you want is pretty cool I must say

 

yeah...look..there are some things that you might want to watch that you have to get a bit creative to watch...like...masterchef...or..america's got talent...or grey's anatomy etc...but in your case..if you not expecting anything, but rather choose from what is available  - then there is plenty

 

i personally never watch actual TV - everything is streamed

[RocknRolla]

Telkom rental + 4meg line is R488

[AlanD]

yeah...look..there are some things that you might want to watch that you have to get a bit creative to watch...like...masterchef...or..america's got talent...or grey's anatomy etc...but in your case..if you not expecting anything, but rather choose from what is available  - then there is plenty

 

i personally never watch actual TV - everything is streamed

This whole thing actually annoys me because like I mentioned, we really are not big TV watchers. Maybe 1hour a day in the week, a movie on the weekend and some sport and it grips me to pay for so little. The Streaming option as mentioned may be cheaper but I then think to myself if we will even watch enough to make it worthwhile. We hardly watch any series, actually non at all....I have not even seen one episode of Game of Thrones, bad right? We watched one season of Walking dead and some of season two then it got real boring and we didn;t watch it again.

 

On the other side, DSTV is nice to fill the void when we finally sit down after bathing kids, dinner all that stuff and nice to watch some Rugby or UCI when it's one. It's a tug of war and would like to get rid of it all together but really don't think I can.

[Stretch]

 

On the other side, DSTV is nice to fill the void when we finally sit down after bathing kids, dinner all that stuff and nice to watch some Rugby or UCI when it's one. It's a tug of war and would like to get rid of it all together but really don't think I can.

 

true that..it takes a while to get away from the mentality of what you are used to. Sport is always a big issue..and the one thing that prevents people from pulling the plug completely

 

we are quite avid TV watchers in our house - especially with 2 teenagers .

 

that said - I can always turn on the BBC and find something to watch - there are some superb documentaries on there  - both related to real life and the environment/nature.

 

We still have multichoice...because my wife likes to watch Grey's anatomy and cant get it round her head that she can stream it and decide when she wants to watch it....even with me starting it for her at the same time it is on on Mnet!...BUT...we still have the analogue decoder so it is costing us nothing near the 800 odd that full dstv costs. when that gets switched off we will not be renewing. I would love to switch it off now already though!

[Grebel]

This whole thing actually annoys me because like I mentioned, we really are not big TV watchers. Maybe 1hour a day in the week, a movie on the weekend and some sport and it grips me to pay for so little. The Streaming option as mentioned may be cheaper but I then think to myself if we will even watch enough to make it worthwhile. We hardly watch any series, actually non at all....I have not even seen one episode of Game of Thrones, bad right? We watched one season of Walking dead and some of season two then it got real boring and we didn;t watch it again.

 

On the other side, DSTV is nice to fill the void when we finally sit down after bathing kids, dinner all that stuff and nice to watch some Rugby or UCI when it's one. It's a tug of war and would like to get rid of it all together but really don't think I can.

 

I thought the same way... Now we watch series every night. Why? Because it is available on demand. We don't have to fit into the DSTV schedule.

 

ITV4 show most of the cycling. As well as a host of other sports on BBC.

 

You will be spoiled for choice. 

 

To satisfy your mind, find someone close to you and go and have a look at their setup. I am pretty sure there is a streaming hubber near you that won't mind a cold beer/coke while they show you what is available.

[shaper]

This whole thing actually annoys me because like I mentioned, we really are not big TV watchers. Maybe 1hour a day in the week, a movie on the weekend and some sport and it grips me to pay for so little. The Streaming option as mentioned may be cheaper but I then think to myself if we will even watch enough to make it worthwhile. We hardly watch any series, actually non at all....I have not even seen one episode of Game of Thrones, bad right? We watched one season of Walking dead and some of season two then it got real boring and we didn;t watch it again.

 

On the other side, DSTV is nice to fill the void when we finally sit down after bathing kids, dinner all that stuff and nice to watch some Rugby or UCI when it's one. It's a tug of war and would like to get rid of it all together but really don't think I can.

The cheap way until you decide if want to keep DSTV or not.

1. Upgrade your internet and am sure you will use it anyway
2. Install kodi on a laptop (save on geting an android box or Rasbpi or dedicated media box)
3. If not kodi, then netflix/iplayer and suitable vpn like getflix

Either watch/stream on your laptop or connect the laptop to the tv.

 

Run with both Kodi and DSTV for a while and learn kodi and what is possible/available.

 

Couple of months down the line decide if you can ditch DSTV or is better for you to keep it.

 

Cost for doing this is just upgrading your Internet and if you decided to use a vpn like getflix.  I don't use getflix as have not needed a vpn to stream anything I wanted to watch.

 

Kodi software and associated addons or netflix or iplayer, itvplayer etc are free to download and install

 

Only downside to this is that with your laptop plugged into the tv, you want to change channels or look for a movie/series you have to get up and use the laptop keypad.

 

You can get creative though and plug a flirc usb into your laptop and program it to use any remote to do the basic navigation  https://flirc.tv/ (alternatively see Edit below)

 

So if you decide to ditch DSTV then you can justify the outlay for the dedicated media centre box etc

 

EDIT: You can also download a kodi remote app to your phone and use that as the remote to navigate around kodi

Edited October 20, 2016 by shaper

[Tuxstir]

On the other side, DSTV is nice to fill the void when we finally sit down after bathing kids, dinner all that stuff and nice to watch some Rugby or UCI when it's one. It's a tug of war and would like to get rid of it all together but really don't think I can.

 

 

To satisfy your mind, find someone close to you and go and have a look at their setup. I am pretty sure there is a streaming hubber near you that won't mind a cold beer/coke while they show you what is available.

 

 

Alan Do you stay in Germiston?

If so and you want to come see how it works some time drop me a line, i'm here in Edenvale and will gladly show you how it works, and how much better it is, 

I Too will never go back to DSTV, 

Going the Internet route is nice as it allows you do so much more than just watch TV And Movies, there is The Great World Wide Web, with Youtube, Games etc..

plus has the advantage of not having to be interuppted by hours of ad's

My Setup Is the Raspberry Pi Route, but its the same as an Android Box

[EmptyB]

Alan Do you stay in Germiston?

If so and you want to come see how it works some time drop me a line, i'm here in Edenvale and will gladly show you how it works, and how much better it is,

I Too will never go back to DSTV,

Going the Internet route is nice as it allows you do so much more than just watch TV And Movies, there is The Great World Wide Web, with Youtube, Games etc..

plus has the advantage of not having to be interuppted by hours of ad's

My Setup Is the Raspberry Pi Route, but its the same as an Android Box

Tedibear, what is your total monthly cost for your setup?

[Tuxstir]

Tedibear, what is your total monthly cost for your setup?

Mine Is just a Telkom uncapped 4Mb line R750 all in.'(and looking at the rates here.. I'm Been ripped off....)

I dont do netflix as Kodi has it all for me.

[Frosty]

I'm on a 2Mb line and if the buffering starts I reset my modem. Buffering sorted.

 

Have been watching one movie on Kodi every week, plus a few series. I don't have enough time through the week to watch it all, so DSTV is a complete waste.

 

Only keeping it for the wife so she can watch Kyknet, and me for some of the sport.

 

I also have a Roku with a subscription to watch Hulu (History, Discovery, NatGeo, NatGeo wild, Fox, ABC, and a host of other channels are available).

 

I'm even ahead of DSTV on some of the series. When I decide to pull the plug on DSTV, we'll be some used to the Kodi/Roku combination that we won't miss it.

[Lurch the stalker]

I'm on a 2Mb line and if the buffering starts I reset my modem. Buffering sorted.

 

 

 

When I decide to pull the plug on DSTV, we'll be some used to the Kodi/Roku combination that we won't miss it.

 

Is your line through Telkom? I hear a lot of people saying they have to reset their routers/modems at least once a day.

 

The thing I love about the Roku is the simplicity. A buddy of mine pulled his grandmother's DSTV and she took to that Roku remote immediately. When you can get old people up and working fast with something new to them it is a big plus in my book.

[Uni]

When you can get old people up and working fast with something new to them it is a big plus in my book.

My mom was complaining she has nothing to watch so I put her on the full DSTV package, does my nut in when I get there and all she's ever watching is movies and cooking channels on YouTube on her tablet, but she's taken to her tablet better than the TV, apart from occasionally changing her settings to Arabic, I have a lot less calls to come fix her tablet than come fix my TV so maybe it's a win, win.

[Frosty]

Is your line through Telkom? I hear a lot of people saying they have to reset their routers/modems at least once a day.

 

The thing I love about the Roku is the simplicity. A buddy of mine pulled his grandmother's DSTV and she took to that Roku remote immediately. When you can get old people up and working fast with something new to them it is a big plus in my book.

Yes, it's a Telkom line with MWEB uncapped.

 

I reset once, sometimes twice a month.

[AlanD]

Alan Do you stay in Germiston?

If so and you want to come see how it works some time drop me a line, i'm here in Edenvale and will gladly show you how it works, and how much better it is, 

I Too will never go back to DSTV, 

Going the Internet route is nice as it allows you do so much more than just watch TV And Movies, there is The Great World Wide Web, with Youtube, Games etc..

plus has the advantage of not having to be interuppted by hours of ad's

My Setup Is the Raspberry Pi Route, but its the same as an Android Box

Yes, still stay in Germiston and will be sure to be in contact to come check it out sometime. Thanks a mil

[AlanD]

The cheap way until you decide if want to keep DSTV or not.

1. Upgrade your internet and am sure you will use it anyway
2. Install kodi on a laptop (save on geting an android box or Rasbpi or dedicated media box)
3. If not kodi, then netflix/iplayer and suitable vpn like getflix

Either watch/stream on your laptop or connect the laptop to the tv.

 

Run with both Kodi and DSTV for a while and learn kodi and what is possible/available.

 

Couple of months down the line decide if you can ditch DSTV or is better for you to keep it.

 

Cost for doing this is just upgrading your Internet and if you decided to use a vpn like getflix.  I don't use getflix as have not needed a vpn to stream anything I wanted to watch.

 

Kodi software and associated addons or netflix or iplayer, itvplayer etc are free to download and install

 

Only downside to this is that with your laptop plugged into the tv, you want to change channels or look for a movie/series you have to get up and use the laptop keypad.

 

You can get creative though and plug a flirc usb into your laptop and program it to use any remote to do the basic navigation  https://flirc.tv/ (alternatively see Edit below)

 

So if you decide to ditch DSTV then you can justify the outlay for the dedicated media centre box etc

 

EDIT: You can also download a kodi remote app to your phone and use that as the remote to navigate around kodi

Thats a great idea. Will be sure to investigate this. Thanks