MultiChoice’s mobile service was aimed at middle-class subscribers who wanted all-day access to its programmes. PHOTO | FILE
Summary
Pay television provider MultiChoice Kenya is set to discontinue
mobile TV services citing fast-changing technology in the broadcasting
sector and growing internet penetration.
In a notice to
its customers Monday, the firm said its DStv and GoTV mobile service
will be unavailable starting September 1. MultiChoice unveiled the
service in Kenya in 2011 after first launching it in Southern African
markets in 2007.
The DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting
- Handheld) television service was aimed at middle-class subscribers
who wanted all-day access to its programmes.
Subscribers
will now be required to access content on-the-go through the firm's
DStv Now app, which is available to its subscribers.
“Our Mobile TV service was fist launched in 2007. At the time,
we were the first to pioneer technology to broadcast to mobile mobile
phones. However, as technology has evolved, and with the introduction of
broadband, the streaming of audiovisual content to multiple devices (eg
smartphones, tablets, laptops) has become more attractive,” said
MultiChoice in a statement.
“DVB-H-based mobile TV
broadcasting, along with the range of devices used to access this
technology, have reached their end of life. The DStv Mobile and GOtv
Mobile TV Service will therefore end on Saturday September 1.”
The
pay TV provider's first mobile product relied on internet connection
from telephony operators before the firm later launched DStv Drifta
which converted DVB-H signal into Wi-Fi for mobile devices. The Drifta
cut subscriber reliance on data from telephony operators and also
allowed DStv and Go-tv mobile subscribers to access multiple channels.
Internet-based
broadcasters are gradually eating into the market by offering similar
content, with some like Hulu offering packages that only require users
to only pay for viewed matches.
In addition, internet
content curators and distributors are working tirelessly to make their
streams as light as possible to target emerging markets.
Netflix,
for instance, has been working on video compression technology that
allows content streaming even over slow connections.
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