Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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I have read quite a lot, mainly in business publications, about the generation of cord cutters today. That is people in their 20’s and early 30’s who decided that they don’t want to pay for all the channels that you get on, for example, DSTV. Instead, they rely on downloaded movies, and a much smaller limited set of channels. This is beginning to worry some of the companies, including for example Disney, because one of Disney’s big investments is in the ESPN sports channel and ESPN’s audience is reducing just as NFL football is down this year, but it was down last year as well. People have simply decided, in many different countries, that they just don’t want to pay the full costs of whatever the bundle of TV channels cost at the moment. I wanted to ask what your viewing habits are and whether you are one of the cord cutters or whether you have the full range of the DSTV channels in your house? How and on what devices do you watch movies or TV programmes? Would you be watching for example a downloaded episode of Game of Thrones or are you watching it on a TV channel?
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Monday 20-Nov-17
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Comments
Liesl said:
on Friday 01-Dec-17 12:16 PM
I don't have DSTV myself but I have often heard people complain that do that there is so many channels available but most of it is either endless repeats or plain rubbish but you are forced to take the bigger and more expensive packages just so that you can keep some of the channels you do enjoy.
Suzanne said:
on Friday 01-Dec-17 10:43 AM
We do have DSTV, but we mostly stream series. If we do watch DSTV, it is mostly Catch Up. There aren't enough worth while channels to channel hop.
Liz said:
on Friday 01-Dec-17 09:02 AM
I have DSTV where I live, however, I must say that the majority of the channels are not worth watching and I tend to follow the news and binge watch CI only. I think that it makes much more sense to download movies and series in terms of costs as well as actually being able to choose what you want to watch.
Zindy said:
on Friday 01-Dec-17 07:39 AM
I don't usually watch tv it doesn't bug me. But I do believe if you are going to watch then pay! DSTV has so many channel yet you can only each one at a time and lets not mention the repeats!
Nicky said:
on Thursday 30-Nov-17 04:29 PM
We used to have DSTV and cancelled. I thought that I wouldn't be able to survive without it-but I did. We now download series and documentaries that I thought Id miss with DSTV. It also made me realise that the years that we did have DSTV was a waste-because we didn't really sit still and watch TV in the evenings during the week-it was more for background noise and pictures.
Ashleigh said:
on Thursday 30-Nov-17 03:21 PM
I don't really have time for tv and wouldn't waste my money on Dstv. The only thing I have when I do watch anything is a dvd machine.
Thabitha said:
on Wednesday 29-Nov-17 09:06 AM
I am a cost cutter, with me I hardly watch tv during the week because I arrive home late everyday and tired from traveling so it is a waist of money really to own DSTV.
Tersia said:
on Wednesday 29-Nov-17 07:43 AM
I do not have DSTV or download any movies or series, I'm not very clued up on how to do that. My parents have the full range DSTV packet so if I have a series that I watch I usually go watch it there and wait every week for a new episode - I feel that it builds excitement to what is coming next. I have a few downloaded movies on my laptop that I got from friends, but I am still very old school and will either go rent a dvd or wait for it to be on TV.
Jessica Apfel said:
on Monday 27-Nov-17 03:37 PM
DSTV have been implicated within the 'Gupta ordeal', paying an alleged R25 000 000.00 to screen ANN7.
I own a 'compact' package - primarily because of Super Sport 3! We love to watch the Football and live streaming just doesn't seem to cut it, perhaps it is the poor internet connectivity within our area. We pay a very low premium and it is a very select package but we do enjoy the channels it offers.
brumilde said:
on Monday 27-Nov-17 07:50 AM
i myself canceled my dstv subscription more than 3 years ago, and i do not miss live tv. i paid so much for repeats and adverts. for someone that doesnt watch or keep up with movies and series currently. when i do find the time. i will get the series from someone. or just stream from home.
Nicolle said:
on Friday 24-Nov-17 04:40 PM
I am an expensive cord cutter. Why have DSTV when we have SABC for "free"
Joyce said:
on Wednesday 22-Nov-17 05:03 PM
I think DSTV is expensive and with it's repeats of some episodes obviously the majority of people will go for another options.
Tamaryn said:
on Wednesday 22-Nov-17 04:58 PM
I still prefer to go straight to my favorite channel and see what's on; that's generally the Crime and Investigation Network or Investigation Discovery- at least there is a variety of interesting programs and it's not a matter of watching a series start to finish. I also enjoy being able to record my favorites and having the option to save what I would like to. A few "creature comforts" come along with DSTV, but yes, it is expensive for what they offer and their prices increase rapidly each year.
Prishani said:
on Wednesday 22-Nov-17 04:57 PM
I think I am definitely part of the cord cutting generation, I mostly watch series from my hardrive, it’s easier and it’s at your own leisure! The need for DSTV is slowing reducing. People prefer watching full seasons of series and getting it as soon as it releases instead of having to wait for it to play on TV.
Nikita said:
on Wednesday 22-Nov-17 02:31 PM
I am definitely a cord cutter and have been since I left the house for varsity 10 years ago. I mainly download series that I want to watch or I stream them. The only time I use Mnet is on Sunday nights and I watch it by streaming off my dad's DSTV account on the DSTV Now app.
Lucretia said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 04:50 PM
In our household we have definitely "cut the cord". We felt the amount of money being spent on the little that we watch was not worth it. We are still currently looking to see what we want to do but it will definitely be downloading or the likes. At the moment we only have our OVHD running. We have given up DSTV about 2 months ago and I don't miss it at all. I have a walka and use that to only ever watch Carte Blanche or Super Sport. Rest of the time, we watch BBC or news or NOTHING which I don't mind because it allows me to relax.
Jadine E said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 04:03 PM
As much as you will have DSTV - with over a 100 channels. It is pointless because half the channels you never watch and the ones that you do often repeats 3-4 times a month. Rather download series and watch as where the one episode gets played repeated (like twice a week).
Angelique P said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 12:23 PM
DSTV is so expensive and most of the times the movies are on repeat so you watch the movie about 10 time before they change it to something new. If I want to watch something I will rather download it before I have to watch some nonsense.
Alexis said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 11:10 AM
DStv was cut ages ago. It is the same episodes and movies over and over again and they are so expensive. Would honestly never go back to them....there are far more options for one to choose these days with a lot more to offer
Melissa said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 10:35 AM
Me and my fiancé are cord cutters. It's no use for paying DSTV anymore because they repeat the same movies over and over again and at the end of the day it's not worth it.
Melissa van Tellingen said:
on Tuesday 21-Nov-17 08:29 AM
My husband and I are cord cutters. I just feel like on DSTV for example they repeat all the movies and series so many times that it becomes a waste of money. By getting uncapped internet you can stream as much as you like. I don't have to flip through channels and look for something to watch.
Sarah said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 04:39 PM
Our household became cord cutters recently, its much better than DSTV with all the repeats and it became so expensive lately.
Bianca R said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 04:27 PM
Our household recently became cord cutters and we wont ever look back, DSTV for example is so limited and the same material is run ALL of the time! You will sit down and look for something to watch, through all of those channels and nothing can be found! I also run on an Android TV box and life is far better without that cord!
Sinead said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 02:58 PM
We had DSTV in our household but cut that cord over a year ago. Personally, I would never get DSTV ever again. The only thing is that I'm missing out on the local reality shows that everyone speaks about. I could always just watch it at a friend's house though...? I see my dad had DSTV installed again - but it's a very small package.
I make use of Wi-Fi and streaming - that's my best friend, honestly. When I have the chance, I download movies as well. Series not at all - it takes up too much space.
My laptop is predominantly used for the above purely because I don't have a TV in my room and I enjoy watching in the comfort of my bed...
Michelle said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 01:43 PM
I'm most definitely one of the cord cutters. DSTV don't have all the shows and movies I want to watch and they show the stuff over and over on a regular basis. When you stream online you can watch whatever you like whenever.
Jolene said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 01:38 PM
I understand why people don’t have DSTV anymore, it is very expensive. We recently activated ours again after 3 years but we still download movies and we have a hard drive with series.
Daniella said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 12:40 PM
I am Definitely a cord cutter, and its because of convince because there is nothing worst when wanting to watch something and there is literally nothing on. So I prefer having my downloaded Movies and Series. and when possible i will be streaming.
Mathilda said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 10:16 AM
I bought a device in Italy called Chrome Cast you plug it into you television and you can connect your phone, laptop, tablet etc. to it and live stream it to your Television also I have the DSTV app so for example if someone you know have DSTV you can use their account number and up to 4 users can log into one account so I will cast DSTV to my television from my app I have on my phone
It’s so much cheaper and I can literally watch anything online and cast it to my Television
So yes I'm one of the cord cutters.
Nina said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 08:48 AM
I am still using DSTV and unfortunately, because I use Mnet the most, I have to have the full package, which is actually rediculously expensive. I think that companies like DSTV will have to lower their prices soon if they want to stay in the market. Too many people are making use of things like netflix, showmax and streaming, which makes 100% sense.
Natasha said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 08:25 AM
We only have a OVD and then we also use Netflix its so much better I prefer it my dad has DSTV and I do miss having a DSTV because all of the sessions and strolling through all the channels to look for something to watch but Netflix is so much better.
Clare said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 08:16 AM
I don't have DSTV at all but I would like to get it, I love watching series and movies. But I wouldn't get it because my Son will not let me change the channel when it comes to Cartoons
Bianca N said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 08:12 AM
We don't have DSTV in our house. We only watch downloaded series and movies on our hard drive. With DSTV especially the same movies are shown over and over and I don't think it's worth paying to see the same thing again, and I usually don't have time to watch the series as they air on TV so I download them and watch them on a weekend.
Jadine Richards said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 07:55 AM
I am still pretty old school. We have dstv premium and I only watch t.v on the actual t.v. I wait every week for my favourite series to come on and rely on catch up alot. However there are probably only ten channels max that my household and I actually watch.
Angelique Jurgens said:
on Monday 20-Nov-17 07:52 AM
I have DSTV but it is ridiculously priced for what you get (I would not have it if my boyfriend did not work in advertising and get it for free basically). They play the same movies over and over. I was introduced to a raspberry pi and then an android box which is essentially streaming the latest series online. It was a once off payment and just updates that need to be run as well as my internet bill. Why pay for internet and DSTV? As soon as I used this I cancelled Netflix and never looked back. So if that makes me a cord cutter... then yes I cut the cord!
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
