Had TSTV not brought a knife to a gun fight, they would have obliterated DSTV & GOTV in one fell swoop; but no, they just had to show up with a table knife.
Back in 2016, I decided to relegate my generator. I’m not crazy about generators. The fumes, noise, maintenance cost and resultant pollution bother me a lot. I think going green is the way forward else we’ll knock planet earth into a coma at this rate.
It took quite some determination to get my new inverter set . This saved me about ₦300,000 in generator costs last year. Crazy right? How much you probably spend on your generating set yearly would amaze you. We don’t get regular power supply, but these tips help me cope.
It stopped making sense to spend ₦82,000 on DSTV yearly
Nothing messes up my day more than running my generator to watch DSTV. It always feels like getting robbed by both Peter and Paul.
The DSTV Compact package was my regular. I decided to pack up both DSTV & GOTV decoders because they just weren’t working for me and got an Android TV box. Its been an interesting experience so far and I promise to keep you guys posted.
As for why I ditched DSTV and GOTV, where do I begin? For starters, I already buy bulk data monthly so it made more sense to switch to streaming.
Old series and annoying repetitions
The only thing that ever changed on DSTV was news and sports (football for most Nigerians). Well guess what, I’m not a football fan. When asked what club I support, I just say AC Milan so the person gets out of my hair. I don’t even know what league that team plays in.
The other channels were mostly old series (and movies) and mindless repetition of the episodes. Ah! The South African commercials I was forced to watch for minutes at a stretch. DSTV, O jewa ke eng?
My favorite news portals either have a website, social media page or Youtube channel / Live Stream. I can download almost any series / movie I want online. Remind me why I was paying for DSTV again?
No Pay Per View
How many channels really do you watch? My guess is just a handful. How many hours do you spend watching TV daily (assuming you’re not jobless)? My guess is you spend more time on your mobile or PC.
When DSTV laid the Pay as you view matter to rest, it was the nail in their coffin for me. Say I just subscribed for DSTV and have to travel or be too busy to watch TV, isn’t my money burning?
I can understand paying for tens of channels (I’ll probably never watch) to be on my list but its only fair I’m billed for what I actually consume isn’t it?
When I’m not streaming, my data just sits there. If I don’t exhaust it during the validity period, it rolls over to the next month. If I’m low on data, I can decide to only stream important stuff. Flexibility!
Price
Ah! The Elephant in the room. Their premium services are pricey. DSTV Catchup is a cool feature but the part where I have to spend about ₦60,000 to get DSTV Explora + dish just trumps it. The sky won’t fall if I miss that show. Besides, I can always search for it online.
₦15,800 for DSTV Premium, ₦10,650 for DSTV Compact Plus and ₦6,800 for DSTV Compact? No thank you! Netflix + Youtube live streams + Kodi Addons, here I come .
Extra
Warning! This is a rant.
Who uses the DSTV Now app? I mean, its bad enough that I’m paying too much for my DSTV subscription, I then have to crown it all by burning my data too?
Lest I forget, What’s up with the DSTV agents that call you up and just read out a script like robots? Can I get a WTF to that!
Should you go for a Smart TV?
Cable TV is not as attractive as it used to be. Maybe it was even only attractive because we didn’t have much of a choice. With the rise of streaming services, a lot of entertainment can now be accessed over the internet; even on free services like Youtube and Instagram. This is a vital advantage of Smart TVs as you’re not limited to the same old content which Cable TV companies provide.
If you’ve been considering getting a new Television set, you must have heard of Smart TVs while researching. These are TVs which come with pre-installed apps, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and allow you connect to the internet. The Smart TV experience is pleasant because it gives you way more options for your entertainment or work thanks to apps and the internet.
While I highly recommend the Smart TV experience, the price points of this TV type put them out of range for many. Fortunately, you can enjoy this same experience (arguably better) using a set-top / TV Box.
How can I use a TV box?
All you need is a TV with HDMI support. A TV box is an Android device (without a display) which casts its display to your TV via a HDMI cable. It comes with a remote control, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and many other features. You interact with the TV box via its remote control and you can see whatever you’re doing on your TV. If you’re not used to the Android interface / experience, its really easy to get familiar with.
In terms of size and weight, they’re usually very small and add little to no clutter to your space. In terms of cost, they’re surprisingly very affordable (as low as $20).
I’ve been using my TV box since 2018 and dropped my view which have been very positive. You’ll find a lot of TV boxes on the market, from cheap (if you’re on a budget or just wish to try) to robust featured.
I would go for a TV + TV Box combo over a Smart TV because its cheaper and more flexible.
Conclusion
Speaking of streaming services, I’m yet to try Iroko TV though I commend Jason Njoku for pulling it off. I avoid Nollywood English movies like the plague. Jim Iyke and co burnt my fuse long ago. I can still stomach their Yoruba counterparts despite the sub par production quality for the likes of Ijebu, Saka & Mr Latin.
I’m yet to meet anybody who joyfully pays for DSTV or GOTV subscription (unless they make money off of it). We pay it with about the same enthusiasm as we pay our electricity bills; ‘so that we can sha be having something to watch’.