Interview: DStv's Mark Rayner on the Explora Ultra, streaming, 4K and more

Loading player...
Mark Rayner, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, joins TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on the podcast to discuss the major announcements made by the pay-television operator on Wednesday, including the launch of the DStv Explora Ultra personal video recorder (PVR).
In the podcast, Rayner unpacks what the new PVR can do and its significance in MultiChoice's product portfolio.
He explains why, despite the Explora Ultra's support 4K-resolution content, MultiChoice has no immediate plans to launch 4K channels.
The discussion then turns to the DStv Streama, a streaming set-top box also unveiled by MultiChoice on Wednesday. He explains what the Streama will be able to do, why it's running software called the Reference Design Kit (rather than Android), and where it fits into the portfolio.
Then, on DStv's new "dishless" offering, Rayner explains why this is priced the same as legacy satellite bouquets and what consumers need to know about it.
There's plenty more in the interview, including a look at Covid-19's impact on the SuperSport business and why MultiChoice decided to allow competitor streaming services on its platform.
Don't miss the discussion!
19 Aug 2020 English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

TCS | Charge’s R1.8-billion bet on an off-grid EV future

South Africa has fewer than 400 public electric vehicle charging stations – up from zero just 15 years ago – and EV adoption remains stubbornly slow. Yet Charge, formerly known as Zero Carbon Charge, is betting big that a coast-to-coast network of off-grid, renewable-powered charging stations is exactly what’s needed…
18 May 37 min

TCS+ | The Up&Up Group on the hidden cost of AI

Companies large and small are pouring capital into AI projects, chasing the promise of efficiency, speed and scale. But as Jason Harrison, chief operating officer of The Up&Up Group, argues in this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, the upfront price tag tells only a fraction of the story – and many…
13 May 46 min

TCS+ | The retirement decision most South Africans get wrong

What happens to your retirement savings when you leave an employer is one of the most consequential financial decisions most South Africans will make – and one of the most commonly mishandled. In this podcast conversation with Mpho Chitapi, 10X Investments senior investment consultant Michael Rossouw sets out what should…
6 May 55 min

TCS | The Cape Town start-up listening for TB with AI

AI Diagnostics, a Cape Town-based med-tech company that has built an AI-powered stethoscope designed to detect tuberculosis, recently raised R85-million in a pre-series-A funding round. In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), Nkosinathi Ndlovu speaks to the company’s CEO, Braden van Breda, about the funding round and its mission…
4 May 36 min