South Africa has become home to several satellite television providers. Apart from DStv which has grown to become the major company offering direct broadcast satellite and internet protocol television not only in the country but in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is StarSat which prides itself as an alternative and affordable network. For Openview HD to gain any recognition, it had to have a unique selling point; thus it became the country’s first free-to-air satellite television service platform.
OpenView is a subsidiary of Platco Digital. Previously known as OpenView HD, it was launched on the 16th of October 2013. Even though it struggled to find a place in the market, the direct broadcast satellite television outlet has been embraced by at least 2 million homes. It offers various radio and television channels that cover everything from sports to news, reality shows, documentaries, movies, and series.
All the Channels OpenView Offers
OpenView offers at least 18 TV and 8 radio channels. These channels offer both local and international content spread across a diverse range of programming meant for adults, kids, and everyone in between.
Here’s the List of its TV Channels
- SABC 1 | CH. 101
- SABC 2 | CH. 102
- SABC 3 | CH. 103
- E.TV | CH. 104
- EEXTRA | CH. 105
- EMOVIES | CH. 106
- EMOVIES EXTRA | CH. 107
- EREALITY | CH.108
- REWIND | CH. 109
- STAR LIFE | CH.110
- FIGHT SPORT | CH. 115
- E NEWS & SPORT | CH.120
- FRANCE 24 | CH. 121
- DBE TV | CH.122
- ETOONZ | CH. 130
- MINDSET | CH.134
- GLOW TV | CH.140
- SUPATV | CH.150
OpenView Radio Channels
- YFM | CH. 600
- BOK RADIO | CH. 601
- LM RADIO | CH. 602
- GAGASI FM | CH. 603
- OFM | CH. 604
- HEART FM | CH. 605
- RADIO PULPIT | CH. 607
- KAYA FM | CH. 608
- TRANS AFRICA RADIO | CH. 609
Three of Its Channels are Dedicated to Sports
For a free-to-view satellite television, OpenView offers a decent variety of programming. In addition to Turkish and Indian telenovelas dubbed in Afrikaans and English, they have channels dedicated to viewers interested in sports.
These channels include E News & Sport, Fight Sports, and SupaTV. More than offering the latest international and local news, a great deal of E News & Sport programming revolves around helping viewers keep up with sporting activities. Their coverage extends to live English Premier League matches. Also, OpenView is the official free-to-air broadcast partner of the NBA in South Africa and it has an agreement with Germany’s premier football league to air Bundesliga.
As the name implies, FIGHT SPORTS takes care of combat sports across the globe, from boxing to MMA, sumo, judo, karate, kickboxing, and what have you. SupaTV isn’t your typical sports channel but it still counts. The channel offers a selection of popular games such as Dog Racing.
Fight Sport and E News & Sports are among the OpenView channels that broadcast HD content. Others include Starlife, e.tv, eMovies Extra, eToonz, eMovies+, eExtra, and eReality.
What it Cost to Subscribe and How to Install OpenView
Unlike DStv and Starsat which requires a monthly subscription, OpenView has no monthly fees; this is why it is regarded as free-to-view satellite television. If you choose to get an OpenView for your home entertainment, you only have to pay once and the last time we checked, the price is R1,499.
The amount covers a decoder, dish, and installation. Yes, it comes with an installation voucher that would provide you all the details you need to book an installation. It also comes with a remote control unit, a personal video recorder, and a 12v external power supply unit.
For installation, all you need to do after obtaining an OpenView full package which contains a decoder, dish, and installation voucher is to follow the directives of the voucher and book an installer. This will come at no additional cost to you.
Nonetheless, if you acquire only the decoder which goes for R599, it will cost you around R900 to pay an installer for a dish and installation. To book an installer, you can use OpenView’s interaction map to find one nearest to you. Alternatively, you can book an installer through one of their distributors:
- SOS LIFESTYLE AV – 086 111 3426
- ELLIES – 086 135 5437
- SPACETV – 086 140 4142
- SWITCH – 086 079 4824
Yes, You Can Use DStv Dish with OpenView Decoder
It is not a secret that direct broadcast satellite service providers have taken to scrambling to keep hackers at bay. What this does is that it encrypts signal transmission, making it unintelligible for anyone without the proper descrambling device to gain access to their contents. So one must have an OpenView decoder to access its contents. This does not extend to the dish, thanks to satellite dish optimization.
For the uninitiated, it is a procedure that allows you to connect two or multiple decoders of the same or different network to one satellite dish. Yes, it is very possible to connect multiple decoders of different networks to one satellite dish but each of the satellite service providers involved must have its LNB fine-tuned to align with its recommended reception radius.
What’s more, is that it is easy to use a DStv dish for an OpenView decoder as both providers require their dishes to face North East for signal reception. So, if you already have a DStv dish or any connected to IS-20 satellite, you only need an OpenView decoder to access their content. You can start viewing as soon as you connect the decoder to the dish and activate the set up with the instructions on the box with a phone.
Nonetheless, it must be pointed out that even though OpenView and DStv use the same IS-20 satellite, their transponders are different. So, the dish needs to face the north-east at 68.5 degrees for a clear OpenView signal. Also, you should know that each TV set in your home needs its own OpenView decoder to view different channels at the same time.
Key Take-Aways
1. There are at least 18 television channels and six radio stations; several of its channels air HD content.
2. At least three of its channels are dedicated to sports.
3. There is no monthly subscription; you only have to pay once for a combination of decoder, dish, and installation.
4. Openview decoder with an installation voucher, including dish and installation fee, goes for R1,499.
5. An Openview decoder without dish and installation voucher will cost you R599.
6. You only need to buy the decoder if you have a DStv dish; the recommended dish size is 85cm.
