MultiChoice Group has not launched 4K-resolution content on its DStv Stream platform, despite a media report earlier on Thursday claiming that it had done so.
Although the JSE-listed broadcaster has the capability to offer 4K services on DStv Stream and its satellite bouquets, and has tested the technology in the past, it has not done so now – and it has communicated no plans to do so.
The company’s streaming service still tops out at a 1080p resolution, also known as full HD. Compared to 1080p streams and broadcasts, 4K content requires significantly more bandwidth, increasing costs for broadcasters.
A report by MyBroadband on Thursday, under the headline “DStv 4K is here”, claimed that the broadcaster had “started offering 4K streaming on selected content on its DStv Stream service for users of certain supported devices”.
The report has since been updated and the headline changed, though the new headline still implies a 4K launch is imminent.
In a statement shared with TechCentral, MultiChoice clarified the situation: “We are constantly working to enhance our customers’ viewing experience. DStv and the DStv Stream app already support 4K on selected content for compatible devices. The technology to support 4K is already in place, but the demand simply isn’t there yet in Africa,” it said.
‘Well positioned’
“As usage patterns evolve and appetite for higher resolutions grows, we’re well positioned to roll out 4K more broadly should the business case support the move,” the broadcaster said.
“While there’s currently no content available in 4K, both DStv and the DStv Stream app are fully capable of delivering 4K broadcasts on supported devices. In fact, DStv successfully streamed and broadcast the Fifa World Cup 2022 in 4K on live TV and the DStv Stream app.”
MultiChoice South Africa CEO Byron du Plessis added: “We regularly review the feasibility of offering 4K to our customers, and should it prove commercially viable in future, we will announce this to the market.”
In an interview with TechCentral in July, Du Plessis said 4K remained a “niche part of the market” and was not an urgent priority for the company.
Read: DStv price adjustments announced for 2025
“There’s maybe 1% of our Premium base that would think it’s a big thing,” he said, adding that although MultiChoice often spoke internally about the right time to introduce 4K streaming and broadcasts, there were no immediate plans to do so. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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