SMART TV TO REPLACE DVBT1 STBS WITH T2 COME 2012 SWITCH OVER
Today saw a major move by one of the new pay TV service providers in the market. SMART TV which is owned by Next Generation Kenya has had its fare share of accusations from the local media companies including a court case and relentless attack with regard to its digital set top boxes had decided to set the record staright with a publication in the 1st Feb 2011 daily nation page 33.
As we all know, just after the launch of its services, the company saw CCK change the required type of STBs from DVBT1 to DVBT2, this move did indeed put SMART TV operations in Kenya in danger. Others affected by this move were the independent digital set top box importers who saw there stock rendered obsolete at a blink of an eye, STAR TIMES who were more of whole dealers of free to air decoders. This was further ruined by the withdrawal of the digital signal to SIGNET (only digiatl broadcaster) sighting the violation of copyright by SMART TV with regard to there content (which is free to air anyway and that had been agreed on).
To mess up further, the Media Owners Association) went to court to seek a broadcast injunction against SMART TV (when SMART TV is not even licensed to transmit but SIGNET and they MOA had been aware of their signal being FTA on digital).
To cut the long story short, I am as a consumer in this country glad to see that the CEO has taken a bold step to assure the subscribers that they will be able to swap their set top boxes come that time that we will be required as a country switch over to DVBT2 technology.
cant wait, I will no doubt be the first to get mine... and that means I got some more NBA to watch. I LOVE THIS GAME.
As we all know, just after the launch of its services, the company saw CCK change the required type of STBs from DVBT1 to DVBT2, this move did indeed put SMART TV operations in Kenya in danger. Others affected by this move were the independent digital set top box importers who saw there stock rendered obsolete at a blink of an eye, STAR TIMES who were more of whole dealers of free to air decoders. This was further ruined by the withdrawal of the digital signal to SIGNET (only digiatl broadcaster) sighting the violation of copyright by SMART TV with regard to there content (which is free to air anyway and that had been agreed on).
To mess up further, the Media Owners Association) went to court to seek a broadcast injunction against SMART TV (when SMART TV is not even licensed to transmit but SIGNET and they MOA had been aware of their signal being FTA on digital).
To cut the long story short, I am as a consumer in this country glad to see that the CEO has taken a bold step to assure the subscribers that they will be able to swap their set top boxes come that time that we will be required as a country switch over to DVBT2 technology.
cant wait, I will no doubt be the first to get mine... and that means I got some more NBA to watch. I LOVE THIS GAME.
This is a SMART move by SMART TV. we are watching this space for pay TV in Kenya. Go SMART!
ReplyDeleteI think people and more so Kenyans should learn to appreciate technological advancement. We like it or not, soon or later all TV channels will be broadcasted on digital platform. It is high time we embrace this digital revolution. Kenyans should understand that this is not only happening here in Kenya but the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)decided that by 2015 all countries worldwide should migrate to digital broadcasting. This revolution is to our advantage just as the way mobile telecommunication worked. Resisting such a revolution would be like blocking a raging river with a spade.
ReplyDeleteConsumers should be protected from unnecessary costs. Kenyans are embracing the digital technology and need guidance on what gadgets to buy and at subsidised costs. I just hope we are now settled on DVB-T2 and will not change as soon as a new one comes up leaving consumers with set-top boxes that are obsolete.
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