DStv remains unmatched as a Cable TV provider, but movie lovers still have a wide range of options

It is an era of increased affinity to a sense of freedom and chique consumption, and the appeal of streaming services that put younger people apart from their ageing parents who watched local networks and then embraced cable TV when it first came into Nigeria will be with us for a while. Yet that same affinity to greater freedom even in how we access entertaining and educating content means that people will choose what best suits them, whether young and chique or old and comfortable with stability. Many young Nigerians who have used the different services offered by these platforms will opt for unfashionable cable stability for various reasons.

Yet younger customers are not sold stability alone, trend is less a word now than it is a lifestyle. We want to watch the latest movies whenever we fancy it, follow our favourite shows as they air, and stay up to date on our favourite celebrities – kPOP darlings as well as Nollywood evergreens like veteran megastar Genevieve Nnaji.

In the last decade, Nigeria’s digital TV revolution has given more options to consumers of all demography, and in this cacophony of options as in every service industry playing field, some providers stand apart from others by the variety they offer. It then falls to the customer to decide which option works best for them and go for it.

IIf you are a movie lover, and you are struggling to decide which cable TV platform to pitch your tent, the following breakdown may be helpful in your decision-making.

DStv

Perhaps the most popular and sought-after cable TV platform because of its enduring quality of offering. You can get the latest Hollywood movies to rent and watch at your leisure, an offering you don’t get from any other Cable TV provider.

And whether you are using its cheaper Yanga, Confam, Padi,Compact and Compact plus packages or the pricier Premium package, one thing users have agreed on is the value you get for your money remains unmatched.

Lagos resident, Opara James, compared his experience using DStv and GOtv to

the choice between skimmed and full cream milk, “You can still enjoy either, I enjoyed GOtv, but will I – unless for health reasons – choose GOtv over DStv if I have the choice? No.”

He enjoys the variety of cartoon networks his DStv Compact package affords him, which is absent on GOtv. And with more than 135 channels to choose from, all airing programs that are relevant in the now and not just tugging at the string of nostalgia in our hearts, “DStv for me remains unmatched,” he added.

GOtv

With its most expensive package (the one you could compare to the DStv premium) costing only about half the cost of the DStv Compact package, GOtv is made for accessibility. But the offering matches its price, and if you are going for a wider range of choice for the content you love to consume, 90 channels will not cut it, and that is the best you get.

If you are a Hollywood movie lover, you may have to settle for old-time favorites, which will tickle your nostalgia sweet tooth.

TSTV

TSTV was Introduced as the supposed alternative to DStv. It offers subscribers freedom with their subscription – you get to pay as you watch as well as pause your subscription if you suddenly develop loose foot – as well as a promise of 150 channels in the long run.

An article on Nairametrics from 2017 alarmingly headlined, “This new ‘Pay As You Go’ Cable TV is about to knock DSTV out!”

However, almost half a decade later, customer experience doesn’t seem to align with the prediction.

“TSTV is what you get when you don’t much care for Cable TV but want to have it anyway for the occasional guest,” said current user Ahmed Abdulfatah. “The freedom it offers to pause subscription makes it perfect for that. I would not go there if I want to watch the latest episode of The Ellen Show or a recent movie I missed at the theatre.”

Startimes

You wouldn’t get your favourite international channels here, but you will get satisfactory entertainment from local channels rendered in the much better digital TV quality and select international channels that offer unique programming.

“Startimes is a step up from local TV,” user Hanna Ejike opined, “that and the fact that it is pocket friendly is about all there is to be said about it.”

MyTV

It doesn’t boast nearly as many channels as GOtv, but MyTV delivers some level of entertainment and information.

The range of choice for Cable TV lovers has expanded, but within this range is a decision to be made by consumers: What is important to you?

If your answer includes the latest Hollywood blockbusters or the latest Nollywood hits, TV shows, series and drama, the one-stop for that remains DStv.

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