Please be aware that the Vidi service will not be available as of 26 Jan 2016. As of the 3rd Feb 2016, the website is still up and running.
South Africa is moving more towards streaming based entertainment services. With the introduction of Netflix into our country, we have realised we need to do a comparison of the services. In this blog post, we will compare the services of Netflix, Showmax, Vidi, and DSTV Now.
What comes to mind, as Nerds, is the importance of streaming quality and options available. We also want to know the selection of content that the services offer and at what price. The table below outlines this:
| Name of Service | Quality | Content | Price | Connection Required |
| Netflix | Standard and HD. Internet speed in South Africa is not suitable for UHD. | +/- 750 titles231 series
500 movies
|
Currently priced in dollars. There are 3 per month options:1. $7.99 (+/- R140)
2. $9.99 (+/- R170) 3. $11.99 (+/- R200) |
0.5 Megabits per second – Required broadband connection speed to 25 Megabits per second for UHD viewing |
| ShowMax | Standard and HD | +/- 1000 titles400 series
600 movies |
R99 per month | 3 Mbps uncapped or faster for an “improved viewing experience”. |
| Vidi | Standard | +/- 300 titles2 500 episodes
170 movies (100 come with the subscription) |
R5 per dayR99 per month
R25 per movie rental |
A minimum of 1MB speed is required but the higher the speed the better the experience. |
| DStv Now | HD. The standard for older titles | 126 series and 26 reality TV titles142 movies
Allows for live streaming and has talk shows such as The Daily Show. 13 Show titles available. Sport matches available as well. Constantly updated with fresh and newer content
|
R899 per month with the Explora. Only Premium PVR and Explora clients can access DSTV Now.R27 for a box office movie title. You must be a subscriber to access this feature. | You can use DStv Now on any broadband Internet connection, including ADSL, 3G/HSDPA, 4G/LTE or Wi-Fi. We recommend a minimum connection speed of 2Mbps, but for the best experience, we recommend a 4Mbps line or faster. |
*Figures as of the 15th January 2016. All can work on a 2Mbps line, however, we do recommend a 4 Mbps line. Please be aware that even if you are on a 4Mbps ADSL line you may not get that speed.
If you need to upgrade your line, Dial a Nerd can help! Contact Dial a Nerd today!
But how good is the content on these streaming services?
The best value for money in terms of the number of titles is Showmax. All services update their content so that is a given, however, DStv uses the Now service as an add-on for current subscribers. So if you already have a DStv subscription, this is a great added value service, available on Android, iOS, Windows and online. All the services can be streamed through your Internet browser.
Netflix offers many interesting documentaries, well-loved and new series and movies. DStv appears to have the most recent content, but Showmax has the most variety. In terms of local content DStv Now, Vidi and Showmax have local titles. This is Netflix’s biggest weakness, with literally no local titles available.
Our suggestion is to look at what your family needs and wants. Netflix is great for people wanting to watch new things, whereas Showmax has very recognisable and good quality titles. Vidi and Showmax have older titles, but their variety of movies you can rent is much larger than its competitors. Vidi’s rental movies include new releases and old movies. DStv’s box office has only select a few new releases. If sport is of huge importance, DStv Now is great, however, Netflix does have streaming options overseas for this, so perhaps South Africa will follow. For the kids, DStv, Showmax, and Netflix have better quality content. Netflix also has a “safe-mode” for kids where there is only child-friendly content. You can switch back to adult content when you are ready.
You can stream all services using a CloudGate Circle (Android) and CloudGate Square (Windows) device. Get yours today!