MultiChoice’s long-awaited media streaming TV box — the DStv Streama — will launch in South Africa on 1 October 2022.
MultiChoice South Africa CEO, Nyiko Shiburi, revealed the official launch date during the company’s 2022 Media Showcase on Thursday.
The DStv Streama is a compact streaming box that supports 4K video with HDR 10 and Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound.
To connect the Streama to the Internet, users can either plug in an Ethernet cable at the back or connect wirelessly with a built-in Wi-Fi 5 receiver.
The Streama includes a small remote control similar in size to those offered with the Mi TV Box or Mi TV Stick — Xiaomi’s rivals to MultiChoice’s device.
The remote features shortcut buttons for Netflix, Showmax, and YouTube. It also has a microphone button for voice input.
The box’s operating system is built on the open-source RDK platform used by other well-known broadcasters like Sky.
Its interface is similar to what users would get on the DStv streaming app, with some refinements made to the TV Guide.
It also includes apps for MultiChoice’s Showmax streaming service and SuperSport as well as third-party streaming apps, namely Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and YouTube Kids — the same apps currently available on the Explora Ultra.
Customers can sign up for DStv packages directly through the box and add subscriptions for some of the third-party services to their accounts.
The DStv Streama was announced over two years ago, in August 2020. At the time, MultiChoice said its launch date would be revealed “in due course”.
It kept quiet on any definite launch plans for a long time, leading to speculation that the product had become vapourware.
Shiburi told MyBroadband in November 2021 that the global chip shortage did play a role in the Streama’s delay, as they had to rethink which chipset to use in the device.
An engineer who worked on the Streama told MyBroadband they switched from an Amlogic to a Realtek chip, requiring them to undergo a recertification process.
Shiburi also said they delayed the Streama to ensure it could hold its own against the best in the world from day one.
“This box has to be really top class,” Shiburi stated.
“You’re entering a market where there’s already so many media devices out there. You want to make sure that when this product goes out, it’s top-notch.”
However, during MultiChoice’s financial result presentation for the 2021/2022 financial year, executives finally revealed the box would launch by 30 September 2022.
The DStv Streama will have a recommended retail price of R1,299 at launch. Its specifications are summarised in the table below.
Chipset Realtek 1319
RAM 2GB
Connectivity Ethernet, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth
Ports HDMI, USB (inactive)
Streaming resolution Up to 4K
Display technologies HDR10
Audio technologies Dolby Atmos
Price R1,299