The SA MCE Community

Hi,

I have recently setup a Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center system to integrate the media in my home. Having so many sources of media clutters up our house and confuses people when they want to change from listening to a cd, to watching tv.

The Media Center option gave us a choice to integrate our entertainment and make the use of our entertainment area enjoyable again.

However, when it comes to watching tv, I feel crippled by the DSTV decoder. First I have no EPG information, so I have to continuously pick up the DSTV remote to browse for channel information and to book schedules.

Also there are many astheatic problems with the DSTV / Media Center integration, for example I cannot turn off the information bar in DSTV completely, I can only set it visible for 1 second. This interfere's with the viewing experience that I am trying to create.

Studies show that improved viewing experiences increase the time spent behind the television, why don't Multichoice work with the early adopters of an increasingly popular technology to be prepared when a larger portion of the South African market makes common use thereof.

Media Center is, as all Microsoft products, fully customizable from a programatic point of view. This means that Multichoice can develop a library that integrates with Media Center that "approves" the use and function of the media center with a Multichoice DSTV decoder. Without this library, there will be no EPG, however for subscribers, the library is accessable, and retrieves the EPG from a trusted Multichoice provider.

Be creative and solve the problem, but don't stifle a promising shift in home entertainment.

I am a paying customer with the PVR decodes, which is supposed to be the latest technology that Multichoice have to offer... Yet I am still not able to use this technology to it's full potential.

My PVR has done nothing but be problematic, and the only solution I get is Restart the decoder.

I would appreciate the service I pay for as well as the latest technology with regards to TV viewing.

Thank you

Duncan Smith 

To Multichoice;

Those of us who would rather receive EPG data in an open electronic format have already chosen not to purchase your PVR. We have, however, chosen to purchase your DsTV or Mnet subscriptions and would appreciate being able to utilise that content to the best of our capacities.

By not being able to set up recording times or being allowed to browse the EPG, it has become practically difficult to watch all of the programmes one would like to watch, and we are therefore spending less time watching TV, and more time watching purchased DVD's and other digital content.

In an age where such digital content is widely available through a number legal supply chains, by cutting off access to our (paid for) EPG data, you are seriously running the risk of becoming an irrelevant content distributor. Remember, your service is only one such method through which consumers may purchase media entertainment, and by making it more difficult to have that entertainment delivered, you are only forcing your clients to get that content through other supply chains.

Not having access to the data gives the Multichoice PVR a monopoly  to the functionality.

Also denies my Democratic right to choose other systems to watch with programming facility DSTV for which I pay so dearly in spite it having (it feels like) 50% paid advertising being forced on it's paying customers.

To crown it all, it has "Shopping channels" going on and on about Verimark-type projects at my cost!!