You're reading it here first.
There will be no ''porn on demand'', and no pornographic movies included on the playlist of MultiChoice's
new DStv BoxOffice video-on-demand (VOD) service that will officially launch commercially on Friday 22 July for all DStv Premium subscribers who have a SH PVR or HD PVR.
ALSO READ: MultiChoice launches its DStv BoxOffice video-on-demand (VOD) service with 15 movies.
ALSO READ: Glamarama - MultiChoice launch function for DStv BoxOffice transports guests to the wonderful world of the movies.
No ''adult titles'' as the TV industry refers to them will appear on the list of 15 movies that will be updated regularly and which will cost DStv Premium subscribers R25 per movie. The same parental PIN code that is used and the same age restriction level set will apply to DStv BoxOffice as well. If anything is blocked/locked with a PG13 rating for instance on your normal DStv subscription, the same PIN and same level of parental block is going to be active on DStv BoxOffice.
Everything will be R25 per movie. MultiChoice says it wants to keep the pricing simple and launch DStv BoxOffice in the simplest way possible, which is why watching a movie on a SD PVR in standard definition or on a HD PVR on high definition will cost the same. The price might change later and go cheaper or more expensive.
Another factoid only I can bring first: MultiChoice is actually subsidizing the movie price of R25 and making a loss on some titles because some of the Hollywood studios want more. If enough subscribers take to DStv BoxOffice, MultiChoice will have more leverage with studios to negotiate lower prices. There will also be no ''bulk buying'' possible - you can't ''deposit'' R200 for instance and get more than your 8 movies. Why? MultiChoice says it wants to launch a simple service.
DStv BoxOffice makes a movie available for a period of 48 hours after you've ordered it and the payment has been authorized and approved. You can watch it as many times as you want, stop, restart, pause, whatever.
MultiChoice would
love to include episodes of TV series as well but says its not possible as of now just yet. They had to think what is the most appropriate stuff to start with and it's these 15 movies that goes onto the limited (and another previously unused part of the PVRs hard drive) storage space. And no sport events ... for now. Oh, this section of hard drive doesn't affect the space for the DStv on Demand Catch-Up service, the buffer, or your available space for all your unwatched episodes of
Teletubbies: The Next Generation that you don't want to delete and will get to eventually. Someday.
MultiChoice plans to make 150 blockbuster movies available on DStv BoxOffice over the course of a year before it appears on normal pay TV channels like M-Net. Some movies - and MultiChoice will try - to get them at the same time, even the day of, DVD release, for instance the day you can buy them in the DVD shop or rent them in the video shop.
More context I can bring you first. Not every single movie is going to show up on DStv BoxOffice. MultiChoice says its not a DVD shop. Also the space is limited. Also, the most difficult thing about this
whoooole thing was the rights and licensing - not the tech, not the other stuff. Different movies come with different licensing agreement rights. MultiChoice is aiming to get the movies and is ''positioning'' (that the industry term) to show titles in the 4 to 6 month period after the end of its cinema release. What MultiChoice pays differs for different sets of rights, and so where in that 4 to 6 month period the movie will appear will depend on that. Factoid: A channel like M-Net (will) get a movie from 6 to 12 months after cinema release.
DStv BoxOffice will initially only be available to DStv Premium subscribers who have a PVR decoder. Don't be sad/mad/bad. DStv is rolling out the service and says it will be extended later to a wider range of subscribers. Obviously not everybody can get it immediately and the biggest paying subscribers obviously have to get access to it first.
Since the PVR requires time to download titles and will do so when it's not in heavy use, MultiChoice recommends that subscribers leave their PVR on or in standby mode when not in use and not switch it off at night.
To introduce DStv BoxOffice and make subscribers familiar with the service, MultiChoice will allow subscribers to watch their first movie on the DStv BoxOffice service for free. Yep. No cost. Register for a DStv BoxOffice account and go choose one. Also, all the movies have free trailers that can be watched, similar to the VOD system found in hotels.
Once a movie has expired, for instance after a period of about two weeks during which it will be available to rent, MultiChoice says the movie
won't be available again to rent through DStv BoxOffice again.
The kinda rule of thumb for the DStv BoxOffice slave labour development team who were beaten harshly and had to run in wheels to generate their own electricity for use (Kidding, kidding! They look all
very much alive and not hamster-like at all) was basically: ''Your mum must be able to use it. If your mum can't use it, its out and not happening''.
