You will never see TV with Thinus shamelessly rehashing a press release, but the information guide document which M-Net and DStv handed out to the press earlier tonight after the press conference and media event is very well done and explains in detail everything a DStv subscriber might want to know.
Therefore I'm running it as received - it's quite clear and insightful:
Why did M-Net decide to launch new channels?
The primary objective is to enhance your movie-viewing
experience (with a Movie for Every Mood), and to ensure that you can find your
movies easier.
When will the new channels launch?
The channels will launch from 10:30 on Monday 1 October 2012
What will they be called?
They will be called:
M-Net Movies Premiere (also in HD) – DStv channel 103
M-Net Movies Comedy (also in HD) – DStv channel 104
M-Net Movies Family (also in HD – DStv channel 105
M-Net Movies Action Plus (also in HD) – DStv channel 106
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance (also in HD) - DStv channel 107
M-Net Movies Showcase (also in HD) - DSt channel 108
M-Net Movies Action (only in SD) - DStv channel 110
M-Net Movies Stars (only in SD) - DStv channel 111
How will the channels be broadcast?
M-Net Movies Premiere (also in HD) – DStv channel 103
M-Net Movies Comedy (also in HD) – DStv channel 104
M-Net Movies Family (also in HD – DStv channel 105
M-Net Movies Action Plus (also in HD) – DStv channel 106
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance (also in HD) - DStv channel 107
M-Net Movies Showcase (also in HD) - DSt channel 108
M-Net Movies Action (only in SD) - DStv channel 110
M-Net Movies Stars (only in SD) - DStv channel 111
How will the channels be broadcast?
Of the 8 channels on the DStv Premium
bouquet, 6 of these are broadcast in high definition (HD). The HD channels
are:
M-Net Movies Premiere – Channel 103
M-Net Movies Comedy - Channel 104
M-Net Movies Family – Channel 105
M-Net Movies Action Plus - Channel 106
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance - Channel 107
M-Net Movies Showcase- Channel 108
M-Net Movies Premiere – Channel 103
M-Net Movies Comedy - Channel 104
M-Net Movies Family – Channel 105
M-Net Movies Action Plus - Channel 106
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance - Channel 107
M-Net Movies Showcase- Channel 108
The channels available on the DStv Compact
bouquet:
M-Net Movies Action- Channel 110
M-Net Movies Stars - Channel 111
M-Net Movies Action- Channel 110
M-Net Movies Stars - Channel 111
Why is MM1 (as we know it) now changing to M-Net Movies
Premiere?
M-Net is expanding to form a new family of movie channels to
cater for every mood. M-Net Movies
Premiere will consist of new movies, first-to-television and fresh from
Hollywood. To select movies for all your other tastes will be on the other 7
dedicated movie channels.
What will now happen to M-Net Movies 1HD on channel 175?
M-Net Movies 1HD (DStv channel 175) will be replaced by M-Net
Movies Premiere on DStv channel 103. M-Net
Movies Premiere will be broadcast in high definition (HD). Your decoder is
smart enough to detect the correct format and will display the channel in HD or
SD depending on your decoder.
What will happen to MM2?
M-Net Movies 2 will be replaced by M-Net
Movies Showcase on DStv cannel 108. M-Net
Movies Showcase will feature a variety of movies, with a focus on
festivals, themes and a viewer’s choice. M-Net Movies Showcase will also be in
HD for HD viewers.
If MM1 and MM2 are falling away, what new channels am I now
getting?
The four new channels are:
M-Net Movies Comedy
M-Net Movies Family
M-Net Movies Action+
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance
These four channels will all be genre-based, and will cater for the viewer’s specific tastes. For example, M-Net Movies Comedy will broadcast comedies 24/7, with a new comedy (that has not been broadcast on the channel) will be screened in prime time every day of the week.
M-Net Movies Comedy
M-Net Movies Family
M-Net Movies Action+
M-Net Movies Drama & Romance
These four channels will all be genre-based, and will cater for the viewer’s specific tastes. For example, M-Net Movies Comedy will broadcast comedies 24/7, with a new comedy (that has not been broadcast on the channel) will be screened in prime time every day of the week.
The crème-de-la-crème of big budget, hit movies await on the M-Net Movies Premiere channel. This is
where Hollywood royalty lives and where you can find the freshest movies
appearing on TV for the first time.
Relax, put your feet up and prepare to laugh until it hurts
with M-Net Movies Comedy. Whether you
like your comedies tinged with romance, drama, slapstick humour or a little on
the naughty side, the comedy channel will leave you in stitches.
M-Net Movies Family:
Wholesome entertainment for all ages awaits you on M-Net Movies Family. A fun and enjoyable
line-up featuring animation, musicals, fantasy and feel-good family movies will
keep both kids and the young at heart engrossed all day.
M-Net Movies Action Plus:
Escape on an adventure, discover what lies in the far reaches
of Space, fight the bad guys and save the world. M-Net Movies Action Plus will take you there with a host of
blockbuster movies from Action to Westerns, Horror and Sci-Fi.
Get swept away by an enchanting love story, or lost in a
heart wrenching drama with M-Net Movies
Drama & Romance. The drama and romance channel features a variety of
new and entertaining content including biographies, thrillers, documentaries
and war movies.
Revisit your most magical movie moments and discover new ones
with M-Net Movies Showcase. M-Net Movies Showcase shines the
spotlight on specific movies and directors with exciting festivals, themes and
box sets. Plus you get to take control and recommend movies with our viewer’s
choices.
M-Net Movies Action:
Do high speed car chases, massive explosions, hot woman,
ripped action stars and giant bloodthirsty mutant animals make your world go
round? With M-Net Movies Action,
you’ll find everything to keep you glued to your lazy boy.
Your best loved actors and movies shine brightly on M-Net Movies Stars. Featuring cult
classics and movie favourites from past and present across a variety of genres
from comedy to drama and romance, it’s the channel for young and old alike.
What about the movies on M-Net Movies Premiere?
Every Friday, there are 4 new first-to-television
movies from 18:30 until 00:30, with the biggest movie of the week on Fridays at
20:30.
In addition to this, the M-Net Sunday night blockbuster movie
will be screened at 20:00 on M-Net. This movie will also be broadcast at 20:30
that same evening on M-Net Movies
Premiere for viewer’s convenience.
Will the existing censoring options also exist on M-Net
Movies?
Yes, movies will be broadcast with the original soundtrack and the option to select family audio
option. In addition, the parental control facilities will still exist.
What will HD sound quality be like?
M-Net Movies feature 5.1 Dolby surround audio as an option
where available. The family and original audio will be available in Stereo.
Are the standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD)
channels different?
The channel content is exactly the same and movies are
screened identically. The format in which the viewer will receive the feed will
depend on your decoder type. SD decoders will broadcast in SD, and HD in HD.
Your decoder will automatically detect the format.
If I am a DStv Premium subscriber do I automatically receive
the HD channels?
No, you will only receive the HD channels if you have an HD
PVR decoder (to enjoy the full benefits of HD it is preferable to have a HD
Ready or Full HD TV).
If I am a HD subscriber, will I be able to record in SD?
Not at present.
What aspect ratio will I get my movies in?
All eight channels will be broadcast in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
The 4:3 viewer will have the option to choose the arch setting on their remote.
At what time do the movies start on M-Net Movies?
The movies on M-Net Movies follow a cascading pattern of
broadcast. This means that there are two movies starting every half hour.
M-Net Movies Premiere and M-Net Movies Drama & Romance have a movie each at 18:30. Next
is M-Net Movies Comedy and M-Net Movies Showcase, with a movie each
at 19:00. M-Net Movies Family and M-Net Movies Action have a movie each at
19:30.
