On Digital Media and Chinese backer StarTimes open some new TV channels on its new StarSat service to subscribers for sampling.

On Digital Media (ODM) and Chinese backer StarTimes running the StarSat satellite pay-TV service in South Africa, on Friday opened some new TV channels for "sampling" to all current TopTV subscribers.

The heavily Chinese content infused channels which have been opened to all subscribers on TopTV, soon to be StarSat, have been plagued by technical and sound problems, as well as episode programme guide (EPG) unavailability and errors.

Several of the opened new StarSat channels don't have sound, soft sound and visual problems.

ODM and StarTimes are rebranding the damaged TopTV name to StarSat and repositioning the available monthly subscriber packages from December with a heavy emphasis on Chinese and Nigerian content.

ODM and Startimes promised at the end of October that existing TopTV subscribers on lower packages will be getting access to the new StarSat branded and acquired TV channels in November, to "sample" before the channels are encoded on more expensive packages.

ODM and StarTimes have now enabled the Star Africa 2 channel, Star E1, Novela E1, Novela E3, Star Chinese 2, Kung Fu 1, Star Bollywood, Nat Geo Gold, Star Sino Drama and CTI Asia.