China's StarTimes is clearly the new conditioner, bringing brand-new volume - although not perhaps necessarily higher quality - to the content provided by On Digital Media's (ODM) new StarSat satellite pay-TV offering in South Africa.
With the support of StarTimes - the media and TV conglomerate which came to On Digital Media's (ODM) rescue with a capital injection for its struggling TopTV service - ODM plans to offer 81 TV channels on its StarSat Super package for R199 per month.
That gives a ratio of R2.45 per TV channel on StarSat per month. StarTimes and ODM is planning to increase the number of TV channels to "over 100" early in 2014 which will better the ratio of cost per channel for a StarSat subscriber even further to under R1.99 per channel.
No TV schedules or new TV channel descriptors or information have been released by ODM and StarTimes for the new StarSat packages yet.
That makes it difficult if not impossible to ascertain the amount of original new content, the repeat ratios on channels and the incidence of programming already seen.
On the face of it though (and yes, there is and will be new and newer content on StarSat channels) the more total hours of programming on StarSat per month means more TV for money for subscribers.
Whether a replacement channel like Star One will prove to be a same-for-same, better, or worse, channel content wise as Top One which it is replacing once the real schedule kicks in remains to be seen.
Top One was supposed to be TopTV's flagship general entertainment channel, but never managed to achieved that status and failed in local content promises, repeats, and by having too few premium international shows.
Star One is described by StarSat as containing "strong, international and local programming". If it does, subscribers won't complain.
The same example is and will be applicable for all of the other new StarSat channels. FOX Crime which replaces FOX Retro and Top Crime is for instance a much better channel although it's not even a premium channel.
FOX Crime carries first-run international drama series, so this one bird in the hand definitely makes up for the two gonners in the bush as far as TV content goes.
Nat Geo Gold is a good addition, the great Discovery Science channel remains; the solid BET, FOX, JimJam, FX and BabyTV all remain, and the credible Bloomberg Television is added with a few additional news channels.
The addition of 3 out of the 4 new e.tv's channels - eAfrica+, eKasi+ and eMovies+ - is a great development. The channels will grow as e.tv builds those content pipes and StarSat subscribers will benefit.
The amount of Nigerian content on StarSat seems problematic. South African culture is not just on a physical map just a tad too far removed from Nigeria. Kung Fu 1 as a channel seems a bit ... odd.
A pay-TV subscriber will sometimes settle for less channels if its better content-funneling channels. Perhaps two less Nigerian channels for one better other type of channel would make for a better proposition?
With not a lot of new sport besides basketball, pay-TV subscribers will gravitate towards StarSat for its general entertainment offering. How that selection of channels stack up in terms of what content they carry, remains to be seen.
There's definitely more general entertainment and movies channels - which means an increase in volume - but the big question will be what the content on those channels are and whether South African subscribers will feel it appropriate, like it, and feel compelled to watch it.
The additional add-on StarSat Chinese package which contains 17 TV channels for R149 per month comes across as somewhat of a vanity project pushed by StarTimes.
How many Chinese interested subscribers or Chinese subscribers are available on South Africa who would sign up for this service is doubtful.
The Indian packages on both MultiChoice's DStv and the former TopTV are already niche offerings which don't attract large subscriber numbers. Yet the Indian community in South Africa is much larger than the total Chinese community. Will StarSat Chinese be able to turn profitable as an add-on package?
The StarTimes intervention has added some new shine to TopTV, or now StarSat.
What the true extent of this volumising effect is - both in terms of subscriber satisfaction reaction and content quality - can't yet be determined.
The next test will come when StarSat steps out of the salon after having worked through the new conditioner the past few months in the makeover chair.
