by Thinus Ferreira
On 19 August 2020, MultiChoice announced that it's launching a new DStv Streama decoder soon - but exactly a year later on 19 August 2021 and after getting free corporate publicity in the press, it has become vapourware, with the DStv Streama that is nowhere in sight, never launched and hasn't been spoken of again.
On 19 August last year, to coincide with its 2020 MultiChoice Content Showcase for the media in South Africa, MultiChoice announced that it's launching the expensive new DStv Explora Ultra decoder.
The DStv Explora Ultra decoder did go to market as a real product although consumers complained about the price since MultiChoice decided not to subside the cost like with its other decoder series.
MultiChoice however also announced that it's launching the new DStv Streama, a set-top box was supposedly to allow DStv subscribers to watch content from streaming services like Showmax, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others by way of an internet connection through Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable.
"The DStv Streama offers all of the best content customers have come to enjoy, including an array of sport, entertainment, news and kids' content," MultiChoice said. "With the Streama's selection of applications such as Showmax and YouTube, it presents all your viewing options in one place."
With the DStv Streama, subscribers would have been able to "seamlessly switch between applications like DStv, Showmax, and YouTube" according to the company.
A year later the mythical DStv Streama has now become what the industry calls "vapourware": A product, usually computer hardware that includes set-top boxes, that is announced publicly by companies but that is late, or that is never actually manufactured or launched to consumers, and that damages companies' credibility.
Sbu Mpungose, MultiChoice spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query asking what happened to the DStv Streama decoder and why it didn't launch that "At its annual media showcase last year,
MultiChoice shared its future product plans which included the DStv Streama and
the DStv Explora Ultra".
"The DStv Explora Ultra has already launched and the
DStv Streama is scheduled for launch this year. All details about this exciting
new product will be shared when It launches."
