WHAT THE FOX? Cell C black and FOX Networks Group won't give you access to any of the FOX supplied channels ... unless you pay another R100 more - even on the most expensive package.

The nastiest surprise when it comes to the linear TV channels carried on Cell C's new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, black, is the horrible discovery that all of the FOX supplied channels are blocked and that Cell C and FOX Networks Group Africa wants you to pay even more if you want to see any of it - even if you're on the most expensive monthly package already.

An even more eye-rollingly bad decision is that Cell C's black decided to front-load the FOX channels like FOX (channel 201) and FOX Life (202) at the very beginning of the linear TV channel list.

If you don't have the FOX channels and are not paying for them (presumably the bulk of Cell C black users) the very first thing all Cell C black customers see, and will see constantly, are just "blocked", "blocked", "blocked" and off-putting reminder notification pop-ups that "You lack the permission to view this content".

Out-of-the-box when you start up the blackBOX, it creates a very bad impression of Cell C's black.

Even after you've become used to it, Cell C and FOX are going to continue to keep "reminding" you of this - since it's what you're always going to see when you return to the start of the BINGE TV or "BTV" menu and channel list for the linear TV streaming section.

The biggest disappointment of opening Cell C black on the blackBOX was how it spoiled that feeling of excitement and anticipation you have when opening something new when, with the opening, unboxing and starting up of Cell C black, I discovered that all of the FOX supplied channels are blocked unless you pay even more.

The BINGE Premium Plus package of Cell C's black costs R389 per month.

That's the single-most expensive package on Cell C's just launched black streaming service.

Yet, when it comes to its linear TV channels offering, that R389 isn't enough for Cell C black to give you access to all of the TV channels.

Somehow Cell C black and FOX Networks Group Africa want the user to pay yet another R99 per month on top of the R389 to see channels like FOX, FOX Life, National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, Baby TV, FOX News, FOX Sports and FOX Sports 2.

Why didn't/isn't Cell C black bundling the FOX offering and its costing into the existing channel carousel pricing?

And why isn't Cell C black not making it upfront in its package information much more explicit that you won't and don't get the FOX Networks Group Africa channels as part of BINGE Premium Plus?

MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, and StarSat from China's StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media (ODM), both carry FOX, FOX Life and Nat GEO WILD already.

DStv carries National Geographic, and StarSat carries Baby TV, FOX News, Fox Sports and FOX Sports 2.

It feels disingenuous of Cell C black to offering a "BINGE Premium Plus" package when 8 linear TV channels are still blocked out, meaning it's not truly "binge", nor "premium", nor "plus".

Where is the Cell C black package that is really, truly all-inclusive of everything?

The answer is there isn't one which means BINGE Premium Plus is actually a bit of a minus - minus 8 to be exact.

Cell C black should move something like the two Sony channels, or the set of news channels upfront, and then middle or back-load the FOX channels.

In that way new and existing customers starting up the linear TV channels on Cell C's black, immediately see something that "works" instead of just stuff that are blocked.

When you pay R389 for a month's "premium plus" TV content and the first thing on the very first TV channel on Cell C black that you see is "You lack the permission to view this content", it creates not just a shock but a very bad feeling about the product - as if it's "broken" somehow, although it's not.


PS:
The pay-another-R100-if-you-want-FOX shock should also serve as a warning to those pay-TV subscribers who keep clamouring for a "I want to pick my own channels" on DStv or StarSat - the so-called a la carte option.

The R100 for the FOX caboodle shows how DStv subscribers and StarSat subscribers will very quickly end up paying more, and have less TV channels, if MultiChoice or StarTimes do actually "unbundle" channels and individually price tag a supplier's TV channel set like the ones from FOX, or SuperSport or M-Net or Discovery or Scripps Networks.

UNBOXING. Cell C's tiny black streaming set-top box, blackBOX, comes in a cool looking box with a double-sided remote control.

Cell C's recently launched subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service, black, works with mobile devices, tablets, laptops and desktop computers - but also has its own streaming set-top box (STB) and remote control that comes in its own cool looking and impressive looking box.

This is its unboxing and how it looks:

For review purposes Cell C couriered over to TVwithThinus and gave other select press and TV critics:

■ A black STB starter box called a blackBOX that includes the STB and remote control (R1499).
■ A portable mini WiFi router (ZTE MF920V LTE Ufi) (separate price unknown).
■ A Cell C SIM card that had to be RICA'ed.
■ A voucher code for a month's subscription to black BINGE Premium Plus (R389).
■ A voucher code for 1 free movie rental (R35).
■ A 100GB blackDATA bundle that's valid for 180 days and that can only be used to stream black content (R999).

I immediately just used my own existing 10Mbps uncapped Telkom ADSL line to try out the black service for review purposes (more on that in a separate review article).

Only later did I go through the process of getting the SIM card RICA'ed, then getting the data bundle loaded, then setting up the portable pocket router and connecting it to the black STB.

Before you do anything else, in order to use the service you also need to register and create an account for the black service.

You can create a black account without having to pay anything or having to enter any payment details.

Cell C's blackBOX is manufactured in China and comes in a light, black non-gloss box that's smaller thank you'd expect. It's just a bit bigger than lunchbox size.

It folds open from the front with "The Future of entertainment. NOW." embossed on the inside lid cover, and two fold out flaps opening to the left and right.

Inside and underneath the flaps is first a 14-page booklet - it's a mini instruction manual for users of the black set-top box.

Underneath that is the small blackBOX, a 2-prong power adapter, a remote control that users both sides (normal remote buttons on one side, a QWERTY-keyboard on the other side), and a HDMI cable.

As to scale, the black remote control is smaller than MultiChoice's DStv remote control, yet it's bigger (longer) than the blackBOX, which gives you an idea of how actually tiny the set-top box it is.

As you can see from the image above, the set-top box is almost the size of its power adapter.

The blackBOX remote control is an extremely light "chocolate slab" type rectangular remote control with smooth, rubber-type buttons.

The back of the blackBOX remote control has a QWERTY-keyboard that makes it easier to type words and numbers to make registration and linking to whatever internet data service easier.

Ironically, initially it didn't seem to work very well, and I struggled a lot.

From learnt behaviour and knowing that the box must be able to get a direct signal, I intuitively kept holding the remote control with its traditional front end to the blackBOX and grew frustrated about the slow and non-response of the keyboard.

Then I discovered you're supposed to hold it like a keyboard in front of you, pointed to the blackBOX.

The remote control doesn't just have a traditional infrared light-emitting diode (LED) at the front, but also one on the side. You can just point the "keyboard" at the blackBOX and type.

Once the blackBOX is connected to your TV set and you turn it on and connect it to your data service, you will see the "black" logo come on, after which the box will first check for a firmware upgrade to the latest version (there will very likely be a newer version than the one shipped with the box).

After the initial set-up and restart, you can enter your black user information.

It's better to register online on a desktop computer or laptop and then just enter those details on the remote control, than registering for the first time through the blackBOX, although the latter is possible (it's just more clunky).

As with a DStv or StarSat decoder there's now several menu screens you can peruse on the blackBOX interface where you can control and set your preferred settings.

On these menu screens you can set everything from network and internet settings, privacy settings and things like how you want the time to display and other preferences.

Then there's the menus for the live, linear TV channels, as well as the on demand content and shows.

The best button on the black remote control is the MENU button right in the middle.

The BACK button that I've used the second most is wholly in the wrong place, it needs to be to the left of the MENU button. Basically the MUTE and BACK buttons should be switched around.

Some things about the blackBOX and Cell C's black streaming service really are great and are really surprising and quite remarkable.

Some things about blackBOX and black are frustratingly bad right out of the box and damages the user experience - a lot of it is the same problems that MultiChoice has with its DStv Now and DStv Catch Up services, but black has some additional issues.

I will address all of these in a review of the blackBOX and Cell C's black SVOD service.

Cell C enters South Africa's crowded video streaming market with black.

Cellular operator Cell C has become the latest entrant in the crowded subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) arena, launching a new video streaming service called "black".

As a separate business from Cell C, black will try to eke out a spot in the very crowded South African streaming services market already populated by Netflix South Africa, Naspers' Showmax, DEOD, PCCW Global's ONTAPtv.com, PrideTV and Amazon's Amazon Prime Video.

Cell C says black will give users access to live streaming of five top European football club channels (ManU TV, Barca TV, Liverpool TV, Chelsea TV and Real Madrid TV), as well as services like sports betting and hotel bookings. Consumers not using Cell C can also access black.

Black is available on Android and iOS apps, but also has its own set-top box (STB) called the blackBOX that cost R1 500, with black that can also be accessed through web browsers at black.co.za. 

At launch black says it offers a video-on-demand offering of up to 5 000 movies, series, music and documentaries with international and local content.

On black customers can also watch local soaps from the SABC and international shows like Generations, Uzalo, Mary Kills People, Catastrophe, Power, High Rollers and Survivor’s Remorse, as well as catch up on previous seasons.  

A deal has also been signed between black and Fox Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) to add its FOX+ streaming service in South Africa  for the first time. Under the deal, FOX will give black linear and on-demand content from 21st Century Fox.

It gives black access to content from channels like FOX and National Geographic that has until now only been available on MultiChoice’s DStv and StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media’s (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platforms. 

Through black consumers will get access to 8 FOX channels from FOX+, with full seasons on-demand shows from 21st Century Studios, 20th Century Fox Television and FOX News Channel programming. TV shows range from Modern Family and Homeland to Empire and The Walking Dead.

Channels available through FOX+ include FOX, FOX Life, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX News Channel and BabyTV.

“We are exceptionally excited to have signed this momentous deal, which will add to the premium content already available on the black platform,” says black’s content boss, Surie Ramasary, of the FOX+ deal.

“FOX is a natural content partner for black. Fox Networks Group are particularly proud to partner with Cell C as they undertake to revolutionise the mobile TV space, undoubtedly a key pillar in the future of entertainment,” says Adam Theiler, the executive vice president of Fox Networks Group Europe and Africa.

"Content services around the world are growing as fast as mobile did in its early days and true to Cell C’s form we are embracing content by bringing black to South Africans," says Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos.

Customers can access black by using vouchers as well as debit and credit cards and Cell C subscribers will be able to pay using prepaid airtime.

Customers can buy blockbuster movies from R59 to own and watch as many times as they like, or rent them from R29 for 48 hours. 

"FLEXI Access" cost R10 per day up to R39 per month, with "FLEXI Premium" ranging from R39 per day to R99 per month. BTV Premium with access to 60 channels cost R189 per month with BTV Access with 18 channels costing R69 per month.

The football channels cost extra as a separate subscription ranging from R5 per day to R25 per month.