StarTimes Integrated DTV Set to Enhance Digital Migration
Emma Okonji
With barely three months to the June 2017 deadline for digital migration, otherwise known as Digital Switchover (DSO), Pay-TV giant, StarTimes has assured Nigerians of its readiness to ensuring that Nigeria meets the new deadline, having missed similar deadlines in 2012 and 2015 respectively.
The company at the weekend in Lagos, said its latest product, the integrated Digital TV, which it introduced into the Nigerian market few months ago, would enhance the digital migration landscape, particularly helping families across Africa to connect smartly to the digital TV era, and at the same time, assist government in meeting the June 20, 2017 deadline, set for Nigeria by the International Telecoms Union (ITU).
StarTimes Nigeria Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Tunde Aina, who gave the assurance at a media chat, explained that “One of the lofty attractions of the 21st century is the ease that advanced technologies offer and particularly exciting is how innovations buoyed by technology makes life more comfortable and worth living. With the innovation that StarTimes integrated digital TV brings to the fore, Nigerian and African families whether in the rural or urban areas can easily switch to digital TV with much ease without the rigour of procuring analogue TV sets, set-top boxes, wiring and other accessories. The StarTimes Digital TV which offers an integrated solution with one product can thus help a great deal in leap-frogging the nation’s spirited plans to connect many Nigerians with the digital TV and its huge attendant benefits faster.”
Aina further explained that with interesting features deliberately planned to enhance user experience, the DTV is an exciting offer. He enumerated features such as 50 per cent lower energy consumption than the CRT TV, upgradable operating system, maximum thickness of 70mm and the minimum thickness of 13mm, 2 HDMI ports, full HD LED screen with 5MM Bezel, 1920:1080 resolution rendered at 8ms super-rapid response time and four viewing modes which guarantee vibrant and smooth viewing experience.
Aina said StarTimes Digital TV sets would be the game changer as StarTimes commits itself to providing customers with the most endurable Digital LED TVs and the most splendid viewing experience, integrated with the cutting-edge technologies. Clarifying what digital television is, the StarTimes boss said it was wrong to call a device a digital TV when it still needs help of Set-Top-Box (STB) to decode digital signals.
He explained that StarTimes Integrated Digital TV has all the features of a digital device, since it has the capacity to receive signals of FTA channels, DTT and DTH services without connecting to STB.
“StarTimes Digital TV is another core product that StarTimes launched to help African families to achieve the key and last step of digital migration. It serves as a perfect option for customers to upgrade their TV sets from analogue to digital,” Aina said, adding that the StarTimes Digital TV adopts intelligent operation system, which supports remote system maintenance and upgrade. The intelligent operation system will ensure that the digital TV can always run in optimum state and upgrade newest services of StarTimes. According to Aina, the vision of StarTines as a leading Pay-TV operator in Africa, is to make digital-TV products and service affordable for every African family. StarTimes’ contents cover diverse categories to meet the great needs of African markets, which include news, sports, music, entertainment, documentaries, TV series, movies, religion, fashion, children’s programming and local channels.