DSTV VIEWERS ON EDGE
The closing of channel 102 on March 31 has many worried about watching or catching up with their shows. But there are solutions…
AS AS D-DAY approaches for the merging of channels M-Net 101 and M-Net Edge, there are still questions to be answered.
It’s a well-known fact that not everyone can be pleased all the time. Personally, I am concerned about there being fewer repeats – the very thing that, through viewer complaints, has prompted this change.
I can’t remember when last I watched live television. I rely solely on Catch Up and recordings.
The latter is when repeats come into play, as premiere broadcasts are all obviously within prime time and always create conflicts. Ask any TV fanatic how he or she feels about those horrid little triangles containing exclamation marks. They are the bane of our lives.
Because M-Net 101, which launches on April 1, is promising six hours of fresh content every night, I wanted to know how much of this will be available on Catch Up. Also, because Catch Up can be erratic.
M-Net’s head of publicity, Lani Lombard, said: “We are working towards having as much of our M-Net 101 prime time content as possible available on Catch Up, subject to capacity. DStv Catch Up features a variety of top performing shows across all DStv channels and we will keep you posted about the Catch Up schedule.
“Also remember you can catch all the M-Net 101 programming on M-Net Plus 1, which mirrors the 101 schedule an hour later and all content is available on Catch Up Plus.”
Catch Up Plus is available to subscribers who have connected their PVRs to the internet. More on that in a moment.
Lombard assures me each show will have at least one or two repeats. “Edgier shows will be limited to one repeat, in the early morning hours.”
Some of these will take a while, however. For example, a repeat of
The Catch (Mondays at 8.30pm) will only begin on April 5. Then, of course, there is the issue of watching series on more than one channel. Often the repeats can be at the same time, which is frustrating and requires juggling at an Olympic level.
Reader Adrienne Frumer wrote to me about some of her concerns. She is a premium bouquet DStv subscriber who uses her PVR and Catch Up regularly. A woman after my own heart.
“But therein lies a problem,” she says, referring to Catch Up Plus. “MultiChoice has not taken into account that not everybody owns a computer and therefore does not have internet access. I myself use computers either at my local library or an internet café.
“As such, it means I am unable to make use of Catch Up Plus, which means I am losing out on a lot of programmes, movies etc. We pay a high price to have the premium bouquet and are now penalised and not able to get the full value of this.
“There are many channels I have never used, for example children’s programmes, and I also don’t watch any of the sports channels.” Again, you and me, Adrienne. I forwarded her e-mail to MultiChoice and a spokesperson replied: “All the movies and series on Catch Up Plus are on DStv first, so customers are not losing out on any content. Those with a PVR can record any of the series or movies to create their own library.”
Provided there are no conflicts, of course.
“There is a great search function on your PVR where you can search by genre for new movies or by A-Z. We recommend our customers keep an eye on the series and movie calendar on DStv.com or subscribe to the weekly DStv e-mail newsletter. This is a great way to find shows across all DStv channels. And channel 100 on your decoder also plays a loop of highlights.”
Hope this helps. POP-UP MOVIE CHANNEL With the consolidation of channels 101 and 102, two of the movie
channels will be falling away next weekend, but the consolation is that there will be more regular pop-up channels. The next one will be dedicated to the Fast & Furious franchise, from April 1-9, before the worldwide cinematic launch of Fast
& Furious 8 on April 12. The success of previous movie-themed pop-up channels – such as the Star Wars, Harry Potter, M-Net
Inspire, James Bond and fliekNET channels – indicated movie fans love curated content such as this.
It made sense to dedicate a pop-up channel that gives fanatics the chance to relive the high octane, adrenalin-pumping adventures of their favourite squad, with a nineday supercharged pop-up channel experience packed with behind-thescenes and added featurettes, from 10am on April 1 until April 9 at around 10.30pm.
Airing about 12 hours a day, with the seven movies being shown in chronological order, the channel will be available to premium subscribers and also on Catch Up Plus and DStv Now. For more information check the EPG guide and schedules on dstv.com SIBALICIOUS
Food Network has launched a social media campaign with Siba Mtongana for which fans can submit recipes to be included in the chef’s 2018 series on the channel.
This month,the campaign is being promoted across Food Network South Africa and Mtongana’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
To enter, fans and foodies must send images or short descriptions of dishes they would like to be made “Sibalicious”, using the hashtag #Make ItSibalicious. The chosen recipes will be remade with a Siba twist and featured in the show.
Siba’s Table: Sibalicious! will air early next year on Food Network DStv Channel 175 with Mtongana presenting 10 half-hour episodes, this time with a different and innovative format that encompasses South Africa and beyond. To take part, go to: #MakeIt Sibalicious: Facebook: @FoodNetwork SouthAfrica. Twitter: @foodnetworksa. Instagram: sibamtongana
TONIGHT
The New Edition Story (BET, 9.50pm): This six-hour three-part series which follows the story of five boys – Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe and Ricky Bell – is back by popular demand.
Beginning with their Boston roots, the group experiences the roller-coaster of fame and quickly learns the cost of success.
IN THE WEEK
Black Ink Crew (BET, Tuesday at 9pm): In this season of the reality show set in a tattoo shop in Harlem, New York City, season regulars Ceaser Emanuel, Duchess Lattimore, O’Shit Duncan and Sassy Berudez return. In the second episode, the staff is shocked by Ceaser’s arrest; and Puma opens his own tattoo shop to compete against Black Ink. Later, tempers flare when Ted hires a tattoo artist without consulting Ceaser.
Vera (ITV Choice, Wednesday at 8pm): In the seventh season, DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) is drawn into a suspicious death on Ternstone, a remote and inaccessible island off the coast of Northumberland, home only to numerous species of birds and the rangers who observe them. The last thing they expected to see was a body, washed up on the shore.
Gemma Wyatt, 28, was an experienced ranger who lived and worked on Ternstone for the Northumbria Wildlife Trust. While her devastated fiancé, Ryan (Matthew Wilson) and colleagues, led by head ranger Sophia (Suzanne Packer), believe Gemma’s death was an accident, marks found on her body quickly prove otherwise.
As suspicions turn to Gemma’s family and workmates, Vera begins to piece together a different portrait of the popular and successful ranger.