As video streaming services embark on limiting password sharing, is it time to try out cheaper video streaming alternatives?
Westend61
It's another blow for cash-strapped consumers whose main form of leisure is kicking back to watch a series or movie at home.
With soaring household debt, lifestyle creep and zero to nominal income increases, having both high-speed home WiFi and multiple Video on Demand (VOD) streaming accounts is luxury. So many people choose to share passwords to these services that provide much-needed escapism and entertainment.
But this has been an ongoing issue that streaming services battle, with more people using the services, but few subscribers.
Read more |Netflix might make password sharing that much harder – here are 5 things you can do about it
In an attempt to stop password-sharing MultiChoice has announced it plans to limit DStv video streaming to one device at a time.
From 22 March, MultiChoice will no longer allow a DStv subscriber to livestream DStv Catch Up content on more than one device at the same time, a decision that's had many avid movie, series, and sports watchers vowing to search for other alternatives.
Here are four streaming services you may not know about.
e.TV has launched a video streaming service offering thousands of hours of free library content that is available after a customer registers an eVOD profile.
eVOD offers daily (R5 for 24 hours), weekly (R15), and monthly (R29,99) subscriptions, giving a viewer access to all content and offering more exclusive content, including a first-run eOriginal movie.
Read more |Worried how the budget speech hits you in the pocket? Here are 5 ways to save money in the new tax year
Subscribers can also get access to the next week's five episodes of eTV's top local prime soaps and telenovelas in a functionality called FastForward (FF). eVOD is available to download as an app for mobile devices.
Vodacom’s Video Play streaming service is available to South Africans. Subscribers can choose to pay R25 for a day, R40 for a week, or R99 for a month’s worth of viewing. Vodacom says this service allows subscribers to watch the latest movies, series, kids' shows and music videos anywhere in South Africa.
The service also allows users to buy blockbuster movies at a once-off price without the need for a subscription. They can watch a selection of films for free too.
Just like DStv,StarSat offers South Africans a range of packages – from entertainment to sports. Its max package costs R299 and has more than 140 channels.
Telkom launched its streaming service in November 2020, initially offering a free subscription and an “AMP” subscription. TelkomOne’s AMP subscription price has remained unchanged at R7 per day or R49 per month.
The streaming service offers a range of entertainment to choose from, including sports.
