MultiChoice says the global chip shortage has delayed the launch of its DStv Streama streaming box. The company announced the device more than a year ago during an unveiling event that also provided the first look at the DStv Explora Ultra decoder.
While the latter went on sale in November last year, MultiChoice was mum on any details regarding the Streama. The silence led to speculation that the company had canned the project and the Streama had become “vapourware”.
However, MultiChoice has told MyBroadband that the Streama will still be launched and explained why its release has been delayed.
“The unforeseen global chipset supply constraint that resulted from high industry demand and low manufacturing supply has meant that MultiChoice has had to adjust our Streama launch plan,” the company said. MultiChoice is not the only South African tech company that saw a product launch thwarted by the chip shortage.
ISP Supersonic previously told MyBroadband the chip shortage had created stock issues with the advanced new radio equipment it was using on its much-hyped Air Fibre wireless Internet service.
As of 24 June 2021, 25,000 people had signed up for the service, but Supersonic could connect fewer than 100 of them due to the shortage of client antennas. MultiChoice did not provide a new release date or any further details on the Streama, but said it would communicate information around the timing of the device’s release “in due course”.
When it launches, the DStv Streama will compete with a plethora of streaming boxes and sticks already on the South African market.
These include popular options from manufacturers like Xiaomi, Apple, Google, Amazon, and Ematic. Unlike DStv’s decoders, the Streama cannot connect to a satellite dish but instead streams content from the Internet via a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
During its reveal, DStv said the Streama would offer various applications, including DStv, Showmax, and YouTube.
The Streama will be capable of streaming up to 4K at 60 frames per second, with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support.
It is built on top of RDK, an operator-tier platform designed and manufactured by several TV broadcasters, including Sky and Comcast. The platform also provides a secure environment to prevent copying and protect the rights of content owners. The table below summarises the specifications of the DStv Streama.
| Hardware manufacturer | Skyworth |
| Chip | AMLogic S905X2 Quad Core ARM processor |
| RAM | 2GB DDR4 |
| Onboard storage | 8GB eMMC |
| Connectivity | WiFi: 2×2 802.11 (ac, b, g, n) |
| 100Mbps Ethernet port | |
| Bluetooth Low Energy BLE4.2 | |
| Video output | 4K, HDR10, Dolby Vision |
| Frames | Up to 60 FPS |
| Audio | Dolby Atmos 5.1.2, Dolby Digital Plus, HE-AAC |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1 x 1; SPDIF x 1; USB x 1
|
Source: mybroadband
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