MultiChoice is rolling out updates to its DStv Stream user interface, beginning with the video-on-demand section of the web application.
The user experience refresh aims to make it easier for users to find something to watch and navigate the app. It will roll out to all devices in the coming weeks.
Among the changes rolling out include trailer videos on the home page that automatically play to give a quick taste of the featured shows.
The DStv Stream interface will also get new content rows, top 10s, and variations in the design that make it easier to differentiate between different types of content. This is to help viewers explore the full depth of the catalogue.
Users will also see new personalised rows offering recommendations based on what they have watched to improve content discovery further.
MultiChoice also said the updated layouts will allow subscribers to quickly get a sense of the plot, genre, and general feel of titles without clicking on the show pages.
Additionally, the update brings better parental controls. Viewers are immediately shown the age restriction, which also makes it faster to find a family-friendly show or movie to watch.
In addition to these user-facing changes, MultiChoice said there has been substantial work behind the scenes.
It said there have been big improvements to the stability and viewing experience on DStv Stream over the past few months, which is coming through in large reductions in error rates, buffer rates, and other platform metrics.
This latest set of updates adds to the “Watch from Start” feature MultiChoice rolled out to DStv Stream at the end of May 2024.
Previously, DStv Stream users had to manually drag back the slider on the buffer bar to return to the start of a stream.
MultiChoice said “Watch from Start” was a first step in bringing full Cloud PVR functionality to DStv Stream customers.
This will allow subscribers to record live events from any device to watch later — a feature previously only available through its PVR decoders.
“These are just the first in a list of innovative improvements on our road map for the year,” DStv Stream executive head Daniel Courtenay said at the time.
Recall that MultiChoice released its latest annual results in June, which showed strong subscriber growth for DStv Stream.
At the same time, its DStv Extra Stream product saw slightly increased uptake over the same period.
MultiChoice relaunched its streaming service and renamed it DStv Stream in July 2023.
Initially called DStv Now, MultiChoice changed the name in October 2020 to just “DStv”.
It effected the change ahead of the December launch of its streaming-only packages.
After years of rumours, MultiChoice launched its standalone DStv streaming service at the end of 2020.
This allowed viewers to subscribe to a DStv package without needing a satellite dish and decoder installed for the first time.
Another benefit for streaming subscribers is that MultiChoice has not increased the prices of DStv Stream packages for several years.
It has therefore become much cheaper than the traditional decoder-based service.
Since the 2023 relaunch, DStv Stream’s active users have increased by 139%, and MultiChoice said more than 90% were new to the service.
In August 2023, the company re-introduced the ability for users to watch DStv Stream on up to two devices simultaneously.
Dubbed Extra Stream, the product is only available on mobile devices. Since its introduction, Extra Stream subscribers have increased by 13%.
The feature lets viewers stream DStv Stream content concurrently on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop without disrupting the primary stream, which works on any Internet-connected device.
