Essentially a marriage between a standard dual-view decoder and a hard drive, viewers will be able to enjoy features such as the ability to pause live TV, rewind, switch to slow motion, and even set time-delayed recordings across multiple channels.
While PVRs have been available off the shelf since 1999 (from the likes of TiVo and Replay TV), MultiChoice says that the latest version of the device incorporates a number of advanced features, which makes it amongst the most advanced PVRs available worldwide.
The decoder is the brainchild of Cape-based UEC Technologies, a division of Altech, which has clinched a R75 million (US$11 million) deal to manufacture the decoders for MultiChoice.
UEC has been manufacturing set-top boxes for Multi-Choice since the company's first entry into the local digital satellite broadcasting market some ten years ago, and was also responsible for developing the current dual-view decoders, allowing viewers to watch more than one channel simultaneously on separate TVs.
At the launch event last week, MultiChoice GM for corporate affairs, Fathima Haniff, and MultiChoice CTO, Gerdus van Eeden, demonstrated the new device's capabilities.
The key feature of the PVR is its ability to record up to 80 hours of video. Advanced features allow viewers to watch two channels simultaneously, while recording a third, and to set multiple recordings, using the standard electronic programming guide (EPG).
As the device has a rolling buffer of around two hours, viewers are now able to pause live TV, rewind, fast forward, set bookmarks, and have an instant replay feature with two levels of slow-motion.
The user interface leverages off of the current menu system on standard DSTV decoders and the devices are fully upgradable over the air (OTA). According to Van Eeden, this means that upgrades and additional features can be sent directly to the decoder.
MultiChoice's PVR is available immediately from DSTV-accredited installers, at a recommended retail price of R2,999. According to Multi-Choice, the service will come at a premium of R50 over and above the standard bouquet subscription cost for DSTV.