StarSat

Last updated
On Digital Media
StarSat
TopTV (previously)
Type Public
Industry Satellite television
Founded1 May 2010;13 years ago (2010-05-01)
HeadquartersBlock C, Riverview Office Park, Halfway Gardens x, 100 Bekker Road,
Midrand, Gauteng
,
South Africa
Products Direct broadcast satellite, Pay-TV
Parent StarTimes
Website www.starsat.co.za

StarSat (formerly TopTV until 31 October 2013 [1] ) is a South African direct broadcast satellite television service that began broadcasting on 1 May 2010. [2] StarSat is operated by On Digital Media, [3] who were granted a pay-TV license by ICASA in September 2007. [4] On Digital Media is currently 20% owned by Luxembourgish satellite operator SES and 20% owned by Chinese company StarTimes. [5] StarSat's service is aimed at the LSM 6-9 demographic, targeting middle class viewers.

Contents

History

Previous logo as TopTV TopTV-Logo.jpg
Previous logo as TopTV

On Digital Media (Pty) Ltd launched TopTV on 1 May 2010. [2]

On 30 April 2013, shareholders of On Digital Media voted to approve China-based company StarTimes taking over a 20% share of ODM. By doing so, StarTimes effectively acquired a 65% economic interest in ODM. [5] The vote also included adoption of a business rescue plan. [1]

TopTV was officially rebranded as StarSat on 31 October 2013. [1] The new packages and channels associated with the new brand were made available on 1 December 2013. [1] [6]

Broadcast and reception

StarSat services are broadcast via satellite, using the SES-5 satellite at the 5° east orbital position, and 3 of the six 36 MHz transponders in the "Sub Saharan Africa Ku-band" beam providing coverage of the whole sub-Saharan Africa region. [7] Transmissions are in the DVB-S2 MPEG-4 digital TV format with reception using a simple set-top box and with the Combo3 PVR decoder launched in 2011.

Conax is used as conditional access system.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Goodbye TopTV, Hello StarSat" (Press release). TVSA. October 31, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "TopTV Launch - Rise Up South Africa!" (Press release). On Digital Media. 29 April 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  3. ↑ "On Digital Media website" . Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  4. ↑ de Lanerolle, Indra (2011). "Convergence and regulation in South Africa: in search of a new public interest paradigm". info. 13 (3): 47–63.
  5. 1 2 "More delays in store for TopTV as shareholders head to court". City Press. 22 October 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  6. ↑ "About Us". StarSat. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Astra 4A". SES. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
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