I've just been chatting to a friend of mine and she's
very unhappy with StarSat. She's had TopTV since it first started and she's going out of her mind now that it's StarSat. She literally hates it. Seeings as she's an "ex" TopTV lover we'll call her "Ms Ex" for this article.
Ms Ex and I were having a casual chat after not seeing each other for some time and our conversation moved to telly.
I asked how she's finding StarSat and she erupted in a volcano of unhappiness, disappointment and anger. She suddenly went off and declared, "I
hate StarSat!". She then said it over and over again.
I was taken aback because Ms Ex is always chilled and calm but it was clear that talking about it made her see red. She went on to tell me the details of what's been happening and why she feels as she does.
"They make me feel stupid!"Word from Ms Ex is that the electronic on-screen is constantly wrong and the programming's a mess. The info. strip about what's on and what's coming up frequently doesn't tally up with what's airing - to the point of it being ludicrous and out of control.
Also, new seasons of shows are advertised but then they don't start. According to Ms Ex it's absolutely impossible to follow shows or prepare your viewing because the on-screen schedules don't make sense and frequently don't reflect what's actually on.
There's no structure to seasons of shows nor how things are airing. There are also no schedules on the StarSat website.
It's all making her feel stupid, as if she's somehow missed something or got the wrong end of the plot and she's finding it impossible to commit to anything.
An overload of Chinese channelsNumerous Chinese language channels have been introduced which Ms Ex can't understand. They don't have any subtitles!
"It's disgusting. I hate my TV at the moment."The thing that really irks me is that Ms Ex is someone who genuinely used to love her TopTV. When she first got it and I saw her, she was always raving about it and watched religiously.
Now she only watches two shows on the platform: The Simpsons and Bones on FOX.
In her exact words: "They're the only shows that actually say when they're on and that air at a regular time on the channel. I don't want to watch the Simpsons every night though!! I used to love my TV but now it's disgusting. I
hate my TV at the moment."
"I'm trying to think of a good thing to say about them but there isn't anything."Ms Ex couldn't think of a thing that she's enjoying about StarSat. She's paying R240 a month for The Simpsons and Bones and that's it.
I could see that she really wanted to have something positive to say but she just didn't.
All she could say is that she used to tell everyone about TopTV and encourage them to get it but that she's too ashamed to talk about StarSat now.
"I don't want to tell anyone about it because I don't want them to go through what I've gone through," she said.
The final nail in the coffinThe final nail in the coffin for Ms Ex was the loss of TLC Entertainment. As you may or may not know, the channel suddenly disappeared off the platform at the end of 2013. The reason given by StarSat and the channel is that TLC wanted to be on DStv exclusively so they didn't re-sign a contract with StarSat.
The loss of the channel was a big blow to Ms Ex who used to love it. She also had no idea why it disappeared and only saw that it missing when she tried to tune in.
"They're worse than the SABC now!" - Ms Ex exploded with these words as she tried to explain the desperation she's felt.
If you have StarSat, do you feel the same?