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Cape Town - Although MultiChoice can't yet say when its system handling rental requests for its newly launched DStv BoxOffice service will be fully operational, the pay TV operator is now talking about what happened.
According to MultiChoice a core system crashed on Friday.
It caused an embarrassing malfunction on the day of the commercial launch of South Africa's first true video-on-demand (VOD) system that allows subscribers to rent a rolling list of 15 movies at a cost of R25 each for a period of 48 hours in high- or standard definition depending on the PVR and TV set.
SouthTel plans to launch a similar VOD service called VOD.TV in September.
MultiChoice launched the buzzed-about and highly anticipated DStv BoxOffice on Friday but suddenly experienced a deluge of angry and disappointed DStv Premium subscribers who wanted to try the new service that activates with the green button on the remote control.
Errors and complaints
Subscribers couldn't get it to work, with a litany of complaints ranging from movie titles not being available, incomplete playlists, blank screens, no confirmation after multiple SMSes requesting a movie and movie titles not downloaded to hard drives. Subscribers were furious and started venting on social networks about the pay TV operator and the non-functioning new service after desperately calling the call centre only to be kept on hold for too long and then being told by call centre operators that the system isn't working.
MultiChoice says one of its core systems – the system involved with rental requests when a subscriber sends an SMS to request a specific movie title – unexpectedly collapsed. "One of our core systems in processing DStv BoxOffice requests malfunctioned this weekend. Our engineering teams are working around the clock to resolve the problem," says MultiChoice.
The pay TV platform says it became aware of the problem on Friday evening. "The service operated smoothly at the launch. Unfortunately one of the core systems to process BoxOffice requests then malfunctioned."
Compensation
On Saturday MultiChoice said it will now offer two movies for free to subscribers because of the system mishap, instead of the one free movie the operator initially allowed subscribers to watch in order to get them to sample the new VOD system. MultiChoice also implemented an interim solution to process DStv BoxOffice rental requests, saying "we will advise when the problem is resolved."
MultiChoice says that "should you not be able to view your movie title within 30 minutes of your initial request, we ask you to please start the rental process again. Thank you for your understanding during this time." The pay TV platform says the correct and latest software loaded on DStv PVRs and which also caused consternation under several DStv subscribers is not linked to this problem. The operator said PVRs should not be unplugged so that the latest software could be downloaded. The latest DStv BoxOffice enabled software was downloaded through satellite to decoders since Thursday.
After the subscriber uproar over the past few days MultiChoice is asking that DStv Premium subscribers with a SD or HD PVR to please keep trying the new service and promised that they won't be billed for errors. "DStv would like to encourage our subscribers to continue to use the DStv BoxOffice service. Unsuccessful rentals will not be charged for," says the operator.
The direct DStv BoxOffice telephone helpline is 011 289 2244.
According to MultiChoice a core system crashed on Friday.
It caused an embarrassing malfunction on the day of the commercial launch of South Africa's first true video-on-demand (VOD) system that allows subscribers to rent a rolling list of 15 movies at a cost of R25 each for a period of 48 hours in high- or standard definition depending on the PVR and TV set.
SouthTel plans to launch a similar VOD service called VOD.TV in September.
MultiChoice launched the buzzed-about and highly anticipated DStv BoxOffice on Friday but suddenly experienced a deluge of angry and disappointed DStv Premium subscribers who wanted to try the new service that activates with the green button on the remote control.
Errors and complaints
Subscribers couldn't get it to work, with a litany of complaints ranging from movie titles not being available, incomplete playlists, blank screens, no confirmation after multiple SMSes requesting a movie and movie titles not downloaded to hard drives. Subscribers were furious and started venting on social networks about the pay TV operator and the non-functioning new service after desperately calling the call centre only to be kept on hold for too long and then being told by call centre operators that the system isn't working.
MultiChoice says one of its core systems – the system involved with rental requests when a subscriber sends an SMS to request a specific movie title – unexpectedly collapsed. "One of our core systems in processing DStv BoxOffice requests malfunctioned this weekend. Our engineering teams are working around the clock to resolve the problem," says MultiChoice.
The pay TV platform says it became aware of the problem on Friday evening. "The service operated smoothly at the launch. Unfortunately one of the core systems to process BoxOffice requests then malfunctioned."
Compensation
On Saturday MultiChoice said it will now offer two movies for free to subscribers because of the system mishap, instead of the one free movie the operator initially allowed subscribers to watch in order to get them to sample the new VOD system. MultiChoice also implemented an interim solution to process DStv BoxOffice rental requests, saying "we will advise when the problem is resolved."
MultiChoice says that "should you not be able to view your movie title within 30 minutes of your initial request, we ask you to please start the rental process again. Thank you for your understanding during this time." The pay TV platform says the correct and latest software loaded on DStv PVRs and which also caused consternation under several DStv subscribers is not linked to this problem. The operator said PVRs should not be unplugged so that the latest software could be downloaded. The latest DStv BoxOffice enabled software was downloaded through satellite to decoders since Thursday.
After the subscriber uproar over the past few days MultiChoice is asking that DStv Premium subscribers with a SD or HD PVR to please keep trying the new service and promised that they won't be billed for errors. "DStv would like to encourage our subscribers to continue to use the DStv BoxOffice service. Unsuccessful rentals will not be charged for," says the operator.
The direct DStv BoxOffice telephone helpline is 011 289 2244.
