MultiChoice taps Arris for new DVR

South African pay TV provider MultiChoice tapped technology provider Arris to provide its recently-launched DStv Explora 2 DVR set-top, the company has revealed.

The decoder is the fourth generation of HD PVR devices that Arris and MultiChoice have launched together. The device is HEVC-ready, enabling MultiChoice’s DStv pay TV platform to switch to the format in the future.

“We invest in technology that enables us to offer our customers the leap in entertainment at the best value. We’ve collaborated with Arris on our HD PVR decoders for nearly a decade, and we’re confident in their ability to deliver advanced technology to make tomorrow’s entertainment more accessible today. The DStv Explora 2 will help us to offer our customers a wider range of entertainment which they can stream or download to watch when they are read,” said Gerdus van Eeden, Group CTO at MultiChoice parent company Naspers’ video entertainment segment.

“Arris and MultiChoice have a long-term partnership, and we’ve built on this by designing another set-top for MultiChoice that uniquely addresses the needs of their customers,” said Steve McCaffery, managing director of international sales and business Operations for Arris.

“Fitting their new HD PVR platform with HEVC was an elegant solution for delivering their full range of HD content. In addition, our global scale development expertise coupled with our established local presence enabled us to continue manufacturing the set-tops locally in South Africa, which represents our reciprocal investment in the region.”