In Nigeria, the NTA Star TV Network provides StarTimes, a Direct-to-Home DTH pay TV service. NTA and its Chinese partners, StarTimes of China, have teamed up to form the Star TV Network. The NTA StarTimes service is unique in that, unlike most other pay TV services in Nigeria, it does not require a satellite dish, nor does it require any installation fees, nor does it require you to be concerned about the weather.
All you need is a StarTimes decoder to start watching around 30 to 70 stations for as little as 6000 Naira per month or as much as 4,800 Naira per month.
In Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Aba, Benin, Enugu, Ilorin, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Markurdi, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Uyo, Yola, and Ibadan, NTA Startimes is now available. Soon, Startimes will be available in additional cities.
Just a StarTimes decoder, no dish required
The biggest advantage of StarTimes DTH Pay TV is that it does not require a satellite dish. DVB-T2 is the digital terrestrial broadcasting technology used by StarTimes.
Because there is no need for a dish, the system is inexpensive for subscribers. All you need is a Startimes decoder, which costs roughly N3,990 and comes with a free month of basic bouquet subscription.
Simply attach the StarTimes decoder to your television and you can begin watching over 30 channels in your house if you subscribe to the basic package or up to 70 channels if you subscribe to the top plan.
Any TV antenna can receive StarTimes broadcasts, but an antenna put outside (external antenna) will provide greater reception and allow you to receive the entire lineup. For 2,500 Naira, you can get an outdoor antenna for your StarTimes system with a connecting wire.
When compared to satellite pay TV, StarTimes transmissions are more weather resistant. StarTimes reception will be unaffected whether it is rainy, cloudy, or sunny.
Startimes Channels
StarTimes has between 35 and 70 channels. The channels have been carefully chosen to cater to a variety of user needs, including news, documentaries, live sports, entertainment, Kids, Education, and so on.
NTA News 24, NTA Sports 24, NTA Entertainment, NTA Education, and other NTA channels are included in the packages. There is also a local NTA station near your area.
NTA Lagos, NTA Abuja, NTA Kano, NTA Aba, NTA Enugu, NTA Ibadan, or a local NTA station near you may also receive NTA Lagos, NTA Abuja, NTA Kano, NTA Aba, NTA Enugu, NTA Ibadan, or a local NTA station may also receive NTA Lagos, NTA Abuja, NTA Kano, NTA Kano, NTA Kano, N In the future, more NTA channels may be added. Here are some of the additional television services available through StarTimes:
- BBC World News
- MGM
- Discovery World
- Kidsco
- TBN
- E-Entertainment
- CCTV News
- BET
- Fashion TV
- MTV Base
- Bollywood TV
- BBC World
- Nickelodeon
There are also a number of local private channels on StarTimes like Silverbird, Galaxy and Channels TV and more are likely to be added in future.
See the complete list of channels.
Although the quality of the StarTimes Nova and basic bouquets may be regarded poor, considering the prices of around N600 and 1200 Naira each month, one could argue that you are receiving decent value for your money. Aside from that, you can upgrade your plan to get better programming for a greater price.
Consumers at the lower end of the pay TV market will be interested in StarTimes. These customers are more likely to be price conscious and will be interested in the service.
StarTimes is a wonderful price, but the ability to watch live English Premier League matches on NTA Sports 24 (one match per week) makes the Pay TV package even better, especially for EPL aficionados in the entry level category.
StarTimes Packages and Prices
NTA Star TV Network’s initial subscription to StarTimes now costs N3,990. The StarTimes decoder is included, as well as a one-month subscription to the basic bouquet.
The following are the Startimes packages and their costs:
- StarTimes Decoder (with one month free Basic) – N3,900
- Startimes Nova Bouquet – 6000 Naira
- StarTimes Basic Package – 1,200 NGN
- StarTimes Classic Package – N2,400
- StarTimes Unique Bouquet – 4,800 Naira