DStv's Drifta is a mobile decoder, which allows you to watch a selection of DStv channels on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android or Windows computers (but, inexplicably, not Mac computers).
The device is surprisingly small – about credit card-sized and a centimetre thick, making it easy to slip into your bag with your phone or i-Device.
Setup is fairly easy – just install the software on your Windows PC, or download the DStv app from the App Store. Call DStv to activate the device and set up your subscription (free if you’re a Premium subscriber, R36 per month otherwise).
My first impression is that there are two main reasons that the Drifta will not replace your television: The small channel selection, and the image resolution.
The selection is currently limited to mostly sports and news channels, though if you’re looking to escape the rugby you may find something to distract you on E! Entertainment or M-Net Series. The good news is that DStv has been adding channels every few months. (See here.)
The image resolution is good, but not great. It looks much better at smaller size (i.e. on a phone) than viewed full screen on a laptop or iPad. The streaming is seamless and it is clear enough to read text on the screen.
So far, it looks like the DStv Drifta will be perfect for news or sports junkies who enjoy working with the television on in the background.
