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Delta Milayo Ndou #digitaldialogue
If you are budget-conscious, invested in enhancing the quality of your home life and interested in tapping into a whole new entertainment experience, this article is for you.

I have encountered numerous complaints, mainly on Twitter, from people who subscribe to digital satellite television (DStv) and that is what has prompted me to write on this — you can regard it as my modest attempt at creating consumer awareness.

In tweets that I have encountered, DStv customer complaints range from how they pay to watch repeat shows on some channels, how there is service disruption when the weather is bad and sometimes it’s just gripe over the cost (which often surprises me given that DStv has been bending over backwards to provide a reasonably affordable service).

Anyway, these complaints made me wonder why there are not more people finding alternatives in the age of the Internet.

Surely if you can afford a DStv subscription, you can afford some of the home Internet packages that are on the market.

Is it lack of awareness or lack of inclination — I don’t know.

But if you are going to pay a subscription, I reckon you might as well pay for a service that will provide a wider range of options beyond simply providing you with entertainment. But that’s just me.

As someone who hasn’t watched TV at home from an actual TV set in long while (I do watch a TV at work) — I am self-confessed Internet TV addict and I am happy to share that addiction, it might be of use.

There are several Internet service providers and I won’t prescribe which one you should sign up to but I do encourage that you consider getting home Internet, especially if you happen to come across home Internet packages that are priced the same as what you currently pay for DSTV.

And here is why I think that would a the better investment.

If the price is almost the same, find the differentiator.

I was a loyal DStv subscriber and then I left for a while to study abroad and returned, having acquired new TV viewing habits.

I am making this disclosure to stress that I did not abandon DStv out of protest nor do I harbour any hard feelings towards the service.

So this article is not about casting the product in a bad light because I was a happy customer in my time.

But like I said, I acquired new TV viewing habits that revolved around watching my favourite TV shows online, sometimes even binge-watching.

I don’t recommend binge-watching because it is the fastest way to lose hours of your life delighting yourself especially if you encounter a gripping and get-to-watch-the-entire-season-in-one-sitting series (I’m currently hooked on the Chicago franchise created by Richard Anthony “Dick” Wolf).

It’s delightful, time-wasting and addictive, so if you have poor impulse control, Internet TV might not be for you.

What I have come to discover though is that with DStv, all you get is entertainment — great entertainment depending on the package you have, your preferred sporting channels and a wide range of shows.

So, if all you want is great entertainment at home, DStv will suffice, as a former customer, I can confess that I was highly satisfied.

But if what you want is an enhanced home experience — get yourself home Internet.

With home Internet, you can enjoy live-streaming any sporting event you want to catch, you can sign up for Video-On-Demand packages, where you just select and pay for the specific content you want e.g. sports, movies, children’s TV shows, lifestyle or get all access options for those TV channels that carry your favourite TV series.

For instance, Netflix, which you can join for free for a month, is available to Zimbabwe from as little as $8 and you can watch these shows from any device (your regular TV, iPad, mobile phone or laptop) and you can watch from anywhere.

I don’t use Netflix though because the shows I love are accessible via free platforms and if I stumble across a new one, I’ll just watch it from a free online platform.

Beyond entertainment, what’s the fuss?

I am very passionate about the Internet because having Internet access has been life-transforming for me.

So my bias in this regard is very much informed by the things I’ve managed to achieve that would not have been possible had I not had Internet.

Firstly, I am a self-taught blogger because when you have Internet access, it is easy to learn new skills.

There are tutorial videos on how to do almost anything, there are free online courses from reputable institutions, there are online seminars you can attend virtually (webinars) and get acquainted with trends in any industry.

I am a recipient of some academic scholarships which I stumbled upon online and which have funded my education since 2011, so although being online won’t guarantee that one will win a scholarship, it is a place where such opportunities can be found.

In my professional life, I have worked as online community manager for a UK company whilst I was in Zimbabwe and all I needed was Internet access to be able to discharge my duties.

Having Internet at home, especially if you are a parent, should be something of a priority if you want to give your children an advantage.

I am going to categorically state, at the risk of courting controversy, that a child who grows up in a home that has Internet will have an edge over a child that doesn’t.

If you are going to spend on anything, spend on home Internet.

Other obvious benefits will be that the whole family can save on mobile data because they can get home and switch to Wi-Fi.

You can also stay connected to work when you need to (you won’t have to leave home to go to work on a weekend or late evening because you don’t have a connection).

Also, it’s convenient because you can do anything online including, doing your errands remotely — you can shop, do your banking, book a plane or do research on anything — without leaving your bed if you don’t feel like it.

You can upgrade your skills as a professional and you can sign up your children for online learning with platforms that use robust technology and gaming to make lessons easy, engaging and effective.

You can live differently and you can think differently about your home life, I am just opening your eyes to the options because I believe, if you can afford it, you deserve to live like this.

•  Delta is an advocate of technology-driven solutions. Find her on Twitter: @deltandou