ln an ideal world even DSTV would be irrelevant. Take for example myself, presently somewhere in the wilderness. Due to the fact that l can access reasonably priced net at about Rand 150 uncapped each month and faster if you are willing to part with more, l can pretty watch anything l want and for no fee.
Well l will not debate the legality or otherwise of 'free streaming' websites, which an IT friend warned me are also prone to viruses.
Anyway, all l know is l can watch the cricket, the rugby,NBA and just about any sport l want live and for free. l must admit though sometimes it freezes or the sound is not so good or there is even a lag, which l have noticed when comparing with the tv. But as this is a free service, l can live with it.
Coming to documentaries, this is a bit of a challenge, l have tried NatGeo and History etc but sometimes you get a few episodes for free or previews but the rest sadly, one has to pay for them,. The reason could also be lack of effort, l use the web strictly for sports.
So this may be a real alternative, assuming power is available and stable and that bandwidth charges do come down considerably.
l always chuckle to myself when l am watching rugby or cricket and l see the supersport logo and realise l am watching for free! lt really makes my day.
Anyway just thought to share this. My final comment is if you give it enough time and effort, l am pretty sure you can watch anything in real time or slightly delayed if you do not mind. As a non- series following person or movie watching person l am not in the know. But from friends l have seen and heard them say they can download the whole season, week's overnight or in a matter of hours.
So for me if you have the bandwidth and invest in scouring the net for free channels, streaming channels or sites where you can download, l am 99.999% sure you can get everything you want!
Just a thought!