The ADN Decoder, What We Know So Far

On 1st Dec I stumbled on the ADN decoder banner in Nairobi and I posted on the photo on social media here Twitter and Facebook. (Make sure you follow or like after checking the photo out). Finally it was the new ADN decoder. “How much is it and what specifications does it have?” were questions that ran through my mind as I walked back to the shop for further enquirers. Its the same photo I have cropped for the featured image. I had not noticed but my followers were quick to point out the clear spelling mistakes in the banner.

Now let me take you back to January 2015, do you remember the case of the 3 Analogue sisters and the Communications authority of Kenya (CAK)? If you do then this was the time that the Analogue 3 announced they  will be importing one million set-top-top boxes into the country. 150,000 of them were be launched the same January. “They will be quite different from what is already there in the market. The devices will be sold at a one-off price of between Sh2,000 and Sh2,500,” said the NMG board chairman Wilfred Kiboro in January

ADN (African Digital Network) the company that has now expanded to include Inooro TV and KTN News said the customised set-top boxes will allow consumers to access the consortium’s free-to-air channels and also access add-ons such as Internet services.

Update June 2021

Ktn is no longer a member of ADNL group. ADN now has a total number of 4 TV stations in Kenya, namely ADN NTV, ADN Citizen TV, ADN Inooro TV and the defunct ADN QTV which now shows NTV programming.

African Digital Network Limited, ADNL as its supposed to be referred to is a formally registered and that it is jointly owned by Royal Media Services and the Nation Media Group.

Read more here: How Many Channels Does ADN have?

Here is an excerpt from techweez

The three, Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Group announced they were to launch their set top boxes in three weeks. That was in March and the three weeks is now three months with the set top boxes being a no show. ADN announced then that had ordered 150,000 set top boxes set to retail in the range of  Kshs 2000 and 2500 with no monthly subscription.

Back to the Future

I asked the vendor how much it goes for, the reply Ksh4,500. Whats special features doe it have, none came the reply. “Its a normal decoder that uses a normal antenna.”

While listening to the radio this past week I heard a commercial on one of the local dialect Radio stations advertising the same decoder. This time the price was Ksh4,800. I won’t name which radio station lest you brand me from being from a certain ethnicity.

The Truth

Even if ADN said the new Decoder will incorporate Internet Services, they didn’t mean free internet.  The best they could probably do is have

1. A WiFi enabled decoder that accesses the internet for online streaming and maybe a few social media features or
2. A SIM enabled decoder that would distribute internet through WiFi like the Safaricom Big Box.

Speaking of the Big Box from Safaricom, remember it used to cost Ksh9,999? Well now it goes for Ksh4,999. Its true check it out.

My Verdict

Not unless ADN scrambles their TV and Radio stations, making them only available on the ADN set top box, then I am not buying this decoder. Any other cheap decoder will work fine.

Also Tagged under: Citizen TV decoder, NTVand QTV Kenya decoder, KTN Kenya decoder, Inooro TV decoder