Bizzare DSTV issue

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Breaker187

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So my setup is HD PVR in the lounge and DSD1131 in the room.
PVR works perfectly, but the 1131 seems to be the problem, BUT ONLY at night :wtf:
So it is as if the remote is faulty and at night a button press will only register after about the 15th - 20th time, try it the next morning and bam I can actually change a channel by choosing the numbers.
Changed the batteries for the remotes, tested the remotes on both decoders, called multichoice and had the reset everything, still nothing.
Eventually I took my previous DSD1131 that I had from my dualview setup, stuck that decoder in and after about a month the same thing started to happen.

Anyone with any ideas? And why oh why only at night?
 
Sound like infrared interference, can be from another electronic device or even from one of your lights. Switch everything you can off and see if the issue persist.
 
Hmmmm... If you live in a complex, it can even be one of the neighbor's appliances... this happened to a friend of mine.
 
Nope don't live in a complex. Now that you mention it, I think our alarms radio antenna is in the roof above it, but that should technically only be on when the alarm is armed, no? Will try and test with the alarm completely off. As for the lights, I do have it off at night.
 
Breaker187 said:
Nope don't live in a complex. Now that you mention it, I think our alarms radio antenna is in the roof above it, but that should technically only be on when the alarm is armed, no? Will try and test with the alarm completely off. As for the lights, I do have it off at night.
Click to expand...

No, alarms communicate with the control room the whole time IIRC, but even then the problem should be during the day as well. Strange problem, it must be something you use at night...
 
Remotes are IR though - so alarms/radios/etc should not be relevant?
 
Breaker187 said:
So my setup is HD PVR in the lounge and DSD1131 in the room.
PVR works perfectly, but the 1131 seems to be the problem, BUT ONLY at night :wtf:
So it is as if the remote is faulty and at night a button press will only register after about the 15th - 20th time, try it the next morning and bam I can actually change a channel by choosing the numbers.
Changed the batteries for the remotes, tested the remotes on both decoders, called multichoice and had the reset everything, still nothing.
Eventually I took my previous DSD1131 that I had from my dualview setup, stuck that decoder in and after about a month the same thing started to happen.

Anyone with any ideas? And why oh why only at night?
Click to expand...

Hmm. We have a similar problem though it's not restricted to nights only. It's as though either the remote or the decoder has nodded off and there's serious lag involved at random times of the day or night. Sometimes it recovers and often it doesn't, and we have to restart the TV. And no, it's nothing to do with the remote batteries either. Interesting.. J.
 
I think it's just crap software. DSTV aren't known for their quality control :p
 
I don't even know if its even remote / signal related as, and I'll confirm this tonight, when I push a button on the remote I see a light flashing on the decoder, but that could also be the signal going/coming from the other decoder.
What does work is physically pushing the buttons on the decoder.

@Sinbad, well then this crap software is bloody temperamental to only not work at night :)
@toady unfortunately not even a restart helps.
 
Breaker187 said:
I don't even know if its even remote / signal related as, and I'll confirm this tonight, when I push a button on the remote I see a light flashing on the decoder, but that could also be the signal going/coming from the other decoder.
What does work is physically pushing the buttons on the decoder.

@Sinbad, well then this crap software is bloody temperamental to only not work at night :)
@toady unfortunately not even a restart helps.
Click to expand...


hmm at night is the PVR on or off?
 
If you have any CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) in the room, they may be giving off stray infra red interference that could be causing this problem. Also there are issues with some LCD panels light emission causing a weakening of the signal of the remotes as well.
 
Try moving the 1131 receiver so it cannot "see" any external light source
Do you have "accept remote commands" on? Try the settings for the relaying and accepting of remote commands

I have had a few 1131 receivers where the infra-red receiver was unduly sensitive and would not work when the sun was shining in the room. These went back to MC to be swopped out
 
I'm guessing you have a LCD/plasma tv? It's IR interference from the TV's backlighting. Quite a common problem.

What you could do is switch of the TV's light sensor (the setting that adjusts the picture based on how dark/bright the room is) in your settings if it's enabled and see if that helps. Otherwise stick a little piece of paper over the decoder's IR receiver.
 
abzo said:
I'm guessing you have a LCD/plasma tv? It's IR interference from the TV's backlighting. Quite a common problem.

What you could do is switch of the TV's light sensor (the setting that adjusts the picture based on how dark/bright the room is) in your settings if it's enabled and see if that helps. Otherwise stick a little piece of paper over the decoder's IR receiver.
Click to expand...

That fixed the problem on one customer's 1131 receiver. Except a piece of paper was not enough, I had to use duct tape and cover most of the front
 
Also, to test if it is actually the TV causing the problem, first change channels while the TV is switched off and see if it works (by looking at the display on the decoder obviously) then you'll know that it's definitely the TV causing the interference.
 
Thanx again peoples.
Haven't been at home for a while, but will def. test what you guys are suggesting. As for the lights in the room, I don't think that's a problem as it is almost always switched off when this occurs. What I will do is test it with the TV off and then also test it by covering the decoders IR window -> this confuses me a bit though:confused:, so the IR signal should go through whatever is covering it?
 
Breaker187 said:
Thanx again peoples.
Haven't been at home for a while, but will def. test what you guys are suggesting. As for the lights in the room, I don't think that's a problem as it is almost always switched off when this occurs. What I will do is test it with the TV off and then also test it by covering the decoders IR window -> this confuses me a bit though:confused:, so the IR signal should go through whatever is covering it?
Click to expand...

It will only block the stray IR. Don't put a piece of heavy cardboard now, just regular paper.
 
abzo said:
I'm guessing you have a LCD/plasma tv? It's IR interference from the TV's backlighting. Quite a common problem.

What you could do is switch of the TV's light sensor (the setting that adjusts the picture based on how dark/bright the room is) in your settings if it's enabled and see if that helps. Otherwise stick a little piece of paper over the decoder's IR receiver.
Click to expand...

Guys I can confirm that its exactly this!
I have an old Sony bravia 32", found the "light sensor" option in the menu, turned it off and boom it works.

Thanx for the help and suggestions everyone.
 
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