Can the old M-Net Decoder still be chipped?

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PaulB_

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Hi guys first of all I am in now way encouraging piracy, I am asking this from an educational perspective. I don't much time for watching TV. I however, am mainly intrested in how the thing works.

I picked up an old M-Net decoder yesterday from a thrift shop here in Mowbray for R20, it was the very first decoder on the market, (M-Net 9000) prior to the Multichoice Delta 9000 days. If I remember correctly Multichoice issued a swap notice for these very decoders. I am well aware of the fact that Multichoice will never reactivate it again, and it essentially has better use as a door stop, however I have decided to go on a quest to see how, and if these old decoders can still be chipped. Whether I will chip this decoder, I doubt it due to not having any equipment capable of doing the job. I am well aware of the wire method, but want to research the chip method. If anybody here knows something but is hesitant to post in public, please don't hesistate to PM me.

Thanks
 
IIRC they just cloned the eprom from someone with a valid subscription. The modern equivalent of this is to share the encryption keys from someone with a valid smartcard.
 
IIRC, the analog signal technology they used for that one was turned off last year so it won't work. Our sports club's one just stopped working. It's only satellite and new digital terrestrial one now.
 
Wasn't it also possible to pass the signal through a PC and decrypt it? I recall getting up to something like that....
 
brianj74 said:
My analogue decoder still works?
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Not the same one referred to by the OP. The analogue MNet service is only available to original customers, and as soon as you give up the service you will not be able to renew it. If your decoder packs up, that is also the end of the service.

Goto www.gotv.co.za for more info of what should be happening in the future regarding dstv's new terrestrial DTT offering.
 
xrapidx said:
Wasn't it also possible to pass the signal through a PC and decrypt it? I recall getting up to something like that....
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Oh yes, those were the days. And then turn on Radio 2000 to get the sport commentary because the sound wouldn't decrypt.
 
Bighit said:
Oh yes, those were the days. And then turn on Radio 2000 to get the sport commentary because the sound wouldn't decrypt.
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Ah yes, I was just thinking about "something" that was an issue, it was the sound. I recall something/someone got it working - but can't recall what.
 
xrapidx said:
Ah yes, I was just thinking about "something" that was an issue, it was the sound. I recall something/someone got it working - but can't recall what.
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Yes, there was a fix for the sound problems...
 
daniellgr said:
Not the same one referred to by the OP. The analogue MNet service is only available to original customers, and as soon as you give up the service you will not be able to renew it. If your decoder packs up, that is also the end of the service.

Goto www.gotv.co.za for more info of what should be happening in the future regarding dstv's new terrestrial DTT offering.
Click to expand...

I have spoken to people, and Multichoice themselves, who say that they Analogue service is still supported, one can replace their decoder should it pack in, resubscribe after terminating it, however it only applies to existing analogue subscribers. People are unable to take out the older M-Net should they subscribe to a new account.
 
PaulB_ said:
How was one able to do that. I can remember stablising the picture on an old decoder, but I struggled so with the sound, I eventually gave up.
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I don't know. A friend did it for me.
 
daniellgr said:
Not the same one referred to by the OP. The analogue MNet service is only available to original customers, and as soon as you give up the service you will not be able to renew it. If your decoder packs up, that is also the end of the service.
Click to expand...

Yip. My old man is clinging on to his like grim death. The remote for the decoder no longer works but he refuses to give up. And surely he must be paying almost as much as an entry level dstv package? I even have a dish and decoder to donate to him, but it's like a horse and water.
 
PaulB_ said:
I have spoken to people, and Multichoice themselves, who say that they Analogue service is still supported, one can replace their decoder should it pack in, resubscribe after terminating it, however it only applies to existing analogue subscribers. People are unable to take out the older M-Net should they subscribe to a new account.
Click to expand...

Existing analogue subscribers are able to replace the decoder if they can get hold of a replacement decoder and if nec move the subscription on to the SC for that box, or use the existing SC in the replacement decoder. But you have to go to an MC office to be sure as most call centre operators or agencies will say no it is not allowed.
But if you allow your subscription to terminate for any length of time, you have had it.
No new accounts will be opened, so selling the box to someone else is the end of the road for that box, as the new owner has to open a new account and that is not allowed.
 
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pinball wizard said:
Yip. My old man is clinging on to his like grim death. The remote for the decoder no longer works but he refuses to give up. And surely he must be paying almost as much as an entry level dstv package? I even have a dish and decoder to donate to him, but it's like a horse and water.
Click to expand...

But he gets decent sport and decent programming, unlike those cheaper DSTV packages.
 
pinball wizard said:
Yip. My old man is clinging on to his like grim death. The remote for the decoder no longer works but he refuses to give up. And surely he must be paying almost as much as an entry level dstv package? I even have a dish and decoder to donate to him, but it's like a horse and water.
Click to expand...


\:D It is like me and my SD PVR ------ as long as it works I will not give it up! I have said they will have to pry it out of my dead hands to get me to give it up.

PS, have you tried to clean the remote? if the keypad is still not to badly damaged, torn etc, then opening the remote and cleaning the board with say surgical alcohol or some other suitable cleaning agent works wonders !

But then than that does not help from your point of view :D

I cracked many of those boxes in the olde days, but there is no longer any appeal to do so. And yes the sound issue was a problem. had a very good lab at my disposal with the correct test gear then.
 
daniellgr said:
\:D It is like me and my SD PVR ------ as long as it works I will not give it up! I have said they will have to pry it out of my dead hands to get me to give it up.

PS, have you tried to clean the remote? if the keypad is still not to badly damaged, torn etc, then opening the remote and cleaning the board with say surgical alcohol or some other suitable cleaning agent works wonders !

But then than that does not help from your point of view :D

I cracked many of those boxes in the olde days, but there is no longer any appeal to do so. And yes the sound issue was a problem. had a very good lab at my disposal with the correct test gear then.
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Sending a PM..
 
daniellgr said:
PS, have you tried to clean the remote? if the keypad is still not to badly damaged, torn etc, then opening the remote and cleaning the board with say surgical alcohol or some other suitable cleaning agent works wonders !

But then than that does not help from your point of view :D
Click to expand...

I will get him to try that.

I actually don't care what he uses for TV. I was just trying to get him to upgrade.

I mean in my house we are dstv free, cause of uncapped LTE. I even got him on the same uncapped offering, but I don't think he knows how to stream so well
 
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