Dear DStv - technical faults thread

[Brian_G]

About DStv TECHNICAL FAULTS (but other concerns are welcome).

There's not only plenty of them, they never end, and keep getting repeated even if reported.

Multichoice (MC) promised us a new forum years ago, never delivered... so let's use this thread, and I'll make sure they see it.

And vote at the same time if you want, see poll above.
Vote can be changed and is anonymous.

 

[Brian_G]

Current problems with the EPG (Guide)

On my Explora model 1 I've endlessly got gaps in the movie listings these days, "Movie to be announced" used until close to the day in question.

Online - they have nothing for the last 3 days of the current fortnight on the old guide (but is unusually on the new guide this time).

Explora - Early morning movie on channel 106 tomorrow (Tues.) called "Deadly Mile High Club" has disappeared again, with what is now listed in a bad mess for the whole early morning. Second time it's been altered.
EDIT: Looks like they got the movie name wrong. Mess now fixed.

These kinds of faults are regular.

 

[Brian_G]

E16 on valid channels.

This is their latest authentication fiddle / experiment on weekends, especially in early hours of morning, I know of at least one other subscriber so affected.
Channel you're watching just goes E16 for nothing, or freezes, or if a recording that fails.

Nothing wrong with the installations BTW, we're technicians.

 

[Brian_G]

Other recording failures.

Happens so often that we now back-up-record everything possible on a second older decoder - which also fails too often.

Faults range from "program not found" to "no PVR subscription" to who knows what!

Disasterous rubbish service!


I'll take a break...

 

[swakop_toe]

FWIW, it appears your poll relates to satellite and Decoder/PVR connectivity only?

I ask as I exclusively stream DSTVnow and the quality and stability is horrendous in comparison with Netflix, YouTube and even Showmax over my 30/30 fiber line and "the best ISP".

 

[Brian_G]

FWIW, it appears your poll relates to satellite and Decoder/PVR connectivity only?

I ask as I exclusively stream DSTVnow and the quality and stability is horrendous in comparison with Netflix, YouTube and even Showmax over my 30/30 fiber line and "the best ISP".

Brand name is still DStv for their streaming service AFAIK, so consider it included.

 

[Geoff.D]

Terrible and continuously deteriorating or formance on Pace 4 tuner decoders.
Physically, the decoders are in excellent condition, clean no dust, well ventilated in a cabinet with extra cooling.
The problems are just about all related to DSTVs continuous 4 times a day service authentication routines.
Channel freezes, sound no pic, pic no sound intermittent E16 errors, loss of recordings, I can go on and on for at least another 4 hours.
The next issue is the incredibly poor EPG support and erratic changes made which then messes up recordings..
There have been no formal software updates on these older decoders in years, but it has s pretty obvious that MC has and does sw updates quite often without logging them as formal sw version.
One of the most irritating errors which used to cripple the original SD PVR, is a habit of theirs to completely cut the power to the LNBs for a few ms, which causes absolute havoc with LNBs and multiswitches that might be in the installation.
The 4-tuner decoders require 4 independent universal feeds, so if one has a typical TWIN universal LNB, a MS is essential.
The only other way to run two of these decoders in XV is with an OCTO Universal LNB.
Next, dealing with MCs call centre on these older decoders is an exercise in futility. Clearly, there is no one left in their call centres that knows squat about any of the older decoders.

 

[Captain Beer]

Jirre the DStv forum is a blast from the past. I remember going on a tour there around 15 years ago courtesy of MC Phil. That type of interaction would never happen nowadays, how far corporate SA has fallen
I recently had to contact their call center due to an ongoing audio issue on 203, it was a complete dead end. The lady on the other end of the line had no idea why I was bothering her with this, when I asked her to escalate it I was told to call again the next day as the office was closed

 

[Brian_G]

Channel freezes, sound no pic, pic no sound intermittent E16 errors, loss of recordings, I can go on and on for at least another 4 hours.

I think people like us could literally fill a book. But have decided it's not worth it to add much more here, MC won't read it all and won't do much based on past experience.
Still, let's see where the thread goes.

I recently had to contact their call center due to an ongoing audio issue on 203, it was a complete dead end. The lady on the other end of the line had no idea why I was bothering her with this, when I asked her to escalate it I was told to call again the next day as the office was closed

Post the details if you care to, there will be a couple of seniors there looking at this soon, at least once. If they're still around and willing.


I'll just add that Box Office was a nightmare again until recently, new content either listed online or on the Explora but seldom on both. Now "fixed".
And the old online guide missing a new day each day that passes, as it's the only way to search properly beyond 1 week it's another disaster... 5 days now missing MC.

Massive fools, seems like a form of suicide.

 

[Captain Beer]

Post the details if you care to, there will be a couple of seniors there looking at this soon, at least once. If they're still around and willing.

Not sure if I could be bothered, by the looks of things, nobody there has the cahoonas to get things in order.
Having said that, my "old" installation with an LMX500 still works pretty well except when the Cape North Westerly pulls in.

 

[Geoff.D]

Not sure if I could be bothered, by the looks of things, nobody there has the cahoonas to get things in order.
Having said that, my "old" installation with an LMX500 still works pretty well except when the Cape North Westerly pulls in.

Sounds like you have a simple installation.

 

[geezer]

Touch wood, I have been lucky with not a lot of problems on my installation or decoder functions such as EPG etc. LMX500 smart LNB, big (90cm?) dish, no XtraView, first generation Explora.

 

[Brian_G]

Touch wood, I have been lucky with not a lot of problems on my installation or decoder functions such as EPG etc. LMX500 smart LNB, big (90cm?) dish, no XtraView, first generation Explora.

Rare to hear that these days, long may it continue.

 

[geezer]

Rare to hear that these days, long may it continue.

This installation have been mostly untouched since we moved into the house just over 20 years ago. First change was in 2008 when we got the HD PVR with a dual LNB and second change was in 2013 when we got the first generation Explora with the smart LNB. This is still our current configuration that's being used.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

0 - what is a dstv?

 

[Geoff.D]

Touch wood, I have been lucky with not a lot of problems on my installation or decoder functions such as EPG etc. LMX500 smart LNB, big (90cm?) dish, no XtraView, first generation Explora.

Yup. LMX 500 feeding a single Exploda with no XV and no complex HB cabling is a pretty simple installation.
And, that 90 cm antenna IS a huge benefit!
As we used to say "metal is free gain". The better the signal the better the SNR, the better the performance.
Those toy 60 cm antennas are just a pain in the arse.

 

[Geoff.D]

0 - what is a dstv?

Yeah wiseguy, push off and leave. You have no place in this thread.

 

[geezer]

Yup. LMX 500 feeding a single Explora with no XV and no complex HB cabling is a pretty simple installation.
And, that 90 cm antenna IS a huge benefit!
As we used to say "metal is free gain". The better the signal the better the SNR, the better the performance.
Those toy 60 cm antennas are just a pain in the arse.

We had the HD PVR installed literally the day of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, we were the second HD decoder installed in Sasolburg. The accredited installer suggested we mount a new 60cm dish , "because it's less prone to disturbances when the wind blows", but I politely declined his offer. We have been using the same dish now ever since we first got DSTV, about 3 months after it launched in South Africa.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

Yeah wiseguy, push off and leave. You have no place in this thread.

It is a public forum. gtfo yourself.

 

[Brian_G]

The accredited installer suggested we mount a new 60cm dish , "because it's less prone to disturbances when the wind blows", but I politely declined his offer.

I'm near the base of a hill, seems to cause extreme wind build up where we see things like trees bending 90 degrees quite regularly!
Our unsheltered 90cm dish - no effect to our signals stability.

But it must be set up properly. And we did hear of such a problem once on the DStv forum, extremely strong Cape winds that needed a shelter for the dish.