Dear DStv - technical faults thread

How do you rate the DStv service *technically* ?

  • 10 (Best)

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • 9

    Votes: 6 2.4%

  • 8

    Votes: 6 2.4%

  • 7

    Votes: 8 3.2%

  • 6

    Votes: 10 4.0%

  • 5

    Votes: 15 6.0%

  • 4

    Votes: 18 7.2%

  • 3

    Votes: 32 12.9%

  • 2

    Votes: 17 6.8%

  • 1 (Worst)

    Votes: 133 53.4%
  • Total voters
    249
Mine is a 120 cm antenna. The original installed for PAS 4 reception. Installed under the roof arch in a sheltered position using all 4 anchor bolts, perfectly vertical in all planes, an never been touched after the initial re installation after the installer buggered off.
 
Geoff.D said:
and never been touched after the initial re installation
Click to expand...
No doubt by you.

In my case, have had to tweak a bit a couple of times in 17 years due to the winds. I could probably tighten further but not worth possible thread stripping.
 
Brian_G said:
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.
Click to expand...
On my daughters installation in Summerset west I found that a huge palm tree actually caused their problems during high winds rather then the dish distorting. It is amazing how far these tall top heavy palm trees can bend over during the cape high winds.
 
We are lucky in the sense that we have so far only experienced the E16 problem once. For the first time it popped up on channel 106 yesterday.
 
Nemesys said:
We are lucky in the sense that we have so far only experienced the E16 problem once. For the first time it popped up on channel 106 yesterday.
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Which channel do you tend to leave the Explora on, if any?
In our case... 106 :- (

I think Geoff.D uses 194 more which also gives problems.
 
Quick question... I view only my sport live. The rest is via CU or recorded. Every once in a while the playback will just freeze for a couple of seconds , almost like when the signal gets interrupted during bad weather. Often happens when rewinding and then playback. Get this on both my 2As. Was thinking of reformatting both HDDs
 
Brian_G said:
Which channel do you tend to leave the Explora on, if any?
In our case... 106 :- (

I think Geoff.D uses 194 more which also gives problems.
Click to expand...
We also leave it on 106 mainly because 106 is Horizontally polarised. I still believe that the freezing problem is more prevalent on vertical polarised channels than horisontal. Channels 120 and 215 are where I usually experience the problem. If I leave the decoder on any of these two channels while watching something on catchup the decoder will freeze for that fraction of a second around xx:50 and for second time a minute or so later.
 
Luke7777 said:
Quick question... I view only my sport live. The rest is via CU or recorded. Every once in a while the playback will just freeze for a couple of seconds , almost like when the signal gets interrupted during bad weather. Often happens when rewinding and then playback. Get this on both my 2As. Was thinking of reformatting both HDDs
Click to expand...
From my perspective - sounds like our freezing / E16 bug, although it's far from clearly cut in its behaviour. Sometimes ours judders like that instead of permanent freezing.
Another factor seems to be the system clocks that go crazy once in a while.

I'll catch up any more later.
 
Luke7777 said:
Quick question... I view only my sport live. The rest is via CU or recorded. Every once in a while the playback will just freeze for a couple of seconds , almost like when the signal gets interrupted during bad weather. Often happens when rewinding and then playback. Get this on both my 2As. Was thinking of reformatting both HDDs
Click to expand...
Luke don't even bother to reformat I tried it and it does not change anything.
 
Nemesys said:
We also leave it on 106 mainly because 106 is Horizontally polarised. I still believe that the freezing problem is more prevalent on vertical polarised channels than horisontal. Channels 120 and 215 are where I usually experience the problem. If I leave the decoder on any of these two channels while watching something on catchup the decoder will freeze for that fraction of a second around xx:50 and for second time a minute or so later.
Click to expand...

I have also experienced several channel freezes on 120 as well as on CNN and Sky News. I tend to leave my decoders on 101 or 201 - no specific reason other than arguing it is DSTV's main channels so hopefully less prone to issues - and can't recall ever having a channel freeze,on either.
 
krugie said:
DSTV haters ALLWAYS have to read ALL DSTV related posts in case they miss out on something good happening or on an opportunity to validate their hatred. It is like me commenting on Aussie Rules Football threads - except I don't since I won't add any value.... ‍♂️
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Make you also think of how much of that 8000+ posting count added value vs trolling or just plain BS
 
I think they add a bit of spice.
Gets me less annoyed trying to think that, and they sometimes keep the threads alive.

You should see the army thread, modern leftists hate it, lol.
 
krugie said:
DSTV haters ALLWAYS have to read ALL DSTV related posts in case they miss out on something good happening or on an opportunity to validate their hatred. It is like me commenting on Aussie Rules Football threads - except I don't since I won't add any value.... ‍♂️
Click to expand...
Actually it is like checking in on your local christians.
 
Nemesys said:
Luke don't even bother to reformat I tried it and it does not change anything.
Click to expand...
Many moons ago MC tried to write off the playback freeze issue against disc fragmentation. I and a few others spent hours analysing the fragmentation on the HDD in the SD PVR only to conclude it had nothing to do with fragmentation, and everything to do with their security paranoia.
But yes, you should see a general performance improvement for about three days after a reformat....
 
So the list is chs 106, 120, 194, 195, 404, 192, 215.
Not sure about the polarisation issue.
Frankly my enthusiasm for in depth fault finding for MCs benefit waned when they actively pursued a campaign to drive the SD PVR into obsolescence.
Can't comment on Explodas. My daughter's Explora original connected to an LMX 500 with a Pace 2- tuner in XV has been running trouble free for close on 6 years I think. Also a 90cm antenna repointed by me when she moved in after installing it under the eaves in a sheltered spot. The previous owner reported in the sale document of the property that the "dish was faulty".
All it was another accredited installer bugger up
No fancy HB cabling used though, bog standard simple HB cable installation.
 
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Geoff.D said:
Not sure about the polarisation issue.
Click to expand...
I've had both as well, maybe one more sensitive but who knows.

Geoff.D said:
Frankly my enthusiasm for in depth fault finding for MCs benefit waned when they actively pursued a campaign to drive the SD PVR into obsolescence.
Click to expand...
Ditto.

But clearly authentication, and although sometimes just their don't-care attitude, they've lost control somewhere too. As we've all mentioned before there's plenty of old faults returning as they try to unmuddle it, now years old in the attempt.
Idiots.
 
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