Dear DStv - technical faults thread

[Brian_G]

Don't have that bouquet and in fact, not too close to Premium.

Just mentioned it on the off-chance, it's actually an old error that just bugs me. There was a patch but I lost that in a reset.

Just thought for radio channels I could do some testing, because we probably have many of them.

You'll be surprised to hear that all the DMX and other audio chs. work on any bouquet, even EasyView.

 

[Brian_G]

@Ivan Leon , have you come across the delayed audio loss issue? Think it was on the DualView, SD PVR & 1110.

 

[HAL 9000]

Yup - had that issue crop up from time to time on my SD-PVR when I was still a DSTV Premium subscriber - and it also happened on my brother's DSD1110 decoder as well - normally just did a 'cold reboot' and that usually solved the problem for a while at least...

 

[Brian_G]

Just thought for radio channels I could do some testing, because we probably have many of them.

I just tried a few chs. either side and did find one other faulty one if you want to try it - 879.

 

[BCR]

I just tried a few chs. either side and did find one other faulty one if you want to try it - 879.

Have had "947" (DStv channel # 879) on since 13:39 and absolutely perfect since switching over to it.

Initially thought it was 94.7 Highveld Stereo, but is it a KZN based station, as that's the only place I've ever heard / seen Hirsch's ads. before?

You need to get hold of a 2nd hand 1131 decoder (if you don't have one already), it seems, for all audio channels to work.

 

[Brian_G]

Initially thought it was 94.7 Highveld Stereo, but is it a KZN based station, as that's the only place I've ever heard / seen Hirsch's ads. before?

I think it must be 94.7 Highveld, the extended info-plate does confirm it's a Jo'burg station. I was just checking randomly.

You need to get hold of a 2nd hand 1131 decoder (if you don't have one already), it seems, for all audio channels to work.

Seems so. I've got Exploras as well so no practical problem here.

Can I ask, why don't you want the ability to record / use Catch Up? It must be a real nuisance sometimes, especially with power cuts :-/

 

[BCR]

I think it must be 94.7 Highveld, the extended info-plate does confirm it's a Jo'burg station. I was just checking randomly.


Seems so. I've got Exploras as well so no practical problem here.

Can I ask, why don't you want the ability to record / use Catch Up? It must be a real nuisance sometimes, especially with power cuts :-/

Irritated me for a few years after the last VHS recorder packed up and one could no longer get them.

If I heard right, Multichoice organised to get them cleared off retailers shelves in order to have a recording monopoly (if one can call it that?) in SA by pushing their DVRs, even though they were / are still available overseas / online?

I just got used to it & only watch a relatively few selected things each week, so even with power outages get to watch everything I want.

Only 1 other person in the house watches a bit of news each day,

Then, quite a bit more I get get from You Tube so DStv only needed for half, or less than what's watched these days.

All that said, if DStv bring out that Premium package for about R350 they were testing the market for some time ago, might consider getting it & even upgrading the decoder setup at the same time.

 

[Brian_G]

All feeds of the cricket SA v Ned (including terrestrial CSN) have two black language soundtracks but no Eng. or Afr.

Use 193 SABC 3.


EDIT: They've put up a message that they're attending to it.

 

[daveza]

It is now 15:28

 

[HAL 9000]

MNET originally advertised La Brea as starting on MNET on Monday 21 Nov @ 20h30 (in the time-slot before Dexter: New Blood) - that was summarily replaced last week by the Adele music concert - then Episode 1 was rescheduled on the EPG to this Monday 29 Nov @ 20h30 - it has now apparently been replaced (again) by a documentary on Kamala Harris (the USA's Vice-President) tonight @ 20h30 - but the EPG shows repeats for Episode 2 of La Brea on Wed 1 Dec @ 10h30 & again on Sunday 5 December @ 17h00 - and then AGAIN on Wed 8 Dec @ 10h30 and AGAIN on Sun 12 Dec @ 17h00, with Episode 3 'apparently' now scheduled for Monday 6 Dec @ 20h30 - presumably this timeslot will AGAIN be replaced by a music concert / documentary before then...







So, my question is - WHERE IS EPISODE 1? - Is it ONLY available on Catch Up?

 

[krugie]

MNET originally advertised La Brea as starting on MNET on Monday 21 Nov @ 20h30 (in the time-slot before Dexter: New Blood) - that was summarily replaced last week by the Adele music concert - then Episode 1 was rescheduled on the EPG to this Monday 29 Nov @ 20h30 - it has now apparently been replaced (again) by a documentary on Kamala Harris (the USA's Vice-President) tonight @ 20h30 - but the EPG shows repeats for Episode 2 of La Brea on Wed 1 Dec @ 10h30 & again on Sunday 5 December @ 17h00 - and then AGAIN on Wed 8 Dec @ 10h30 and AGAIN on Sun 12 Dec @ 17h00, with Episode 3 'apparently' now scheduled for Monday 6 Dec @ 20h30 - presumably this timeslot will AGAIN be replaced by a music concert / documentary before then...

View attachment 1203184

View attachment 1203186

View attachment 1203188

So, my question is - WHERE IS EPISODE 1? - Is it ONLY available on Catch Up?

The exact same thing happened all over the EPG when USA Survivor Season 41 appeared on the Thu night schedule a while ago. It has now been postponed to Jan (and the EPG corrected over time although I did also report it when I still had the inclination to do so) - I suspect the same will be happening here and we will see it in Jan.

 

[krugie]

MNET originally advertised La Brea as starting on MNET on Monday 21 Nov @ 20h30 (in the time-slot before Dexter: New Blood) - that was summarily replaced last week by the Adele music concert - then Episode 1 was rescheduled on the EPG to this Monday 29 Nov @ 20h30 - it has now apparently been replaced (again) by a documentary on Kamala Harris (the USA's Vice-President) tonight @ 20h30 - but the EPG shows repeats for Episode 2 of La Brea on Wed 1 Dec @ 10h30 & again on Sunday 5 December @ 17h00 - and then AGAIN on Wed 8 Dec @ 10h30 and AGAIN on Sun 12 Dec @ 17h00, with Episode 3 'apparently' now scheduled for Monday 6 Dec @ 20h30 - presumably this timeslot will AGAIN be replaced by a music concert / documentary before then...

View attachment 1203184

View attachment 1203186

View attachment 1203188

So, my question is - WHERE IS EPISODE 1? - Is it ONLY available on Catch Up?

Interesting to also still see the Record On Explora option there. I think that functionality has been removed... unless it is now back again?

 

[Brian_G]

A few people are now reporting finding their tv with a blank screen some days / daily, I think more an older decoder thing.

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.........

 

[BCR]

A few people are now reporting finding their tv with a blank screen some days / daily, I think more an older decoder thing.

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.........

Aren't those perhaps the terrestrial channels going off air ?

In other words, channels individually dedicated to SABC 1, 2, 3 and e-TV.

So far, no blank screens on the single (TV) channel dedicated to using DStv with the 1131, for us.

 

[Brian_G]

Aren't those perhaps the terrestrial channels going off air ?

In other words, channels individually dedicated to SABC 1, 2, 3 and e-TV.

So far, no blank screens on the single (TV) channel dedicated to using DStv with the 1131, for us.

No, not related. And this seems to be happening on any channel.
We've also seen it happen in the past.

The terrestrial analogue channels that are permanently going off are not included in the DStv setup at all, but their digital equivalents not only are for M-NET and CSN, they're the source for much / most terrestrial usage and will remain so (they're on separate channel numbers 902 and 903 (or 490) respectfully and are in other bouquets on older decoders, but won't be available to you.)

 

[BCR]

No, not related. And this seems to be happening on any channel.
We've also seen it happen in the past.

The terrestrial analogue channels that are permanently going off are not included in the DStv setup at all, but their digital equivalents not only are for M-NET and CSN, they're the source for much / most terrestrial usage and will remain so (they're on separate channel numbers 902 and 903 (or 490) respectfully and are in other bouquets on older decoders, but won't be available to you.)

Okay, thanks for the clarification.

If our decoder starts packing up / displaying blank channels, we'll just get the newest basic one if DStv keep their existing package lineup.

Should they bring out that alternative Premium one, then might consider an Explora.

 

[Brian_G]

Don't worry though, it's just another temporary glitch.

Funny thing, they actually did used to let Premium users access 902 but cut it off when it was found to be confusing people in the EPG.

 

[Brian_G]

The exact same thing happened all over the EPG when USA Survivor Season 41 appeared on the Thu night schedule a while ago. It has now been postponed to Jan (and the EPG corrected over time although I did also report it when I still had the inclination to do so) - I suspect the same will be happening here and we will see it in Jan.

I wonder if we'll still see many series repeated on 115 Me, or if they'll be too busy trying to cover the old 116 content as well.

 

[HAL 9000]

I just did an update to the DSTV app on my eMatic AGT-419 Android Tv box earlier this morning - it has a date-stamp of 23 Nov 2021 (DSTV Version 2.0.6 - Android APK Version 2.4.3).

Even though I have just gone & reset the streaming quality back to LOW (+/- 210MB/hr) - when I selected NatGeo (Ch.181) just now to check the streaming picture quality (the Car SOS episode with the blue MGA was on) - the picture AND subtitles had NO pixelation artefacts and the text was crystal-clear...

This means that the LOW setting STILL DOES NOT actually reduce the streaming quality at all - the software is STILL RENDERING the picture at HIGHEST (up to 1.7GB/hr) - which is A MASSIVE INCREASE of around 1.5GB/hr in data consumption when compared to the supposed 210MB/hr of the LOW setting...



P.S.: There was also a DSTV app update for Android mobile devices (Version 2.4.3 - 217020403) as well - I have installed that on my phone and also set the video quality to Lowest (up to 216p / +/- 100MB/hr) - that IS working correctly - fuzzy but watchable video...

 

[krugie]

I wonder if we'll still see many series repeated on 115 Me, or if they'll be too busy trying to cover the old 116 content as well.

So far the Me schedules are a total bore for me. As soon as I see a channel constantly showing 2 episodes of a series back to back or the same series every week night then I tune out. I can't imagine anyone preferring that - I certainly don't. ‍