Dear DStv - technical faults thread

[Brian_G]

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.

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

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.

All the same main fault. Not going to alert MC contacts unless someone wants it - you don't, do you?
They've been here before so maybe not needed.

 

[Nemesys]

All the same main fault. Not going to alert MC contacts unless someone wants it - you don't, do you?
They've been here before so maybe not needed.

What I noticed since the latest SW update is no video loss but a brief audio loss around time stated I stated before. There are still the odd video/audio loss at times but now it is mostly just an audio loss. Again mainly noticed on 120 and 215.

 

[Luke7777]

What I noticed since the latest SW update is no video loss but a brief audio loss around time stated I stated before. There are still the odd video/audio loss at times but now it is mostly just an audio loss. Again mainly noticed on 120 and 215.

My issues are CU/recording related, not live

 

[Geoff.D]

My issues are CU/recording related, not live

Last time I tried to pinpoint the cause it was because MC cuts the power to the LNB ports for a few ms enough to lose signal lock but not long enough to lose the recordings. Affects all recorded material incl BO, CU.

 

[Nemesys]

My issues are CU/recording related, not live

What I found on my decoder is that although the incident happen during viewing either CU or a recording it is not related to what is recorded or on CU if you rewind the recoding or CU the incident is not repeated at that spot. We have made a point of taking note of the time this happens and it is always at around xx:50 (where xx is the hour) then most of the time there is a second shorter repeat of it about a minute later. It may be coincidently but this coincide with the time reflected in the VOD status for the last update of both CU and BO. This could very well be when the Authentication takes place as Geoff has previously identified as the source of the older decoder problems.

 

[Luke7777]

What I found on my decoder is that although the incident happen during viewing either CU or a recording it is not related to what is recorded or on CU if you rewind the recoding or CU the incident is not repeated at that spot. We have made a point of taking note of the time this happens and it is always at around xx:50 (where xx is the hour) then most of the time there is a second shorter repeat of it about a minute later. It may be coincidently but this coincide with the time reflected in the VOD status for the last update of both CU and BO. This could very well be when the Authentication takes place as Geoff has previously identified as the source of the older decoder problems.

Thanks, will check

 

[Brian_G]

One other thing to watch for - after E16, jumping back 10 secs. with Replay (left wheel button) usually gets it going again. Then using TV for returning to live tv will sometimes continue to work, if not a channel change and back sorts it all out.

At this stage I can still find all content in good order in the buffer. Go figure.


[This edit not related to the original post, just technical, so ignore]

 

[Captain Beer]

Sounds like you have a simple installation.

Yep. The only complexity is the diplexer for Xtraview on the Explora 1. Otherwise nothing fancy.

 

[Geoff.D]

Yep. The only complexity is the diplexer for Xtraview on the Explora 1. Otherwise nothing fancy.

Only if you want HB via LNB cabling to work is the diplexer required.
The diplexers introduce too much added attenuation on the main signal path between SLNB and decoder with the toy antennas.

 

[Brian_G]

More mess with Explora CU - quite a number of movies have been loaded that are just 2 or 3 minutes long

Not a chance it's a decoder fault as some of those offerings are on CU+ , so must be faulty at the source.

Brilliant MC, keep it up.


[This edit not related to the original post, just technical, so ignore]

 

[Nemesys]

Flight attendant loaded the full number of remaining episodes last week on CU+ We took advantage of that and watched them all. They are still available on both decoders. I thought that license restrictions prevented MC from loading material on CU before it aired.

 

[Brian_G]

I thought that license restrictions prevented MC from loading material on CU before it aired.

There have been a couple of times it was allowed with some studios, we did get confirmation back then. But who knows if that again or just another careless mistake.

Was it initially after any live episodes before this development?





Ignore the rest of this post, for other use

 

[Clothahump]

Is this a technical fault, or is it the DSTV NOW App that is just slow or stupid?
See attached picture - It seems as if Dstv Now App (on purpose) only show me what is next up and currently on, on channels I do not watch...

 

[Nemesys]

There have been a couple of times it was allowed with some studios, we did get confirmation back then. But who knows if that again or just another careless mistake.

Was it initially after any live episodes before this development?

When we came back after the 10days house sitting in Lonehill we found the two episodes we missed on CU and the rest of the Episodes on CU+ (4,5,6,7&8 on CU+)

 

[Brian_G]

When we came back after the 10days house sitting in Lonehill we found the two episodes we missed on CU and the rest of the Episodes on CU+ (4,5,6,7&8 on CU+)

Sure sounds like they did mess up offering the rest early, or were late getting to it. Nice one for you though :- )


[This edit not related to the original post, just technical, so ignore]
....

 

[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.

So it seems like we're getting somewhere. The issue goes away if I switch to variable audio output, which also means I lose my Dolby output.
So I'm guessing there's an issue with the Dolby feed. Now the problem is getting someone at MC to acknowledge this issue

 

[Geoff.D]

So it seems like we're getting somewhere. The issue goes away if I switch to variable audio output, which also means I lose my Dolby output.
So I'm guessing there's an issue with the Dolby feed. Now the problem is getting someone at MC to acknowledge this issue

Noticed that before, and it was reported on the old MC forum at least 4 times - nothing was ever done about it nor was it acknowledged by MC at the time.

I like my fixed setting and are not about to change it.

 

[Rickster]

Flight attendant loaded the full number of remaining episodes last week on CU+ We took advantage of that and watched them all. They are still available on both decoders. I thought that license restrictions prevented MC from loading material on CU before it aired.

Flight attendant?

 

[Brian_G]

Flight attendant?

It's the name of a new series on M-Net.


[This edit not related to the original post, just technical, so ignore]

 

[Brian_G]

Had quite a bit of recording trouble yesterday, then noticed that the Access package now has about 6 new channels - too few for it to be temp showcasing of Family so maybe a facelift, possibly for other smaller packages as well.

I've yet to see them ever make a change without causing chaos.