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Dear DStv - technical faults thread
- Thread starter Brian_G
- Start date
The warranty on a new Explora 12 month warranty runs as follows:
You have 30 days to get a cash refund. You get 2 months to swap the new Explora for another new Explora.
The other 10 months you get a refurbished Explora.
The person at Multichoice basically admitted that the heat build up in the Explora 3b is damaging the hard drive in the 3b. They said that at home the Explora 3b is heating up and causing issues but by the time you get to their customer care branch, it has cooled down and the problems stop.
We going to hand our notice into Dstv and ditch the service. If I had know they only gave 2 months to exchange for a new Explora I'd never would have gotten it. And I had looked on Dstv site, I checked here, if anybody had said how the warranty was structured I would have taken note and cancelled with out any other consideration to continuing the service with a 3b. Their terms contravention of the consumer act.
I also thought even with a downgrade of production quality with the Explora 3b we'd still have to 2-3 years use (downgraded from the 5-10 of previous models.) I underestimated the effect of removing the fan though I doubt Dstv didn't.
You have 30 days to get a cash refund. You get 2 months to swap the new Explora for another new Explora.
The other 10 months you get a refurbished Explora.
The person at Multichoice basically admitted that the heat build up in the Explora 3b is damaging the hard drive in the 3b. They said that at home the Explora 3b is heating up and causing issues but by the time you get to their customer care branch, it has cooled down and the problems stop.
We going to hand our notice into Dstv and ditch the service. If I had know they only gave 2 months to exchange for a new Explora I'd never would have gotten it. And I had looked on Dstv site, I checked here, if anybody had said how the warranty was structured I would have taken note and cancelled with out any other consideration to continuing the service with a 3b. Their terms contravention of the consumer act.
I also thought even with a downgrade of production quality with the Explora 3b we'd still have to 2-3 years use (downgraded from the 5-10 of previous models.) I underestimated the effect of removing the fan though I doubt Dstv didn't.
Anything since the Explora 2 seems to be looking for trouble, in many people's opinions. Although there's some who like Explora 3, even here.
Good luck if you do leave them @KatieKim
IMO re PVRs;
Best is an Explora 2
Then the original Explora (1) which I use
Then, if you can still find one second-hand, the 2P - an HD PVR decoder.
Anything older (or the 2U) will be a bit of a nightmare with modern system expectations.
A missing / faulty / removed fan is a complete no-no with today's demanding electronics, if noisy a bit of carefully applied oil should help. Replacements aren't too difficult.
But opening up during warranty period is the obvious concern.
Maybe @Geoff.D can help further, although I suspect we'll have mostly parallel thoughts here.
Good luck if you do leave them @KatieKim
IMO re PVRs;
Best is an Explora 2
Then the original Explora (1) which I use
Then, if you can still find one second-hand, the 2P - an HD PVR decoder.
Anything older (or the 2U) will be a bit of a nightmare with modern system expectations.
A missing / faulty / removed fan is a complete no-no with today's demanding electronics, if noisy a bit of carefully applied oil should help. Replacements aren't too difficult.
But opening up during warranty period is the obvious concern.
Maybe @Geoff.D can help further, although I suspect we'll have mostly parallel thoughts here.
Looks like no Royal Variety Show this year on M-Net, I think would be the first year without it since M-Net began!
Sies!
(Unless it's early in January sometime... but it's not advertised.)
They tried this before a few years ago - there was an uproar about it on their forum and they then put it on. Hehe
Sies!
(Unless it's early in January sometime... but it's not advertised.)
They tried this before a few years ago - there was an uproar about it on their forum and they then put it on. Hehe
I just want to double check. If I have no contract with Dstv, I can just cancel my subscription with them on their website? And that there is no notice period? Say my due date is the 31st of the month, can I apply to disconnect on the day before on the 30th? Or does Dstv still require a 30 day notice period.
Apparently it mostly wasn't a good show. Last year was quite weak too IMO, and anyway is now on Britbox add-on
Do you mean to do with momentarily losing picture & sound - ie. a blank screen ? ... or rather that happening when switching to a new channel.
If so, it's been fine since as every time I want to watch it, it's (been) available.
The same thing happened to one of the channels yesterday (I think it was) - CNN if I recall. I switched to BBC News, then back again, and CNN came back immediately.
Maybe just some technical satellite glitch, other than weather related elsewhere in the world ?
I reintroduced the subject earlier on this month in the following thread :
Cancelling DSTV
If you use the option to switch the service on and off when needed, how long does it take to reactivate? Is it immediate? If you pay via debit order, does this mean that you would have a credit every month, that would accumulate until you ask them to pay you out? Sorry, I know this is not the...
mybroadband.co.za
Maybe you can update it once you've gone through the process yourself ?
Not knowing exactly what to expect currently, think when I finally get to cancel it one day (there are practical / convenience reasons for me prolonging it) I'll probably downgrade to Access (currently R129pm).
That way if they keep it going for another 30 days, it'll be a small price to pay.
You can put the cancellation through DStv on WhatsApp, which I generally find much easier to navigate than their website.
English subtitles been out of sync on (satellite) National Geographic ch. no 181 for about a week that I've seen - maybe more ?
Currently evident on "Europe from Above" episodes.
This results in missing parts of just about every sentence, due to the delay.
Comparing against the movie channels I have (eg 107), those seem perfectly fine.
Channels 134, 136, 171, 179 test checked - also OK.
Only 181 appears problematic.
Don't need subtitles personally, but have them on.
Currently evident on "Europe from Above" episodes.
This results in missing parts of just about every sentence, due to the delay.
Comparing against the movie channels I have (eg 107), those seem perfectly fine.
Channels 134, 136, 171, 179 test checked - also OK.
Only 181 appears problematic.
Don't need subtitles personally, but have them on.
At least you have them - on my one SD decoder they don't even bother to make them available, even though the option to choose using them is working.
(Tried it on 101 M-Net as well, that's working fine.)
Meanwhile, 3 hours until this week's Xmas-eve Carte Blanche and they haven't bothered supplying a synopsis yet...
Some companies never learn
A DStv stream gripe I do have is recent episodes of some things downloaded to an Android phone don't start playing like the older episodes did, while offline.
Comes back with error messages (neither allow screenshots within the app). :
First one if I recall stated "seems like you're offline" which has never before now been an issue, and then second one allows you to "copy to the clipboard" a lengthy string of text to supply to them ; the Error code is "PER 2".
So their catch up part of the streaming app isn't working as well as it used to.
Haven't yet checked if the download works if I go online, but probably will appear to be, as it will then be streaming using up additional data.
Have it to spare, but defeats the purpose then of downloading using night data to be able to watch whenever.
Question I have is if it's worth sending that error text - would they bother sorting anything out ?
EDIT on its way -
the one episode I'd redownload in a higher resolution, I started playing while online, then switched off the connection & it carried on fine.
Will see if I can return to it & carry on with playback.
1st one finished fine.
The 2nd one I returned to, for the 2nd time, won't start even if I'm connected to the net. Will delete it, redownload, then start it again with i/net connected initially & hope it will then play ; otherwise will need to just stream it - only about 45 mins.
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Carte Blanche was just repeats and pre-recorded Xmas choirs 
, fine for some I guess, but earlier, M-Net had put on a trailer announcing an exposure of career kidnappers... no idea what they're doing
My access to "Stream" online is still blocked again due to being a Linux (Ubuntu) user. I've got Windows in the house but won't be forced to use that, security on the alternatives is fine for even banks so this is nonsense.
How's the Stream quality these days, still slow at times?
I've come across stories of the British ITV being just as bad, and their BBC apparently still tries to use the excuse that it's the users' fault due to their lack of available bandwidth - lol, who has low bandwidth anymore?
So MC not alone here, but very surprising that the Brits have this and tolerate this.
, fine for some I guess, but earlier, M-Net had put on a trailer announcing an exposure of career kidnappers... no idea what they're doingMy access to "Stream" online is still blocked again due to being a Linux (Ubuntu) user. I've got Windows in the house but won't be forced to use that, security on the alternatives is fine for even banks so this is nonsense.
How's the Stream quality these days, still slow at times?
I've come across stories of the British ITV being just as bad, and their BBC apparently still tries to use the excuse that it's the users' fault due to their lack of available bandwidth - lol, who has low bandwidth anymore?
So MC not alone here, but very surprising that the Brits have this and tolerate this.
elf_lord_ZC5
Honorary Master
Carte Blanche was just repeats and pre-recorded Xmas choirs
My access to "Stream" online is still blocked again due to being a Linux (Ubuntu) user. I've got Windows in the house but won't be forced to use that, security on the alternatives is fine for even banks so this is nonsense.
How's the Stream quality these days, still slow at times?
I've come across stories of the British ITV being just as bad, and their BBC apparently still tries to use the excuse that it's the users' fault due to their lack of available bandwidth - lol, who has low bandwidth anymore?
So MC not alone here, but very surprising that the Brits have this and tolerate this.
Yankee Doodle land is only slightly better, but their apps are generally atrocious
I barely stream any data ; vast majority of it I download to my phone, and use MX Player offline to watch it (offline, otherwise the app is very invasive with ads.).Carte Blanche was just repeats and pre-recorded Xmas choirs
My access to "Stream" online is still blocked again due to being a Linux (Ubuntu) user. I've got Windows in the house but won't be forced to use that, security on the alternatives is fine for even banks so this is nonsense.
How's the Stream quality these days, still slow at times?
I've come across stories of the British ITV being just as bad, and their BBC apparently still tries to use the excuse that it's the users' fault due to their lack of available bandwidth - lol, who has low bandwidth anymore?
So MC not alone here, but very surprising that the Brits have this and tolerate this.
Maybe try the "DStv stream" app on a phone yourself instead of through Linux, though you might have similar security concerns for phones if an Android especially (as you have for Windows)? ; might therefore not be an option for you.
That said I've had the recent issue with downloaded content to the app, but got through it in the end.
The bit of actual streaming I've done in the app, I've never experienced buffering, but it's usually set to a lower res 360p.
Re the UK, I have a close relative who never complains about their BT connection.
Last time I was there and checked (VDSL), it was around 50 down and 20 up. Streams endless YT content, so I suppose it's more a case of those in the minority affected voicing their opinions (as they should) but the silent, unaffected majority in the multi-millions, just carrying on as usual.
elf_lord_ZC5
Honorary Master
Yeah, not really something I need and I'm not really into smartphones anyway - have an old one passed down to me but only use it a bit and then only via our Wifi.
Seems to be more about some suppliers' servers, just surprised the big boys are involved in the UK... for some anyway.
I've had a look at all the major ones, except iPlayer, in the past with login details (so point is, had a decent look around + some streaming testing).
Just about the only thing that really interested me, that had many episodes available, was :
A Place in the Sun: Summer Sun - TV Series
In this series our presenters help house-hunters looking for a home that will give them plenty of summer sun to enjoy.
www.aplaceinthesun.com
..... in one of them.
Unfortunately I need to pay for some of the stuff most keen on these days, which is true crime ; some I get from YT, but I really enjoy Discovery ID, and to a lesser extent, CBS Justice - I've not seen it listed on any other network the world over, unless it's under another name ; I don't even have it this month as downgraded from Compact Plus which is where it's available.
Considering some (entertainment) changes in the new year, but some things still holding me back ....
Attachments
Is this heating a common issue with the 3B? I think when the 3A came out MC said they could remove the fan because it has a plate to dissipate heat. Those 2As could get rather noisy with the fan.