Dstv decoder setup advice

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goofball

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Hi all.

I am trying to figure out how my parents need to set up their dstv in their new house but definitely need some help from you all.

They have the attached decoders currently. IMG_20150211_142035_1.jpg

They have a plasma in the living room as well as a led in the 1st bedroom. They would like HD on both these.

They also have two other spare rooms each with a normal old tv.

They would like to be able to watch dstv in all these rooms and do not mind if it can only be 2 different dstv streams at the same time.

Obviously it must also have PVR capabilities.

They currently have it set up like this but there is no hd in the bedroom as that TV is connected with that normal old TV cable. The male one. No idea what it is called. Is the old one the older TVs use.

Do they need a different decoder to be able to do this? Do they really need the 2 they currently have or would 1 new one do the same job?

Thanks in advance!

IMG_20150211_142035_1.jpg
 
There is only 1 HDPVR there, so if they want HD in 2 locations then it will be the same HD feed, and they would need to look at HD extension options.
That's decision #1.
The current decoders can give 3 independent channels, if they want 2 HD options then the SDPVR will need to be replaced (which they will need to do soon anyway) but then they will only have 2 independent viewing channels
 
Smurfatefrog said:
There is only 1 HDPVR there, so if they want HD in 2 locations then it will be the same HD feed, and they would need to look at HD extension options.
That's decision #1.
The current decoders can give 3 independent channels, if they want 2 HD options then the SDPVR will need to be replaced (which they will need to do soon anyway) but then they will only have 2 independent viewing channels
Click to expand...

Thank tot so much for the reply. A few questions though.

By "current decoders" do you mean the Explora?
With what do they need to replace the sdpvr? And how many channels would they then be able to record simultaneously?
 
They currently have a HDPVR (Pace 4 tuner) - watch 1, record 2, and an SDPVR - watch 2, record 1
If they buy an Explora to replace the SDPVR then they will have watch 2, record 3 in total
 
Smurfatefrog said:
They currently have a HDPVR (Pace 4 tuner) - watch 1, record 2, and an SDPVR - watch 2, record 1
If they buy an Explora to replace the SDPVR then they will have watch 2, record 3 in total
Click to expand...
But will those 2 be hd then?

Also, would adding a explore speed up general navigation of the system as that is extremely slow on the current setup?

And how does the playback of the recorded things work? Can you watch it in any of the rooms then?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
Both of those decoders - the HD 4-tuner & the SD-PVR - are discontinued models that Multichoice will no longer be supporting in the near future.

If your parents have Decoder Care contracts, they can take both of these decoders in to Multichoice, and have them exchanged for 2 x new DSTV Explora units. (current technology decoder).

This will give them MUCH more HDD recording capacity, both will be HD, and they are both Watch 1, Record 1 devices that can be linked via XtraView, to 1 DSTV Premium subscription.
 
Ivan Leon said:
Both of those decoders - the HD 4-tuner & the SD-PVR - are discontinued models that Multichoice will no longer be supporting in the near future.

If your parents have Decoder Care contracts, they can take both of these decoders in to Multichoice, and have them exchanged for 2 x new DSTV Explora units. (current technology decoder).

This will give them MUCH more HDD recording capacity, both will be HD, and they are both Watch 1, Record 1 devices that can be linked via XtraView, to 1 DSTV Premium subscription.
Click to expand...

So if you have decoder care on your old HD decoders, DSTV will replace them free of charge for the new Explora decoder? that doesn't sound like them giving away free upgrades
 
Ivan Leon said:
Both of those decoders - the HD 4-tuner & the SD-PVR - are discontinued models that Multichoice will no longer be supporting in the near future.

If your parents have Decoder Care contracts, they can take both of these decoders in to Multichoice, and have them exchanged for 2 x new DSTV Explora units. (current technology decoder).

This will give them MUCH more HDD recording capacity, both will be HD, and they are both Watch 1, Record 1 devices that can be linked via XtraView, to 1 DSTV Premium subscription.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately they don't have that so would need to buy 2 new ones then.
Trying to maybe get away with just replacing one for now.
Just trying to figure out if it will be worth it for them.
At minimum it needs to speed up general operation of the system. The current one seems damn slow.
And obviously keep the rest the same...
satanboy said:
BUT FIRST

remove that damn plastic from the front of the HD decoder!
Click to expand...
Lol! Yeah they're old school like that...
 
I have the same setup as your folks, I Only watch HD in my lounge and then all the other channels are SD to the rest of my house. If you want HD in 2 locations you will need to split the HD and extend one to the bedroom. But as said above, both decoders are obsolete and will not work from 2017 when the new DSTV satellite comes online.

As for trading in, DSTV will give you a discount on the purchase for the new Explorer, not a swap out. And its really a pathetic amount too they give you...

EDIT: I stand corrected...

[video=youtube;wWRC5OfGBxQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWRC5OfGBxQ[/video]
 
Last edited:
SirFooK'nG said:
I have the same setup as your folks, I Only watch HD in my lounge and then all the other channels are SD to the rest of my house. If you want HD in 2 locations you will need to split the HD and extend one to the bedroom. But as said above, both decoders are obsolete and will not work from 2017 when the new DSTV satellite comes online.

As for trading in, DSTV will give you a discount on the purchase for the new Explorer, not a swap out. And its really a pathetic amount too they give you...

EDIT: I stand corrected...

[video=youtube;wWRC5OfGBxQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWRC5OfGBxQ[/video]
Click to expand...
Wait so its free for them to stop it for new ones?
Not just a discount?

Edit: it says not applicable to SA.
 
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