When sharing your DStv dish is a problem

DStv satellite customers should be aware that the company’s XtraView feature does not permit them to share a single subscription across multiple households.

The broadcaster’s parent company, MultiChoice, has warned that this practice could lead to penalties or account suspensions.

South Africa has many multi-dwelling properties where the close proximity of houses could allow people to link multiple DStv decoders together.

XtraView allows for up to three viewing environments, with one main decoder connected to two additional decoders, all of which can watch different channels or content at the same time.

It is easy to see why neighbours may consider collaborating to exploit this feature.

Every XtraView environment requires customers to pay an R120 access fee in addition to the regular subscription. The access fee also supports DStv’s PVR and Internet connectivity features.

DStv’s top-end Premium satellite subscription costs R929, which provides a single viewing environment on satellite and streaming.

With the access fee of R120, a customer can link one additional decoder for a total cost of R1,039 per month with one more satellite feed.

Two customers who shared the cost of this package 50-50 could each pay R519.50 per month.

For a maximum of three viewing environments, the access fees will cost R240 and the total package R1,159.

That works out to R386 per user split three ways.

However, this practice deprives MultiChoice of revenue and effectively allows customers to use its services for less than the cost of providing them.

When asked about this exploit, MultiChoice emphasised that XtraView’s functionality was specifically designed to link multiple decoders within a single household under a single subscription.

“It is not intended for use by multiple households or across separate properties,” MultiChoice said.

“This constitutes a violation of the terms and conditions of the DStv service agreement.”

MultiChoice told MyBroadband it uses advanced monitoring systems and technology to detect anomalies in subscription use.

“These are monitored and acted on through the piracy division of Irdeto, our technology company, which we continue to invest in to curb illegal acts such as this XtraView abuse,” the company said.

It warned that customers found in breach may be contacted to regularise their account or face penalties as outlined in the service agreement.  

“If abuse is identified, MultiChoice reserves the right to suspend or terminate the subscription in question,” the broadcaster said.

“MultiChoice encourages customers to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of their subscriptions to ensure compliance and to avoid service interruptions.”

When a single dish can be shared

It should be emphasised that MultiChoice permits multiple households to share the same satellite dish as long as they maintain their own subscriptions.

“The satellite dish serves as a signal receiver, and as long as each household has its own decoder and subscription, this setup does not violate our policies,” MultiChoice said.

“This is common in multi-dwelling complexes and is supported through properly installed infrastructure.”  

This option could simplify installations and reduce the overall visual impact of the dishes.

MultiChoice said it continued to invest in technology and partnerships to make its services accessible and fair for all customers while safeguarding the value of its content offerings.

“This approach creates a sustainable environment for the South African creative industry, which includes the creation of both sport and general entertainment content.”

“We remain committed to providing world-class entertainment and encourage customers with queries or concerns to contact us for guidance.”

DStv Stream sharing crackdown

Account sharing through XtraView has not only harmed DStv’s satellite business but was previously also a major issue for its streaming products.

Until March 2022, MultiChoice allowed customers to use up to four concurrent DStv streams.

However, like XtraView, the concurrent streams were intended for use by members of the same household.

Instead, many customers shared their account login details with multiple non-paying users.

DStv has relaxed this limit slightly in the past year by introducing a free mobile-only stream on its DStv Stream packages.

Customers with satellite products can also add up to two extra mobile streams on Premium for R99 each per month.

Those are in addition to one regular stream for use on larger devices like TVs and monitors.