DStv Questions and Answers

Yes. OnspotElec is an authorised DStv installer serving Gauteng. We install, align, repair and upgrade DStv systems for homes, complexes and businesses.

We are open 24 hours a day, every day, and offer emergency DStv assistance. Scheduling depends on your location, the nature of the fault, technician availability and the work required, so call 083 489 1322 to check availability.

All of Gauteng: the City of Johannesburg, the City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and the West Rand. Our areas page lists the main areas and suburbs, and we cover places that are not listed too.

We are a mobile service that comes to your property. The quickest way to reach us is by phone on 083 489 1322 or by email at info@onspotelec.co.za.

Finding a dish position with a clear view of the satellite, mounting the dish, fitting the right LNB for your decoder, running and terminating the coaxial cable, connecting and setting up the decoder, and checking signal strength and quality. Details are on our DStv installation page.

Wherever it has a clear line of sight towards the north-east sky, a solid surface to mount on and a sensible cable route to your TV. Trees, walls and neighbouring buildings in that direction rule some spots out. Read our guide to choosing a dish position.

Usually, but most complexes and estates have rules about where dishes may go, and some use a shared dish system. Check with your body corporate, trustees, HOA or managing agent first. Tenants also need the landlord's permission. See complex and estate installations.

Yes, and it is easier if conduit and TV points are planned before the walls are finished. Our guide to DStv for new homes covers what to plan.

It means the decoder is not receiving a usable satellite signal. Heavy rain can cause it briefly. If it continues once the weather clears, the usual causes are a loose or corroded connector, damaged cable, a failed LNB or switch, or a dish that has moved. See no-signal and E48-32 help.

Very heavy rain weakens satellite signals, which is known as rain fade. A well-aligned dish with a good LNB and dry connectors rides out more of it. If light rain causes problems, the system is probably running with too little signal margin, which points to alignment or an ageing LNB.

We do not recommend climbing onto a roof or ladder to adjust a dish. You can safely check that cables are firmly connected at the decoder, restart the decoder at the wall plug and see whether every TV is affected. Anything at height is a job for an installer.

It can be a subscription matter, which DStv handles, or a weak signal affecting some channels more than others, which usually means alignment or LNB trouble. Our article on missing channels explains how to tell the difference.

We check whether the decoder is actually the problem, set up replacements and get everything connected correctly. Internal decoder faults, warranty matters and swaps are handled through DStv's own channels. See decoder installation and replacement.

Often, yes. A PVR needs more than a single feed from the dish, and DStv recommends its Smart LNB for Explora installations. We check what you have and tell you whether it needs changing. See Explora installation.

XtraView links two or three decoders in the same household under one subscription. DStv charges an Access Fee for each additional decoder. The installation needs the right LNB or distribution equipment and a cable to each decoder. See XtraView installation.

You can show the same channel on a second screen from one decoder, but both TVs will always show the same thing. For independent viewing in another room you need a second decoder, usually linked through XtraView.

It depends on the work: new or existing dish, decoder type, LNB, cable length, number of TV points and how hard the mounting position is to reach. We price competitively and quote on the actual job. Our guide to DStv installation costs explains the factors.

DStv's own terms say voucher installations cover a standard setup, and extra travel, cabling, amplification, additional TV points and linking decoders can be charged separately. Ask us to explain what your property needs before the work starts.

No. Subscriptions, packages, payments and account changes are handled by DStv through its self-service and customer care channels. We look after the equipment side.

Call 083 489 1322, email info@onspotelec.co.za or use our quote form. Tell us your area, your decoder type, any error code on screen and what you need.