30 October 2017
Frustration arises when you hear that you need to upgrade your decoder or dish and LNB. This is a very misunderstood subject. Let’s try to make it a little easier for you to understand:
Decoders:
The decoder is manufactured with the correct spec of hardware that is needed to run the latest system at that time and that is available on the market. As time progresses, technology changes, the main line being HD and broadcast information.
More and more clients request more channels be broadcast in HD as they have purchased HD tv’s and with the pace that technology changes broadcast information also has to change, it needs to become faster to increase the amount of information needed in short space of time.
So for this to happen Multichoice needs to constantly create new software that enables the decoders to broadcast faster and more HD channels. Your decoder does an automatic software update at around 3 AM every morning, this cannot be stopped as it is also used to repair system issues that may arise. Eventually, it will reach a point where the hardware (decoder) is too old to understand the new software so it shuts down as it cannot read what has been downloaded. At the moment this is the case with the HD PVR decoders.
Dish and LNB:
The dish that gets mounted on your roof or wall, cannot become outdated like the decoder however with the changes in the broadcast information, it is wise to ensure you have an 80cm or larger dish, this is so that it can receive a strong enough signal to allow uninterrupted viewing during bad weather. As for the LNB (the eye on in the front of the dish) this like the decoder can become outdated and needs to be changed, so it will be wise to ask your installer about the latest available LNBs. All the LNBs receive the same information from the broadcaster, however, the difference is the signal that the LNB sends to the connected device (decoder). The latest LNB is called a “smart” LNB which is used for the new 5 series single view decoder and Explora 2. The reason for the “smart” is due to it not only sending a signal to the decoder but can also be used to send and receive the heartbeat signal needed when setting up Extraview and 3rd view. This allows your system to run with fewer cables.