TheCable

It is the wish of every pay-TV subscriber to have signal on the screen immediately the decoder is switched on. It does not happen. Instead, the television screen turns up with information on the process the decoder is going through to deliver signal. Patience wears thin. You want the signal, nothing but the signal and want it immediately.

Understandable. Watching a decoder booting is not be any subscriber’s idea of fun. Can we have it any other way? Yes. A decoder boots faster if the number of channels on the service is fewer. When a pay-TV provider has considerably fewer number of channels, its decoder will, as a rule, boot more quickly-provided it is not faulty or there is a problem with the smartcard. However, subscribers to a service with a greater number of channels have to endure a longer wait for booting. This is because the greater the number of channels, the longer it takes for the decoder confirm them and relay the signal to the screen.

It is the way the technology works. Subscribers to a service with, say, 10 channels will experience a shorter booting time than those who use one with 30 or more channels.

It is the same for a reboot, which is required when the decoder is taken off the power source either as a result of power outage or some other disruption to its source of power.

Another process that grates the subscriber’s nerves is that of account verification. Ideally, it should take between two and three minutes. Of course, you have probably seen it take a longer time, leaving you frothing with anger, especially when you want to watch something really important.

Why does it take a longer time? Two reasons. It takes a longer time if the decoder or smartcard is faulty. In either situation, signal sent to the decoder is not received and the process goes into repeat mode-to your understandable irritation. To resolve this, you may need to have an accredited installer come over to check your device. An inappropriately placed smartcard is a smaller challenge, which you can fix by inserting it as directed by the provider.

The other reason for a delay in the account verification process is billing. This occurs when the applicable subscription on a bouquet is not paid.

A subscriber, who uses extra view on DStv for example, is expected to pay an additional sum for the service. If the subscriber pays only the subscription for the premium bouquet, the account verification process is not only delayed, but will not take place. This is because the provider’s system recognises the subscriber as an extra view user. In the event that a subscriber wishes to stop using extra view, he/she is advised to notify the provider, which will then do an account reset that will make the system recognise the change that has been made in subscription status.