DSTV Explora and Explora Ultra unlock a different level of home entertainment: recording, pause live TV, Catch Up, BoxOffice, Showmax, apps and Extra View linking with up to two other decoders. We install and configure them properly across Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and the rest of the Cape Winelands so every feature actually works.
Why Explora installation needs a Smart LNB
DSTV Explora decoders are designed to record one channel while you watch another, and Explora Ultra can record up to four channels at once. To do that, the dish has to be feeding the decoder with multiple satellite frequencies on a single cable, and that requires a Smart LNB, which is a different unit to the standard universal LNB used on older HD installations.
If your existing dish has a universal LNB and you've just bought an Explora, your recordings will fail and Extra View won't pair properly until the LNB is swapped. We bring a new Smart LNB on every Explora job and replace the old unit if needed, then align it precisely for the Eutelsat 36B and Astra 4A satellites that DSTV uses: see our satellite dish installation & alignment service for the full alignment process.
What we configure on an Explora install
A complete Explora installation includes the Smart LNB swap (if needed), running the single-cable from the LNB to the decoder, mounting and powering the decoder, pairing the remote, activating the smartcard, internet pairing for Explora Ultra (for Showmax, Catch Up Plus and apps), Extra View linking to any existing HD or Explora decoders in the home, and configuring the EPG, audio, parental controls and recording schedule.
We then take you through the menu so you understand how to record series, set reminders, browse Catch Up, navigate the BoxOffice store and use the Explora's voice search if applicable. If you want the TV cleanly mounted to the wall at the same visit, we offer TV wall mounting & cable management.
Upgrading from HD to Explora
If you're upgrading an existing HD decoder to an Explora or Explora Ultra, we handle the full swap, collect the old decoder, transfer the subscription to the new smartcard, replace the LNB on the dish, configure the new decoder, and link any other decoders in the house under Extra View. You keep all your channels, recordings transfer if you have a USB drive, and the upgrade is usually done in one visit.
If you're setting up DSTV in a brand-new home, see our full new DSTV installation service which includes the dish, cabling and Explora setup as one job. For quotes, request a free quote or WhatsApp 079 754 5527.
What's included
Every job is tested and signed off before we leave.
Get a free quote
Prices depend on equipment, TV points, cabling & access, we'll quote upfront.
What affects the cost of an Explora installation
There is no single Explora installation price, because what is already on your roof matters more than the decoder itself. These are the things that actually move the number when we quote.
Your existing dish
An Explora needs a correctly sized, properly aligned dish. If yours is undersized, badly sited or shaded by trees that have grown since it went up, it has to be moved or replaced before the decoder will hold a stable picture.
Smart LNB or not
Explora and Explora Ultra need a Smart LNB. If your dish still carries an older twin or quad LNB it has to be swapped, and any existing multi-room wiring reworked around it.
Cable condition and length
Sun-perished coax, corroded F-connectors, or a run that was never long enough for the room you now want the decoder in, all add time and materials.
Single room or linked
Linking the Explora to a second decoder for XtraView is extra work: pairing, heartbeat checks and sometimes a second cable run to the other room.
Internet connection
Catch Up, Showmax and on-demand only work if the Explora is online. If WiFi does not reach the lounge cleanly, we may need an ethernet run or an access point.
Access and mounting
Double-storey homes, steep tile roofs, heritage walls and awkward ladder access all add labour to the job.
We quote up front after a site walk, so you know the number before we start. For a national picture of what the hardware itself costs, see our DStv Explora price guide.
Explora problems we get called out for
A large share of our Explora work is not new installations at all, it is fixing setups that were rushed. These are the faults we see most often across the Winelands.
- Explora boots but sits on “searching for signal” after the dish has shifted in the wind
- Catch Up and Showmax missing because the decoder was never connected to the internet
- A linked XtraView decoder losing its heartbeat and dropping back to a single view
- Recordings failing because the drive was never managed or the decoder never sleeps properly
- Smart LNB failure after a lightning strike or surge event
- Picture freezing on HD channels only, which is nearly always signal quality rather than the decoder
What to expect on the day
- Signal and dish check first. Before anything is unboxed we meter the existing dish. There is no point installing an Explora onto a dish that cannot feed it properly.
- Smart LNB fitted if needed. If the LNB has to change we swap it and re-run the alignment to peak signal, not just to a working picture.
- Decoder connected and activated. Explora connected to the dish input and to the TV over HDMI, smartcard activated on your account, full channel scan run.
- Internet set up. We get the Explora onto your network so Catch Up, Showmax and on-demand actually work rather than sitting greyed out.
- XtraView linked if you want it. Second decoder paired and the heartbeat confirmed from both ends before we call it done.
- Tested and handed over. Signal strength and quality checked across transponders, a recording tested, and a quick walkthrough of the interface with you.
Typical time on site: most Explora installations run 1.5 to 3 hours. Add roughly an hour if the dish or LNB has to be replaced, and a little more again if you are linking a second decoder for XtraView.