Extra View (XtraView) lets you watch DSTV on multiple TVs in the same home: up to three decoders linked under one subscription, each watching a different channel. We set it up properly across Franschhoek, Wellington and the rest of the Winelands so the decoders stay paired and the second decoder doesn't lose signal at the worst possible moment.
How Extra View works
Extra View links a primary decoder (usually the Explora or Explora Ultra in the main lounge) with one or two secondary decoders in other rooms. All three decoders share one subscription, but each can watch a different channel, so dad can watch the rugby in the lounge while the kids watch cartoons in the bedroom and gran watches her series in the cottage.
For Extra View to work, the decoders need a 'heartbeat' communication path: either via the satellite cable from the dish (single-cable solution with Smart LNB) or via a separate RF cable between the primary and secondary decoders. We choose the cleanest option for your home and run the cable through trunking. New to DSTV altogether? See our full new DSTV installation service which can include Extra View from day one.
What's included in an Extra View install
A complete Extra View install includes the cabling between rooms, additional TV points if needed, primary-and-secondary configuration on the decoders, smartcard linking, heartbeat verification, channel scanning on each decoder, and testing that all decoders can stream different channels simultaneously without losing signal. We also activate the Extra View subscription with MultiChoice if it's not already on your account.
Two-decoder vs three-decoder setups
Two-decoder Extra View is supported on all current Explora and HD decoders. Three-decoder Extra View requires an Explora Ultra as the primary, and can link to two HD or Explora secondaries. If you're planning a three-decoder setup, we'll quote on the additional cabling and confirm your decoders are compatible before we start: request a quote or WhatsApp us on 079 754 5527.
Multi-unit complex or apartment block? Communal DStv Switches do the same job at scale: see our communal DSTV installation service.
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 Extra View setup
Extra View pricing depends far more on your existing wiring and which decoders you own than on the linking itself. Here is what we look at when quoting.
How many decoders
Two linked decoders is the standard job. A third decoder for Triple View means more pairing, more cable, and a higher monthly access fee on your DStv account.
Which decoders you already own
Not every combination is permitted. The primary has to be the more capable decoder, and some older models cannot act as a primary at all.
Cable route to the second room
The second decoder needs a feed from the same dish. A short hop through a ceiling is quick; a run to an upstairs bedroom, cottage or flatlet is not.
Smart LNB and existing wiring
Explora-based setups need a Smart LNB. Older twin-LNB or multiswitch wiring often has to be reworked before linking will hold.
A new TV point
If the second room has no aerial outlet, that means a new point, trunking and a wall plate on top of the linking work.
Access and building type
Face-brick, double-storey and heritage properties simply take longer to run cable through neatly and discreetly.
Remember that Extra View has a monthly access fee on your DStv account in addition to the once-off installation. We quote the installation up front; the subscription side stays between you and MultiChoice.
Extra View faults we are called out to fix
Most Extra View callouts are pairing and wiring problems rather than faulty hardware. These are the ones that come up again and again.
- A communication or heartbeat error between the primary and secondary decoder
- The second decoder showing channels the package does not actually include
- Both decoders working but only one properly linked on the account, so one keeps deactivating
- A decoder combination that was never compatible being sold as a working setup
- Signal split with a plain TV splitter instead of proper satellite hardware
- Extra View lost after one decoder was moved, swapped or replaced under warranty
What to expect on the day
- We check what you have. Decoder models, smartcard numbers and the state of your account, so we can confirm the combination is actually allowed before any cable is run.
- Dish and LNB assessed. The existing dish has to be able to feed both decoders. If the LNB is wrong for the job we swap it and realign.
- Cable run and TV point. We run the feed to the second room through trunking and terminate it neatly at a wall plate.
- Decoders paired. Primary and secondary linked, and the heartbeat confirmed in both directions rather than assumed.
- Both rooms tested. We check independent viewing on both TVs, confirm the channel list matches your package, and test that recordings behave.
- Handover. We show you how the primary and secondary relationship works, and what to do if the link ever drops.
Typical time on site: a straightforward two-decoder link in adjacent rooms is usually 1.5 to 2.5 hours. A long cable run, a new TV point or a Triple View setup can push it to most of a morning.