DStv Catch Up Not Working in Gansbaai? 5 Myths and Real Fixes

Typing "DStv Catch Up not working Gansbaai" into your phone usually happens on a Friday night, with the remote in the other hand. The series you wanted is right there on the menu, but it will not play. Most people blame the dish first. In most homes we visit, the dish has nothing to do with it.

This guide clears up the common myths about DStv Catch Up not working, explains what Catch Up really needs, and shows you how to fix it yourself. You will also see when it is worth calling a local technician.

DStv Catch Up not working? The myth most homes believe

The biggest myth is simple: "Catch Up is broken, so the dish must be out." We hear it in Gansbaai, Kleinbaai and De Kelders every week. It makes sense, because the dish is the only DStv part you can see from the street.

The truth is that a DStv decoder has two separate feeds. One feed comes from the dish. The other comes from your router. Catch Up uses the second one.

So when someone re-points a perfectly good dish to fix DStv Catch Up not working, nothing changes. The money and the afternoon are wasted.

The facts: what Catch Up really needs

Once you know which feed does what, DStv Catch Up not working becomes a much easier fault to find. Here is the short version.

What the dish does

The dish and LNB bring in live satellite channels. If those channels freeze or show a signal error, the dish, cable or LNB needs attention. Our guide to signal drops in bad weather covers that side of things.

The cable from the dish matters too. If you are unsure which lead does what, DStv decoder cables explained walks through each one.

What your internet does

Catch Up, BoxOffice and streaming apps all need the internet. DStv's own help guide says a connected Explora needs at least 2Mbps for downloads, 4Mbps for SD viewing and 10Mbps for the best HD viewing. It also recommends an uncapped line.

DStv also points out that Connected Services are off by default. If nobody switched them on, you will have DStv Catch Up not working even on a perfect line. You can read the official steps on the DStv guide to connecting your Explora.

Myths vs facts about DStv Catch Up not working

These are the myths we hear most often on call-outs. The table puts each one next to what is really going on.

What it means for Gansbaai, Kleinbaai and De Kelders homes

Local homes have a few habits and conditions behind most cases of DStv Catch Up not working that we see. None of them are about the satellite.

Holiday homes and lapsed internet

Many houses in Franskraal and Pearly Beach stand empty for weeks. The router gets switched off, the data runs out or the contract lapses. Live TV comes back on arrival, but Catch Up does not.

If you move a decoder between your main home and a coastal house, read how to use your decoder at a holiday home before the next long weekend.

Load shedding and backup power

A common setup puts the TV and decoder on an inverter while the router sits on a plug that is not backed up. When the power drops, live TV keeps going. Catch Up stops at once because the router is off. That is the classic case of DStv Catch Up not working only during load shedding.

Keep the router, the fibre box and the decoder on the same backup circuit. It is a small change that solves a lot of evening complaints.

Thick walls and long, single-storey houses

Older homes near the harbour and newer houses in De Kelders are often built solid and spread out. The router sits in the study, and the TV is three rooms away. Read about WiFi dead spots in coastal homes to see why this happens.

When the WiFi will not hold at the TV, our WiFi and fibre network service can add a wired access point or run a network cable to the decoder.

These local conditions are exactly what we plan for when we do a full DStv installation in Gansbaai, from the dish to the decoder's internet link.

How to fix DStv Catch Up not working: step by step

Work through these steps in order whenever you find DStv Catch Up not working. Most homes are sorted by step 4.

1. Check that live channels play. If they do not, stop here. You have a signal fault, not a Catch Up fault.
2. Press the Help button on your remote, choose Tools, then Connectivity Checker, and press OK.
3. Look for two green ticks: one for the router connection and one for the internet connection.
4. Switch the decoder off at the wall, not on standby. Restart the router too and give it two minutes.
5. Power the decoder back on. Let it settle, as it may load an update.
6. Press the blue DStv button, go to Settings, then User Preferences, then Connected Services. Make sure the services you want are on.
7. Try Catch Up again.

If the Connectivity Checker fails on the router

The decoder cannot see your network. This often happens after a new router, a fibre upgrade or a changed WiFi password. Our step-by-step guide shows how to connect a DStv Explora to WiFi again, including WPS and Ethernet options.

If the router passes but the internet fails

The decoder is on your network, but your line is down or out of data. Check another device on the same WiFi. If that device also cannot load a web page, call your internet provider.

If both pass but Catch Up still will not play

Use the Fix Errors option in the MyDStv app or on the DStv website to refresh your decoder. Then restart it once more.

Catch Up not showing all shows or buffering

Sometimes Catch Up opens, but the show you want is missing or keeps stopping. These are two different problems.

Shows missing from Catch Up

Catch Up titles come and go as broadcast rights change. What you can see also depends on your package. A downgrade quietly removes shows that were there last month. It is the most common DStv Catch Up not working complaint that is not a fault at all.

If your bill changed recently, compare what you pay with our guide to DStv packages and prices.

Catch Up loading slowly or buffering

Buffering is a bandwidth problem, not a broken decoder. It gets worse when several people stream at once, or when a cheap extender repeats a weak signal.

• Pause other streaming in the house and try again.
• Move the router or add a wired access point near the TV.
• Use an Ethernet cable where you can. DStv calls it the most stable option.
• Test the speed at the TV, not next to the router.

When a local technician is worth it

Some cases of DStv Catch Up not working are quicker to fix with the right test gear and a ladder. Call in help when:

• The Connectivity Checker keeps failing after you reconnect.
• Catch Up works for a day, then drops again.
• The decoder is old and struggles with menus and apps.
• Live TV also freezes in wind or rain.

Newer boxes help a lot. The Explora Ultra has WiFi built in and streaming apps on the same remote. Our DStv Explora and Ultra installation includes connecting it to your network and testing Catch Up before we leave.

From Masakhane to Kleinbaai, our Gansbaai DStv installers fix both the satellite side and the internet side in one visit, so you are not passed between two companies.

Your Catch Up checklist before you call

Run through this list first. It saves time on the phone and often solves the fault.

• Live channels play clearly.
• Your phone loads web pages on the same WiFi, standing next to the TV.
• The Connectivity Checker shows two green ticks.
• Connected Services are switched on.
• The router and decoder are on the same backup power.
• Your internet data has not run out.
• Your package has not changed recently.

If every box is ticked and you still have DStv Catch Up not working, send us a WhatsApp with a photo of the Connectivity Checker screen. It tells us a lot before we even arrive.

DStv Catch Up not working in Gansbaai: FAQs