DStv Remote Not Working? 7 Fixes for St Helena Bay Homes

Most cases of a DStv remote not working St Helena Bay homeowners call us about are not faults at all. It is usually a mode mix-up, tired batteries or a decoder that has not woken up properly after the power came back.

This guide clears up the myths we hear every week. Then it gives you the facts, what they mean for West Coast homes, and a five-minute checklist.

Why is my DStv remote not working? The myths people believe

When the DStv remote is not working, most people jump straight to the worst answer. The decoder must be broken, or the remote is finished. In our experience, both are rare.

Myth 1: "The red light means the remote is faulty"

People see the STANDBY button flash red and assume it is an error. It is not.

On the DStv A9 remote, the STANDBY button lights up every time you press a button. The colour simply tells you which mode the remote is in. Red is mode 1, which is the factory setting.

Myth 2: "I put in new batteries, so the remote must be dead"

If the light comes on, the remote is sending. The question is whether the decoder is listening. A remote stuck in mode 2 will flash green, but a decoder set to ignore mode 2 will do nothing at all.

Myth 3: "The volume button is broken"

Dead volume is often a setting, not a fault. On the A7 remote, volume and mute can be locked to the TV or the decoder, and an accidental switch makes them seem broken.

Myth 4: "If the remote won't work, the decoder is gone"

A decoder that shows no picture and ignores the remote may simply be off, rebooting or stuck. That is a different problem, and our guide on what to check when a DStv decoder won't turn on walks you through it.

Myth vs fact: the DStv remote light colours explained

Here are the facts from DStv's own remote user guides. The light on the STANDBY button tells you almost everything.

Why modes? They are for homes with more than one Explora, so changing channels in the lounge does not change the bedroom TV too.

How to fix a DStv remote not working with the decoder

Work through these steps in order. Most remotes are back to normal by step five.

1. Press the HOME button and watch the STANDBY button on the remote.
2. If nothing lights up, fit fresh batteries. Use good quality ones, not rechargeables.
3. Press HOME again. If there is still no light, the remote has failed and needs replacing.
4. If it lights up, note the colour. Red is mode 1, green is mode 2, orange is mode 3.
5. Hold INFO and BACK together. The remote moves to the next mode and blinks twice in the new colour.
6. Try a channel change after each mode switch. Stop as soon as the decoder responds.
7. If none of the three modes works, check the decoder's own remote setting (below).

Set your Explora to listen to the right mode

On an Explora, press HOME, go to Settings, then System Settings, then Remote Control. If your remote is in mode 1, set modes 2 and 3 to Ignore. Do the same pattern for the other modes.

You need a working remote to reach this menu. A second remote from the house, set to mode 1, usually gets you in.

XtraView homes need extra care

DStv's own guide says that if your Explora is part of an XtraView setup, you should check the remote mode settings with an accredited installer. Two decoders, two remotes and three modes can get tangled quickly. We sort this out on site as part of our DStv signal repairs and decoder fault-finding visits.

DStv remote volume and TV power not working

Sometimes the channels change fine, but the volume or TV power button does nothing. That is a programming issue you can usually fix at home.

Switch the volume back to the decoder or the TV

On the A7 remote, hold ARC and VOL+ for more than three seconds to make volume and mute control your TV. The light gives two short red blinks.

To make them control the Explora again, hold ARC and VOL- for more than three seconds. You will see four short red blinks.

Programme the TV POWER button again

New TV in the lounge? The remote will not know it yet. With the TV switched on, hold TV POWER and ARC for more than three seconds until the light turns red.

Then hold the number key for your TV brand until the TV switches off. The brand letters are printed on the number keys. Release the button, and you should see three green blinks.

Factory reset the A7 remote

If the buttons are a mess after too much fiddling, reset the remote. Hold STANDBY and OPTIONS for more than three seconds, press 9, 8 and 1, then hold OK for more than three seconds. Four red blinks confirm the reset.

You may need to set the mode and TV codes again afterwards.

What a DStv remote not working means for St Helena Bay homes

The steps above work anywhere. But a DStv remote not working on the West Coast often has a local twist.

Salt air and battery contacts

In homes close to the water at Shelley Point, Stompneus Bay or along the Laaiplek beachfront, the damp salty air gets into everything. Battery springs in a remote can turn green and crusty, even indoors.

If you open the battery cover and see white or green build-up, clean the contacts gently with a dry cloth or an old toothbrush. The same salt does far more damage outside, which is why we wrote a full guide on salt air and your satellite dish.

Holiday homes that sit empty for months

Many houses in Britannia Bay and towards the Paternoster side stand empty for long stretches between Easter and the December holidays. Batteries left in a remote for months can leak and damage the contacts for good.

Take the batteries out when you lock up for the season. Our checklist for holiday home DStv setup covers the rest of what to switch off and check.

After load shedding or a power dip

When the power comes back, the decoder needs time to start up. Until then it can seem to ignore the remote.

Give it a few minutes before you start pressing buttons. If it still won't respond, DStv's guide says that pressing and holding STANDBY on the A9 remote reboots the Explora.

• Use a surge protector on the decoder and TV, especially on farms outside Velddrif where the supply can be rough.
• Keep a spare set of batteries in the TV cabinet drawer.

When the remote is fine but the DStv picture is not

Sometimes a call about a DStv remote not working turns out to be a screen problem. The remote changes the channel, and then nothing useful happens.

• Channel changes, but the picture freezes or breaks into blocks. That points to signal.
• Channel changes, but you get an error message on a black screen. That is a subscription or smartcard issue.
• No light on the front of the decoder. That is a power problem.
• The remote works on one TV but not on another in the same house. That is often a mode or XtraView setting.

If your picture keeps stalling after the channel changes, our guide to DStv picture freezing and pixelating explains the usual causes.

If the screen says the channel is scrambled, read our page on what DStv error E16 means.

Strong south-easters across the bay can also knock a dish slightly off line. The remote then gets the blame for a channel that will not load, when the dish is the real culprit.

Replacing a DStv remote: what to know first

No light on the HOME test, even with fresh batteries, means the remote has failed.

• A new DStv remote carries a 12-month warranty from the date of purchase.
• If it fails inside that time, take it to a DStv service centre or agency with your proof of purchase.
• If it is older than 12 months, you can buy a new one at a MultiChoice service centre or agency.
• The A9 remote works with DStv HD decoders and all Explora models.

Check which decoder you have before you buy, so you get a remote that supports it. If you are thinking of upgrading the decoder instead, our guide on which DStv decoder to choose sets out the options.

Your DStv remote not working checklist

Run through this list before you call. It covers nearly every remote callout we have done from Laaiplek to Stompneus Bay.

• Press HOME. Does the STANDBY button light up?
• No light: fit fresh, non-rechargeable batteries and clean the contacts.
• Light on: check the colour and try all three modes with INFO and BACK.
• Check the Explora's Remote Control setting is listening to that mode.
• Volume dead: hold ARC and VOL- (decoder) or ARC and VOL+ (TV).
• New TV: programme TV POWER with TV POWER and ARC.
• Still stuck: hold STANDBY to reboot the Explora and wait a few minutes.
• Remote fine but picture bad: it is a signal or decoder issue.

If you have ticked every box and it still won't work, call our St Helena Bay DStv installers and tell us what colour the light shows. That one detail saves a lot of time on the phone. You can also check DStv's official help and contact page for account questions.

We also handle full DStv installation in St Helena Bay and the West Coast, so if the remote problem turns out to be an old decoder or a tired dish, we can quote the fix on the same visit.

Most remote problems take five minutes to fix once you know what the light is telling you. Start with HOME, read the colour, and work down the list.

DStv remote not working: common questions