Only a few things are more frustrating than having error codes on a pay-tv subscription. It is even more frustrating in countries like Nigeria where legal actions are rarely used to remedy damages incurred on citizens. In this article, I will be listing a comprehensive list of the most common DStv decoders error codes plus how you can solve/fix/clear them.
DStv Decoders Error Codes
Dstv error codes are proprietary DStv notifications that appear on your screen to give information about what has gone wrong that has resulted in a denial of service for the customer.
These codes come in two forms. We have the transient/temporary ones for example error e48 that suddenly appears due to a sudden change in weather. it usually goes away on its own once the weather becomes favorable.
Secondly, we have extended error codes. Extended error codes would never go on their own unless the subscriber or Multichoice commenced a plan of action to clear the codes. Examples of extended/semi-permanent DStv decoders error codes are e16, e143, and e48(caused by hardware failure). Interestingly, these permanent error codes will disrupt your viewing until you fix them.
Below is the list of the most important error codes that you can encounter as a DStv subscriber. And, as I said earlier, I have added how you can clear them.
| Error Code/ Indicator |
Error Code Variants |
Decoders | Message/Notification | Causes | Remedies | Additional Notes |
| 3 flashing dashes + Error red dot | DSD 660 | Picture Break Up NO SIGNAL SEARCHING FOR SIGNAL AT xx xxx MHz |
Bad Weather Faulty Install No Signal from Head End |
Wait until weather improves Check Install Phone MC |
read this article for
more clues |
|
| 0b80 | Hard drive failure. | Reformat HDD. If this is difficult, take in for a swap out or repair |
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| HDCP IS | HD PVRs | HDCP is not supported | TV settings incorrect or the HDMI cable has a problem | Check settings and HDMI cable connection | You may also troubleshoot with AV/RCA cables | |
| E00 | Service not scrambled (Free To Air) | |||||
| E01 | ||||||
| E02 | No Box Office titles found |
|
Wait for 48 hours to allow downloads Verify and install |
|||
| E03 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CA Module failure | CAM is faulty or Smartcard read error |
Take decoder to DStv. You may also remove and re-insert SC |
|
| E03 | PVRs | Box Office not available in your country | ||||
| E04 | No Box Office titles found | Down load still in Progress Faulty tuner |
Wait for 48 hours to allow downloads Verify install |
|||
| E04 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Insert Smart Card | SC is missing SC read error |
Re-insert SC Call MC Take decoder to MC |
read this article for how to fix most common smart card read error |
| E05 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Unknown card | Wrong SC SC read error |
Re-insert SC, Insert Correct SC Call MC Take decoder to MC |
same as above |
| E06 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Smart Card failure | Damaged /Expired SC Card not inserted properly Communication error between SC and CAM |
Re-insert SC Replace SC Take decoder to MC |
|
| E07 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Checking Smart Card | Card Check-in Progress | Re-insert SC, reboot decoder after 30 seconds Take decoder to MC |
Normally The error should clear after 30 seconds |
| E08 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CA Module failure SC could not be authenticated |
CAM is faulty SC read error |
Take decoder to MC Remove and re-insert SC |
|
| E09 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CA EEPROM Error | SC is Faulty | Take decoder to MC Remove and re-insert SC |
|
| E11 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Updating EEPROM | Card Checking Progress | Re-insert SC Take decoder to MC |
Normally The error should clear after 60 seconds |
| E12 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CA Module failure | CAM is faulty SC read error |
Take decoder to MC Remove and re-insert SC |
CA module fails to detect Sc properly.
Remove and re-insert SC works but it is better NOT to remove and insert a smart card when the decoder is ON. |
| E13 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CA Module failure | CAM is faulty SC read error |
Take decoder to MC Remove and re-insert SC |
CA module fails to detect Sc properly, Remove and re-insert SC works but it is better NOT to remove and insert an SC when the decoder is ON. |
| E14 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Service is currently scrambled | Transmission Problem | Wait for transmission to resume | |
| E15 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Smart Card failure | Damaged SC | Replace SC Take decoder to MC |
|
| E16 | Error Dot (red) | All currently available DStv decoder models including DStv Explora | Service is currently scrambled | Access to service is denied |
|
|
| E17 | Error Dot (red) | All DStv decoders | Service is currently scrambled Smart Card Marriage Conflict |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC Verify service, re-authorise SC, deactivate, re-activate, reset SC Check Bouquet Selection, SC faulty Attempt to use DStv self-service to clear error |
visit eazy.dstv.com to investigate this further |
| E18 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Unknown card | Wrong SC SC read error |
Re-insert SC, Insert Correct SC Call MC Take decoder to MC |
|
| E19 | Error Dot (red) E19-4 |
DSD 660 ALL |
Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | |
| E20 | Error Dot (Red) | DSD 660 | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | |
| E21 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | |
| E24 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | |
| E25 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Event already purchased | attempted to purchase same event twice | A service never implemented as far as I am aware | |
| E26 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Event for Sale | Special of the Day | ||
| E27 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | No Further Purchases Possible | Event Limit Reached | Contact MC | |
| E28 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Credit Limit Reached | Credits Exhausted | Contact MC to add credits | |
| E29 | Service is currently descrambled | |||||
| E30 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC Contact MC to re-authorise service if a new activation cards cannot be moved between decoders |
messages should clear after a maximum of 2 minutes |
| E31 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied Using the card in a decoder to which it is not paired |
Contact MC | |
| E32 | Error Dot (red) | All decoders | Service is temporarily unavailable because the system is trying to verify your subscription | Access to service is denied | Wait until it clears automatically
Contact DStv. |
This often happens when there is a sudden power failure while you are watching programs. |
| E34 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660,
All |
Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | |
| E35 | Error Dot (red) | All | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC | SC not valid for this country or network |
| E37 | Error Dot (red) | ALL | Service Unknown Reserved for future use |
System Error | DSTV playing out wrong information Check Bouquet selection Contact MC |
May have selected an invalid channel number |
| E38 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
Service is currently not running Program Map Table not available |
Service unavailable at this time | Consult EPG/TV Guide Re-scan DSD, reboot DSD |
|
| E39 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Locating Service | The decoder is busy | Wait | |
| E40 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | DSD Memory Full | System Error | Contact MC |
| E41 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Service currently not available | Parent Control Block | Re-assign Parent Block Reset Parental Level |
|
| E42 | Error Dot (red) | ALL | Parental Control PIN Blocked | Access blocked by Parental Control | Re-assign Parent Block Rest Parental Level Send E42 + SC number to 32472 |
An Incorrect PIN has been entered more than 5 times |
| E43 | E43 | ALL | Not Allowed in this Country | |||
| E44 | No PG status is available The PG status for this channel is not available |
Parental Control has been activated | Enter your Parental Control PIN to clear | |||
| E45 | Error Dot (red) | ALL | Service not allowed Service not authorised |
No incoming signal Attempt to tune to a blocked transport stream |
Check Installation Check Settings Remove SC, scan all networks, re-insert SC Contact MC |
|
| E46 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Reading Service Information | |||
| E47 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | No Sound Track Available | Language option not available | Select an available Sound Track | |
| E48 | E48 | There is no signal.
The smartcard is not receiving a signal. |
This may be due to bad weather or a faulty connection in the installation. | Verify no bad weather is affecting the signal and verify the install. Can clear on self-service |
First off, wait for the weather to clear.
If this doesn’t happen, check your decoder to verify that the signal is not already lost as a result of the bad weather. |
|
| E49 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | LNB Overload | Installation Faulty | Check Installation Check Settings Contact Installer |
|
| E50 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 Surfer 3 DSD’s |
No Service Available | Check Installation Check Settings Remove SC, scan all networks, re-insert SC Check s/ware version Contact MC |
No services available No Channels exist in the package you have selected. Please select another package. | |
| E53 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Incorrect Pin | |||
| E54 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | IPPV Okay | Unknown what IPPV stand for | ||
| E55 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | No event information found | |||
| E56 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | CAM not compatible | |||
| E64 | Error Dot (red) | DSD 660 | Invalid tuning parameters | |||
| E70 | DV (TV2) | Services not available on TV2 | On an interactive channel Interactive channels not available on TV2 |
Change to normal channel Use TV1 for access to interactive services |
||
| E71 | DV (TV2) | Song and Title Information not available on TV2 | DSD is on DMX bouquet, not available on TV2 | Move to Tv1 | Song title and Artist information cannot be viewed in the secondary viewing environment. If you really need to know the information, please use your primary viewing environment | |
| E72 | DV (TV2) | Rescan in progress | A decoder in scanning mode | wait for the decoder to complete scan | ||
| E73 | DV (TV2) | TV LINK Overload | TVLINK not connected properly | Check complete install Enable TV LINK in advanced menu option |
||
| E74 | LNB 1 Overload | Installation problem or LNB failure | Check complete install | Call in an installer if you really must | ||
| E75 | DV (TV2) | LNB 2 Overload | Installation problem or LNB failure | Check complete install | Call in an installer if you really must | |
| E76 | DV (TV2) | TV2 Disabled Checking SC |
DV not activated s/w problem |
Contact MC to check service activation s/w problem error should clear after a few seconds |
||
| E80 | E80 | Service is currently scrambled Your account has been suspended |
Access to service is denied | Contact MC Contact MC to re-authorise service if a new activation cards cannot be moved between decoders |
messages should clear after a maximum of 2 minutes | |
| E101 | E101 | |||||
| E102 | E102-29 | HD PVRs | This function cannot be performed without a valid subscription. | Attempted PVR access without such option on an HD PVR | ||
| E107 | E107-4 | Decoder and SC not paired SC can only be paired once Contact MC |
Appears when SC is inserted into a decoder to which it is not paired | Contact MC to re-authorise service if a new activation cards cannot be moved between decoders |
If this happens as a result of a damaged smartcard, read my article here | |
| E108 | E108 | |||||
| E120 | E120-4 | Smartcard Synchronisation | Loss of Time-dependent information and synchronisation information. Loss of data streamed from the Head End |
Wait for 5 -10 seconds, in normal conditions decoder, should recover and the error should clear – DO NOTHING. If it does not, it is very unlikely to be a decoder or SC problem, but a central problem at the Head End. |
Premium smartcard time-dependent functionality. Delivery of this time/date information is repeated @ specific time intervals. When the decoder has been switched off for a while (or even just rebooted), this time/date information between the smartcard and the actual broadcast goes out of synch, forcing the Premium smartcard to re-acquire this info for it to start working again. That is when the decoder starts displaying the E120-4 error message on the TV screen. The message should only display for 5 to 10 seconds, UNLESS the information from MC is interrupted/not being broadcast. | |
| E133 | E133 | Seen sometimes but details not available | ||||
| E143 | E143-4 | Home gateway HNA expired | A transmission error from MC XtraView settings being incorrect on either or both the decoders |
This could have happened after a power cut or if the decoder(s) were switched off at the power source.” Or after a software upgrade on either of the decoders |
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| E144 | E144-4 | Your decoder or smartcard has not been correctly set up on MC’s side Wrong Home Network |
On some decoders, a failure during a software upgrade may trigger these error messages | Ensure your install is correct and that ALL cables are correctly connected. If a s/w upgrade was in progress, then redo the upgrade. | Some Installs with HD PVR 2Ps only connected with one input cable will tend to cause a forced upgrade to fail, which then gives this error. | |
| E155 | Service will be suspended due to non -payment | Non-payment by the due date ( in advance) | pay your dues! | error description incomplete and may not be accurate |
What are remedies for e29
@Grace: contact multichoice
Hi Lemmy. I have a E108-4 error. It says “unable to view this channel”. I have contacted DSTV. They (supposedly) reset my decoder/Smart card to no avail. They are of the opinion the smart card is at fault and I must take my decoder and card to an agent to test and that I might have to replace the smart card. What is your take on this? And if I have to replace the card can I use a smart from another decoder which no longer works to save on costs? Thank you.
You must do according to what the company said to you. Unless you want to stop using dstv altogether
Please I want to enquire if the DStv 3-view under one subscription is still available in Nigeria. Thanks
@Emmanuel: I think you need to call DStv to confirm this