How to Add Channels on OpenView in Yzerfontein: 6 Easy Steps
Quick answer: If you are wondering how to add channels on OpenView, the good news is you cannot buy extra ones. Every channel is already free once the decoder is activated. If channels are missing, you add them back by activating the decoder with *120*6843*1#, checking the signal on the HELP screen and letting the decoder scan again. If the signal is below 75%, the dish needs work, not the decoder.
This is our guide on how to add channels on OpenView Yzerfontein homeowners can follow themselves, with no technician needed for most of it. We get this call every week. Knowing how to add channels on OpenView is mostly about knowing what to check first, and the answer is usually simpler than people expect.
How to add channels on OpenView: key points
- OpenView has no packages and no monthly fee, so there is nothing to upgrade.
- A decoder showing only channel 100 has not been activated yet.
- Signal strength and quality should both be above 75% on the HELP screen.
- A rescan cannot find channels that a weak or drifted dish cannot see.
- On the West Coast, wind and salt air are the most common reasons a dish drifts.
How to add channels on OpenView: first decide what you need
On DStv, more channels means a bigger package. On OpenView, the full line-up of over 20 channels comes with the box. So the real question behind how to add channels on OpenView is not what to buy, but why your decoder is not showing what it should.
If you are still choosing between the two services, our guide to OpenView vs DStv in Yzerfontein compares channels and monthly costs side by side.
Before you change anything, it helps to know what a healthy decoder should show. Our full OpenView channels list sets out every channel you should be seeing once the scan is complete.
Four reasons channels go missing
From the jobs we do between Grotto Bay and the Jacobsbaai side, missing channels nearly always come down to one of these:
- The decoder was never activated, so it sits on channel 100.
- The scan was interrupted, often by a power cut, and the list is half built.
- The dish has moved a few millimetres in the wind and the signal is now weak.
- The decoder is set for the wrong type of LNB, so it finds nothing at all.
Your options compared: rescan, reactivate, realign or replace
Each problem has its own fix, and that is how to add channels on OpenView without wasting time. Use this table to match what you see on the screen to the right next step.
| What you see | Likely cause | The fix | Can you do it yourself? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only channel 100 plays | Decoder not activated | Activate with *120*6843*1# | Yes |
| Some channels missing | Incomplete scan | Restart and let it scan again | Yes |
| No channels and E52 on screen | Decoder is searching for signal | Reconnect LNB cable, then power | Yes, at first |
| Signal below 75% | Dish drifted or cable damaged | Realign dish, replace connectors | Best left to us |
| Picture breaks up in rain | Small dish or weak margin | Correct dish size and alignment | Best left to us |
How to add channels on OpenView with a fresh scan
A rescan works when the signal is good but the channel list is short. OpenView decoders scan by themselves when they first power up with a dish connected. The setting for a manual search differs by model, so check your user manual for the exact menu name.
When the dish is the real problem
If the HELP screen shows a low reading, scanning again only confirms the same short list. The dish must be pointed back at the satellite with a meter. That is exactly what our satellite dish alignment service is for, using sealed, salt-resistant fittings so the fix lasts.
What adding OpenView channels costs in Yzerfontein
Learning how to add channels on OpenView costs most homes nothing. The ones that do cost money are usually about the dish, the cable or a lost remote.
- Activation: no fee from OpenView. You dial the code on your own phone.
- Rescan: free. It only takes a few minutes of your time.
- Replacement remote: R199 on the official OpenView shop, at the time of writing (October 2026).
- New decoder: R799 for the decoder only, excluding dish and installation, at the time of writing (October 2026).
- Repairs or dish realignment by us: our call-out starts from R550 and includes signal testing.
If there is no dish yet, or the old one is rusted through, our OpenView HD installation covers the dish, decoder, cabling and full channel tuning in one visit. We quote it on site, because every roof is different.
OpenView sells its decoders through large retailers such as PEP, Game and Makro. The box is the easy part. Getting a clean signal onto a windy roof is where the real work is.
Channels still missing after a scan?
Send us a photo of your HELP screen and your dish. We will tell you straight away if it is a quick fix or a dish job, with a clear price first.
How to add channels on OpenView step by step
These six steps follow the order OpenView itself uses in its official activation guide. This is how to add channels on OpenView on a new or reset decoder. Work through them in order and stop as soon as your channels return.
- Make sure the LNB cable from the dish is plugged into the LNB IN or DISH IN port at the back of the decoder.
- Switch the decoder on and wait. It should scan and then play channel 100.
- Press HELP on the remote and write down your STB number.
- Press EXIT, then dial *120*6843*1# on your cellphone and follow the prompts using your STB number.
- Leave the decoder alone while it reboots and updates. It can take up to 5 minutes for the channels to appear.
- Press HELP again and check that signal strength and quality are both above 75%.
Checking signal on the HELP screen
The two bars at the bottom of the HELP screen tell you most of the story. Strength shows how much signal arrives. Quality shows how clean it is. Our guide on signal strength versus signal quality explains what the numbers mean, and the same rules apply to OpenView.
Error E52 and the LNB reset
E52 means the decoder is searching for signal. OpenView's advice is to unplug both the power and the LNB cable. Plug the LNB cable back in first, then the power, and let the decoder reboot on its own.
The Smart LNB setting on newer decoders
Some homes share one dish between DStv and OpenView through a Smart LNB. On the OpenView KSTB 6168, a decoder connected this way may show No Signal at first. OpenView's guide says to press 0987 on the remote, switch the LNB setting to SATCR and start a channel scan.
Local tip: OpenView says the KSTB 6168 updates its software automatically at 1:30am. If you switch the decoder off at the wall every night, it can miss those updates. Leave it on standby instead.
Yzerfontein signal tips: wind, salt and the dish
OpenView uses the IS-20 satellite, the same one DStv uses, with the dish pointing north-east. OpenView recommends an 85cm dish in South Africa. On this stretch of coast, that size matters more than most people think.
The south-easter here does not just shake a dish. It pushes it a little further every season. A dish that was spot on in autumn can lose its margin by summer. That is when channels start to vanish after a rescan, and no guide on how to add channels on OpenView will bring them back until the dish is right.
- Check the bracket bolts for rust every few months. Salt air eats cheap hardware quickly.
- Look for cracked cable on the sunny side of the wall.
- Make sure nothing has grown into the line of sight towards the north-east.
- Remember that heavy rain weakens satellite signal for a while, even on a good install.
Homes with a clear view out to Dassen Island are often the most exposed to wind. A properly fixed dish and sealed connectors are what we use for every DStv installation in Yzerfontein, and the same standard applies to OpenView.
How to add channels on OpenView in a holiday home
Holiday homes on the dunes often sit empty for months. When the owners arrive, the decoder may show missing channels or need a fresh scan. Leave it switched on for a night before you give up on it, so it has time to update.
Our holiday house season checklist covers the TV, the WiFi and the other things worth checking before the family arrives.
Mistakes to avoid with your OpenView decoder
Most of the call-outs we do for missing channels could have been avoided. Getting how to add channels on OpenView right is as much about what not to do. These are the mistakes we see most often.
- Paying someone to "add channels". There is nothing to buy on OpenView.
- Rescanning over and over with a weak signal. The list will not grow until the dish is fixed.
- Turning the dish yourself while watching the TV. A few millimetres can lose the satellite completely.
- Factory resetting the decoder first. Try activation and a restart before you reset anything.
- Pulling the plug while a scan or update is running.
Load shedding is a common reason for that last one. If the power drops in the middle of a scan, use our safe restart after load shedding guide before you change any settings.
If you have forgotten your parental control PIN, OpenView's official help page says to dial *120*6843*1# and choose option 3. You can read the full list on the OpenView help and FAQs page.
When to call our local team
Sometimes how to add channels on OpenView is simply a job for a meter and a ladder. Call us if the signal stays below 75% after the LNB reset, or if the picture breaks up every time the wind picks up. The same applies if you want OpenView on a second TV and DStv in the lounge from one dish.
We cover the village, Grotto Bay, the farms along the Darling road and homes towards Jacobsbaai. Our local DStv installers in Yzerfontein carry a signal meter on every job, so we fix the cause and not just the symptom.
OpenView also has an official OpenView setup guide with its connection and activation steps, if you would like to check them yourself first.
Want every OpenView channel back this week?
We realign, rescan and test on the spot, and we leave you with a clean signal reading before we go.
How to add channels on OpenView: FAQ
Can I add more channels on my OpenView decoder by paying?
No. OpenView has no packages or subscriptions. Every channel is already included once your decoder is activated. If some are missing, it is a signal or activation problem, not a billing one. That is why how to add channels on OpenView always starts with the HELP screen.
How to add channels on OpenView without a remote?
A new decoder scans by itself when it first powers up with the dish connected, and activation is done on your cellphone. You still need the remote to read your STB number on the HELP screen. A replacement remote costs R199 on the official OpenView shop at the time of writing (October 2026).
Why is OpenView not showing channels after a scan?
If only channel 100 plays, the decoder needs activating with *120*6843*1#. If nothing shows at all, check the HELP screen. Signal strength and quality below 75% means the dish or cable needs attention.
Which satellite does OpenView use, and will my DStv dish work?
OpenView uses the IS-20 satellite, the same as DStv, so a working DStv dish pointing north-east can usually feed it. Each decoder needs its own feed from the LNB. We check the bracket and cable first, because a tired dish will fail both services.
How long do OpenView channels take to appear after activation?
OpenView says it can take up to 5 minutes. The decoder may reboot and update its software during that time. Leave it switched on and do not press buttons until the channels appear.
Why is OpenView not picking up signal in Yzerfontein?
The most common cause on the coast is a dish that has drifted in the wind or connectors damaged by salt air. Heavy rain can also weaken the signal for a while. If an LNB reset does not clear error E52, the dish needs to be realigned with a meter.