Not every home in Noordhoek comes with a roof you can bolt a dish onto. Maybe you rent a garden flat on a smallholding, a unit in a Sun Valley complex or an apartment closer to Fish Hoek, and the lease says no dishes. Here's the good news: DStv in flats and apartments doesn't always need a dish of your own.
Quick answer
There are three ways to get DStv in flats and apartments without fitting your own dish. You can plug into the building's communal dish, stream DStv over the internet, or take a cable feed from the main house dish if you live in a granny flat. Your lease, your internet and what you like to watch decide which one fits.
Three no-dish routes for DStv in a flat or apartment
When people ask us about a "no dish" setup, they usually mean one of two things. Either they can't put a dish on their own wall, or they don't want satellite at all. Both are fine, and each leads to a different answer.
- Shared satellite: one dish on the block feeds every unit through a wall plate.
- Streaming: DStv Stream or a Streama box uses your internet line, with no dish anywhere.
- Borrowed feed: a granny flat or cottage takes a cable from the dish on the main house.
We set up all three around the valley, from Noordhaven to Crofters Valley, as part of our DStv installation in Noordhoek work. Below is how each one works and what it costs to run.
Route one: use the communal dish your block already has
Many complexes and estates put up one dish for everyone. It keeps walls tidy, which is why bodies corporate in places like Lake Michelle tend to prefer it. Your unit gets a coaxial wall plate, and your decoder plugs straight into that.
How to connect DStv to communal dish points in your unit
- Find the satellite wall plate. It's often behind the TV unit or next to a plug point.
- Ask the managing agent which type of shared system the block runs, and whether your point is live.
- Connect the decoder to the plate with a good coaxial lead, then to the TV with HDMI.
- Run the decoder's installation set-up, pick the option that matches the building, and scan for channels.
- Activate the decoder on your own DStv account through the MyDStv app or dstv.com.
If the scan finds nothing, the fault may sit in the building's system, not your decoder. Our communal DStv systems service covers testing the shared dish, the switch and the cable up to your door.
What to ask the body corporate first
- Is there a spare live point for my unit, or does one need to be added?
- Can the system take an Explora, which uses more than one tuner?
- Who looks after the shared dish when it stops working?
We explain the trade-offs between one shared dish and a dish per home in our post on communal versus individual dishes.
Route two: stream DStv over the internet
If there's no wall plate and no chance of a dish, streaming is the cleanest answer. DStv Stream runs on a smart TV, phone, laptop or a Streama box, and needs nothing on the roof. What it does need is a steady internet line, so fibre is the best fit.
At the time of writing, DStv Stream prices per month were:
- Starter: R99
- Select: R299
- Sports: R399
- Movies & Series: R500
- Premium: R799
Prices and line-ups change, so confirm on dstv.com or in the MyDStv app before you sign up. If the WiFi in your flat drops in the back bedroom, our WiFi and network setup team can sort that out before you start paying for a stream.
When DStv streaming suits a flat or apartment
It suits people who watch on more than one screen and already pay for fibre. It's less ideal if your line is shared with a busy household, or if a power cut takes the router down. A satellite decoder keeps working when the internet doesn't, as long as there's power to it.
Need DStv help in Noordhoek?
Tell us what you need or what your screen shows. We price the job before we drive out.
Route three: feed a granny flat from the main house dish
This is the Noordhoek special. A lot of flats here are cottages on smallholdings, a room above the stables or a unit at the end of a long gravel driveway. The tenant can't put up a dish, but the main house already has one.
In that case we run a second cable from the dish to the flat. Sometimes it goes through the roof space. On bigger plots it goes in a trench or along a wall, and we use cable rated for the distance so the signal still arrives strong.
Our guide to a proper DStv cable connection shows what good cable and fittings look like. The dish may also need an LNB with a spare output, which we check on the day. After that, the flat has two options:
- Own account: a paying tenant gets their own decoder and subscription, fed from the main dish.
- XtraView: if the flat is for family, its decoder can link to the main house account. At the time of writing that adds one Access Fee of R125 per month, unless the main decoder already pays it.
Not sure which suits your plot? We compare them in our post on an extra TV point or Extra View.
Safety first
Please don't climb onto the main house roof to add a cable or turn the dish. Thatch, wet tiles and winter fronts make Noordhoek roofs slippery, and one small knock moves the dish off the satellite. Leave roof work and LNB wiring to a technician with the right ladder.
Comparing the no-dish options for DStv in flats and apartments
| Route | What you need | Monthly cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communal dish | A live wall plate and a decoder | Your DStv package; upkeep of the dish is a building matter | Complex and estate units |
| DStv Stream | Fibre or another steady line | From R99 for Starter at the time of writing | Renters who can't fix anything to walls |
| Main house feed | A cable run from the main dish | Your own package, or XtraView with an Access Fee | Granny flats and cottages on plots |
People also ask about OpenView. It isn't a DStv product, it belongs to eMedia, and it still needs a dish. It can often share an existing one, though, and our page on OpenView HD installation explains how.
Valley things that catch flat dwellers out
Mist and tall gums don't bother a stream, but they do affect the dish your flat relies on. When a shared dish has a grown pine or the slopes of Chapman's Peak in its view of the north-east sky, every unit loses picture quality at the same time.
Wet winter fronts are the other one. Heavy rain causes rain fade, a short drop-out that clears when the cloud passes. If it lasts long after the rain, water may have got into a cable joint, and our guide to water in coaxial cable covers the signs.
Technician tip
Before you call anyone, ask a neighbour in the same block if their DStv works. If theirs is fine, the issue is your decoder, lead or wall plate. If theirs is out too, it's the shared system, and the body corporate should book the repair.
Moving into a new unit and bringing your decoder along? Our DStv relocation service reconnects it to the point in your new place.
Book a no-dish setup for your Noordhoek flat
Tell us where you live and what the lease allows, and we'll suggest the simplest route. We quote first, then test the picture with you before we leave. Call or WhatsApp 079 754 5527, or book a visit online. We're often there the same or next day, depending on the schedule.
DStv in flats and apartments: FAQs
Can you get DStv without a dish?
Yes. DStv Stream works over the internet on a smart TV, phone, laptop or Streama box, so nothing goes on the roof. You need a steady connection, ideally fibre. At the time of writing, Stream packages started at R99 a month for Starter.
How do I get DStv in a flat or apartment if the lease bans dishes?
First check whether the building has a communal dish with a wall plate in your unit. If it does, you plug in a decoder and set it up for the shared system. If it doesn't, DStv Stream over fibre is the next best route, and it needs no hardware on the walls.
Is DStv in flats and apartments cheaper on a communal dish?
Your package costs the same either way, because the subscription doesn't change with the dish. What you save is the cost of putting up and aligning a dish of your own. Ask the body corporate how upkeep of the shared system is handled before you move in.
Can a granny flat in Noordhoek share the main house DStv dish?
Often, yes. We run a second cable from the main dish to the flat and check whether the LNB has a spare output. The flat can then have its own subscription, or link to the main house through XtraView if it's for family. A long driveway just means a longer, better cable.
How do I connect a DStv decoder to a communal dish?
Plug a coaxial lead from the satellite wall plate in your unit into the decoder, then connect the decoder to the TV. Run the installation set-up, choose the option that matches the building's system and scan for channels. If nothing shows, ask the body corporate whether your point is live.