How much does DSTV installation cost?

The cost of DSTV installation in 2024 is a thing of concern for many Nigerians because of how complex it is to install one. DSTV is arguably the best cable network in Nigeria due to the number of channels they offer. It is also the most used cable network in Nigeria. Many Nigerian homes depend on DSTV to keep up with their favorite shows, sports games, and news channels. This makes it almost mandatory for every Nigerian home to get one. Buying a DSTV means you will get all the kits. This includes the decoder, satellite dish, dish kit (installation kit), remote, and a one-month free subscription to the compact package. It will cost from ₦55,000 – ₦150,000,000 to get this depending on the type you get and the package that comes with it.

Moreover, when you get one, the job is not still done. You would need to install it to use it. This process is quite complex, yet many Nigerians attempt to do it themselves. This leads to many complications in the connection and the number of channels that shows. It is best to get a DSTV installer to do it. This installation costs from ₦15,000 – ₦45,000. You can rest assured that it will be done correctly after paying this fee to the right professional.
Note: DSTV installers are also able to install Startimes, Gotv, and other network cables.

Satellite Dish Installation

The cost of DSTV installation highly depends on satellite dish installation. This is also applicable to any dish installation. If you have paid attention to the position of the satellite dish and how it is installed. You will discover that it plays a major role in the connectivity of the channels and how often you will get errors. The dish has to be installed at a specific height. Most houses in Nigeria rely on poles for this.

However, for people that stay in story buildings where there are multiple flats. There is a need for each person to use their preferred cable network. The dish is usually hung or installed on the walls of the building in this case. This is because the people staying there are renting the place and there are multiple tenants. It is usually ideal if the population of each rented apartment is over 4. The cost of DSTV installation would be higher because of the difficulty of satellite dish installation.

Types of DSTV Decoder

There are two major types of DSTV decoders in Nigeria, these are not necessarily two options created by DSTV for their audience. It is just the company’s growth over time that allowed them to improve its service. To introduce new features, they had to create a new decoder. This allowed DSTV to meet the other demands of its customers.

Normal PVR Decoder

This is the first type of decoder made by DSTV, it is very small and does all the necessary things to use the DSTV service. This decoder provides you with the channels you paid for and it also provides you with some audio channels. DSTV consists of over 200 channels to meet the needs and desires of different customers. This means there would always be a show that suits you. However, it should be noted that the higher your subscription plan, the higher the number of channels you are eligible to watch. This decoder allows you to watch every channel that DSTV offers. It is cheaper and easy to use costing from ₦30,000 – ₦70,000.

Explora Decoder/HD Decoder

DSTV Explora also known as the HD decoder is the upgrade to the Normal PVR decoder. It can do everything the normal decoder does with an additional hard drive for storage. This allows the users the possibility of rewinding, fast-forwarding, and recording live TV programs. There is also an instant replay feature where you press a button on the remote and the last 20 seconds of the program will be replayed. The recording is not the only advantage of the Explora, it delivers crispier, brighter, and more colorful pictures when you use an HD TV. It also comes with internet access allowing you to stream and download content online.

The two features that make this decoder unique are the DSTV Catch-Up and DSTV Box-office. The DSTV Catch-up enables you to catch up with programs you may have missed by recording them automatically. It also records other content as well in the Catch-up page. Meanwhile, the DSTV Box-office gives you exclusive access to blockbuster movies. You will also get the opportunity to rent any of the available movies. This means you would be able to download and keep them for up to 48 hours. The Explora decoder cost from ₦85,000 – ₦160,000.

Types of DSTV Packages

• DSTV Padi: DSTV Padi is an entry-level package, which means it is the plan you access when you just buy a new Normal PVR decoder. This plan offers over 30 channels mostly local and international TV channels, like BBC World News, CNC World, Telemundo, B4U Movies, etc. This plan cost ₦2,950 per Month.
• DSTV Yanga: The Yanga bouquet offers over 87 channels. They are mostly local and international TV channels, it also contains 11 audio channels. The Yanga plan is similar to the discontinued Access plan. However, the Yanga plan adds a couple of new channels to the Access channels like Africa Magic Epic,  SuperSport Football, Real-Time, MTV Base, and EL. This plan cost ₦4,200 per Month.
• DSTV Confam: The Confam bouquet looks similar to the discontinued DSTV Family plan, but it boasts over 108 channels. These channels are mostly local and international TV channels. You get all the DSTV Access channels plus CNN, ESPN, MNET City, Fox, Africa Magic Epic, ROK2, MTV Base, and 3 SuperSport channels. This plan also gives you access to 11 audio channels. It costs ₦7,400 per Month.
• DSTV Compact: The Compact package is an upgrade to the compact plan as it gives you the chance to watch over 146 local and international channels. These channels include Mnet Action, BBC World, over six SuperSport channels, and Sony Entertainment. It also gives you access to over 53 audio channels. This is the entry-level package of the Explora decoder. However, DSTV Compact is a bit more expensive than the previous packages as it cost ₦12,500 monthly.
• DSTV Compact-plus: This plan is an upgrade to the DSTV compact as it offers you all the compact offers plus other channels. It is aimed at satisfying sports lovers as it gives you all the sports channels. It cost ₦19,800 monthly.
• DSTV Premium: This is the most expensive plan as it requires you to spend ₦29,500 on a monthly subscription. It gives you all the DSTV channels. Some channels exclusive to the Premium package include MNET HD, MNET Movies 1 HD, MNET Movies 2 HD, Comedy Central, and all HD channels.

Prices of DSTV Packages (Updated)

It is important to note that DSTV reserves the right to change the channel distribution for a particular package. So it might be best to check the correct distribution through DSTV itself.

Benefits of DSTV Installation

• International sports: For many sports lovers in Nigeria, majorly watch international games. This is not usually accessible on the local channels so you would have to pay at the viewing center for each game. All this money and inconvenience put together is more expensive than the cost of DSTV installation in your own house.
• Entertainment: It is a known fact that DSTV offers different forms of entertainment. You will find something that interests you in one of their channels. In other words, anything you find entertaining most likely has a channel dedicated to it on TV.
• Source of income: The payment to have access to all sports channels is pretty expensive. So many people in Nigeria usually subscribe to lesser plans. You can take advantage of this, especially with the high number of football fans in Nigeria. It would be profitable to invest in building a viewing center where you show major football matches at a fixed price. You would be surprised at how many customers you would have after a short period.
• Access to favorite TV shows: The good thing about DSTV is that most of the channels are dedicated to a particular type of show. This is not the same with the local TV channels in Nigeria that try to show different things on the same channel. This means that if you don’t have DSTV, you might not watch your favorite show at all.
• Global awareness: If you want to have access to foreign news and events, you will need to use DSTV. It has dedicated channels to that like BBC, Fox News, Aljazeera, etc.
• Exposure to foreign education: One of the most notable ways DSTV affect Nigerians is the development of children’s accent and listening ability to foreign Languages. This is the reason why children that watch many Foreign shows do better with spoken English than kids who do not. If you want your kids to have the proper accent in English, DSTV is the best option.

How to Save Money on DSTV Installation?

• Contact a professional: It is going to cost you more money to hire a DSTV installer than to try to do it yourself. Meanwhile, it will save you the cost of damaging a kit and not having access to watch all the channels you paid for. If you want to save money and avoid stress, contact a professional
• Bargain: This is one of the best parts of being a Nigerian, you can always bargain with any service provider before accepting their quotes. How well you can bargain will determine the amount you will have to pay.
• Hire from a close distance: It is best to avoid hiring DStv installers from a far distance. They would add transportation costs to the fee they are charging you. The closer the distance, the lesser you will pay.
• Choose a package that suits your budget: The reason why there are different packages is for the customers to pay for the channels they need. This means you don’t have to pay for all the channels to watch some. It will be in your best interest to make the most of this opportunity.
• Compare prices: You can get quotes from different DSTV installers near you to decide which suits your budget. This also allows you to avoid paying an excessive amount for an average job.