A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile - Multidox .:.:. Blog

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Posted by Felix Okoli on June 14, 2010 at 23:55:24:

Have you got the DSTV mobile service from MTN? It's an exciting package. DSTV and MTN are offering mobile TV services to subscribers of this package for free, at least for now.
It's a few days to the FIFA 2010 world cup and I just got this MTN DSTV mobile package for N28,000 after signing an agreement form which also serves as the reciept. It is a free mobile DSTV package for subscribers who use MTN and it works with a 128k sim or higher. All you need to do to get this package is to go to any close MTN office and apply for it. You will need to pay the sum of N28,000 and then fill the agreement form and in a couple of minutes you will be given the package.

The DSTV mobile package from MTN contains the following items:

- A Nokia 5330 (Mobile TV edition)
- An earpiece which also serves as the antennae
- The phone charger
- A handset manual
- The agreement form
- The 128k sim card
- 10 free DSTV channels

To get the DSTV up and running, the MTN official would turn up your phone and open the Mobile TV App and starts to scan it. In a couple of minutes, you would see your Nokia 5330 showing up DSTV channels like a normal tv and it's fast and not like when you see buffering pictures when watching Youtube videos.

Channels on MTN DSTV mobile
Here is a list of the DSTV channels that will appear on the Nokia 5330:
- CNN
- TBN
- Cartoon Network
- SuperSport 9
- SuperSport Blitz
- NTA International
- Magic World
- Africa Magic
- Channel O
- SuperSport 3N

All the channels are quite clear even when my normal cable DSTV gets interrupted during the rain, the mobile TV keeps showing. I used it to watch the Nigeria Argentina Match and it was great.

Reliable Mobile TV
This DSTV mobile is quite realiable as you could use it almost anywhere you are and even when on the go like in a car, at school, work and so on. It works everywhere I've worked, although I've heard some people saying it was having a temporary signal problem at Victoria Island Lagos.

DSTV mobile on Nokia N96
I've got a friend who has also tried a number of times to get the DSTV mobile to work on his original Nokia N96 phone but was not able to. He went to various MTN offices and even to Saka Tinubu but was still not able to get it working until he was directed to go to a Nokia care center and it started working yesterday. I think they upgraded the mobile tv software on the N96 and it now works with a Live tv app that gives him like 12 channels using a 256k MTN sim card.

Minor Drawbacks
There are a lot of good things I've experienced with the DSTV mobile and you might wonder, what are the drawbacks? Well, the only dissatisfaction I am getting is that one can't use the earpiece to hear anything from the tv. The only way I can seem to hear the voice is unless I use the loudspeaker which may not be so cool when in a public place like a Library. The earpiece doesn't seem to be working for the ear but only as an antennae when watching the tv although it works if you are listening to stored mp3 songs on your Nokia 5330 phone.
The other thing that keeps me dissatisfied is that one cannot choose his own channels and there a quite a lot of channels that I would prefer swapping for a new one. Magic world and Africa Magic seem the same so why not just leave Africa magic and give me something like Discovery or Movie Magic. One cannot chose his own channels and having 10 channels is too small, why not give us 20?

Why I love the DSTV mobile
Well it keeps me connected to the tv even when I am not close to it and I also need not worry about NEPA because I have got a mobile tv that has a battery that lasts up to about 6 hrs. You could also see that the Nokia 5330 being offered by MTN in this package is almost the same price as you can get from the market and yet with a free mobile DSTV? It was worth it.

Watching DSTV mobile from MTN

Comments:
Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Kanayo on June 18, 2010 at 02:52:44:

Can I set it up myself or must I go to MTN if I already have the phone and 128k sim card?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 18, 2010 at 02:54:19:

You can try it yourself but you need to get the mobile tv software installed on your phone from Nokia if it not already installed and you can use a 128k sim or 256k sim. Then you will have to scan for the channels and enjoy watching DSTV for one year

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Segun Alabi on June 18, 2010 at 03:02:44:

I already have one and it has helped keep me entertained. African magic is my best

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Ernest on June 18, 2010 at 03:03:33:

How long will the DSTV mobile channels be free?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 18, 2010 at 03:04:17:

@Ernest, for one year

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Oyoyo on June 18, 2010 at 03:05:27:

This MTN SEF! They wan chop our money finish!

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Ekene Lawrence on June 18, 2010 at 03:06:15:

MTN thanks a lot for this. Truly the best network in Naija

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Lolu on June 18, 2010 at 03:08:09:

This is great and I'm hoping to buy one when my salary arrives

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Chris on June 18, 2010 at 03:12:09:

This is not the first time MTN is offering an exciting service like this for free, remember free browsing and later it has made us addicted with paid internet browsing. Now using free dstv mobile for one year is good but what will the costs be like after that?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 18, 2010 at 03:14:09:

Whenever it becomes a prepaid service, it would be optional, I believe. I think MTN subscribers should just use this opportunity and enjoy the free tv service. The service is not just offered for free by MTN but mostly by DSTV Nigeria and it's an optional service

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Femi on June 19, 2010 at 03:50:15:

I've been having a problem with my mobile dstv, it is not showing up any channels again.
Here is the error I keep getting:

Unable to retrieve subscriptions

The content is already purchased. Wait until subscription is delivered.

What can I do to correct this, it's a big problem

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 22, 2010 at 03:42:25:

Did you switch of the phone for a long time or did you change the sim card? The best thin I suggest that you do is set the date and time right and then do a rescan of the channels by

Options-->Rescan in your mobile tv menu.
If it still doesn't show, try and retrieve subscriptions and see if it works

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Kamoru Alli on June 23, 2010 at 13:23:22:

Is mobile browsing faster on this phone than on other Nokia phones?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Fredng on June 23, 2010 at 13:23:54:

I want to get one but I don't know if it is the original Nokia phone or the Chinese version. I want to ask, which country did MTN import the phones from?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 23, 2010 at 13:25:19:

@Kamoru, of course, mobile browsing is much faster on the Nokia 5330 since it has 3.5g CAPABILITY

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 23, 2010 at 13:26:16:

@Fredng, the pack says it is made in China and with authority from the Nokia corporation Finland, so although it is made in China, it is not fake but with the right standards

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Chioma on June 23, 2010 at 13:26:31:

Like the look and visual. So the sound is loud enough like that. I have been looking forward to getting one, maybe soon.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Alfred Umoh on June 23, 2010 at 13:26:47:

How many channels does it have and will it really be for free for one year?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Olumole Hayes on June 23, 2010 at 13:27:26:

MTN and DSTV are doing a good job. Keep it up

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Olufemi on June 23, 2010 at 13:28:10:

I haven't seen this1 kind of Nokia phone before. Can I still use DSTV mobile on other Nokia phones suppose I get one myself? I'm planning to buy a Nokia N90

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on June 23, 2010 at 13:30:40:

@Chioma, well it is almost like live TV when you are watching it and shows clearly but I've noticed that is not exactly real time. It loads before showing and when the signal is not strong, it tends to buffer before showing. So it is like 5 secs slower than the full dstv.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Chioma on June 23, 2010 at 13:28:46:

Is it live tv like the tv or does it stream and buffer?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Gabby on June 23, 2010 at 13:31:09:

It would be cool if one can connect this to an external tv or Display unit to work like a tv.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by samuel on July 03, 2010 at 20:09:30:

Pls does dstvmobile work with a television via a tv-out cable like n96 because i tried mine and only the sound of the dstv channel was heard from the tv no picture instead it displayed a key that was crossed with a slash is this from dstv

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 03, 2010 at 20:09:30:

I think this depends on the capability of your Nokia phone rather than dstv. If you could find a way to play videos on you Nokia N96 on an external display unit like the tv, then you would be able to play dstv mobile on a full tv. The real question then is how to connect a Nokia N96 to a tv. I tried Googling for that and this is what I got:

I have a Nokia N96 and Live TV works in my country. The only problem i have is that I can project videos on my N96 to my LCD TV using the TV-Out cable, but whenever I try to project a Live TV, I only hear the sound, but no picture is displayed. Instead it shows a "key" image on the LCD Screen
Source:http://thenokiablog.com/2008/02/18/vlog-nokia-n96-dvb-h-live-tv-demo/

So about live dstv showing on your tv, not yet seen anyone using it though

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Duru on July 07, 2010 at 04:41:42:

What is the best way to get this - To buy the phone and sim myself or get it from MTN? Which will be cheaper?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Solmax on July 07, 2010 at 04:42:21:

I think it would be almost the same price if you calculate it totally.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Oni John on July 07, 2010 at 04:43:57:

I like this review. Was thinking about getting a new phone like this. I have also seen a Nokia 5330 like this but it did not have mobile tv. Can mobile tv be installed on a Nokia 5330 that did not come with a tv software?

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 07, 2010 at 04:46:59:

@Oni, firstly you need to know that there are two kinds of Nokia 5330 - the ordinary one and the one that is called Nokia 5330 Mobile TV edition. The first one does not come with Mobile tv so it is not something you can install yourself. Jut get the one that already has that DVB-H capability already

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Dora on July 07, 2010 at 04:47:29:

Is the phone made in China or Europe? I want to know

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Segun Alabi on July 07, 2010 at 04:48:20:

It is made in China

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 07, 2010 at 04:49:24:

Yes it is made in China but with the same standards with that made in Finland

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Cboy on July 17, 2010 at 17:40:52:

I dont have money 2 buy this is there any where or website to download mobile dstv software pls let me know my mail nsi4ice_cool@yahoo.com or +2348065125575.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 17, 2010 at 17:40:52:

I don't know of any website where you can get it unless you are talking about updates for the Nokia 5330. DSTV mobile for now is free from MTN and I think it is inbuilt with the Usim given to you at their office

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Maxwell on July 22, 2010 at 16:20:23:

Please any news on watching dstv through n96 because mine plays the sound but shows key icon instead of tv.pls help

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 22, 2010 at 16:20:23:

Yes, DTSV mobile works pretty well on Nokia n96. If you can't get yours to work, then go to any approved Nokia store or mtn customer service to get them do it for your

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 22, 2010 at 16:20:23:

Here is how to activate dstv mobile on your Nokia N96. I got this from the dstv mobile website:

Mobile TV activation instructions

* Select 'Applications'

* Select Mobile TV (or media if icon not in the applications menu)

[The cellphone will search for programme guides]

* Select 'DStv MOBILE Africa' from the list of available ESGs

[Once the ESG has been selected it will take a minute or so to download the programme guide onto the celllphone]

If you get a message "No usage rights. Select 'Subscriptions' from 'Options' menu to subscribe" on the screen

* Select 'Options'

* Select 'Subscriptions'

* Select 'New Subscriptions'

* Select 'Channel Packages' to subscribe to a 'Channel package - (More than one channel grouped into a package/ bouquet)

-(The channel and programme options are not available at the moment)

* Select the 'Channel package' you wish to view

* Select the subscription period you wish to purchase

-'Continuous' subscription (Subscription will continue indefinitely and will automatically be charged to the subscriber every month)
[Only continuous Subscriptions are available at present]

* Select 'Verify'

[The cellphone will display a message stating that the Purchase request was sent and that the user should wait for confirmation.]

* Select 'OK'

[The cellphone will display a message confirming that the User rights were received. This may take several minutes]

* Select 'OK'

[The selected subscription should be viewable on the cellphone once 'OK' is selected]

source: dstvmobile.com

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Maxwell on July 23, 2010 at 17:31:44:

My n96 dstv works fine.when i try to watch it on my television using the tv out cable,i hear only the sound from my television but no images.all i see is the key icon.please help me out

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on July 23, 2010 at 17:31:44:

Have you tried doing video out when playing ordinary videos on your phone, i don't mean live tv. If it shows when playing videos from your phone, then you have set up video out correctly. I know video out works finely for a Nokia n96 if you set it up correctly but I have not heard of it working for live tv. I think live tv does not work for video out. Just read the phone manual carefully and see if you can use that option for both live tv and saved videos from your phone.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Kola on August 06, 2010 at 02:31:47:

Thanks for the tips. I can now watch big brother on my phone. Also this Nokia 5330 is great and the battery lasts for moer than 2 days without charging

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by niyi on August 12, 2010 at 16:02:28:

Can i use my existing sim with the DSTV MOBILE NOKIA PHONE ? BECOS IT IS already configured with the free sim dat came with it and i want to use my old sim for the dstv nokia 5330 phone

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on August 12, 2010 at 16:02:28:

Yes you can use any sim for the DSTV mobile as long as it is at least 128k in size. I changed mine 2 days ago and it still works. Just make sure that there is credit on your phone

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by niyi on August 13, 2010 at 15:33:32:

Thanks for your early response to question of using my old sim, my sim is 64k, can i do a swap with the new sim that is 128k in size? .thanks

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on August 13, 2010 at 15:33:32:

Yes you should first do a sim swap. You can do that online at the mtn website or go to the office

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by niyi on August 14, 2010 at 12:49:14:

Thanks once again, 1)How long does it take the MTN sim swap to be efective? 2) How do I configure d DSTV Nokia 5330 with a new swaped sim?. Many thanks in Advance for your early response.

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Felix Okoli on August 14, 2010 at 12:49:14:

Well it takes about 24 hrs on a working day and
2. Just put int the sim in the Nokia 5330 and go to mobile tv-->options and purchase the subscriptions.
When you see the dstv mobile package costing 0.00 click on it and you will receieve a response telling you that subscriptions keys will be sent to you.
- You would need to have at least N100 in your sim before getting a subscription
- When you receive your subscription keys, then you can start browsing.

Note: You need to make sure that you plug in the earpiece and that your phone reads it before you watch mobile dstv. The earpiece is the antennae

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Maxwell on August 30, 2010 at 14:28:13:

If u re using n96,when u connect it with the tv out,u can play d video clips already stored in your phone and it will show on the tv. when u try to watch d dstv,it shows on the phone but on the tv,u see a key icon dat is crossed.now i've seen 4people using their own to watch tv and their own is in version 10 or 11 but mine is in version 30.so if u've upgraded your own,u'll experience the same problem.the question now is this,hw to make version 30.003 to start playing dstv on tv.if this can be solved,i'll be very grateful

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by Maxwell on August 30, 2010 at 14:33:57:

Re: A Review of the MTN DSTV Mobile Posted by coston on September 17, 2010 at 22:11:33:

mine was working on my n96 in kaduna but when i reachd zaria.its showing no tv signals in current location.Please help me.