Most messages we get are about a decoder that will not rescan, a soundbar that drops audio after a firmware update, or a subscription nobody can cancel. Tell us the device model, your line speed and what you already tried, and you will usually get a straight answer instead of a script.
Best for screenshots, spec tables and long descriptions of buffering patterns. Attach a photo of the back panel if the ports are unclear.
Replies within one working day.
Use this when a setup step is easier to talk through than to type out, for example pairing a remote or ordering a fibre ONT restart.
Weekdays, 09:00 to 17:00. Short calls answered same day.
Second-hand decoders, TV boxes and soundbars are welcome. Post to the address below and include a note about what you want checked.
60494 Nieuwoudt Pines Apt. 490
Reddyshire, FS 2445
We confirm arrival by email before testing starts.
Still unsure which route fits your question? The help page walks through the common cases, and contact details cover anything that falls outside them.
A few terms come up in almost every review we publish, and readers reasonably read them in different ways. Before you use a write-up to pick a decoder or drop a monthly plan, here is what we actually mean by each one.
We count a buffering event only when playback stops and the spinner appears for longer than two seconds. Brief resolution drops that keep the picture moving are logged separately, because on a congested 50 Mbps line they happen far more often than full stalls.
Figures are measured at the router, not read off a provider dashboard. A 1080p hour on one service can differ from another by several hundred megabytes once ad breaks and autoplay previews are included. Treat our numbers as a range, not a guarantee for your line.
Unless the article says otherwise, a device sat in a normal living room for at least three weeks. We do not run lab benches, and we do not test with a generator during load shedding. Where a result depends on our specific fibre line or suburb, we say so in the text.
When we buy a used box, we note the firmware version it arrived with and whether it updated over the air. Channel lists and app stores on older units can be years out of date, so a rescan is part of the test, not an optional extra.
We review streaming services, smart TV boxes, soundbars and free-to-air setups for South African households. We do not sell subscriptions, we are not affiliated with any provider, and we cannot fix an account, process a refund or change a billing date on your behalf. If a review mentions what we paid or where we bought something, that is a record of our own purchase and not a recommendation of that seller.
If you want to send a device in for testing, or you have a correction to a spec table, the details are on our contact page. For anything about how we handle your data, see our policy.
Tell us which device or service is giving you trouble and we will point you to the right write-up. If you have a smart TV box, soundbar or decoder sitting unused, send it over. We test on a 50 Mbps fibre line in Johannesburg, log buffering during peak hours, and publish what we find.
We read every message. Expect a reply within two working days, usually with a link to the relevant review or a short note on what we still need to test.
Most of what lands in our inbox is about setup, data and how to walk away from a plan. Here are the answers we keep typing out.
Still stuck on something specific? The contact page has the full desk details, and our privacy policy explains how we handle devices sent in for review.