How To Install GoTv Decoder in 2021

GoTv has become the Pay TV provider of choice in Africa. With about 77 premium channels (75 tv Channels and 2 Radio Channels), GoTv Seems to have all that a family needs.

From Entertainment to News, Sports to Movies, Documentary to Fashion, with GoTv, one can hardly ask for more.

Their package will give you the best access to the most channels and entertainment, including sports, with 77 channels in total.

Details of the channels as well as the TV guide (which shows the program they will be showing) are available on the GoTv website.

Use the Table of Content to Navigate to your area of interest.

How to Install GoTv Decoder; Step by Step Guide.

Installing your GoTv Decoder doesn’t really require a special training. If you can hold and use a Plier and screw driver, you should be able to handle it.

However, if you do not feel comfortable about doing it yourself, you may contact the GoTv customer care. They’ll send their installer to help you handle it.

When you buy your GoTv Decoder, you should find the following items within the package;

*The GoTv Decoder,
*Go Antenna (GoTv Antenna),
*RF Cable Usually a white cable of about 10mm in diameter and about 30 meters long,

Other items include; GoTv control remote,HDMI Cable, CVBS cable (Usually called AV wire), User Manual, Cable Brackets and clips.

So once unboxed, go ahead and do the following;

• Install your GoTv Antenna,
• Connect the GoTv Antenna to the RF port (RF in) of your decoder. You should See it clearly at the back of your decoder.
• Connect your decoder to your Television using one of the ports provided. See how to connect GoTv Decoder to Tv if you are confused.
• Then setup your decoder. You should receive at least 75channels if you are in Nigeria. Otherwise, contact your local dealer to find out how many channels are available in your location.

How to Install GoTv Decoder (Antenna Installation)

I usually recommend that this part of the installation be done very carefully. It goes along way to determine the quality of signals you get on your GOtv decoder.

If you have heard people complain about not receiving all the 77 channels, it is usually as a result of poor antenna Installation.

How to Install GoTv Antenna.

My recommendation is slightly different from what is in the video; I’d usually recommend that you connect your cable to your antenna, Clamp your antenna to the Pole before lifting the pole up. It’s logical, after all, how would you lift your antenna, and then start looking for a ladder with which to Clamp your antenna to the Pole?

Take the following steps to install your antenna;

• Get the RF Cable and Gotv Antenna outside .
• Connect one end of the RF Cable onto the port provided at the back of a yellow plastic box on the Antenna. Screw firmly. (This plastic is very visible on the Antenna). See image 2 below.

• Use the black plastic covering provided to cover the RF port of the antenna. Things may go wrong if this point is exposed to moisture.
• Use the u-Bolt provided to Clamp the antenna firmly to the Pole you intend to use.
• You can clamp the antenna vertically or horizontally. I usually install Tv antennas horizontally except where the signal requires a particular polarisation.
• Stand the pole erect and secure it firmly to the ground.
• Direct your antenna to face the direction of the strongest signal. This is usually the direction of the nearest GoTv transmitting station to your location. If you are confused about this, just look around your area and see where other antennas close to you are facing.
• Then, send the other end of your RF Cable into your house.

How to Connect GoTv Decoder to Tv.

If you are here, it means that you have successfully installed your GoTv Antenna. For me, that was the most difficult part of the installation.

If you are trying to connect your GoTv Decoder to Tv, you may want to see our other article How to Connect Startimes Decoder to Tv. Both decoders look alike and therefore the steps involved are similar.

Connecting your GoTv decoder to a television should be the simplest thing to do.

There are two simple options available to any end user of Gotv to connect their decoders to Tv. Both options are found at the rear of any modern Gotv Decoder in the market these days.

How to Connect GoTv Decoder to Tv Through the AV Port.

The Audio Video Port (AV) port is about the simplest way to connect your startimes decoder to a television. Be aware that the AV port brings out analogue signal from the decoder.

The name of the signal is CVBS which stands stands for Composite Video Baseband Signal.

The most useful functionality of the AV or CVBS Port is to connect your decoder to your Tv.

Take the following steps to connect your Startimes decoder to Tv;

• Take the Mini Jack end of your AV cable and connect to the Port labelled AV out; See image 3 above.
• Then connect the other end of the Cable to your television.
• Be sure to observe the colour codes on the Cable and ensure that the cable is connected to the correct Port.
• Yellow end of the Cable goes to the yellow port of the tv (that’s the Port that carries the video.)
• While the red and white ends of the cables go to the Audio ports of the tv.

How to Connect GoTv Decoder to Tv Through the HDMI Port.

The High Definition Media interface (HDMI) port allows you to get clear video signals from the decoder to the tv. The signal from this port is digital and therefore is clearer than the signal from the AV port.

See also How to pay for your Startimes subscriptions online

Clear Signals go to TV sets directly from this port. Ensure that your Tv set has a HDMI port before you consider this option.

How to Connect GoTv Decoder to two Televisions.

If you have more than one Televisions and wish for the decoder to show on the two Televisions simultaneously, you may connect both the HDMI and the AV ports to each of the televisions.

So if for any reason you may want to use both ports at the same, either for two Televisions or on the same television, it’s completely possible.

Otherwise, you may want to use a HDMI splitter or an AV distributor to achieve that.

To connect through the HDMI splitter/distributor, you need to get the HDMI splitter.

You can get it from your local store or you order online. If you are in Nigeria, you may click here to order it on konga. It is also available on other online stores like Jumia, etc. If you are outside Nigeria, you search for it on AliExpress, or any other online store that delivers easily to your location.

• Connect one the output of your decoder to the HDMI Splitter. Use the Port Labelled “HDMI in” on the HDMI splitter.
• connect your first television to “output 1” of the HDMI Splitter.
• Then, connect other televisions to the other output ports of the HDMI splitter.
• With the kind of splitter shown above, you can connect as much as four televisions at the same time.

How to watch your GoTv Using a computer Monitor.

It is Possible to use your computer monitor to watch your decoder. If you lost your Television and do not have the funds to replace it, or maybe you don’t even own a tv at all, you may use your desktop monitor to watch your GoTv decoder.

To achieve this, you need to convert the HDMI port on the GoTv Decoder to VGA. Notice that VGA port is the only input port available on the PC Monitor.

So, to connect your GoTv Decoder to your computer monitor, you need to get a HDMI to VGA converter.

• Connect the HDMI end of the converter to the HDMI port of your decoder,
• And then, connect the VGA end of the converter to your Computer monitor.
• Once this is properly done, you should be able to see the video on your monitor.
• You can make use of any sound system to receive the audio through the aux mode.

How to Activate Your GoTv Decoder After installation

If you have not purchased your decoder yet, I’ll recommend you ask your seller to activate and scan your decoder for you at the point of purchase. But if you didn’t do this, you’ll have to follow these steps to do it yourself.

There are three ways to activate your GoTv decoder.

1. Through the GoTV website,
2. Using SMS short codes,
3. Through the phone USSD,
4. Through the GoTv Mobile App,
5. By calling the GoTv customer service number,
6. Through Social Media.

How to activate your GoTv Online

Please be sure to put your GoTv on while this is being done.

How to Activate the GoTv Decoder through SMS short Codes.

Take your phone and type your sms in the following formate;

Accept*your_IUC_number*your surname*mobile number*your city*the product.

Use the asterisk to separate each field.

E.g: Accept*2021670172*Chibuez*09158561787*Lagos*GoTvMax

Your IUC number is usually found under your decoder.

See also How to pay for your Startimes subscriptions on line

Now send the SMS to Your country short-code. List of all the available country short-codes is presented in the table below.

How to activate your GoTv Decoder through USSD

You can activate your GoTv by dialing *288# from your phone’s default dialer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Be Sure to have you IUC number ready before you start because it would be required.

Moreso, your decoder should be powered on while doing this.

How to activate your GoTv decoder by calling the GOtv customer care line

If all these GOtv activation methods fails to work for you, you can simply dial gotv customer care numbers to get in touch with their support staff.

if you are in Nigeria, you can contact GoTv thought the following phone number; 08039044688.

Or click here to go to their contact page.

Other means to contact GoTv are as follows;

How to Activate Your GoTv Decoder through Social Media.

I can personally confirm to you that Gotv are very responsive in Nigeria. I may not be certain about other countries, but in Nigeria, they respond to queries swiftly.

So, to solve any network related issue on your GoTv, you can head to their Facebook page and give them a message inbox.

However, one of the ways to Get them to respond more quickly would be through the comment section.

Just go under any post on their wall and comment what issues you are having with your decoder there. One of their agents would reply you and ask for your IUC number. So just follow the reply and give them all the information they might require.

How To Install and use the GoTv Mobile App.

The gotV App is a very vital tool in managing your GoTv Decoder. The app is like a control system for your GoTv decoder

With your GoTv app, you can do just about anything on your decoder without asking for assistance.

• Pay for your subscription
• Check your subscription status,
• Activate or deactivate auto renewal,
• Clear error messages,
• Vote in the BBNaija game show(added in 2021)
• Change your payment package etc.

To install your GoTv Mobile App, you need to visit your android store or iOS store (depending on the device you are using.

This short Video might be of help.