View Full Version : Ultimo or Uno?
I am looking to buy my first Vu+ box to replace an older satellite receiver that has just broken. I've looked through many posts over the past couple of days and have decided that I'd like to purchase a box from Vu+. Originally, I was thinking of the Ultimo with 2x DVB-S and 1x DVB-T. At the moment, we are waiting to move into a new house and the flat that we are renting only has a single dish/LNB, but in a few months the new house will have multiple dishes/LNBs. We are located in northern Italy, so the DVB-T tuner would be for Italian/Swiss broadcasts. We are a family of four with two teenagers, and although we will have only two main TV viewing areas I would like to be able to stream to Macs in the bedrooms as well. I would also like to stream video from the NAS to the Vu+. In the flat this would have to be through WiFi (5ghz N), but the house will be cabled. Do you think that given the price difference I should start out with an Uno, which I could probably use in the future only for DVB-T (after purchasing a tuner module of course) or would an Ultimo be a better long-term investment? I ask this since I have seen today that Vu+ should be coming out with a new STB running XBMC sometime later this year. I could get by with the single tuner of the Uno until that time. I could also attach a USB DVB-T/T2 tuner in order to receive digital terrestrial now without waiting to swap out the DVB-S tuner and still spend a lot less money. However, I have seen some people advising that it is best to keep the satellite receiver separate from the media centre player.
I also have a few more mundane questions:
1. Obviously this is the ViX forum and I see most people recommend Vix over the Vu+ firmware initially, but could someone give me some pros/cons between ViX and BH?
2. I understand that EPG/Picons should ideally be held on a USB flash drive. What size would you recommend? I also see that some people use eSATA flash disks for this purpose. Are they better suited?
3. For recording I am thinking of using a NAS drive, and therefore not fitting an HDD to the Vu+ box. Is there any reason to fit an internal HDD as well. Instead, I could attach an external USB drive, but don't know if he slower speed compared to an internal drive would present any problems. What HDD would you recommend using, and does anyone know what make HDDs the sponsor fits?
4. Am I right in thinking that I can use the Freesat EPG with the ViX image?
Thanks very much for any replies.
If your going to be watching on your telly as well as wanting to watch via the web interface on another box than it has to be im my humble view a dual tuner at the very least.
As for your other queries
1. Your best to try them yourself as at the end of the day its about personal preferences. IMHO you can't bix VIX - best image out there.
2.2GB or more ideally.
3. NAS does work but not 100% reliable as an internal HD
4. Sorry no idea for Italy.
If your going to be watching on your telly as well as wanting to watch via the web interface on another box than it has to be im my humble view a dual tuner at the very least.
Thanks for your suggestions. I think I should have been clearer about the two options I am considering. In the end I know that I will need at least a twin tuner box, so I am thinking about either a Uno now, with its single tuner limitations to be combined eventually with the new XBMC box when it is released, or just an Ultimo for the foreseeable future and wait and see how the new XBMC box turns out. Sorry if what I wrote was confusing.
Thanks for your suggestions. I think I should have been clearer about the two options I am considering. In the end I know that I will need at least a twin tuner box, so I am thinking about either a Uno now, with its single tuner limitations to be combined eventually with the new XBMC box when it is released, or just an Ultimo for the foreseeable future and wait and see how the new XBMC box turns out. Sorry if what I wrote was confusing.
Go with what you can afford...the Ultimo is a superb price now so I'd get one and put in 3 S2 tuners...the T2 tuner might suit now but would be a waste if you have the capability for 3 S2's in your new place!
The extra processing and memory power won't do your streaming requirements any harm either!
I wouldn't worry about the XBMC integrated release TBH...it might be great but I'd still recommend building an HTPC for XBMC and keeping each box dedicated to what it does best!
the T2 tuner might suit now but would be a waste if you have the capability for 3 S2's in your new place!
The extra processing and memory power won't do your streaming requirements any harm either!
I'm now leaning towards my original choice of an Ultimo, but I have two follow-up questions based upon your reply:
1. Won't I need a DVB-T tuner module in the 3rd slot as otherwise I cannot receive/record any digital terrestrial here?
2. I was under the impression that the Ultimo and the Uno have the same CPU and RAM (with the Ultimo only having more Flash Memory which I though wasn't nearly as important as RAM)?
1. Won't I need a DVB-T tuner module in the 3rd slot as otherwise I cannot receive/record any digital terrestrial here?
My bad...in the UK, all terrestrial is available on satellite as well!
2. I was under the impression that the Ultimo and the Uno have the same CPU and RAM (with the Ultimo only having more Flash Memory which I though wasn't nearly as important as RAM)?
quite true...I was thinking about the Solo...carry on, nothing to see here :D
One other thing to bear in mind , you can install USB DVBS/T tuners in the UNO to make it into a twin/triple box.
At the end of the day, if money is not a problem, than go for the Ultimo as it is a cracking box but if money is than UNO is a lovely box as well.
Also don't forget the sponsor has the Ultimo at a cracking £449 with a further discount for forum members:thumbsup:
the T2 tuner might suit now but would be a waste if you have the capability for 3 S2's in your new place!The internal tuner is DVB-T, not T2. Not that it matters though as Italy transmits its terrestrial channels in DVB-T. But I agree it is a waste of a slot putting a terrestrial tuner in it when you can just add a Nova T USB stick. Even with 3 DVB-S2 tuners I still find I'm out of tuners every so often.
If you go for the Uno you could add a DVB-S USB stick and a twin DVB-T stick for a quad tuner receiver.
2) I keep my EPG on the hard drive. EPG is stored in the ram so there is no need to worry about waiting while the hard drive wakes up every time you use it. Picons work fine from a USB stick. Just needs to be big enough for the picon folder. I'm using a 4 Gb USB because that is what I had lying around and it works fine. Also no benefit in an eSata flash drive. They cost a fortune and have a limited life.
4) EPG is pretty flexible in VIX. For 28E data can come from Freesat or Sky's EPGs or from online sources.
Another receiver to consider here is the Xtrend ET9200, can also use USB DVB-T/T2 tuners and USB wifi ;)
Ultimo with 3 tuners, stream 2 to the imacs, only SD channels as HD will start breaking up if you try to stream to 2 imacs in HD at the same time, fine if watching one channel on TV and streaming in HD to one imac, stream no probs in SD to 2+ imacs.
Wireless N router at 5GHz using homeplugs with Ultimo works best, using the wireless N dongle picture breaks up if streaming in HD to imacs.
HTH.
Thanks for all of your comments. I have now basically decided on an Ultimo with three DVB-S tuners and for DVB-T, a USB dual tuner stick. For the image I will begin with ViX. I will add a spare internal 160GB SATA HDD that I have to be used for time shifts, back-ups, etc. in addition to primarily recording to an NAS (presuming that such a diversification among HDDs can be set-up). Should/could such a 'service' internal HDD be used in lieu of an USB flash drive for EPG, Picons, etc. or do I still need to use a flash drive as well?
Regarding the choice of USB stick, I see that the WinTV Nova-TD stick is only compatible with Windows. Given that I have Macs, in which I might want to use the stick from time to time, I found a similar dual tuner stick that is also compatible with OS X, the EyeTV Diversity. Is this stick compatible with the latest ViX image? I believe that it should be with only the Diversity functionality not currently supported by Linux. Do any of you have any preferences regarding these or other dual tuner sticks? I have also seen that some people appear to have problems, at least using BH, when using a tuner stick or USB flash drive in one of the rear USB slots and the Vu+ WIFI N USB dongle in the other. Has anyone experienced this with the ViX image?
Regarding the USB sticks you need to know what chipset it has and then make sure there is a driver to support it in your chosen image. And don't forget, if you are in the UK and want HD terrestrial channels the stick will need to be DVB-T2 compatible.
For picons using flash (USB) is the prefered method otherwise you need to wait for the hard drive to wake up every time you change channel or look at the EPG, or even just getting the infobar up.
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