New Satellite Box advice

[Rahat786786]

Hi,

Its been a long tine since I have posted here!

I have a vu duo downstairs and was thinking of upgrading to a quad tuner box so that I can record 4 channels simultaneously or watch 1 while recording three on 28.2e. First of all, is this possible with a quad tuner box? If so, which box would you recommend?

I also have a shield tv box loaded with the enigma2 kodi addon upstairs and so am streaming one tuner upstairs. The issue with the vu duo is that because of two tuners I cant watch something upstairs if someone is recording downstairs and watching another channel so I figured the quad tuner box may solve this issue.

Can you please advise?

Thanks!

[abu baniaz]

Yes possible with a quad tuner receiver. However, the Anga show is soon. New receivers will be announced and may even be released soon afterwards.

Better off going for a receiver with an FBC tuner and also use a unicable LNB instead of quad tuner. Only Solo 4K has FBC tuners at the moment.

[Rahat786786]

Thanks for your response mate.

Can you please explain the benefit of an FBC tuner and unicable lnb please?

I was going to simply have four lines from my sky dish to my box

Thanks

[Rahat786786]

Sorry, just to add. For my needs, since my sky dish has a quad lnb but only uses 2 inputs atm, i was thinking of adding two more lines to the lnb and connecting 4 lines to a quad tuner box. I want something that will work and not go overkill. I was looking at the Gigablue Quad Tuner box as an option for this.

[Rob van der Does]

Better off going for a receiver with an FBC tuner and also use a unicable LNB instead of quad tuner. Only Solo 4K has FBC tuners at the moment.
Well, IMHO that's a very drastic conclusion.
First of all: the box is far too expensive, and still in it's infancy
Secondly: a complete Unicable setup (for multiple satellites) is extremely expensive
Thirdly: such an FBC-tuner setup will be an overkill for many users
Lastly: atm only the Solo2-4k has such a tuner configuration. Better wait for some competitors to compete on quality and price.

[twol]

Have to agree with Rob on this one.
Also, in my marginal reception area every point drop on the signal is a real issue, so I need a excellent Lnb plus feedhorn ... so unicable (to the best of my knowledge) does not meet either of these requirements on the lnb and with splitters degrading the signal
For me using a multiswitch is still a better distribution system than unicable.

[Rahat786786]

Ok guys, so which quad tuner box would you recommend? I will simply have 4 lines from quad lnb going to the box.

I heard good things about mut@nt hd2400 but cant find it on WOS. The Gigablue Quad looks good...

[Andy_Hazza]

Not my cup of tea but you can look at the Xtrend ET10K >> http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and-terrestrial/digital-receivers/xtrend/Xtrend-ET10000-4x-DVB-S2
The Mut@nt HD2400 is a great receiver, but non in stock at WoS. The Xtrend or The Mut@nt are better spec'd receivers than the Quad.


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[Rahat786786]

Thanks. The extrend looks like a well specd box, any reason you dont like it?

Also cant seem to find the mut@nt box for sale anywhere.

[Rob van der Does]

I'm looking for a 4 tuner STB myself atm, but none of the available options is to my liking.
As I'm not in a hurry I'll await the Anga and see if anything interesting comes up.

[Rahat786786]

Ok I might wait till ANGA too. Why is the extrend not to your liking?

[Rob van der Does]

Manufacturer support is lacking for a long time, HbbTV-plugin very often doesn't work, unreadable VFD, unstable NIC(s).
My main purpose for VFD is to show a large progress bar; this VFD shows some very small text and unintelligible icons.

[twol]

Manufacturer support is lacking for a long time, HbbTV-plugin very often doesn't work, unreadable VFD, unstable NIC(s).
My main purpose for VFD is to show a large progress bar; this VFD shows some very small text and unintelligible icons.

I know you didn,t get what you wanted, but they did update in April 2016.... And I am guessing that hbbTV in the UK is not of high importance in this discussion.
Ref the LCD, I think most of them are useless which is one reason I went for the ET8500:)

[Rahat786786]

The lcd is not important to me and I dont use HbbTv. I'll look out for mut@nt, hopefully WOS stock it soon.

[Andy_Hazza]

The lcd is not important to me and I dont use HbbTv. I'll look out for mut@nt, hopefully WOS stock it soon.

The Mut@nt HD2400 is a fantastic receiver.


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[Rob van der Does]

Yep, but last update (the first in years) was not a good one :(
Of course the importance of flaws depends on your personal use. If you don't use HbbTV you are obviously not interested in it working or not (although it not working shows the lack of discipline of the manufacturer).
There are quite a number of boxes with a decent front panel display (VFD/LCD/OLED), such as Quad+, DUO2, Ultimo (the very best display there is), ET8500, Nemesis and probably more. It's the combination of my wishes that makes it impossible to make a good choice atm.

[Andy_Hazza]

The Vu+ Solo 4K has a nice display too. [emoji4]


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[Rob van der Does]

The Mut@nt HD2400 is a fantastic receiver.
Maybe so, but it has no HbbTV, which is a requirement for me (and OpenOpera is not an option: it is not being maintained and doesn't support a 1080-skin).

Coming to that: manufactures of E2 boxes have very little software to develop, as that comes from the community for free. The only thing they need to do is make decent drivers, and a plugin like HbbTV. By not delivering the last they clearly and publicly show only to want to make as much money as they can and as fast as possible. Only a handful of manufacturers actually support HbbTV; poor show :(
That alone is reason for me to avoid such a brand, even if I would have no interest in HbbTV.

[Rahat786786]

I have found the mut@nt hd2400 in stock elsewhere and will order soon. Only thing I don't like the look of is the remote, and it is not universal.

Read a thread where the input can be changed so I can use my vu duo remote on the mut@nt which will hopefully work!

[Sicilian]

I have found the mut@nt hd2400 in stock elsewhere and will order soon. Only thing I don't like the look of is the remote, and it is not universal.

Read a thread where the input can be changed so I can use my vu duo remote on the mut@nt which will hopefully work!

I'd be inclined to go with the ET10000, same spec and has good quality universal remote.

[Rahat786786]

Yes the remote on the xtrend does look good, in going to go for that box. Just need to find a buyer for my vu first!

I just had two more questions i was hoping you guys could help me with.

Regarding the xtrend, i want to install a internal 4tb hdd and cant find WD green anywhere, only blue which is also 5400rpm. Will the blue do the job?

Also, at the moment i am streaming via kodi upstairs and when i do, at times there is button lag on the vu. The box becomes slow. Is this because of the vu duos low ram, processing power?

Thanks!

[Andy_Hazza]

The WD Blue will be fine.
Kodi isn't available for the Vu+ Duo. Are you using Kodi Direct?


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[Rahat786786]

Sorry i should have explained better. I have vu duo running downstairs on openvix. I have a shield tv android box upstairs which has an enigma 2 pvr client which allows me to stream a tuner from my vu duo upstairs on my shield tv box vida kodi.

Thats why I want to upgrade, having more tuners will allow me to watch comfortably knowing that someone can record downstairs and still watch tv. Atm both tuners get used up.

[danlou]

Yep, but last update (the first in years) was not a good one :(
Of course the importance of flaws depends on your personal use. If you don't use HbbTV you are obviously not interested in it working or not (although it not working shows the lack of discipline of the manufacturer).
There are quite a number of boxes with a decent front panel display (VFD/LCD/OLED), such as Quad+, DUO2, Ultimo (the very best display there is), ET8500, Nemesis and probably more. It's the combination of my wishes that makes it impossible to make a good choice atm.
Rob, you seem to be critical of box manufacturers and seemingly well qualified to do so...
What will be your ideal configuration? Hopefully these makers will read it and assemble one :)
Seriously, what do you want to see? Do we have to look at re-architecture of Enigma 2 boxes to move more into IPTV space?
Where do you or other experienced users see the landscape in a couple of years time, which is technological terms can seem a lifetime.
Somehow I see the term hybrid being used more and more...

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[Andy_Hazza]

Sorry i should have explained better. I have vu duo running downstairs on openvix. I have a shield tv android box upstairs which has an enigma 2 pvr client which allows me to stream a tuner from my vu duo upstairs on my shield tv box vida kodi.

Thats why I want to upgrade, having more tuners will allow me to watch comfortably knowing that someone can record downstairs and still watch tv. Atm both tuners get used up.

Got ya. Yeah the Duo is dated and lacks ram n the umph of the newer boxes.


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[AMughal]

New member and sorry for hijacking the thread but I'm after a new box as my sky subscription ends soon and with that the recording facility too!

I very much like how the sky box records including series record option, organises the recordings and the playback with a single play button press to get to all recorded content... Is there any box that's quite similar or easy to use for recording and playback etc ?

I also prefer to keep same channel numbering as sky...

BTW, I was considering the Edision mini OS box as it's around £100 which I'd like to stick to if at all possible.

Thanks in advance...

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[Rob van der Does]

Manufacturer support is lacking for a long time, HbbTV-plugin very often doesn't work, unreadable VFD, unstable NIC(s).
My main purpose for VFD is to show a large progress bar; this VFD shows some very small text and unintelligible icons.


Yep, but last update (the first in years) was not a good one :(
Of course the importance of flaws depends on your personal use. If you don't use HbbTV you are obviously not interested in it working or not (although it not working shows the lack of discipline of the manufacturer).
There are quite a number of boxes with a decent front panel display (VFD/LCD/OLED), such as Quad+, DUO2, Ultimo (the very best display there is), ET8500, Nemesis and probably more. It's the combination of my wishes that makes it impossible to make a good choice atm.


Maybe so, but it has no HbbTV, which is a requirement for me (and OpenOpera is not an option: it is not being maintained and doesn't support a 1080-skin).

Coming to that: manufactures of E2 boxes have very little software to develop, as that comes from the community for free. The only thing they need to do is make decent drivers, and a plugin like HbbTV. By not delivering the last they clearly and publicly show only to want to make as much money as they can and as fast as possible. Only a handful of manufacturers actually support HbbTV; poor show :(
That alone is reason for me to avoid such a brand, even if I would have no interest in HbbTV.


Rob, you seem to be critical of box manufacturers and seemingly well qualified to do so...
What will be your ideal configuration? Hopefully these makers will read it and assemble one :)
Seriously, what do you want to see? Do we have to look at re-architecture of Enigma 2 boxes to move more into IPTV space?
Where do you or other experienced users see the landscape in a couple of years time, which is technological terms can seem a lifetime.
Somehow I see the term hybrid being used more and more...

I am critical, indeed, especially when it comes to quality. Personally I'm fed up with manufacturers who get away with sloppy development (in the very small area in which they have to do anything at all) and bugs that are annoying clients for years. As I said before: they just want to make many quick bucks. IMHO for the price that has to be paid for E2 boxes, one may and must expect a decent quality device and a long term support.
And yes: (most of) my wishes combined in one box can be found already, but not in a good, solid software state.

Development over the next years you ask?
Obviously 4k; not only for receiving, but also for streaming. The one box that's on the market now is still in it's infancy and expensive, and we'll have to see what the (near?) future brings us.
IPTV? Maybe, but not my area of expertise/interest.
CI+ is the next big step, partly already active (GigaBlue; AFAIK the only manufacturer with a license, the rest is just (illegally) hacking around. Although I loathe the very idea of a provider controlling what I'm allowed and able to do, more and more customers are accepting CI+ so is being embraced with open arms by providers, so we'll have to deal with it.
And of course: big deal breaker is providers pairing (their own) boxes with smart cards. If we can't change this, that will be the end of E2 for many markets.