another request for a recommended receiver: Xtrend ET8000 or ?

[chris16v]

hi all,

I am looking to finally upgrade my 2 VUsolo`s which have served me really well for 3 years. My requirements are:

reliable HD PIP
internal HDD
reasonable price (doesn't have to be top spec)

I put this question the WOS shop and they came back with the Xtrend ET8000 and the VUsolo2.

I am obviously familiar with the VUplus brand but i dont know much about Xtrend.
Based on price and spec the Xtrend looks better value and i have had a read in the Xtrend forum where i see some individual issues but obviously anyone who is loving the box doesn't post their satisfaction, so its hard to know what this box is like.

can anyone give me a low down...

cheers

[Sicilian]

Every box has its own individual issues. Pound of pound the ET8000 wins, also comes with 2 year hardware warranty. If you use or want transcoding go with the Solo2, if you don't use transcoding go for the ET8000. ET8000 also has the option to have a 3rd plug and play tuner or mix and match 3 play and play tuners. Solo2 only has 2x fixed satellite tuners. For normal use to watch and record satellite tv you will so no difference between either.

Transcoding on the Solo2 is software, not hardware, imo not great and would you really use it? Ability to add more tuners is more beneficial imo.

[chris16v]

thanks Sicilian, a useful insight. I don't think i need transcoding because i have a Plex server for this already. I am leaning towards the Extrend as it seems better value pound for pound.

I am looking to use cCcam and i mention this because there appears to a couple of users reporting an issue with the ET8000`s ability to stay on the network in conjunction with using Cccam. Just wondering if this is a red herring and an isolated case, hopefully,

I once had an issue a year ago with my nano 3t tuner freezing, then reporting it on the support forum here. I few people jumped on the wagon and said they had the same issue but for me it turned out my box wasn't happy hanging off my multiconnect LNB setup, and nothing to do with other users issues. So a red herring again for anyone who was checking out the 3t. The morale of the story is, often the apparent "issues" are not normally actual issues with the box after all.

[Sicilian]

I do not know of any softcam issues with any Xtrend model, red herring imo. If using CCcam use 2.30.

[twol]

I am looking to use cCcam and i mention this because there appears to a couple of users reporting an issue with the ET8000`s ability to stay on the network in conjunction with using Cccam. Just wondering if this is a red herring and an isolated case, hopefully,

Provided that you use CCcam 2.30 I have never had one issue with Xtrend's over the years .. And that includes the ET8000.
The Et8000 delivers what it says on the tin, and personally I prefer it to the ET10000 .

[chris16v]

thanks guys, good advice

[Larry-G]

Just for the record, the xtrend brand have been around for almost as long as the Vu+ has. In fact the et9000 was the third box to be supported by ViX after the Duo and Solo in that exact order. Which also prompted the renaming of the image from its original Vu+ image extreme to it's current virtuoso image extreme.

[twol]

You learn something every day (I still think my best box overall considering the date was the ET9200 )