Warning ! Dreambox 500 Hd & Bricking

[alunfennell]

If you have a new DM500HD unit please be aware of a potential issue with
some early version 3rd party images that may/will BRICK your DM500HD
and could void the warrenty. The sympton will be that after power up the
front LED will stay permt GREEN, The Ethenet port and USB port will be
non responsive.


You may be able to recover the unit by using the latest Dreamup 1.3.3.5
with both the Ethenet and USB cable conected. BUT if you get a reply
from Dreamup stating "Waiting for acknowledge" and no further
activaty. The unit will have to be returned to your place of purchase or
Dream Germany for repair.


Resellers have been made aware of this problem and have adviced their clients accordingly, Some will not replace the receiver if it has been flashed with any 3rd party image !


This problem is not a Dream Multimedia issue but something created by the 3rd party software developers who have not thorouly tested the images before releasing.


I beleive the safest to use at the present time is the Gemini image, all other images should be checked out carefully before flashing.


BE VERY CAREFULL WHEN LOADING UNPROVEN FIRMEWARE AS YOU MAY END UP WITH AN EXPENSIVE DOORSTOP.


All units sold are preloaded with factory release images only.


As stated the problem is related to corruption to the bootloader and
that All faulty units will have to be returned to Dream Germany (At your own expence in some cases ) for reprogramming. Even though this is not a Dream Multimedia problem as it is clearly stated that any installation of 3rd party software will void the warrenty.


Be careful of which images and where they have come from before you flash .... make sure others have used and flased the image you select before you do ...

[gji25]

well im using the gemini project2 image and to be quite honest its diabolical... keeps freezing and is totally non responsive... gonna reflash again and see if its any better. let you know how it goes later

[215liverpool]

well im using the gemini project2 image and to be quite honest its diabolical... keeps freezing and is totally non responsive... gonna reflash again and see if its any better. let you know how it goes later

Are you sure it's definitely the image ? I have Gemini 5.0 for DM500HD and it's been fine. In fact ever since I've installed it it's never crashed once.

[KMM]

i talked to smssat in surrey and they have said that if a customer puts the firmware on the box and it brickes then it does not void your warrenty. as long as it is under one year
it is ok they said they will be more then happy to repair or give a replacment

[Taroo]

Hi guys, I just bought the Dreambox 500 Hd from smssat, and everytime i try to connect it to my tv, the tv remains blank. The remote control is working fine and the LED light is green. Please help me if you can because i dont really know what to do anymore. Thanks in advance.

[Sat-Shop]

Thanks for posting the info up on this, I hadn't heard about this actually, very rare we get passed info from the distributor, they are very poor at communication.

[gji25]

how have you got it connected? scart or hdmi
also go through your av settings on remote for the tv

[Matthew_255]

From personal experience and from reading this forum is appears that the DM500 is a complete rubbish piece of kit (did I say kit) and should not be purchased. I have had 3 in about 2 months and they have all stopped working in as
short space of time. Dreamup flashes the boxes but whichever image I use the Dm500 stays dead. I have searched ebay for dreambox Jtag cables and nobody is selling them and nobody seems to be claiming to have done Jtags repairs with any success. Is there are recommend satellite receiver that isnt pure rubbish.??

[cactikid]

there might be a jtag thread around the forum.

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

I have reposted this thread over a few sites and credited you Alunfennell for it :)

[215liverpool]

From personal experience and from reading this forum is appears that the DM500 is a complete rubbish piece of kit (did I say kit) and should not be purchased. I have had 3 in about 2 months and they have all stopped working in as
short space of time. Dreamup flashes the boxes but whichever image I use the Dm500 stays dead. I have searched ebay for dreambox Jtag cables and nobody is selling them and nobody seems to be claiming to have done Jtags repairs with any success. Is there are recommend satellite receiver that isnt pure rubbish.??

Hi mate,

Looking at your previous posts you seem to be talking about DM500-s satellite reciever. This thread is about the DM500 HD version.

You mention in previous posts that you bought your DM500 recently I'm guessing it's a clone as they don't sell official DM500 through retailers anymore. I see that you are happy to write off the box if it goes wrong after buying it. :o) It definitely must be a clone.

What image are you trying to load on to the DM500 ? I'd stay away from the Gemini images if you have a clone.

[Rick150]

It seems to me that the march of the clones is not all bad. A bit like early days of IBM and the PC. Dream Clones are just like the originals, not perfect but much cheaper option if you brick it. Add to the junk pile and buy another. You could not do that with a genuine IBM, it cost too much.

[accordingly]

so the problem that has been reported about some 500hd's, is only because of wrong image installing and doesnt have anything to do with its hardware?
if this is the case i guess buying a 500hd wouldnt have any risk as long as you stick to trusted images!!

[215liverpool]

so the problem that has been reported about some 500hd's, is only because of wrong image installing and doesnt have anything to do with its hardware?
if this is the case i guess buying a 500hd wouldnt have any risk as long as you stick to trusted images!!

When I got my 500HD it came with the official Dream Multimedia image and then I put Gemini 5.0 for 500HD image on it and it's been fine.

I can't speak for any other images.

[alunfennell]

I have DreamElite 1.3 running grand on my one, But the First Dreamelite 1.1 & 1.4 for the DB500HD are not to be trusted.

DreamElite Team are Banging out new revised Images for the 500HD nearly once a Month and the main reason for this is there were serious Flaws in the Images.

There Latest 1.3 & 1.3.3 seem to be running stable.

All the Early Images were based on the theory that the receivers architecture would not differ very much from the DM8000 and to some degree with the 800 but these Image teams got it compleatly wrong.

Gemini who are Payed by Dream to develop Images for Dream-multimedia products were late out of the traps with an image for the 500HD all images are based on the Gemini images thus fixing the early attempts by other 3rd party developers.

No Team will acknowledge they use the Gemini base code but most do, and this is the main reason why early 500hd images screwed up the receivers because they lacked the Gemini base code to operate on the new receiver.

[accordingly]

I have DreamElite 1.3 running grand on my one, But the First Dreamelite 1.1 & 1.4 for the DB500HD are not to be trusted.

DreamElite Team are Banging out new revised Images for the 500HD nearly once a Month and the main reason for this is there were serious Flaws in the Images.

There Latest 1.3 & 1.3.3 seem to be running stable.

All the Early Images were based on the theory that the receivers architecture would not differ very much from the DM8000 and to some degree with the 800 but these Image teams got it compleatly wrong.

Gemini who are Payed by Dream to develop Images for Dream-multimedia products were late out of the traps with an image for the 500HD all images are based on the Gemini images thus fixing the early attempts by other 3rd party developers.

No Team will acknowledge they use the Gemini base code but most do, and this is the main reason why early 500hd images screwed up the receivers because they lacked the Gemini base code to operate on the new receiver.
you seem an expert about these stuff :cool:
from what you know, do you really think that there is nothing wrong with 500hd's harware but only flawed image?
btw when do you expect that we see 800hd se available and is it worth waiting?

[alunfennell]

Ok firstly everything thats made especially electronics will have problems with a new build , and Failures will of course happen with the hardware, but after an month or so production & RMA will have put in place screening for the faults reported by customers.

When the Dm500hd was released !

A. There should have been no Images available, because the Hardware was unknown and the systems architecture differed from previous Models a cross between the DM8000 & the DM800, But with in Days of release Images from 3rd party developers were all over the net.

B. These developers are not Payed to build official Images for Dream-Multimedia, and used nothing but Guess work to building the early Images, basing the architecture on previous Dreambox Receivers.

C. Gemini are officially the Software side of Dream-Multimedia and build official Images commercially for Dream, They did not officially release a Image for the 500HD for well over a month after the receiver was released.

A lot of People bought these receivers before Gemini released 5.0, So what were they all using ?

(Answer)
They were using Bad Images that were made with little or now Knowledge of the new Hardware introduced.

Dream Did Issue a Statement !

That Defective Receivers found to have 3rd party Software on them were null & Void of Warranty, This is funny coming from a Company that base there receivers running on all kinds of Images for the past ten year.

All of this points to faulty Images been the major Issue with the 500-Hd and not so much the Hardware although the Image developers would like to claim its the Hardware, one thing is for sure there has been a sudden decline in many forums relating to faulty 500 HD since Gemini 5.0 was released simply because its a building block for other 3rd party Image developers who screwed it all up in the first place.



http://image.digital-kingdom.dk/images/YnP24573.jpg

The 800HD se will not be released until 2011 January-February, Dream take a long time developing these receivers, Yeah It will be a future proof bit of kit and most users will get 6-8 years out of it ! its worth waiting for ...

At least Everyone will Know not to load early 3rd party Images onto it after its released. lol

[accordingly]

Yeah It will be a future proof bit of kit and most users will get 6-8 years out of it ! its worth waiting for ...

how many years do you think we get from 500hd?
p.s: i dont know wether buy 500hd or 800hd or even wait for 800hd se? :hmmmm2:
thanks :bounce:

[gji25]

where can we find the dreamelite 1.3 or 1.3.3 image for the dm500hd as its not to be seen n the d/load section. can only see 1.0 bh ?

[alunfennell]

With the 400mzh processor the 500hd will last for year and is future proof as much as the 500SD was 8 years ago, not forgetting the original 500 works pretty well for an old receiver still.

The 500HD is more powerfull than the current 800HD, the only differance with the 500HD & the new 800HD-se will be the USB ports.

[nasa32]

I have the same problem with my dream500hd [for second time] green led always on - fan isn't working and
it won't boot .
I was using GEMINI flash .

[Sat-Shop]

how many years do you think we get from 500hd?
p.s: i dont know wether buy 500hd or 800hd or even wait for 800hd se? :hmmmm2:
thanks :bounce:

Personally I wouldn't go for any of them, I would go for the VU+ DUO which is available now and is currently the most popular receiver in Europe! Have a read up on them... :)

[accordingly]

Personally I wouldn't go for any of them, I would go for the VU+ DUO which is available now and is currently the most popular receiver in Europe! Have a read up on them... :)
honestly i dont think vu+ would have same future software support (for future's problems) like dreambox. :)

[Sat-Shop]

Really? Why not? They use the same Enigma2 open source firmware.... AND the manufacturers response to bugs has been nothing short of amazing, which is then soon followed by third party image updates.

[gji25]

still did,nt answer the question about the 1.3 firmware ?

[alunfennell]

I have the same problem with my dream500hd [for second time] green led always on - fan isn't working and
it won't boot .
I was using GEMINI flash .

Gemini 5.0
And tell me did you go to Menu-Setup-system & fan control and switch it on ? because most people are unaware that the fan is at the Min-setting and when the receiver is in standby the fan is actually disabled all of this is set as default, meaning the processor is over heating and can rise to 65c + if not changed, thus frying parts of your receiver in no time.

Dreamelite have not fixed there fan control on there images (Defaut images), these image as well switches off the fan in standby and can reach 40c +, its not know what temp the system actually runs at when operational because none of the gages work on the Dreamelite.

If you let your hardware over heat failure will happen.....

[cactikid]

nice one m8 we take it that when a fan is in a box it works,very good point made adjust the speed.