Who would buy a Clone knowing what they know now?

[dell_xps]

Simple yes or no ?

I'll be voting a big NO.

[RuberDuck]

not if you paid me to buy it then said it could keep the box.

[dell_xps]

not if you paid me to buy it then said it could keep the box.

LMAO RD :-)

[Rodbouy]

I voted yes. this is why.

3 Originals 1 dead. %33.33 fail rate.

10 clones 0 dead 0% fail rate.

A good poll to see tho would be to ask how many clone owners, with options of how many have been returned / how many still working.

Would give us a better answer to how they are doing as you only hear the bad.

[cactikid]

voted no and only wanted the best at the time and doing research and plenty of reading,not worth the risk,same as tvs some look amazing and others standard.

[alom5]

Are we talking about the vu clones our clones in general?

If it's vu...can't comment....but the dm800 and 800SE have had a few now and never had any issues that haven't been able to sort out (image preferences than anything else)

A definite YES from me

[dell_xps]

Are we talking about the vu clones our clones in general?

If it's vu...can't comment....but the dm800 and 800SE have had a few now and never had any issues that haven't been able to sort out (image preferences than anything else)

A definite YES from me


View Poll Results: Would you buy any VU clone ?

[portbhoy]

I have 2 clones and they haven't looked like failing yet, I've seen the posts around various forums about failing clones but if you count them there's maybe 20 failed clones with the same users asking the same questions across multiple forums so it looks like there are loads. Originals are still around ?100 more to buy unless you buy from Europe, so yes I would still buy a Duo clone.

[up4it]

yes as no probs with mine so far

[notluckyuk]

yes from me, got two and work well...still

[portbhoy]

The one piece of advice I would give is make sure the fan is running when you set it up, I have seen more posts about the fan not working than anything and I believe the fan and power board failure are connected.

[blueflash234]

if your original vu fails its just a matter of returning it to the person you bought it of, where do you send your clones if it fails?

[portbhoy]

Risk you take mate, you can buy a new board for ?18 probably the same price you will pay to return a dead original and get it posted back to you.

[TheCoder]

Even the lower quality boxes use identical semiconductors to the 'real' boxes with the only real difference being soldering quality and maybe (on really cheap clones) the pcb etch quality. Tbh, i've seen clones whose build quality actually surpasses the originals !

Generally speaking, the higher quality clones are manufactured to the same or higher quality than the originals so they have a similar chance of 'dying' as an original box. The only thing you get with the 'originals' is ease of returning it if something does go wrong but, as mentioned above, with a new clone mainboard costing less than ?20 clone failure is not a serious problem.

The extra cost of the original is really only for the guarantee. If thats important to you then buy original. If not, then buy a clone !

[mdt]

ive bought 3 vu+solo,s and all 3 are running fine... ive also bought countless dm500c boxs and a few dm500s,s and all have worked fine apart from 1 dm500s which threw a wobberler after 2 years(probably got pissed off with being flashed). my dm800pro had a faulty tuner but since it was replaced its been running ok for the last 18 months. if you want piece of mind and have the extra cash then get a original but if not then get a clone, so i vote yes overall. regards mdt

[digicon]

Having owned a Clone Duo and had Zero problems with it i voted yes as well, As has already been stated original receivers can also suffer from manufacture problems.

Take into account the Xtrend ET9000 great receiver but had a problem with SR3000 symbol rate on Tuner B turns out no drivers in the world could fix it as it was a hardware problem which left owners fuming as Xtrend and Clark tech would not acknowledge or even fix it.

And of course lets not forget the early revision Vu Duo with its memory leak problem.

Just goes to show even originals have there problems.

[rupeshbmnoob]

As much as I want to buy a Vu, I'm extremely tight on money at the moment so I wouldn't be able to take risks with a clone at the moment given just how much commotion there's been over them not working.

At the very least, I now feel it's best to wait till the Duo2 & Solo2 come out when I'm sure there'll be a steep price fall in the original models and hopefully then, the clones will have improved.

[dell_xps]

Digicon "having owned", leads me to think you have now got rid of the clone box ?

[digicon]

Digicon "having owned", leads me to think you have now got rid of the clone box ?

Correct but probably not for the reasons your thinking off either.

[cactikid]

its probably also worth noting that it is the enthusiasts that have dabbled for many years that will know what or how to do better over a newbie and be in a better position to fix it ,so i can see their point of view.

[benny/9]

i usually buy genuine boxes but iv'e had
both a clone and a genuine vu duo and found
it very difficult to say one was better than the other.
iv'e also had clone dreamboxes and they have all moved
my 36v motor/ dish without any problems, i must admit everything
iv'e bought clone or genuine has only ever come from uk dealers
and if you know who your buying from i cant see any reason not
to go for a clone if thats whats in your budget. but clones will always
have knockers no matter how good they are and will never use them

[joetwizzy]

I'm still really struggling between buying a clone from china at 175 a clone from UK at 199 or a original from Germany at 255.

[cactikid]

only you can decide,if a clone box goes down how long or how much,and the same goes for an original.
if others had defects nice to see downtime and costs for a guide,that ok folks?

[joetwizzy]

Does anyone know a UK supplier of clones for less than 199?

Cheers all!

[dell_xps]

M8 buy original, its just pure luck if you get a semi decent clone, the poll is swaying towards a yes for clones, but to be honest I still wouldn't touch one.
Wee things like are these BS certified, would you not feel bad if yer house went up in smoke cause these boxes are not properly quality controlled etc etc.......
HTH

[joetwizzy]

M8 buy original, its just pure luck if you get a semi decent clone, the poll is swaying towards a yes for clones, but to be honest I still wouldn't touch one.
Wee things like are these BS certified, would you not feel bad if yer house went up in smoke cause these boxes are not properly quality controlled etc etc.......
HTH

The thing is that a Vu+ is nothing more than a Dreambox clone rebranded and improved.

If I buy from a UK seller I have the distance selling regulation to fall back on.

[Rodbouy]

M8 buy original, its just pure luck if you get a semi decent clone, the poll is swaying towards a yes for clones, but to be honest I still wouldn't touch one.
Wee things like are these BS certified, would you not feel bad if yer house went up in smoke cause these boxes are not properly quality controlled etc etc.......
HTH

Mate thats a bit of a angle to come in at.

For one, any appliance, BS or not can melt and catch fire. Just hopefully every house has a modern consumer unit and would trip. Also a smoke alarm.

Just because the duo probably carries the CE does not mean it meets BS.

Did your original not BLOW UP :)

[RuberDuck]

The thing is that a Vu+ is nothing more than a Dreambox clone rebranded and improved.

If I buy from a UK seller I have the distance selling regulation to fall back on.

not when those goods are counterfeit them selves. try taking a claim against a retailer when you know full well the goods you are buying are counterfeit. as to the Vu being a DM clone if thats like saying every car ever made is a clone and in my opinion thats total betty swollocks.

[Rodbouy]

not when those goods are counterfeit them selves. try taking a claim against a retailer when you know full well the goods you are buying are counterfeit. as to the Vu being a DM clone if thats like saying every car ever made is a clone and in my opinion thats total betty swollocks.

Thing is, the boxes are made to be able to use various cams so that cards can be shared and used from their actual intended boxes.

Do you think these boxes would be as popular if Sky and NDS or others for that matter made better use of their security when it comes to pairing card and box.

These boxes live and thrive due to card sharing. Does the moral high ground of buying original boxes out weigh what the boxes are being used for?

Just a thought.

[RuberDuck]

Thing is, the boxes are made to be able to use various cams so that cards can be shared and used from their actual intended boxes.

Do you think these boxes would be as popular if Sky and NDS or others for that matter made better use of their security when it comes to pairing card and box.

These boxes live and thrive due to card sharing. Does the moral high ground of buying original boxes out weigh what the boxes are being used for?

Just a thought.

I dont doubt that CS is the driving factor in sales of Third-party satellite receivers, and i dont doubt that the same will eventually be the end of the satellite scene as we currently know it although when is another question all together.

personally i could not care less about CS as i am a satellite hobbyist, and i pay for my TV viewing using a Sky uk sub and receiver. I have been into satellite TV since 1989 when i was just 11 years old. I Bought my first linux receiver almost 12 years ago well before CS reared it's ugly head. as far as i'm concerned Sky can do the same thing here as was done in Australia to kill the ability to use a card in a third-party box and i would not bat a eyelid.

[Rodbouy]

I dont doubt that CS is the driving factor in sales of Third-party satellite receivers, and i dont doubt that the same will eventually be the end of the satellite scene as we currently know it although when is another question all together.

personally i could not care less about CS as i am a satellite hobbyist, and i pay for my TV viewing using a Sky uk sub and receiver. I have been into satellite TV since 1989 when i was just 11 years old. I Bought my first linux receiver almost 12 years ago well before CS reared it's ugly head. as far as i'm concerned Sky can do the same thing here as was done in Australia to kill the ability to use a card in a third-party box and i would not bat a eyelid.

I understand that goes for you, as i know you put a lot of time and effort in to the images you produce.

But in the grand scale of things these companies do not make boxes for what your aim is. They know what the mass market wants.

So as much as it pisses of Sky that these companies aim for that market, the same goes for cloners of Vu Duo and other 3rd party receivers.

Also for all the images that get created and updated, do you think the demand would be as high if the 3rd party receiver market died a death.

I think it would drastically diminish compared to current levels.

[dell_xps]

Rod fair point about my PS, but all I got was the red light of death...lol, once opened up a I noticed a chip had blown :-)

[Rodbouy]

Rod fair point about my PS, but all I got was the red light of death...lol, once opened up a I noticed a chip had blown :-)

Ah no but I got to make it sound more dramatic :)

[dell_xps]

Had to phone the fire brigade, forgot to put that bit in...lmao

[satsmo]

Is this thread a poll or this one in disguise? http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f193/vu-uno-duo-clone-questions-answers-only-256587/index7.html#post1648739

[dell_xps]

Soz boss it's a poll :-)

[satsmo]

So vote,(which you have), and leave it at that ;)

[joetwizzy]

I ended up buying an original.

VU+ plus Duo Twin High End Linux HDTV Receiver PVR Ready 8809288540015 | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360440213533#ht_3101wt_992)
Works out ?255, It's an original.

What swung it for me was the fact I wouldn't have to worry about what image I put on it.

Thanks for all your help.