Advice on a receiver.

[Swanny32]

Hi,
I'm in the market for a receiver but am confused as hell with the sheer amount of choice out there.

My budget is ?300, possibly stretch to ?350 if it's really worth it.
I need something which is user friendly as I have young children and a wife who has only just learnt how to use the Sky HD box properly. I need to be able to series link and record easily, so a built in HDD would be good too.

My Uncle keeps banging on about the Duo+ 2 which is due for release sometime soon, he reckons. What is the difference between that and the new Solo2?

[ramjet]

Hi,
I'm in the market for a receiver but am confused as hell with the sheer amount of choice out there.

My budget is ?300, possibly stretch to ?350 if it's really worth it.
I need something which is user friendly as I have young children and a wife who has only just learnt how to use the Sky HD box properly. I need to be able to series link and record easily, so a built in HDD would be good too.

My Uncle keeps banging on about the Duo+ 2 which is due for release sometime soon, he reckons. What is the difference between that and the new Solo2?

Solo 2 is probably the best at the moment, with the duo a close second

as to your question, I read this elsewhere

Solo2 = 1.3ghz cpu, twin fixed sat tuners with blindscan (when the drivers are updated), 1gb ddr3 ram

------------------------------------

Duo2 = 1.3ghz cpu, twin pluggable tuners with blindscan, 2gb ddr3 ram, vfd and lcd front panel displays, and built in wifi

(all of which to be confirmed before launch as all specs can and are likely to change).

[digicon]

Hi,
I'm in the market for a receiver but am confused as hell with the sheer amount of choice out there.

My budget is ?300, possibly stretch to ?350 if it's really worth it.
I need something which is user friendly as I have young children and a wife who has only just learnt how to use the Sky HD box properly. I need to be able to series link and record easily, so a built in HDD would be good too.

My Uncle keeps banging on about the Duo+ 2 which is due for release sometime soon, he reckons. What is the difference between that and the new Solo2?

Your budget wont stretch to the Duo2 and its release has yet to be decided, The Solo2 is within your price range but if you have only just got use to how the official box works then you are heading for a steep learning curve with the Solo2.

Recording can be done very similar to what an official box can do and there is a plugin for series record but like everything Linux E2 it is really hit and miss.

the difference between the Solo2 and Duo2 are the following extra's on the Duo2 More Flash 1gb compared to 256mb more Ram 2gb DDR3 compared to 1gb Built in Wi-Fi none on Solo2 and the Mini TV screen only 12 digit VFD on solo2

[Swanny32]

Hi,
I'm in the market for a receiver but am confused as hell with the sheer amount of choice out there.

My budget is ?300, possibly stretch to ?350 if it's really worth it.
I need something which is user friendly as I have young children and a wife who has only just learnt how to use the Sky HD box properly. I need to be able to series link and record easily, so a built in HDD would be good too.

My Uncle keeps banging on about the Duo+ 2 which is due for release sometime soon, he reckons. What is the difference between that and the new Solo2?

So what box would you guys recommend to me then?

[ramjet]

So what box would you guys recommend to me then?

I already said in my first reply ;)

[Swanny32]

My concern with the Solo is that it doesn't come with a hard drive, one website I looked at want an extra ?100 for a 1TB hard drive. That takes it well over my budget.

[Swanny32]

Also, is the Solo going to be too good for what I need it to do? Coming in well under budget but still having a bit of kit that's easy to use and can record will get me big brownie points.

[ramjet]

My concern with the Solo is that it doesn't come with a hard drive, one website I looked at want an extra ?100 for a 1TB hard drive. That takes it well over my budget.

so would a duo2 or a duo, they are all bare bones with no hdd to start with

one good thing about the duo is it will take the 3.5 inch sata drive and so you could fit at least a 500gb drive in a duo for your budget

[Swanny32]

So is there going to be a massive difference between the Duo+ and the Duo+2?

[ramjet]

So is there going to be a massive difference between the Duo+ and the Duo+2?

definitely

here are all the specs posted elsewhere for the vu`s

Solo = 333mhz (iirc) cpu, single fixed tuner

Duo = 405mhz cpu, 386mb ram, twin fixed tuners

Uno = 405mhz dual core cpu, 512mb ram, single pluggable tuner with blindscan, so can swap out tuner for sat, terrestrial or cable, and soon twin tuner sat card available.

Ultimo = 405mhz dual core cpu, 512mb ram, triple pluggable tuners with blindscan, so can swap out 1,2 or all 3, mix and match the tuners as you wish, and soon there is twin tuner card, so you could have 4 tuners built in, and the large vfd display

Solo2 = 1.3ghz cpu, twin fixed sat tuners with blindscan (when the drivers are updated), 1gb ddr3 ram

Duo2 = 1.3ghz cpu, twin pluggable tuners with blindscan, 2gb ddr3 ram, vfd and lcd front panel displays, and built in wifi
(all of which to be confirmed before launch as all specs can and are likely to change).

[redondo5]

My concern with the Solo is that it doesn't come with a hard drive, one website I looked at want an extra ?100 for a 1TB hard drive. That takes it well over my budget.

installing 1tb or any size hdd is pretty simple. don't need to be an expert either.

2.5" 1tb drives can be got for 59.99 from amazon and other places.

once you get it, ( i usually preformat on pc to ext3, but the receiver should initialise and format just fine) - you need to open up the solo 2, involves unscrewing 3 (or is it 5) screws with philips screw driver.

you get the sata and power cable connectors with the solo 2 when you buy it, you also get the smaller screws. and connnectors to mount it in the internal caddy.

just 3 screws inside, screw the four hdd screws to the caddy and that's it. attach the sata connectors and you're done.

switch on the box and you can initialize the hdd from the setup menu.

[Swanny32]

All this box is going to be used for is freesat on 28 east, what benefit would the other tuners be to me. If they aren't of much benefit to me then I'm guessing the Solo 2 is going to be more than enough for me?

[ramjet]

All this box is going to be used for is S*y, what benefit would the other tuners be to me. If they aren't of much benefit to me then I'm guessing the Solo 2 is going to be more than enough for me?

be careful on here about mentioning broadcasters ;) (suggest you EDIT your last post)

I think you mean freesat on 28 east ;) LOL

if using on satellite then more than 1 tuner allows more than one recording to take place at the same time

or you can watch bbc1 and record itv1

there are also some possibilities in recording even more channels when the same transponders are in use

so no the T or C tuners are no good to you, but all the S for Sat tuners are, and so the Solo2 is a good choice with twin sat tuners and I said so in my first reply too

[Swanny32]

Good stuff Ramjet, you certainly know your stuff.

I'm looking at someone selling one on eBay with a pre-installed 1TB hard drive. He says that he will "flash with firmware image of my choice"....what does he mean by this?

[blueflash234]

don't get bamboozled by all the spec on the new solo the older duo, solo and others are still good boxes also have a look at some non-linux boxes easier to get to grips with for a newbie,tm 5402,tm6902,spiderbox 9900 they are good boxes to

[cactikid]

be wary of someone selling a clone version.

[redondo5]

be careful on here about mentioning broadcasters ;) (suggest you EDIT your last post)

I think you mean freesat on 28 east ;) LOL

if using on satellite then more than 1 tuner allows more than one recording to take place at the same time

or you can watch bbc1 and record itv1

there are also some possibilities in recording even more channels when the same transponders are in use

so no the T or C tuners are no good to you, but all the S for Sat tuners are, and so the Solo2 is a good choice with twin sat tuners and I said so in my first reply too
following on from ramjets sound advice, the extra tuners can be useful on e2 receivers if you like streaming to mobile/tablet devices around the house or even moreso from outside with the solo2.

also PIP picture in picture uses two tuners up, not that you would use it for a long time. personally, i like the pip function to have something like cricket on in the corner while missus watches her stuff.

basically extra tuners are useful for multiple recordings, streaming and pip functions simultaneously. and if you want to mix and match various types, e.g. terrestrial, cable or satellite flavours. although two sat tuners are usually more than enough for most peoples usage.

if you were on a real budget and you get uno for cheap, then withthese twin plug in tuners now available, it might be an option converting uno to a twin tuner. but considering uno is not that cheap and solo2 is so far ahead in terms of spec, you best choice would be solo2 and for extra tuners maybe GIgablue quad

[Swanny32]

I suppose the main question really is how the EPG works and how easy it is to use. Is there somewhere you can go that has pictures/videos on these?

[Swanny32]

be wary of someone selling a clone version.
Roger that.

[ramjet]

many of those other boxes mentioned in a previous post I discounted due to them not having the facility of an internal hdd, I actually own some of them or have had dealings with them, but eventually most people want a reliable epg and internal hdd which tend to be the linux boxes like the dreambox and vu

the streaming over ethernet and plugins for external streaming and other aspects tend to weigh in favour of the linux boxes, and the epg download by internet is also preferable

the vu boxes do these things with general ease, and their video and mp3 playback from hdd or nas are also impressive

as for preloading, the box needs loading with the image of choice like blackhole or vix and isnt hard to do, should be done by you the end user so you can fix things if they go wrong. learn to do it yourself and you can fix it or upgrade it yourself, especially as a vu just needs the files on usb stick, and most plugins can be downloaded in the image or by installing tspanel if its not already in there

I like my older single tuner boxes, but boxes like the vu range tend to tick all the boxes of what you want now and what you may want in the future

I wouldnt buy a clone, and so the ones on flea bay could well be clones despite what they say

[Swanny32]

What is an "image" though? To me that's a picture. I'm assuming it's a fancy word for software? In which case, are there different EPG's around that you can install, some being better or more user friendly than others.

[Swanny32]

And yes, an internal hard drive is a must really, the less boxes on my TV stand the better!

[ramjet]

What is an "image" though? To me that's a picture. I'm assuming it's a fancy word for software? In which case, are there different EPG's around that you can install, some being better or more user friendly than others.

image , firmware , software , operating system (os) - call it what you like m8 (linux is an operating system)

I did mention 2 of them , vix and blackhole , but there are many more depending on the box in question
they are images because the suffix is img , ie:- image - somebody made it and imaged it and uploaded it to the net

for linux boxes you have various internet based epg`s , like coolman , crossepg and probably quite a few more

you do realise there is a dedicated VU section on this forum dont you ? and a dreambox section too (a lot of the stuff is dual purpose like channel editors and some plugins)

[ramjet]

online definition of the word IMAGE (same as we mean here)

9. Computer Science

An exact replica of the contents of a storage device, such as a hard disk, stored on a second storage device, such as a network server.


now if I make a hdd copy as an image using norton ghost on my laptop, I make a ghost image of the hdd

[Swanny32]

Your help is much appreciated, I realised there was individual sections on the site but didn't want to start a thread about what box to get in a specific section in case I opted for something different.

So basically, if I get a Solo2 then it doesn't matter about being user friendly as I can just mess around with different images to see which is best suited to us?

[ramjet]

Your help is much appreciated, I realised there was individual sections on the site but didn't want to start a thread about what box to get in a specific section in case I opted for something different.

So basically, if I get a Solo2 then it doesn't matter about being user friendly as I can just mess around with different images to see which is best suited to us?

its actually reasonably user friendly, but as you can backup your OS to the internal hdd , and easily restore it, you can install one image after the other, try them , back them up, then restore the one you like best

you can also try out different plugins like 1channel or moviestream for streaming , and crossepg or coolman or similar epg downloaders as you wish

you could ftp your recordings over your lan to a nas or laptop for storage or processing

you can add your nas to the mix and stream videos and mp3`s from it

its the versatility over the other boxes mentioned that are a good reason for getting one, backing up being one of many additions to their repertoire

[Swanny32]

Let the saving commence! I don't think I'll bother waiting for the Duo2 I don't think it's going to offer anything extra that will be massively beneficial to me and my family. The Solo2 sounds like it will definitely do the job and hopefully make streaming movies from my laptop a bit easier as well, been waiting to do it for ages as it's almost impossible to suss out using an Xbox and Windows Media Centre.

[ramjet]

Let the saving commence! I don't think I'll bother waiting for the Duo2 I don't think it's going to offer anything extra that will be massively beneficial to me and my family. The Solo2 sounds like it will definitely do the job and hopefully make streaming movies from my laptop a bit easier as well, been waiting to do it for ages as it's almost impossible to suss out using an Xbox and Windows Media Centre.

I just ftp the movies to the internal hdd and use mediaplayer to play them straight off the internal hdd

[digicon]

All this box is going to be used for is freesat on 28 east, what benefit would the other tuners be to me. If they aren't of much benefit to me then I'm guessing the Solo 2 is going to be more than enough for me?


Assuming your above statement is correct and your only buying a receiver for as you say Freesat on 28.2? east then why invest in a linux receiver at ?300 when an Official Freesat receiver with Hard drive built in and official Freesat EPG which will allow you series record at probably a cheaper price.

[cactikid]

its the extra things mentioned on an earlier post if you get the drift

[digicon]

its the extra things mentioned on an earlier post if you get the drift

Well anyone spending that amount of money on a fixed dish install on 28.2? east with what has been happening lately would be extremely silly if you ask me, because as they say nothing is guaranteed and it will more than likely turn out to be a glorified Linux freesat receiver.

But then again each to there own and a ?50 F3 would be better as i would then not feel that i had wasted another ?250 on another future doorstop. Just my opinion of course let the OP decide so to speak

[ramjet]

due to the rules here it was me that advised him to change the nature of his post m8 (you can see his original when I quoted it and altered it)

sometimes a little deviation from the truth is necessary ;)

[flyingpig]

Pick up a ET 9000, 9100 or 9200. I am pretty sure you can pick these up for ?300, and they are very good.

Twin tuners, permanent time shift and is a good reliable box. I have one and my wife and kids can use it no problem.

[Swanny32]

Well anyone spending that amount of money on a fixed dish install on 28.2? east with what has been happening lately would be extremely silly if you ask me, because as they say nothing is guaranteed and it will more than likely turn out to be a glorified Linux freesat receiver.

But then again each to there own and a ?50 F3 would be better as i would then not feel that i had wasted another ?250 on another future doorstop. Just my opinion of course let the OP decide so to speak

As Ramjet says, a little alteration from my original post. Getting fed up paying extortionate monthly fee's if you know what I mean.

[cactikid]

if the worst did happen,if he added a motorised would there be any more channels that could open so box would not be a doorstop.any viewable is better than looking at paint dry.

[redondo5]

Well anyone spending that amount of money on a fixed dish install on 28.2? east with what has been happening lately would be extremely silly if you ask me, because as they say nothing is guaranteed and it will more than likely turn out to be a glorified Linux freesat receiver.

But then again each to there own and a ?50 F3 would be better as i would then not feel that i had wasted another ?250 on another future doorstop. Just my opinion of course let the OP decide so to speak

i can see where you're coming from, but the fact is even if all 28e goes t**s up including SD, the linux receiver will be far more than just a doorstop.

even from just a financial point of view, it would retain a good deal of value, if not in the uK, then defo on parts of europe. you could easily sell a ?300 solo2 in a worse case scenario for ?200 to germany perhaps.

if you always play the waiting game, thinking you won't buy because the box could become a doorstop, you could be waiting a long while. of course it could happen over night but that scenario imo is unlikely.

i for one could not use an openbox as my main receiver in place of anything e2. it may suit some people who just want tv, but just using an openbox puts me off from the awkward remote, menu and features or lack of.

[ramjet]

I have owned E1 and E2 boxes and recently bought a new one to add to the collection (its a hobby)

and yes it could become an E2 doorstop and that phrase has been said about every box I have owned in over 12 years so far, but it is also a good media player, a good streamer , good for fta and ftv channels, add a motor and good for other channels elsewhere like pltv or diema, even on 28e its a good buy and as mentioned above it will still command good money over the years

its a risk yes, but I took it as have many other people

the problem with the cheap boxes is they end up only doing a little compared to their bigger cousins who have flashier apps and plugins and capabilities

the reason I dont mention the clarketech ET ones is I know nothing about them , BUT I agree they may be a good alternative, but I wont discuss something I know little about and leave that to members like those who responded and do know about them

looking back I think E1 and then E2 were better options and my dm800 is a good few years old and still going strong so I got my moneys worth from it and the vu are even better so I hope to do the same there too

[digicon]

I owned a Clarke Tech/Xtrend a while back and its an excellent box but if you have ?300 to spend and only want a twin tuner then buying anything other the latest Solo2 with its spec would be just silly its faster and is the next generation of E2 machines and slowly with more updates and image releases will be able to do a lot more that what it currently can do.

Every other manufacturer is playing catchup now including dream who are working on the Goliath project, currently there is only the Gigablue Quad that can match the solo as it has the exact same BCM chip and processor.

One thing i would say to the OP is broaden your horizons literally with a motorised system then you can really ennjoy what this box can do.

[blueflash234]

digi whats the Goliath project from dream?

[digicon]

digi whats the Goliath project from dream?

Statement from Dream still in development:


http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.de/en/goliath-more-just-digital-tv

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f39/goliath-gonna-new-dreambox-276084/


Sounds like something Vu+ main company Marusys Prism cube trying to get away from Linux and E2

[blueflash234]

well dream may be overpriced but they do spend the money on R&D where the clones guys just take the money and run.If it was not for the inovation of dream where would the satellite reveiver market be,dream licence the e2 to the likes of vu,xtrend etc so overpriced maybe but they do spend on R&D

[RustySpoons]

well dream may be overpriced but they do spend the money on R&D where the clones guys just take the money and run.If it was not for the inovation of dream where would the satellite reveiver market be,dream licence the e2 to the likes of vu,xtrend etc so overpriced maybe but they do spend on R&D

Dreambox is a clone of some sort anyway, they didn't start it, it all started with dbox's