Eurovox for beginners - help!

[rob69]

Hi i'm new so please be patient with me!

I've been reading the Eurovox info on this site. I didn't know anything about it until I found it here.
Very useful, but a lot of info to take in!! I am UK based and I have a cable connection - Which model should I go for?
Is the set up simple enough for a simple person like me?
I need a beginners guide.
From what I've read, I will need to update firmware. I have a mac not PC, will this cause me any problems?
So many questions!!!.... I am new!

[badapple]

Hello m8 and welcome to DK, new commers always welcome here.
You say u have a cable connection, U need to make sure the connection is "live".
There are several models availabe from the basic or PVRs to the new HD.
The boxes range from about ?80.00 upto about ?200. so whats your wallet like?
All the info u require to update the box is available from here and help is always available.
There are two ways to update the box, by null modem cable or USB pen. M8 NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THE MAC BIT.
A lot of newbes have managed to do their boxes from the info obtained here, so I am sure u will be OK.

[hugh jarse]

check out prevous posts and all will become clear, all the help you need is here.

[ruudvandan]

Rob, first of all you need to decide what you want your eurovox to do, the select the one you want. Start by answering these questions -

1. Do you want HD channels (only BBCHD available at the moment)?

2. Do you want to be able to record programmes to hard disk?

If the answer to both of these is no, buy the ex1000sl - this is a basic box

If the answer to Q1 is yes, buy the ex7000 HD+ this is an HD capable box (max res 1080i) and you can also attach an external USB hard drive to this to record channels

If the answer to Q1 is no but Q2 is yes, buy the ex5100 pvr - this has a slot to attach an internal laptop hard drive.

Hope this helps

[rob69]

Thanks for your help. Probably want to be able to record if possible. Not too concerned about hd.
Will have a look around this site, sounds like I should have all the info I need.

[badapple]

Just some personal advice m8.
If u decide to go for the Euro 5100PVR, get the box and HDD as a package, it will save u a lot of headake later.
Good luck.

[rob69]

future developments...

Hi. Thanks for everyone's responses - really appreciated.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading on this forum and noticed that some people are predicting that these cable boxes (eurovox etc) will not be usable come September. Companies are onto it and will prevent people being able to use them. I don't know what the correct terminology is!!

With this in mind is it worth me spending my money on one? My main reason for wanting one is to watch the football - the season starts in August so it wouldn't be of use for very long!!

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks

[ruudvandan]

the companies have known about these boxes for a very long time. Every now and then they roll the keys. If your eurovox has the latest firmware it will update the keys automatically. However once every year or so (on average) the keyroll method changes, and the eurovox will not be able to update the keys but you can find them out on the net and update your box manually. After about a week or so the new firmware will be released and you can update your box and everything will be back to normal. In the meantime however they will roll the keys daily (sometimes as often as every 3-4 hours) and you will have to look the keys up and update them manually again, which is a right pain in the harris.

The rumours are that at some point in the near future VM will upgrade to Nagra3 encryption, which has not yet been cracked. If and when this happens some people claim that the boxes will become useless. It is not yet known whether this will be the case or not. A firmware update might fix it, but it might not. We don't know, so I can't really give you any advice whether to buy one or not, you just have to decide by yourself whether or not it's worth taking the risk.

[rob69]

the companies have known about these boxes for a very long time. Every now and then they roll the keys. If your eurovox has the latest firmware it will update the keys automatically. However once every year or so (on average) the keyroll method changes, and the eurovox will not be able to update the keys but you can find them out on the net and update your box manually. After about a week or so the new firmware will be released and you can update your box and everything will be back to normal. In the meantime however they will roll the keys daily (sometimes as often as every 3-4 hours) and you will have to look the keys up and update them manually again, which is a right pain in the harris.

The rumours are that at some point in the near future VM will upgrade to Nagra3 encryption, which has not yet been cracked. If and when this happens some people claim that the boxes will become useless. It is not yet known whether this will be the case or not. A firmware update might fix it, but it might not. We don't know, so I can't really give you any advice whether to buy one or not, you just have to decide by yourself whether or not it's worth taking the risk.

Excuse my ignorance but when you say:
"In the meantime however they will roll the keys daily (sometimes as often as every 3-4 hours) and you will have to look the keys up and update them manually again"
You're right it does sound like a pain, but is this easy enough to do?

[rob69]

Hi, can you advise or give me a link for cheap null modem cable or USB pen?

[ruudvandan]

Excuse my ignorance but when you say:
"In the meantime however they will roll the keys daily (sometimes as often as every 3-4 hours) and you will have to look the keys up and update them manually again"
You're right it does sound like a pain, but is this easy enough to do?

yeah it's easy enough to do. It's just a pain having to go to the net to find the codes all the time.

as for the null modem cable go to fleabay

[snipez]

Hello i have a eurovox man, aussuming its the blue edition! The sound has gone completly, not sure why this was! i downloaded the new firmware for the box and all seemed to be ok! however wen i turned the cable box back on channels were there but no sound?
any help please people?

[tophatter]

eurovox 1000sl

am i reading this thread right do vm change the keys on a daily basis so you have to enter new ones every day

[andy4]

am i reading this thread right do vm change the keys on a daily basis so you have to enter new ones every day

no m8 not on daily basis but when they do change keys if you've flashed your box with correct firmware your box will auto update keys

[tophatter]

no m8 not on daily basis but when they do change keys if you've flashed your box with correct firmware your box will auto update keys

doh sorry mate very new to all this thanks....