please help an idiot!

[i5x]

hello I am a total nub when it comes to satellite, I as much as I hate coming on to a forum and right away asking for help I am now at the point where I am short of options so I hope you guys can forgive a novice. I am getting kind of confused as there is seems to be alot of jargon!

After a few days looking about battling my way through the terminology to try and get a better idea I was hoping someone could please tell me if my findings where correct.

I am currently looking to set up a receiver box with my old sky dish. I would like to be able to have the same functionality as a sky box ie pause, record one channel watch another etc, HD

The cheapest most stable box for this seems to be the VU Duo for about ?250, with a bog standard hdd fitted, however is there different box I should consider?

From the looks of it I unplug the sky boxes when my sub runs out and just fit like for like in the duo ports/sockets?

I then need something like vix or blackhole, I take it this is similar to a pc's OS? I also seem to be unable to find a nice clear compare and contrast between the 2. So i was wondering if anyone could be kinda enough to give me an idea of the differences please?

Do i then need to find some bouquets (from what I can gather that this is a list of channels and their tuning) or will vix/blackhole do this for me?

Do I need an internet connection or is this just a case of I will only need it for streaming things? I was hoping to add ice films and xbmc is this possible along side vix/blackhole?

Is there anything else I need to know or consider?

thanks for any help given

[ramjet]

hello I am a total nub when it comes to satellite, I as much as I hate coming on to a forum and right away asking for help I am now at the point where I am short of options so I hope you guys can forgive a novice. I am getting kind of confused as there is seems to be alot of jargon!

After a few days looking about battling my way through the terminology to try and get a better idea I was hoping someone could please tell me if my findings where correct.

I am currently looking to set up a receiver box with my old sky dish. I would like to be able to have the same functionality as a sky box ie pause, record one channel watch another etc, HD

The cheapest most stable box for this seems to be the VU Duo for about ?250, with a bog standard hdd fitted, however is there different box I should consider?

From the looks of it I unplug the sky boxes when my sub runs out and just fit like for like in the duo ports/sockets?

I then need something like vix or blackhole, I take it this is similar to a pc's OS? I also seem to be unable to find a nice clear compare and contrast between the 2. So i was wondering if anyone could be kinda enough to give me an idea of the differences please?

Do i then need to find some bouquets (from what I can gather that this is a list of channels and their tuning) or will vix/blackhole do this for me?

Do I need an internet connection or is this just a case of I will only need it for streaming things? I was hoping to add ice films and xbmc is this possible along side vix/blackhole?

Is there anything else I need to know or consider?

thanks for any help given

have a read of this thread http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...-setup-301108/

then check the specialist VU forum here on dk for specific answers to any VU questions like using vix , bh , bouquets like the catseye channel lists, plugins like 1channel etc

you will need an internet connection for a lot of stuff like plugins and "sea lions" and streaming , so connect it to your router

the tm twin is similar to a duo , and there is the solo 2 and duo 2 as well, (dont buy a clone either)

check goldwafers for prices

[blueflash234]

the tm 2t is another option for you,vix and blackhole are the image your box uses, also try openpli 3 which i prefer,you should be able to download a channel list once you have installed the image you want it takes time to learn and navigate the images for want you want but you will learn as we all did

[i5x]

ok thats great info in that link to start off and nice to get given a reputable dealer site there are so many its difficult to know if what you are buying is the genuine thing.

@blueflash thanks I thought as much I seem to have looked at so much info on this all over last few days I am getting a little lost hehe I will look in to openpli 3 this afternoon

That solo 2 looks a decent buy lots of ram huge processor in comparison with other boxes and for not much more cost.

cheers guys

[ramjet]

ok thats great info in that link to start off and nice to get given a reputable dealer site there are so many its difficult to know if what you are buying is the genuine thing. That solo 2 looks a decent buy.

bear in mind that most boxes do not take a "bog standard hdd" , which is the 3.5 inch sata, they take the laptop versions that are 2.5 inch , some like the duo can take either but the solo2 and the tm twin only accept the smaller laptop sata hdd I believe

[ramjet]

forums running slow - so double post

[blueflash234]

Also bear in mind that having a fixed dish is going to limit you to what you can get, if you can i would upgrade your dish to at least a 80 cm motorised dish depending where you are,and dont be seduced with all those high speeds i think most of the speed and memory is used more for the media side of things rather than the sat side, but maybe a solo 2 owner can clarify better for you

[septicsmurf]

Defo take the solo2 over the duo mate. Easiest way to see what image you prefer is to try them all out.
Only takes about a minute to flash, but most seem to prefer blackhole or vix.
There is also auto bouuets which updates your channel list automatically to keep things simple.
Also consider a motorised dish in the future, there is so much more available than just sly.

[ramjet]

I think that only the duo 2 may support xbmc, if not now maybe in the future ?
they all support 1channel and icefilms and ondemand and a few others

[septicsmurf]

There is the xbmc plugin which is meant to run the addons like sportdevil, videodevil, etc.
I gave it a go, couldn't get sportdevil to work, so gave up.
Managed to get a couple others to work, but sport devil is the only one I'd use so no point in keeping it.
Might try it again if they sort it out.

[alec]

ok thats great info in that link to start off and nice to get given a reputable dealer site there are so many its difficult to know if what you are buying is the genuine thing.

@blueflash thanks I thought as much I seem to have looked at so much info on this all over last few days I am getting a little lost hehe I will look in to openpli 3 this afternoon

That solo 2 looks a decent buy lots of ram huge processor in comparison with other boxes and for not much more cost.

cheers guys

When you obtain you box get used to the Image, controls, and if you can make a backup. before starting to experiment with different images. and plugins. Most of the troubles start, when people just jump in where angels fear to tread.

[i5x]

ok thanks a lot guys this is all great stuff and very much appreciated.

I read something the other day that got me thinking and that was something about people with a fixed dish having problems in the foreseeable future.

Having a look about I can see that astra is due to be replaced, will this make getting something like the current catseye channel list have problems?

I guess we could get a motorized dish at a later date if so, I would just like to know what the score is before I jump in with both feet.

Sports devil took alot of fiddling to sort out when I was messing about on a win7 pc with xbmc, I cant even remember how I managed it in the end ><

[septicsmurf]

It's not so much the channel list, but more the method used to view pay channels that might be coming to an end soon.
Unfortunately that's a no go area on this forum

[ramjet]

catseye issues regular settings updates so I wouldnt worry about what satellites are getting replaced as he will just amend his list accordingly
at worst you just scan in new transponders (if there are new ones) yourself, we may find that they replace like with like so we may not notice any difference

here in the uk any issues to do with 28e will be mainly due to encryption changes and that subject has been done to death on this forum anyway

[i5x]

yeah i realise some subjects are not open for discussion so I'm keeping it very general I hope.

Ill have a look about for threads to do with encryption changes so I can have more of an idea.