Help choosing a cheap PVR box

[ramjet]

most of the boxes you are asking about are not E2 so wont play files from a nas, wont allow you to install plugins like tsmedia etc

you would need a modern E2 type of box like the vu or possibly clarketech , gigablue , tm twin etc to run these plugins and talk to a nas

your biggest hurdle is your budget ii only suiting a trabant but your requirements need a ferrari, and even second hand ferraris are not in your meagre budget

that is the facts of the matter , especially as you have now expanded your wants list with plugins and a nas being factors

[reihtec]

most of the boxes you are asking about are not E2 so wont play files from a nas, wont allow you to install plugins like tsmedia etc

...

that is the facts of the matter , especially as you have now expanded your wants list with plugins and a nas being factors

Actually I was asking specifically about the SpiderBox HD6000 as it is in the same price range as the ibox 2 and the ibox does support plugins. I have accepted the advice that my initial choices aren't worth the trouble/time/money etc.

Going by your answer, can I assume that the Spiderbox does not support plugins and cannot play files from the NAS? Just for the record, these aren't hard and fast requirements, I am simply trying to get more information.

[ramjet]

Actually I was asking specifically about the SpiderBox HD6000 as it is in the same price range as the ibox 2 and the ibox does support plugins. I have accepted the advice that my initial choices aren't worth the trouble/time/money etc.

Going by your answer, can I assume that the Spiderbox does not support plugins and cannot play files from the NAS? Just for the record, these aren't hard and fast requirements, I am simply trying to get more information.

my reply encompassed every box you mentioned, including the spiderbox 6000 (or any other spiderbox)

I believe I did qualify my answer stating you need an E2 box for nas working and for plugins like tsmedia

BUT , the spiderbox 6000 does have the facility of streaming iptv files from the net if you input them from a text file from a usb stick

and if the bm5000s is similar to its older 7000s you can stream from a laptop or pc using bladestream (but not from a NAS)

so to repeat myself, you need an E2 box if you want to manage those additional requirements, which is very unlikely for ?50
the tm600 and dm500 are E1 OS , not E2

THIS THREAD i POSTED IN HAS A WEALTH OF INFO TOO http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...-setup-301108/

[flyingpig]

Save up and get a genuine VU duo for 199.....

[reihtec]

Thanks ramjet. I'll have a read through the info.

I do especially like this bit:

so simple it is not , so do not get into it without some paracetamol to hand , as its a tricky business and not for lazy people who wont do their own research , its not a 10 minute task like it used to be on a cable box , so complicated it is , but there again the benefits are greater too , if you put the time and effort into it ( this can be days , weeks , months etc )

I think I'm going to sleep on it for a few weeks and then decide if I'm going to go for any of the boxes available and if I can spring for a more expensive box.

[happy_highlander]

My turn now. Of the boxes you first mentioned the only one I would touch is the dm500 but I can get it to run commando 14.7 (not a walk in the park) yes it is very old and only sd with no internal storage so you would be looking the added cost of an hdd. For these older boxes you are also going to need a pc/laptop running xp with an rs232 port (also not so easy to find) cloud ibox2 ???? why buy a clone of a clone. You are asking for trouble. You can get a VU+ Solo v3.2 Ferrari clone for around 90 quid plus import duty, about a tenner(a lot of members will not touch any clone for obvious reasons including the possibility of losing it to customs) I personally have never had any problems. This clone is e2 will support plugins and will stream from a nas. You will still need an external hdd or high capacity usb stick. As mentioned by ramjet you need to read, read, read and then read some more. Not just about the boxes but also other matters in the uk so may also want to consider what you are going to do if and when the number of channels in the uk drop drastically and consider fixed dish multi sat or motorised dish. I'm not trying to put you off but you do need to take all these factors into consideration before you invest your self proclaimed limited funds into this venture. Most people on here do this as a hobby which is why the more experienced members won't touch the low end boxes. We have seen so many people come and go having been promised the moon and the earth only to find that the moon and the earth they were promised are in there rightful place (a million miles away from the boxes they have been sold) It takes a long time to get to grips with these boxes properly but you can learn the basics which will get you up and running fairly quickly as long as you have some fundamental Linux skills