Proposition for experienced skybox/openbox enthusiasts.

[Cohibastevie]

Hi guys, I'm new here but have been lurking for quite a while. I think forum is fantastic and it seems to be a very friendly and helpful community. I hope to become a regular contributor.

with that said, I am going to buy a skybox F5S, and as stated above I have been a lurker for over year. During this time I have noticed a concerning amount of posts concerning dead boxes and the challenges presented when trying to revive them. My predicament is as follows:

i'm a mac user, the only way of me connecting with the skybox if it bricks is via a USB RS232 Null Modem cable which A: does not always work, and B: I'm not confident on a software program being readily available for mac which will let me do it.

So this got me thinking... Are there any users on here that would revive a dead box if I sent it to them for a a reasonable fee? Or are there any experienced enthusiasts already operating such a service?

i just don't want to buy a box and have it brick on me 6 months down the line and be up a creek without a paddle.

if I maybe cheeky and ask another question: what's the propensity of a box bricking on me? If it is too risky I may need to look at alternatives.

many thanks in advance for all your help.

[SdTM]

Hi guys, I'm new here but have been lurking for quite a while. I think forum is fantastic and it seems to be a very friendly and helpful community. I hope to become a regular contributor.

with that said, I am going to buy a skybox F5S, and as stated above I have been a lurker for over year. During this time I have noticed a concerning amount of posts concerning dead boxes and the challenges presented when trying to revive them. My predicament is as follows:

i'm a mac user, the only way of me connecting with the skybox if it bricks is via a USB RS232 Null Modem cable which A: does not always work, and B: I'm not confident on a software program being readily available for mac which will let me do it.

So this got me thinking... Are there any users on here that would revive a dead box if I sent it to them for a a reasonable fee? Or are there any experienced enthusiasts already operating such a service?

i just don't want to buy a box and have it brick on me 6 months down the line and be up a creek without a paddle.

if I maybe cheeky and ask another question: what's the propensity of a box bricking on me? If it is too risky I may need to look at alternatives.

many thanks in advance for all your help.

hello mate

the genuine skyboxes seem ok and don't brick but it's the clones you gotta watch out for, in my opinion (and it's just my opinion) I would rather pay an extra ?200 and get a vu+ box which are far more reliable because these boxes are very basic and can easy stop working at any time,
I'm not trying to scare you off them but my mate had a skybox f5s, had it a few weeks and the box died for no reason, luckily the seller refunded him the money but at the same time other people may not have had any issues at all with their box

[Cohibastevie]

Thanks mate, I had considered the vu+ boxes but I'm in the process of buying my first home and the money is tight at the minute. I was looking for a both reliable and economically viable option and the F5S seems to be sufficient.

is there any way I can be certain I'm not purchasing a clone?

I may consider a vu + box further down the line though! the only thing putting me off is that it may be a bit advanced for my limited computer knowledge.

[darcu5]

buy it from a decent place, i have yet to see an clone of the f5 and f3 yet there where plenty around when it was the s9 10 and 11's, so much so that firmware was introduced just for the clones, another thing with the f3 f5 f3s and f5s is they come as a plug and play box, everything is installed from factory and ready to roll, you dont need to faff about changing firmware unless you are really having an issue that new firmware states it can fix, there is nothing in new firmware to warrant the need to upgrade, a weather app.. look out your window you will see how cold it is!
The only thing needs doing with these boxes is a decent channel list installing, and stuff adding that we cannot talk about on here.. then sit back and enjoy the tv until a transponder changes on a channel you like to watch, then update the channel list again. 2 minute job.
I have got ovver 40 f these boxes for friends and family and friends of friends, never had a clone nor have i had any issues... the ones local i call round for a brew and update their channel list whilst there, others are confident to do it themselves and i send them a channel list, then those not so local to me can either wait until i go visit them or they can install team viewer and i can update their box whilst im lay down on my sofa.
If you want a box supplier i can recommend one,
if your local and get stuck i can help you out,
if you want to pay post then i can help out,
regards

[digicon]

Thanks mate, I had considered the vu+ boxes but I'm in the process of buying my first home and the money is tight at the minute. I was looking for a both reliable and economically viable option and the F5S seems to be sufficient.

is there any way I can be certain I'm not purchasing a clone?

I may consider a vu + box further down the line though! the only thing putting me off is that it may be a bit advanced for my limited computer knowledge.

If you want reliable then your looking at the wrong type of receiver, you only have to look at the amount of posts on here everyday of bricked receivers or even stuck on loading some just by updating the channel list.

You would be better saving your hard earned and getting hold of a second hand linux receiver or up your budget to around ?130 and get a new one, Ebay recently had 1 seller with the Xtrend ET4000 for ?110 all in with autobouquet feature installed on that you would have had an F5 killer and also your mac would have been no problem with it.

[slugworth]

that is why I just blindscan or load lists that I make myself.