Help choosing a cheap PVR box

[reihtec]

Hi

I wonder if someone can help me choose a cheap box that's capable of PVR functions for around ?50 (or less )

A bit of history/background/info. I cancelled our V+ cable because it was costing too much and as we had an old dish already, I got freesat. Now the channels aren't great, but fairly adequate. But the problem is that we really miss the PVR functions. Particularly the pause/rewind/fast forward and recording (ok so that's all of it ). I have also been using my laptop to watch downloaded shows, but this is a pain when the Mrs wants to watch a show and I want to use the laptop. The kids have also fallen in love with Netflix which they watched at their aunts. I have 60MB broadband so the ability to get Netflix or similar sometime in the future is definitely on the cards.

Up until now I have been considering the cloud ibox 2, but in the back of my mind, I'm still wanting an android box as well. But the idea of getting the freesat channels (and possibly more channels) is quite appealing. Unfortunately I don't have the funds (or would be able to justify spending the amount) for both boxes. So I've decided to compromise and get a ?50 android box and a ?50 freesat PVR.

So this is where I need your help.

I've tried doing as much reading as possible but there is just too much or too little info on the boxes. So I've narrowed it down to the following and am wondering what your opinion is and if you can recommend anything better.

Technomate TM-600 - ?40 (but this offer is probably only valid to me until tomorrow)
Amiko Micro HD - ?49 - Not much info but came across it today and looks good. Doubt it does much more than just standard freesat/pvr
Openbox X5 - ?50 - This looks really good, but then I've read horror stories about updates and that the PVR function is not reliable
SKYBOX F5S - ?50 - This seems to have some good features and updates, but apparently the picture isn't as good as the X5
Dreambox DM500 - ?45 on gumtree - I've seen this recommended but it seems there are a lot of clones and I don't know how to tell the difference.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ramjet]

some of those boxes are not HD , so that may be an issue for you (IT WOULD BE FOR ME)

the dm500s has not been made by DMM for several years and so is likely to be a clone anyway (or a very old original)

none of them will have a hdd built in, so cannot act as a pvr until you add a large capacity usb stick, or preferably an external powered hdd- adding to the costs

you can spend up to ?50 or so on a hdd, so any box is extra , or vice versa

[reihtec]

Thanks for the response ramjet.

HD is a nice to have, but not the end of the world. Obviously I want to buy the best I can for the money that I have. Saving up to buy something better isn't much of an option because I'll just want something that is newer and better at that point and just be at square one again.

I already have an external HDD that I can use and I have a powered usb hub to power it. I also have a few 160GB laptop sata drives that I could possibly use. I also have spare micro sd and USB sticks available.

What would you recommend out of the given options or alternatives?

[ramjet]

I would not touch any of them myself , I would probably look at the slightly dearer but brand new bm5000s , or spiderbox 6000

[reihtec]

Thanks. Unfortunately the spiderbox 6000 is out of my price range.

[cactikid]

most people will only offer you good advice on a working box and not a sh1te box as most do not research what they buy and end up with problems.saving up to buy a better box in a few months would be a better choice in today times sd sucks and when you have a hd tv you want better.

[reihtec]

most people will only offer you good advice on a working box

Thanks. Does that mean none of the listed boxes are worth considering? I guess they are 3 years old, though the amiko looks new?

I have tried researching, but like I said, not coming up with anything that helps, hence I'm asking and hoping for some help choosing. Maybe I should get the Android box first and then save up for the freesat box later. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[reihtec]

Out of curiosity, is the Cloud iBox 2 better than the Spiderbox 6000? It appears to have more plugins etc. and the price is about the same.

Also, I've seen talk that the Could iBox 3 is going to be released at the end of Jan. The specs are quite similar except that it'll accept dvb-t and has inbuilt WiFi (which I don't need as the router is only a couple of meters from the TV). But my question is do you think the price of the iBox 2 will go down once the 3 is available or do they hold their value quite well?

[ramjet]

the iclouds are clones, possibly clones of vu single tuner boxes like the solo ?

I suspect that the previous models will stop production as the new ones arrive

personally I would not buy another clone of any box , not even the dm500s you talked about , one reason being you tend to have to find clonesafe firmwares and tools etc

[ch427]

Think of them all as being shite and look at the complaints in the forums, pick the one that has the least. I have an F3 and its a hideous thing, its been ok for a year but a family members f5s died after 6 months. I will be moving over to a vu plus later this year hopefully.

[ramjet]

its always been a fact in life that you get what you pay for

I doubt that many UK members on here are driving round in a trabant or dacia or some other cheap and nasty car, with an old eriksson T10 or nokia 3310 or 5110 or 8250 mobile phone in their pocket - oh no , they want a HTC ONE or mini or a SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 or S4 mini and drive around in a Mondeo or Insignia or BMW !!

most people who buy the cheap and nasty stuff eventually realise they have wasted their money and then take heed of those advocating a higher standard of equipment ! , like the last poster did

[ch427]

I only use mine for a couple of hours on weekends which is why im guessing its lasted so long!

[reihtec]

Think of them all as being shite and look at the complaints in the forums, pick the one that has the least.

I have been looking on the forums (several in fact) but some people post good comments and a few post bad. Some people won't touch them and other love them. Even searching for some of these boxes on fleabay, google, amazon, gumtree (which I hadn't thought of looking at until I read some of the posts on here) you'll find these cheap and nasty boxes being sold for ?200 - ?300 and promising you the earth and the moon. So I have not been lazy to search, research and try to do due diligence. But there is A LOT of conflicting information out there. So I thought it would be best to start my own topic and ask for some specific advice.

I appreciate the time and the help so please don't think I am being ungrateful, but apart from the one recommendation for the Spiderbox 6000, no one has actually said why any of my choices are bad, or in fact what else would be better. Preferably in my budget of ?50 - ?100.

its always been a fact in life that you get what you pay for

...

they want a HTC ONE or mini or a SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 or S4 mini and drive around in a Mondeo or Insignia or BMW !!

I'd also love to be driving around in a BMW or Mercedes, but it's also another fact of life that you should buy what you can afford and live within your means. Also, if I'm understanding you correctly, why stop at buying a mondeo or insignia, why not save up and all buy BMW, Range Rovers and Mercedes or Ferraris? Why should anyone buy any of the Mazdas and Toyotas?

Everything breaks down eventually and it doesn't always mean that if something is more expensive, it's better or necessary. I wanted to buy my wife an S3 when it was the latest and greatest, but she liked the look of the S2 and it is serving her fine. It's a lot older and cheaper but it does the job. Not everyone wants or needs the latest and greatest. Personally I'd love the latest and greatest tech, but I have to also pay my bills and feed my family.


Anyway, I'd really appreciate if someone could point me in the direction of some boxes that would be worth considering in my budget as I think it's agreed that the ones I was considering are not worth it.

[ch427]

...........................................Spiderb ox6000HD!
Can you stretch to this?

[reihtec]

Spiderbox 6000HD
Can you stretch to this?

Theoretically, yes I could. But I'd have to put the android box on hold. I'm willing to do this if the spiderbox has enough "toys" to keep me busy for a few months

Could you tell me please if the spiderbox will support things like the TSMedia plugin that Digicon had recommended in another of my posts? He says this has functions similar to Netflix, and it would be nice to have a box with that functionality. The info page for the spiderbox or the plugin doesn't make it clear if something like this will work. Or is it not necessary with it's built in IPTV function? Also, can it play file from my NAS, or would I have to FTP/copy the files to the external HDD and then play from there?