First linux Receiver.

[GrumpyDave]

Help! Springs to mind when it comes to this minefield of receivers.
I have finally conceded that I will have to learn how to operate one of these receivers.But which one?
As this will be my first,I want to get it right.I know I am spoilt for choice with our sponsors range but I believe cheap and cheerful to start with in my case. In case I can't get on with it.
I live in Spain, and I have found they still sell the genuine Dreambox 500+ here.
I know it has the same spec as the 6oo less the pvr facility.It I believe would suit me to learn on,keeping away from the clones.The price is very resonable too.My problem is I have also found a Hd ,pvr ready,embedded linux receiver supporting enigma 2 which also has a card reader and two common interface slots originating from Hungary/Romania I believe.Named after a well known Australian marsupial.Again the price is extreemly good. But which one do I go for?
Any advise would be very much appreciated.Thanks.:bowing-036:

[passete]

Dilema between Quality and Quantity, choice is yours !

I would save a litle more, and invest in a dreambox E2.

[GrumpyDave]

To date 69 views and only one response to say the least I am a little dissapointed with the outcome. Thanks goes to passete for his contribution.You must be all getting fed up with the same questions being asked over and over again,but hey, we all have to start somewhere.This is a major decision for me entering the linux world for the first time.
Can you remember when you did it?So come on give a complete novice the benefit of the doubt and help a guy out.It would be appreciated.

[sonic1]

If you are on a budget and want a decent box then go for a Vu + Duo.:respect-051:

[echelon]

To date 69 views and only one response to say the least I am a little dissapointed with the outcome. Thanks goes to passete for his contribution.You must be all getting fed up with the same questions being asked over and over again,but hey, we all have to start somewhere.This is a major decision for me entering the linux world for the first time.
Can you remember when you did it?So come on give a complete novice the benefit of the doubt and help a guy out.It would be appreciated.

well for starters you posted in the HD sat section and then talk about SD boxes like the dm500s , and something else I havent got a clue about as you used riddles to describe it

it may also surprise you to learn that most hobbyists only have maybe 1 box and that may have been bought some time ago and no longer on sale , so to expect a wotsat type review of several boxes that are currently on the market beggars belief , especially when so many different images and plugins exist even for the same box

speaking personally I have any experience of the boxes currently on the market and can only read about them on the forums here , but I too would probably shortlist the vu+ duo like sonic1 mentioned above , mainly from the good reviews of it from well known experienced members like him

if you buy a box with good long term good support they usually last the best when many others with reviews fall by the wayside no matter how good they seem on paper, because if support dries up they become outdated

I do not think however that one person can review all current models and answer your original question , as nobodys wallet stretches that far to be able to buy and review all the models on sale , which also vary from country to country

[snakie]

Although i dont own a VU+, and many people know im a big fan for DMM products,
i would also suggest a VU+ duo because of the slot for cam.
I wouldnt go on any of these jumpers around with fancy names.
Currently i know that Dreambox 500hd - 800se and VUduo and ET9000 are the boxes to go for.
Why?Similar cpu from same company = more compatibility.
That leaves out qbox hd - mini , as they have another processor.

[eme]

dm 800 clone, cheap and does the job no problems. or a vu reciver. both cheaper and as good than original dreambox.

[brain]

@grumpydave
Lots of good advice here, but it also depends on where you want to take this. There is not a lot open on most boxes unless you take the Fausto or CS routes, but there are many possibilities to extend the STB to being a full media centre. It is possible to run all of them at a fairly simple level and then with experience and trial and error you can extend the range of the box. I have only experience of DB's but have moved from just a receiver to many of the extras possible so the Vu+ or Db's are the way with much support. Dont necessarily buy the lowest of the range though just because you are starting out and once you get to grips with them the extras are valuable. They are all much more tolerant than the early ones to inexperience and experimentation. Good Luck with your search. Brain

[GrumpyDave]

Well,I asked for a response and wow did I get one.Many thanks to all who responded it is very much appreciated and very helpful particularly the contribution from brain.
I would like to respond to echelon's input.I am sorry,I was not sure where to post as I was unsure if I should go for an SD or HD receiver as a first linux box.As for the riddles I had no intention of upsetting our sponsers and breaking any rules,hence why I refrained from naming the receiver directly.
It does surprise me some what that most hobbyists only have one receiver,I have three already and I only started this hobby in July of last year.
I was not expecting any one person to review all the current models in the market place for me,I just wanted an unbiased opinion in which direction I should go.No pun intended.
Thats why I appealed to the Forum for a response.
Anyway point taken,I respect your opinion and thank you for your input today.
I believe now I have the answers I was looking for.

[echelon]

I have several receivers and could recommend any of them , some sold by the sponsor , some not and some no longer made , each to their own and I respect the riddle side from a sponsor point of view that you took

yes you should buy an HD Enigma2 receiver , as I believe the support is or will dry up on E1 and the plugin download managers or extra url,s are more E2 based at the moment

which one that is will always be a matter of debate , but after sales support is always a key factor , as is being able to update the box yourself from up to date images and files

[Blagi]

E2 support of PLi team on Wiki is great. Step by step, most of the way...

Also, have you seen the English manual by Clarke-Tech ET9000?

I was pleasantly surprised...

[bibo_norway]

Why you guys here tell GrumpyDave a lot of crap about DM800,8000, Vuo+ and a lot of other receivers!!!?
Him write about he´s two choise and..... But which one do I go for?

GrumpyDave, about your 2 choise ofcourse NOT DM500

[echelon]

Why you guys here tell GrumpyDave a lot of crap about DM800,8000, Vuo+ and a lot of other receivers!!!?
Him write about he´s two choise and..... But which one do I go for?

GrumpyDave, about your 2 choise ofcourse NOT DM500

he posted in the wrong section and asked for any advice , not just a toss up between an outdated e1 box and a wallaby box but we all presume advice about which box to go for out of all the boxes on market

if it was a choice between the 2 he quoted my answer is of course NEITHER !

[basilyoung]

bottom line is, you get what you pay for, in the long run, the options are simple

DB range, VU+ range, and at the mo, lastly, the ET9000, ( for a newbie, perhaps best left for now )

[Dave5118]

The specs for the box you are looking at look pretty awesome for the price...but there is that old adage, "something that looks too good to be true...."
Although, there does appear to be an enigma image for it.


- Digital Satellite receiver & PVR Ready
- H.264 / MPEG4 - HD,SD / DVB-S2 Tuner
- 1 Smart card reader and 2 Common Interface Slots
- Powerful compatibility through Embedded Linux OS
- Recording & Playback with External USB 2.0 Devices
- Recording and Time Shifting Simultaneously
- Recording and Playback Simultaneously
- Powerful Extended EPG supports and Event Recording
- USB 2.0 Host Support (MP3 Player & JPEG Viewer)
- Xvid file play back supported
- Ethernet port Supported
- Intelligent Blind Scan for both SD and HD TV & Multi-Satellite Search
- White VFD Display (8 Digit Alphanumeric)
- HDMI Video & Audio Output (576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i)
- PIP(Picture-in-Picture) & Multi-picture(*)
- Multi-LNB Controlled by DiSEqC Control Version 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and USALS
- On-Screen Display with Full Color & Resolution
- Favorite Service Groups
- Powerful Service Control by Favorites, Lock, Skip, Move and Delete
- Service Sorting by Alphabet, Transponder and CAS
- User Friendly & Multi-language Supported (OSD & Menu)
- Teletext Support
- Maximum 10,000 Services Programmable
- Parental Lock / System Lock / Installation Lock
- HDMI Video & Audio Output (576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i)
- Supports Y/Pb/Pr(component) Output in HD
- CVBS(composite) Video & Audio Output via RCA
- Optical Output for Digital Audio(SPDIF)
- Software & Service channel Database upgrade via USB & RS-232C port
- 1W Stand-by Power Consumption
Have you had a look for support for the box, 'cos without a decent support you could find it fall behind should there be any changes in the sat scene, been in this hobby and know so to well.
Both the original DM's and vuo's have excellent support that should continue long into coming years....even the clones have great support at the moment, but that is a little less certain.
Don't worry about not getting on with it, I was the same for years, got a DM800 clone 6 months ago, and now wish i'd done it earlier, it was daunting at the start but soon got used to it.
If i get stuck, goggle usually does the trick if i can't find the answer here.

Hope that helps, Dave.

[GrumpyDave]

Dave5118
So you finally worked out what HD receiver I was talking about.Good on you.I decided to do a bit of detective work yesterday on the internet with the following results.
This receiver originates from South Korea and is badged for no less than ten manufacturers, across Europe and the Middle East,five of which retain the same facia as the original model. It has been in the market for over a year now and two brands from Germany are available in the UK.
On the technical side which looses me completely it has the following,STi 7109 micro processor based mother board. O.S. is hmp 7109 Linux with 2.6.17 kernel. Realtek RT 8201 chip for networking.It will support a HDD up to 1TB.It supports Enigma 2-FTP-Neutrino images-Telnet and Plugins.
Support is available and I would guess that apart from software updates all other bits and pieces are interchangeable with the other models.(all the same motherboards. )
This was a good exercise for me learning not to dismiss a receiver outright because of its peculiar name.
At the end of the day its my choice good or bad but I must agree with all who took the trouble to respond to my request that support and backup is of paramount importance in this hobby.
I will probably wait a while and make a decision later.I know the Vu’s are good but aren’t there new models already in the pipeline?
I want to get it right but I don’t want to miss the boat.
Thank you for restoring my confidence in going forward and eventually purchasing my first linux receiver.

[tr8.]

You do not say why you see the Next step is Linux.
As a man with linux and Non Linux recievers i would say are you sure you want linux?
If you want to just recieve channels and do little work there are other boxes that offer a great deal for cheap price.
If you pay a sub on a card and want to set up a private share, then its go Linux
If do do not pay a sub for your own card, and just plan to go payserver route, I and many here would say DO NOT GO THERE.

[snakie]

Just stay on the broadcom side ....