Many probs with Spiderbox

[Grommit59]

I've read many reviews and posts in forums but can't for the life of me understand the enthusiasm for the Spiderbox 6000. Had mine now for a few months, probably great piece of kit if you want IPTV (I don't - not interested in films), driving motorized sat dish (don't have one) etc. Bought mine simply to watch and record Freesat TV and now wishing I hadn't bothered. Several annoying problems - 1) EPG only shows current and next prog, and on most channels no info at all making scheduling of recording pretty much impossible. 2) Lip sink frequently jumps so that sound is about 2 seconds in front of video, can correct by changing to another channel then returning to original channel - annoying! 3) When in time shift picture freezes sometimes. 4) In time shift mode progress bar remains on screen obscuring some info banners in prog, also ?prog time lapsed? in box with blue background at top left of screen obscures info especially when watching F1 coverage - it covers lap time info. Only redeeming feature is that box is cheap - but you get what you pay for and I'd happily pay more for something similar which actually works well. Since I'm stuck with this thing at the moment I would be grateful for any suggestions how to cure the above problems - I won't hold my breath. Sorry to sound so cynical, but very disappointed with what I was led to believe was a decent product

[voyager1972]

the spiderbox is a great piece of kit if you ask me,,,,,it is not a dedicated iptv box,,,it has an iptv function for movies and some channels ,,,,,,,,the cost of the box is unbelievable for what you get,,,,,,buying one of these and not having a motorised dish seem,s a bit daft.....as iks requires a motorised dish.......there are dedicated freesat boxes for viewing and recording freesat tv at a similar cost ,,,,," you should have done your homework " the spiderbox is by no means a vu+,,,,,,,,,but outstanding all the same.......and i like so many i others would disagree ,,,,as a lot of people have put a lot of time and effort into the updating and support of the 6000 ,,,,,for our viewing pleasure.........

[TonyO]

For the price the spiderbox 6000 is way out in front, there are a few niggles but for what you get there's nothing to touch it, you need to be motorised to take full advantage of what's on offer.

[Grommit59]

Don't patronise me like so many of you "VIP" members seem always to do to newbies on this forum. I did my homework, bought another freesat receiver i/c PVR but found I couldn't export files for editing so returned it, that's why - after further extensive research - I decided on the, admittedly very well priced, Spiderbox with the possibility of connecting an external hard drive to allow me to record in MPEG2 format allowing me to edit videos using CyberLink Power Director. I know it isn't a dedicated IPTV box, that isn't the issue. Why would I want a motorised dish when I just want to point the damned thing at one satellite? I have no interest in IKS (whatever that may be!), I bought the receiver expecting it to do what it promised on the box - receive satellite broadcasts, allow scheduled recordings via EPG, offer time shift and permit recording to a connected USB device for editing and archiving. I am a customer who has purchased this product, it wasn't given to me by a charity, so the fact that "a lot of people have put a lot of time and effort into etc etc", is no more than I would expect. Your reply addresses none of the problems I am experiencing. PS you appear to have a problem with a sticking keyboard, there's an awful lot of spurious punctuation in your post.......,,,,,,,.....!!

PPS just found post from voyager1972 dated 06/06/2013 -

Payserver'payserver'payserver'''' ''''glitch'glitch'glitch.'' These boxes with. Iks''aka gift"''are a waste of money'''' I'm saving my hard earned cash for a duo 2,,,,,,,,

Seems you had your own probs and complaints!

[heyho]

grommit59 - I am far from being one of those VIP members you allude to and have had my fair share of run ins on this site with people. But I have found a hell of a lot of valuable advice since I started in the world of satellite. Which, may I add was on a Spiderbox 6000.

I suffered weeks of 'hell' trying to set it up from scratch but got nothing but valuable advice from many members on here. My issue turned out to be a faulty out of the box motor. I have subsequently replaced the 6000 with a Vu+ Uno. Not because there was anything at all wrong with the Spiderbox but because I view this type of 'satalleting' (is that a word) as a hobby as apposed to my Sky box.

But the technical problems you are experiencing do not seem to be the norm for this box so why not just ask them in a nice way and I am sure a 'VIP' member will give a good concise answer to you. And if you think some is patronising just ignore them.

[echelon]

it would seem you have raised multiple threads on what appear to be the same gripes here, so I have just answered some of them in this thread here https://www.satpimps.co.uk/showthread.php?167174-Help-with-epg-please

it is also true that heyho and voyager and many others have brought up some of these gripes in the past, but it is clear to me that generally it is because the OP or poster has no idea of what or why the functions (or lack of them) mean in actual terms

I have also found that the obsession with 28.2e (yes I know why) clouds the judgement, especially when comparing the boxes to dedicated 28.2e boxes like sly or freesat units , with their internal hdd and 24.7 bespoke epg systems , or a terrestrial unit like my sony hxd870 or humax or digihome etc units (these rarely cost less than £100 for a decent box), its also a fact that these boxes are often bought for non-uk channels and non-uk satellites and the "gift" reflects this , this forum is not about sly or just 28.2e and as there are over a couple of dozen satellites "up there" its a fact that a wider horizon tends to be employed by hobbyists who come to forums like ours as they are seeking alternatives to 28e and sly

generally these are unfair comparisons and like comparing a bmw m3 to a seat punto , just because they are both cars with a wheel at each corner and an engine

I would have said that a vu solo or similar would have done more for you as one of the reasons for buying a spiderbox 6000 is not open to you on 28.2e (the "gift") , the 24/7 epg is not available on 28.2e , the box records in a certain mode to a usb stick that may give you issues if trying to use a pc (a linux box is much better for this editing and archiving, especially with an internal hdd and ftp from the box direct to a pc or laptop) , timeshift works better on a linux box too , again especially if it has an internal sata hdd as opposed to an external usb facility

hianta on here is very talented when using his spiderbox 6000 and regularly helps others, yet is currently struggling with his new VU duo, but when he masters it he will find it does most of what is being complained about in this thread (if not all of it) , but as I said in that other thread "you get what you pay for" , which is especially true to us "old hands " or "vip`s" on this forum that have learned the basics in a mini and not a bentley , albeit many moons ago :)

yes hindsight is a wonderful gift, as is experience with previous boxes with the same limitations , but we all get better at this hobby as time progresses, as we read about other people and their experiences , about the good boxes and the bad ones , sometimes passing this experience on can be condescending or patronising, or put in laymans terms we can all relate to , but knowledge always helps, no matter the delivery system

my opinion ? , buy a VU and you will get the objects of your desires , especially from a solo 2 or similar (even more so due to the 28.2e obsession) , but pay the price , then learn , then complain or preach from a rock and not quicksand, if you get my drift ?

good luck either way

ps:- if you really have issues and want a box that addresses those specific issues , why not post a general question in the HD RECEIVERS forum here, mentioning the points that you requires if buying a box, (no complaining) and ask for answers and recommendations that give you the answers you seek and any explanations as to the technicalities etc too

if a post is made that seems to seek answers (and doesnt look like a whinge about a box already bought) then I am sure you will get answers that help educate you further on what will fulfil your requirements and why , comparisons may be made and also you may be told what a box like yours cannot achieve what you wish to do (as I and others have tried to do)

you could list your exact requirements and a shortlist of boxes you think may meet your requirements, then ask about the pros and cons for each one (or others you have not considered)

please note I have tried to make my posts today factual, so if they appear to be patronising or condescending it wasnt my intention , my intention is to relate the facts in a basic manner so that you and anyone else reading this can read them in terms a layman or an experienced person can understand

[echelon]

so getting back to post #1 and the lack of paragraphs etc :)

here are the issues he would like addressing in bullet format and then expanded without the griping

1) EPG only shows current and next prog, and on most channels no info at all

(answered in his epg thread here https://www.satpimps.co.uk/showthread.php?167174-Help-with-epg-please)

2) Lip sink frequently jumps so that sound is about 2 seconds in front of video

3) When in time shift picture freezes sometimes.

4) In time shift mode progress bar remains on screen obscuring some info banners in prog,




Bought mine simply to watch and record Freesat TV and now wishing I hadn't bothered. Several annoying problems -

1) EPG only shows current and next prog, and on most channels no info at all making scheduling of recording pretty much impossible.

2) Lip sink frequently jumps so that sound is about 2 seconds in front of video, can correct by changing to another channel then returning to original channel - annoying!

3) When in time shift picture freezes sometimes.

4) In time shift mode progress bar remains on screen obscuring some info banners in prog, also ?prog time lapsed? in box with blue background at top left of screen obscures info, it covers lap time info

also ?prog time lapsed? in box with blue background at top left of screen obscures info especially when watching F1 coverage - it covers lap time info.



so if anyone can actually address or comment on the issues above please ? (bearing in mind this box is fixed on 28e and is being used solely as a freesat recorder or viewer and not for all the other additions people have mentioned)

I appreciate the epg issue has been answered in his epg thread

1) (no 24/7 epg on sly or freesat as they are bespoke systems which this box cannot deal with - at present , and never could do either)

the recording and timeshift issues may relate to the usb methods employed ? is it a stick or a hdd ? have other sticks or hdd been tried ? etc (my opinion being usb has always been a bad idea for recording and always will be , especially if using fat or fat 32 for the filing system)

[c31]

just use a frreview or freesat box and stop moaning

[jbvid]

2) Lip sink frequently jumps so that sound is about 2 seconds in front of video, can correct by changing to another channel then returning to original channel - annoying!

I don't have any sync probs with mine at all but just a suggestion, try using an HDMI lead only direct to your HDMI TV input. (no other cables connected)

If you go connecting via scart linking and looping through a DVD recorder or audio equipment you will likely get sync lag.

If you are EPG desperate, download the free S** guide for TV listing for the PC, it updates and gives you a continuous week.

jb

[tybusta1]

I use the s** tv guide app on my iphone, great app and i can see whats on all channels all the time

[Knacker]

Grommit,I'll take it off you

[EXTRAFACTO]

purchased a spider 6000hd from sponsor when they first came out...connected directly to tv with hdmi lead...connected a 500 gig wd usb harddrive
run it on a dark motor...records and plays back fine...no out of sync issue etc...
for me...it was purely plug and play...
before i connected box to net...i did ask on here...and the great guys on here told me what patchs...what order to install etc...and reboot inbetween installing
that done...my box was up and running ...i did not have to put stuff on my router etc...it found it itself...so i guess i have been very lucky
seen as i have not experienced any problems...at all

[Roadrunner]

Just to reassure Grommit that he's not alone on the 'out of sync' issue, I DO get a lot of that too. I got used to it now, but the problem is there nonetheless. And My HDMI cable is plugged in directly to the hdmi port on the television. Its defo something to do with a box.. Can't explain it in technical terms, but when it does happpen, I get some sort of a hiccup, then the sound that was just played (a secon or so) gets played again and it carries on , while the picture is being played normally throughout the whole process. The end result is, that the pic is a second or so ahead of the sound. Easily fixed by changing a channel and coming back to the one affected, but the problem exists.

[Grommit59]

Thanks roadrunner, exactly same prob I've experienced. Found if I change channels then change back, lip sync returns to normal.

Box is connected direct to TV via HDMI.

I use Samsung M3 2 Gig portable hard drive formatted NTFS to record and provide time shift.

Tried Humax freesat receiver (about £260) but returned it because recorded prog files are encrypted so not able to edit, that's why I got Spiderbox.

Downloaded and installed all available patches.

[blackdevil]

1)The EPG is what broadcasters send and there is no other way-source to download it to box.
2-3-4) I do not have none of the referred issues.

For 'out of sync' issue if you can inform me (even in pm) in which specific channels happens then i can test them.

[TonyO]

Digital video processing time delays have dogged the broadcast industry ever since digital came in, audio gets processed quickly because of its much smaller file size and invariably ends up sync wise in front of the video, digital gets separated for processing unlike film or a-nalogue which were tied together.

If the broadcasters with all their multi billion pound servers and satellites have trouble what chance has your humble £60 sat box got of sorting the mess out.

I used to work for a tv company that took a lot of sat tv feeds from the united states most days and the fixing of out of sync feeds was a hourly event, some companies like the bbc didn't bother, garbage in garbage out was the default attitude there.

We seem to be stuck with digitals inability to hold the two signals together when the system gets busy.

[hianta]

Digital video processing time delays have dogged the broadcast industry ever since digital came in, audio gets processed quickly because of its much smaller file size and invariably ends up sync wise in front of the video, digital gets separated for processing unlike film or a-nalogue which were tied together.

If the broadcasters with all their multi billion pound servers and satellites have trouble what chance has your humble £60 sat box got of sorting the mess out.

I used to work for a tv company that took a lot of sat tv feeds from the united states most days and the fixing of out of sync feeds was a hourly event, some companies like the bbc didn't bother, garbage in garbage out was the default attitude there.

We seem to be stuck with digitals inability to hold the two signals together when the system gets busy.

I would agree? I had a UK digibox and in hot weather sometimes it would glitch and the sound would go out of sync. (happens too on sat if you get a glitch)
If I left it on that channel sometimes after about five mins it would glitch again and be back to normal (left it sometimes because it put me in mined of some of the old marshal art films, were they talk then the english dub starts lol) other times I would change channels and back.
So TonyO Has a solid case there lol
As for EPG that's just a common thing with these sat boxes
Time shift I must admit I used to just hit the rec button and go make a cuppa then go to media and play back from there.