AZBOX /Elite / HD / Premium

pissed · 18-11-2009 2:33pm

Superfin wrote: »

New Firmware out 3725, no details of whats contained in it yet.

Thanks, have to wait till I get home though, its been a while coming.

stimpson · 18-11-2009 4:00pm

Not the official change log, but from what I've seen on other sites:

Channel changing is now faster
keyboard and mouse-functionality was implemented

Hope there is more than that. Would love an EPG that updated in the background (and twin tuner support obviously)

irishchris · 19-11-2009 1:36pm

firmware was leaked - official firmware due this weekend. also in regards to what i announced last week about the makers opensat going back on their PROMISE of fully independent working twin tuners or as they desctibed record one channe and watch another here is their official announcement today which fully goes back on what they sold their boxes as:
"
Dear valuable AZBox users,

Opensat wants to clarify its position regarding the TWIN and COMBO Models:

1) At our STB's ONLY say's COMBO, OPENSAT only sell combo versions until now.

2) Opensat try to make all efforts during several months to add TWIN TUNER function, and wasn't possible, because of various reasons.

3) However like users ask, we promise find a way to support TWIN at our Chipset, and we make a new model to fit their needs, "PREMIUM +" , this model is complementary not replacement of "PREMIUM", both models will keep in sales normally.

4) This HW is totally different from premium because need to be done a lot of changes, and board is bigger than a normal TWIN.

5) About IMPEX-SAT (OPENSAT.DE) replacement opportunity, this is a internal matter of IMPEX-Sat , we don’t review on it for the basic reason that we sell Elite and Premium and new model is just complimentary. However we admire the efforts done by they and it’s a very courageous.

6) I hope with this post clarifies that situation, and this is the official position from OPENSAT.

With Best regards,

Hugo Condessa
Opensat C.E.O.
"

DESPICABLE!!

stimpson · 19-11-2009 1:56pm

FFS. ****ty way to treat customers. It's just not good enough. They were advertised as twin tuner, watch one channel, record another.

I think I'll be looking to return mine.

pissed · 19-11-2009 6:35pm

irishchris wrote: »

firmware was leaked - official firmware due this weekend. also in regards to what i announced last week about the makers opensat going back on their PROMISE of fully independent working twin tuners or as they desctibed record one channe and watch another here is their official announcement today which fully goes back on what they sold their boxes as:
"
Dear valuable AZBox users,

Opensat wants to clarify its position regarding the TWIN and COMBO Models:

1) At our STB's ONLY say's COMBO, OPENSAT only sell combo versions until now.

2) Opensat try to make all efforts during several months to add TWIN TUNER function, and wasn't possible, because of various reasons.

3) However like users ask, we promise find a way to support TWIN at our Chipset, and we make a new model to fit their needs, "PREMIUM +" , this model is complementary not replacement of "PREMIUM", both models will keep in sales normally.

4) This HW is totally different from premium because need to be done a lot of changes, and board is bigger than a normal TWIN.

5) About IMPEX-SAT (OPENSAT.DE) replacement opportunity, this is a internal matter of IMPEX-Sat , we don’t review on it for the basic reason that we sell Elite and Premium and new model is just complimentary. However we admire the efforts done by they and it’s a very courageous.

6) I hope with this post clarifies that situation, and this is the official position from OPENSAT.

With Best regards,

Hugo Condessa
Opensat C.E.O.
"

DESPICABLE!!

They can bring out what they want, but after they way they treated their customers who bought elite and premium models I dont think they will sell many. Dual tuner support was one of the main reasong I bought this box. So as it stands I have the S2 and the T tuners installed but unable to watch one and record another. Very poor on their behalf. :mad:

johndoc · 19-11-2009 10:33pm

johndoc wrote: »

C'mon lads. Is the Azbox dead in terms of being a proper integrated box then?

Appears the rumours have been quashed and yes the Azbox as bought by users to date (with the ambition and much spoken about nirvana of seamless DVB-T/DVT-S) is dead.
I suppose a note of caution would be to take the promised functionality of Premium+ with a pinch of salt until the promises are delivered on.

kippy · 19-11-2009 11:35pm

johndoc wrote: »

Appears the rumours have been quashed and yes the Azbox as bought by users to date (with the ambition and much spoken about nirvana of seamless DVB-T/DVT-S) is dead.
I suppose a note of caution would be to take the promised functionality of Premium+ with a pinch of salt until the promises are delivered on.

Indeed.
A class box either way for the money.

stimpson · 20-11-2009 10:58am

kippy wrote: »

Indeed.
A class box either way for the money.

Assuming you didn't buy it for the advertised features

kippy · 20-11-2009 11:17am

stimpson wrote: »

Assuming you didn't buy it for the advertised features

I bought it for the advertised features......watching of one tuner while recording of another was not that important to me. The box still offers me shedloads of features for a competitive price.

stimpson · 20-11-2009 11:47am

Well that's just great for you isn't it? I'm glad you're happy with your purchase. The problem is that some of us did actually buy the box for twin tuner support.

Apart from that, we're still waiting on a proper 7 day EPG, DTS on mkv files, 3GB+ files and uncapped file transfer speeds....

It's no wonder dev has slowed down on the firmware if the company is concentrating on the next model. Great way to treat customers.

johndoc · 20-11-2009 11:31pm

gtg60 wrote: »

Nothing confirmed just yet but what I've read on other forums indicates that this is the goal and shouldn't be a problem, there is even a rumour (from a reliable source ) that Picture in Picture will not only be possible but is planned

gtg60 wrote: »

Just got one of these, smashing bit of kit

Twin tuner firmware available from Friday, extra tuners in 2 weeks and Freesat/ Sky EPG also in 2 weeks, exciting times ahead

cormacl wrote: »

Is it confirmed yet if you will be able to record from one tuner while watching services from the other? Seems a lot of the cheaper combo systems have hardware limits in this regard. I realize twin tuner support is not yet available or only soon to be released but it would good to know this asap.

slegs wrote: »

Not known yet but would be very surprised if not. You can watch channels on another transponder from the one you are recording. Would be hoping that you can record and watch channels on the same DVB-T Mux also.

johndoc wrote: »

So the terrestrial tuner is now available... while I'm seeing lots of news on firmware pros and cons and other more involved aspects.... any news on it meeting expectations for the more straight forward 'I want Ire & UK TV in one box with no subs' type of user????
I'd be interested in experiences on whether EPG performs and the latest on the twin tuner operation. Have we found the holy grail of viewing DVB-T and recording DVB-S? (and vice versa!!) and a seamless viewing experience:)??

Also, if there are any shortfalls...... any confirmed plans to address them??

gtg60 wrote: »

Firmware is still in Beta and until a few people have the tuners in their possesion and have used them for a while we won't know what bugs there are and how quickly they will be sorted.
Word is that Opensat (makers of AZBox) don't want to take firmware out of Beta until they have a very reliable and robust system, which is fair enough really.

As they say, watch this space...

gtg60 wrote: »

Combo tuner support only at present, twin tuner support reported to be available in the firmware release due 2nd week of August.

jimrad wrote: »

New version of AZbox firmware released/leaked....hop over to satdudez.just about to download and try
jimrad

MayoForSam wrote: »

Still no twin tuner support, might wait for the official release and let some other folks be the guinea pigs for this one.

gtg60 wrote: »

Just read on SaorTV forum that you can record and watch from the same Mux with the DVB-T tuner, tried it and can confirm it works

Roll on the twin tuner firmware though, record from DVB-T and watch DVB-S2 :cool::D

jeanpaulvieira wrote: »

Does it means that twin DVB-S is working now? (watching and recording at the same time)?

slegs wrote: »

No, not yet.

It means that the AZBox will have 7 Day EPG for Irish Terrestrial and 7 Day EPG for UK FTA Freesat in one seamless guide. This is a huge step forward in Combo box technology.

Also, it is confirmed that the AZBox DVB-T DTT tuner can do watch one record another on the same MUX.

What cant be done yet is watch one record another on two different tuners whether they are DVB-T/DVB-S2 or DVB-S2/DVB-S2. In fact the DVB-S2/DVB-S2 combination is not supported until a future firmware drop.

This is expected to be sorted in the coming weeks.

gtg60 wrote: »

Speculation like this seems to occur every 6~8weeks, admittedly it's not being helped by Opensat's lack of communication although they did quash rumours with a press release about 3 months back.

Every few weeks we get new firmware that improves the box no end, the box is still in development, let's wait and see what happens next...
Thanks from: shinobi

Lads. The emperor has no clothes.

Whats the use of trying to deny now that the expectation of most posters here was for properly integrated DVB-T/DVB-S kit. Without the implied and stated Opensat intention, there are other boxes to just go out there and pick up in the shops. No need to wait around with bated breath.
Or to buy a box with the expectation that a firmware update was going to deliver, only to find that its a hardware update thats needed. For hardware update read Premium+.
Me, I'm not too bothered. I've held off and will buy a box that has the features I need, not one that promises them some time in the future.
In the meantime, don't take it too personally. Including the Azbox cheerleaders in this thread.... we've all been let down and mislead.

.

kippy · 21-11-2009 12:34am

johndoc wrote: »

Lads. The emperor has no clothes.

Whats the use of trying to deny now that the expectation of most posters here was for properly integrated DVB-T/DVB-S kit. Without the implied and stated Opensat intention, there are other boxes to just go out there and pick up in the shops. No need to wait around with bated breath.
Or to buy a box with the expectation that a firmware update was going to deliver, only to find that its a hardware update thats needed. For hardware update read Premium+.
Me, I'm not too bothered. I've held off and will buy a box that has the features I need, not one that promises them some time in the future.
In the meantime, don't take it too personally. Including the Azbox cheerleaders in this thread.... we've all been let down and mislead.

.

Nobody you have quoted has posted here since the news........and as I said it wasnt top of my list at all.......

Superfin · 21-11-2009 1:21am

Firmware 0.3877 available to download from the Azbox, no idea of whats in the changelog.

Superfin · 21-11-2009 1:29am

AZBox Beta Firmware: 0.9.3877
for AZBox Premium HD+ & AZBox Premium HD & AZBox Elite HD

Changelog / Release Notes:
Código:
_____ _____ _____
| _ |__ | __ |___ _ _
| | __| __ -| . |_'_|
|__|__|_____|_____|___|_,_|
Welcome to AZBOX | Welcome to AZBOX

OpenSAT is proud to present

AZBox HD Firmware - rev. 0.9.3877
(2009.11.20)

RELEASE NOTES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

# FIXED
========

- Redraw routine for subtitle when the drawing fails.

- Corrected an issue when some movies are restarting play in Movie player.

- Corrected the continues play bug in Music Player.

- Corrected the large artwork bug in Music Player.

- Corrected an audio play bug when using Photo Slide Show

- Corrected the duration time issue in Movie Player.

- Corrected a bug regarding the single EPG.

- Corrected some bugs regarding photo viewer (zoom in/out, rotation, move, etc.)

- Corrected a problem related to the bookmark function and high bitrate movies.

- Corrected a problem with the play time in YouTube.

- Corrected a VFD problem regarding accent characters

- Corrected a problem when some GUI elements were overlapping (TV module).

# ADDED
========

- Added the ability to delete a group of channels in the channel manager.

- Added some setup functions in the movie player.

- Added language selection in teletext.

- Added the 'all' option in the backup/restore feature

- Added a jump key in File Manager.

- Added a possibility to show the play or remaining time in the VFD.

- Added more GMT offsets

- Added 480i video resolution for component and HDMI video output.

# IMPROVED
===========

- Increased the channel zapping speed

- Better detection of the duration time of MP3 files (when file includes artwork).

- Increased the video quality by correcting the mosaic problem at movie player.

- Changed the PAT parser on media player to ensure the stability when parsing multiple PIDs.

- Modified the channel manager to close when a channel was selected.

- Insert some additional info at the recording buffer header.

- Modified the TS parser to extract the exact time from PTS (Movie Player).

- Modified the plug-in message queue for better synchronization and speed.

Best Regards,
The OpenSAT/AZBox Team

stimpson · 21-11-2009 12:56pm

Meh - EURO_EPG plugin is now borked.

Looks like i picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue...

gtg60 · 21-11-2009 1:03pm

kippy wrote: »

Nobody you have quoted has posted here since the news........

And what exactly would you like me to say, that I lied? I did post things that turned out to be not true, so what? I was wrong, I'm a big boy, it's not like I can't admit it.

The fact is that I, too, am disappointed with this news and it does mean that this box doesn't tick EVERY single box.

BUT it is still a great box and does so much other boxes do not, in fact by far and away it is still the best value DVB-T/DVB-S Combo box out there and this is my third one.

And yes, I am thinking about getting a Premium+...

kippy · 21-11-2009 1:12pm

gtg60 wrote: »

And what exactly would you like me to say, that I lied? I did post things that turned out to be not true, so what? I was wrong, I'm a big boy, it's not like I can't admit it.

The fact is that I, too, am disappointed with this news and it does mean that this box doesn't tick EVERY single box.

BUT it is still a great box and does so much other boxes do not, in fact by far and away it is still the best value DVB-T/DVB-S Combo box out there and this is my third one.

And yes, I am thinking about getting a Premium+...

Gtg.
I wasnt knocking you, just trying to explain to johndoc that nobody he had quoted had posted on this thread since the news came out........
Totally agree with you btw.........

johndoc · 21-11-2009 1:14pm

gtg60 wrote: »

And yes, I am thinking about getting a Premium+...

Me too!!

gtg60 · 21-11-2009 2:04pm

Hooray, bug finally fixed that allows WMA's to be played

Still testing other stuff...

stimpson · 21-11-2009 6:16pm

Some improvements, but I think I'll be going back to previous FW until EPG is fixed.

stimpson · 24-11-2009 12:31pm

Daily firmware builds available here for the brave:

http://dailyfw.azupd.com/

Completely unsupported, no changelogs, not for bug reports.

gtg60 · 24-11-2009 4:10pm

stimpson wrote: »

Daily firmware builds available here for the brave:

http://dailyfw.azupd.com/

Completely unsupported, no changelogs, not for bug reports.

Interesting move, will try one out and report back...

gtg60 · 25-11-2009 10:51am

Just to say that they are adding a brief changelog with these beta beta's now.

Did try the latest firmware but the only thing I noticed was that the EPG tab was missing from Settings.

bigalk · 25-11-2009 5:42pm

has anyone tried one of these, or looked at them as an alternative to the Abox?
Seems to do the same stuff - but im a complete novice in this area so could be completely wrong.

thoughts?

bigalk · 25-11-2009 5:43pm

sorry, link for last post

http://www.tvblobbox.com/ataglance.php

gtg60 · 25-11-2009 5:48pm

Wooohh, over 400 Euro with delivery and it doesn't even do DVB-S, think I'd buy a PS3 and PlayTV attachment instead.

Bogger77 · 25-11-2009 5:57pm

gtg60 wrote: »

Wooohh, over 400 Euro with delivery and it doesn't even do DVB-S, think I'd buy a PS3 and PlayTV attachment instead.

bet it does everything the website says it does, and doesnt make claims about future features which it then removes?

gtg60 · 25-11-2009 6:37pm

Bogger77 wrote: »

bet it does everything the website says it does, and doesnt make claims about future features which it then removes?

So what? It's still expensive for what it is and at least I suggested something constructive to the poster.

kippy · 25-11-2009 9:26pm

Bogger77 wrote: »

bet it does everything the website says it does, and doesnt make claims about future features which it then removes?

A FUTURE FEATURE.....in the singular.......
Bad form yes, but it doesnt consign the box to the bin just yet......

Bogger77 · 26-11-2009 2:22pm

kippy wrote: »

A FUTURE FEATURE.....in the singular.......
Bad form yes, but it doesnt consign the box to the bin just yet......

if a company cannot even get the specifications and feature set right, on the only product they make, then it is enough to dump to curb. Firmware still in beta, and still unstable.
even the crappiest project on sourceforge is more reliable than the gang behind azBox.

Box has some kewl features, the 4.2.2 feeds etc, but when they had a chance to become the company leading the way for others, and they dropped the ball.

I was considering getting one of these, to schedule record some programs off my motorized system while I'm away during the week, and do some feed hunting when I'm home. but I don't think I will buy it.

I cannot trust a company that has gone back on it's promised features, cannot get it's basic firmware working, I think I'll have to go to a more stable company like Technomate or dream Media to fulfill my requirements.

stimpson · 26-11-2009 2:36pm

In fairness, the FW is reasonably stable. I just wish they hadn't killed the EURO_EPG plugin before they implemented the new EPG.

For watching TV it's fine - HD channels look especially good. Media Player is OK, but I already have a Mac Mini for a media player and it wipes the floor with the Azbox for stability, codec support and web browsing.

Twin Tuner support was the no 1 reason I bought the Azbox, so I feel ripped off. I was planning to drop in a second sat tuner and do without RTE, but that's not going to be an option now. I wish I'd spent a few quid more and got the Technomate 7100HD...

kippy · 26-11-2009 3:44pm

Bogger77 wrote: »

if a company cannot even get the specifications and feature set right, on the only product they make, then it is enough to dump to curb. Firmware still in beta, and still unstable.
even the crappiest project on sourceforge is more reliable than the gang behind azBox.

Box has some kewl features, the 4.2.2 feeds etc, but when they had a chance to become the company leading the way for others, and they dropped the ball.

I was considering getting one of these, to schedule record some programs off my motorized system while I'm away during the week, and do some feed hunting when I'm home. but I don't think I will buy it.

I cannot trust a company that has gone back on it's promised features, cannot get it's basic firmware working, I think I'll have to go to a more stable company like Technomate or dream Media to fulfill my requirements.

I aint goin dumping a box I bought for a few hundred euro because a feature which I didnt buy the box specificilly for, is not working.
I wont buy one again, but what you are saying makes no sense at all to me.
For all I need it for its pretty stable........

bigalk · 26-11-2009 5:43pm

Hi lads,

and thanks for the responses on the Blobbox. maybe im barking up the wrong tree here when looking at the AZbox - and maybe someone can help me. if im hijacking, or off topic, then let me know cos im not a big boards user.

i want dual tuner support (W1R1) with EPG, HD, PVR and internet browser on a box. is the AZbox (future version) my only option at this sort of money? is there another way around - maybe a cheap pc added to the mix.

Apogee · 26-11-2009 9:04pm

bigalk wrote: »

i want dual tuner support (W1R1) with EPG, HD, PVR and internet browser on a box. is the AZbox (future version) my only option at this sort of money? is there another way around - maybe a cheap pc added to the mix.

The problem is it doesn't do W1R1 and apparently never will. The QBoxHD is the the closest rival, but I'm not sure if dual tuner has been sorted out with that either. The DM8000 is still the only option that works correctly but is significantly dearer.

bigalk · 27-11-2009 10:47am

what about some of the options from technomate?

dxhound2005 · 01-12-2009 12:51am

stimpson wrote: »

Daily firmware builds available here for the brave:

http://dailyfw.azupd.com/

Completely unsupported, no changelogs, not for bug reports.

With thanks to the people on another forum this might be of interest. Allows you to update receiver with the daily firmware builds without having to use USB. I updated to the new 3919 firmware this way and it works.

So as not to have to download a patch.bin to a USB stick and perform an upgrade that way, you can follow this procedure and download directly from the firmware site dedicated to the "unofficial" software updates.

Go to the normal settings area - where the firmware download is normally found.

When internet is selected as the download option, press the green key to edit the URL

change
Code:
http://www.azupd.com to
Code:
http://dailyfw.azupd.com and enter to save.

now selecting "internet" will allow you to download and update the normal way.

gtg60 · 01-12-2009 10:45am

I wouldn't really recommend this option, from other forums it appears a lot of people are having issues getting these firmware updates to work when downloading via the internet, USB seems to be the way to go.

And remember these daily updates are only for the hardcore users, if you want to use your box day to day then stick with the officially released Beta's.

zoinc · 23-12-2009 1:40pm

Hi all I'm new to boards.ie and was just wondering if you could help me with something. I have a motorised azbox (with DVB-S and DVB-T tuners which I got from slegs) and want to get BBC Radio 5Live but am unable to pick up Astra 2 due to a big tree. I receive FM radio from NTL and was wondering if that'd somehow be compatible with my digital terrestrial tuner? If not does anyone know of any other way (eg using line in from stereo) to intergrate the radio into my azbox and by extension my home network?
Thanks in advance for any support/advice

taung · 23-12-2009 4:17pm

zoinc wrote: »

Hi all I'm new to boards.ie and was just wondering if you could help me with something. I have a motorised azbox (with DVB-S and DVB-T tuners which I got from slegs) and want to get BBC Radio 5Live but am unable to pick up Astra 2 due to a big tree. I receive FM radio from NTL and was wondering if that'd somehow be compatible with my digital terrestrial tuner? If not does anyone know of any other way (eg using line in from stereo) to intergrate the radio into my azbox and by extension my home network?
Thanks in advance for any support/advice

Hmmmm, that's a tough nut to crack!

If fear your only option is to get an FM tuner card/dongle for your computer, setup an MP3/AAC streaming service from this computer, connect up your computer to your WiFi network, download the 'iradio' plugin for your AZBOX and away you go! It's as simple as that!

gtg60 · 23-12-2009 7:20pm

Cut down that tree!

Greenman · 26-12-2009 12:23am

Hello,
Just want the AZBOX for the 422 feeds, the rest is just a bonus so which AZBOX do I go for?

Thanks JD.

gtg60 · 26-12-2009 1:35pm

If you only want it for feed's then go for the cheapest option, the Elite.

Greenman · 26-12-2009 4:01pm

gtg60 wrote: »

If you only want it for feed's then go for the cheapest option, the Elite.

Decent of you for getting back to me.

I take it the Elite will take an external HD plus youtube. Sorry if this was mentioned before.

I see it for €229 so since I got no presents for xmas I'll have to take the plunge.

Happy NY.

JD:)

gtg60 · 26-12-2009 9:20pm

Yeah, you can record onto an External HD and it does Youtube.

Greenman · 26-12-2009 10:39pm

gtg60 wrote: »

Yeah, you can record onto an External HD and it does Youtube.

Thanks very much.

Will keep the thread updated.

Happy NY.:)

tapfit2004 · 28-12-2009 11:46am

I had a quick search on the net for the newest version, the premium plus. It seems that its going to do all the others did plus a hw blind scan and full dual tuner support. Does anyone know what the planned release date and retail price are? I presume it will be a beta software release like before. Thanks

redout · 01-01-2010 11:45pm

Just quick question. I currently have a Dreambox running Gemini project with CCcam but am considering purchasing another linux based sat receiver.

Does Gemini Project and CCcam only work with a dreambox or can I use them with any linux sat receiver (such as Azbox) ?

Thx

EDIT: Bit of digging around and I dont actually think Azbox is linux based but the official site says it is!

cormacl · 02-01-2010 12:34am

redout wrote: »

Does Gemini Project and CCcam only work with a dreambox or can I use them with any linux sat receiver (such as Azbox) ?

For this to be an option, Enigma2 would need to be ported to the Azbox and a custom image built for the given processor of the Azbox. That is not the case at the moment. Either way, any given Gemini image, based on the Dreambox images, would never work on an Azbox, given the different target hardware. IMHO, the Azbox makers made a huge mistake not going this direction originally. Given that they were already going the Linux direction, there was no need to reinvent the wheel.

AFAIK, there is some existing support for soft CAMs for the AZBOX and I saw posts that people had got it to read cards etc. cccam for all we know, could already have an azbox port. If not, then no doubt other cams have been ported. You would need to verify this or hope that one of the Azbox fanboys will chime in and confirm this.

TCP/IP · 02-01-2010 12:49am

I got a new Premium + AZbox today and have it all setup and working. It is connected to my DM800 using Cccam and all is working perfectly. Any questions please ask. For the price 2 X Tuners, 4.2.2 feeds it cannot be beaten. I bought a DM8000 and gave it back as I felt I was not getting value for money with it.

Greenman · 02-01-2010 1:53am

TCP/IP wrote: »

I got a new Premium + AZbox today

Thats great:)

I hope to pick mine up mid Jan all going well.

Throw up some screen shots if you have some time:) please.

How are the 422 feeds?

How is youtube?

Enjoy it.

Regards JD.

AZBOX /Elite / HD / Premium

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