Darkbox 2008HD?

joe25

I see the new Darkbox 2008Hd is out next week.
Looks like it might help drive down the price of the Hd boxes.
Price Is 199pounds or 270Euro
It will be able to pick up 4.2.2 Feeds.
Usb port for updating and recording.
Also has Smart card reader & Dual Common Interface.
http://www.darkbox.co.uk/
They are on pre sale on ebay.

What you think?

biologikal

I was considering one of these, but it only has 5 favourites lists. My budget SL65 has 8, and I even find this limiting. Looks like I'll be waiting for something more customisable.

Jason Ryan

For the money, ( €359 ) the Vantage HD7100s looks promising....
Anyone got any hands-on experience with this box?

pbirney

joe25 wrote: »

I see the new Darkbox 2008Hd is out next week.
Looks like it might help drive down the price of the Hd boxes.
Price Is 199pounds or 270Euro
It will be able to pick up 4.2.2 Feeds.
Usb port for updating and recording.
Also has Smart card reader & Dual Common Interface.
http://www.darkbox.co.uk/
They are on pre sale on ebay.

What you think?

Looks promising although I don't see any reference to the box being able to view 4:2:2 feeds.

cauliflower69

this box at the moment can not do 4.2.2 feeds. It was supposed to but can not. Something to do with the chipset afaik.

JHMEG

Can it read the Sky FTV card? Someone said the 2007 can.

stevethesatguy

openbox X810 can read the FTV card as long as you know the box key it was assigned to, spec here http://www.satellitetv.ie/shop/index.php?controller=product&path=29&product_id

JHMEG

stevethesatguy wrote: »

openbox X810 can read the FTV card as long as you know the box key it was assigned to, spec here http://www.satellitetv.ie/shop/index.php?controller=product&path=29&product_id

Interesting, but it's not HD..

pbirney

stevethesatguy wrote: »

openbox X810 can read the FTV card as long as you know the box key it was assigned to, spec here http://www.satellitetv.ie/shop/index.php?controller=product&path=29&product_id

"Product not found"

Is this your own site Steve?

byte

pbirney wrote: »

"Product not found"

Is this your own site Steve?

I'd like to know this too!

Six or seven of your (stevethesatguy) posts today have linked to this site, where incidentally the the domain is registered to a guy named Steve. Coincidence?

cauliflower69

And he seems to be overpriced tbh

Robxxx7

I'd be very wary of buying that darkbox, it was being sold on the undestanding and advertising (since removed) that it could view 4:2:2 feeds ... which it cannot, its a limitation of the chipset, although the seller says that a software patch will fix that...which it won't.. also the seller was saying that it could support 1080p which it can't (since removed reference to this from advertising)

The box itself is a clone of the Globalteq HD receiver

JHMEG

How would it fare as a FTA/FTV box tho, just for watching the UK channels (Ch4 included) and not scanning the skies for feeds?

I'm myself am looking for something that can do HD and can receive the FTV UK channels.

byte

JHMEG wrote: »

How would it fare as a FTA/FTV box tho, just for watching the UK channels (Ch4 included) and not scanning the skies for feeds?

I'm myself am looking for something that can do HD and can receive the FTV UK channels.

If just for that, maybe wait another while to see what sort of boxes will be made available for the Freesat system.

watty

The Lyngbox has 2 x CI at back, DTT, Sat DVB-S2, HDD (PVR) and HDMI/SCART/HD and downsampling HD to SCART. Plus 4 x USB host for USB drive, viewing camera etc..

Don't know if Dragon CAM for Sky works.

JHMEG

Would prefer something that doesn't require a Dragon Cam, ie a Darkbox 2007 with HD...

JHMEG

Lyngbox is also mad expensive.

joe25

I Have me Darkbox 2008 Hd 4 days now.
Picture is great even on SD channels as it upscales picture.
It reads sky card no problem.

Robxxx7

good luck with it ..you'll need it

byte

Robxxx7 wrote: »

good luck with it ..you'll need it

Explain further?

Robxxx7

Probably best i don't .... as i don't want to get banned ... but my comment is more aimed at the company selling them than anything else

JHMEG

joe25 wrote: »

I Have me Darkbox 2008 Hd 4 days now.
Picture is great even on SD channels as it upscales picture.
It reads sky card no problem.

Joe, does Channel 4 HD work with it?

joe25

Yes Channel 4 Hd working fine with Freesat card.
Card updates so no need to put it into your sky box to update it.

JHMEG

Excellent, thanks Joe.

byte

joe25 wrote: »

Yes Channel 4 Hd working fine with Freesat card.
Card updates so no need to put it into your sky box to update it.

Ooh, interesting.

Fat_Fingers

I have a Darkbox HD now for a while, 7 months i think. Picture quality is excellent but boy is it a pain in the ass with software updated. Often new released software would actually break already working features. Loop doest work yet. No support for jpg or mp3... PVR was supposed to be ready for the early May but so far there is no sign of PVR feature. Its very good hardware but software is poor and buggy.

byte

It seems to be becoming a norm for this type of box...

I got Octagon HD box yesterday, and as yet, no firmware ready yet for PVR feature (that said, they did release a Beta version, which naturally screwed up other things).

Some of these boxes have lots of potential, but seem to get released before they're ready.

Fat_Fingers

Totally agree with you. Darkbox has very good, actually excellent hardware compared to receivers in the same price range. When it was released it was top dog. However 7 months later and promised features are still not here, other receivers with the same features have in the meantime hit the market and have working features promised and not delivered on Darkbox so now this is very mediocre box. But you live and learn....

Ronan|Raven

Highly off topic but may I say the Darkbox 2008 rev SD is one of the best receivers I have ever had the pleasure of using. Fantastic for the price.

Fat_Fingers

Hi Ronan,

There is no such a receiver.
I know; you are talking about Darkbox 2007 rev SD
Very good receiver. I heard nothing but good reports.That's why i was sucked into buying newer one , HD edition. I was expecting to see all the features of SD plus more. "Political" broadcast at the time was PVR , 4.2.2 , jpg, mp3, divx support is coming in next couple weeks. Well that was 7 months ago.
Darkbox HD for me has been nothing but money wasted. 4.2.2 was a lie. PVR or anything else is still a distant future. Actually there is no more info if PVR or anything else will actually happen. Every update apart from one was total disaster. This is the worst receiver i have ever purchased.
Only good update in last 7 months was that you can see ITV HD (which broadcasts about 1 hour a week..sweet...) and fav list was extended from 5 to 8 groups and you can also rename groups. Other good thing i can say about it is that it has excellent picture quality

So if you are thinking of upgrading your Darkbox SD, stay away from HD edition.

byte

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

Hi Ronan,

There is no such a receiver.
I know; you are talking about Darkbox 2007 rev SD
Very good receiver. I heard nothing but good reports.That's why i was sucked into buying newer one , HD edition. I was expecting to see all the features of SD plus more. "Political" broadcast at the time was PVR , 4.2.2 , jpg, mp3, divx support is coming in next couple weeks. Well that was 7 months ago.
Darkbox HD for me has been nothing but money wasted. 4.2.2 was a lie. PVR or anything else is still a distant future. Actually there is no more info if PVR or anything else will actually happen. Every update apart from one was total disaster. This is the worst receiver i have ever purchased.
Only good update in last 7 months was that you can see ITV HD (which broadcasts about 1 hour a week..sweet...) and fav list was extended from 5 to 8 groups and you can also rename groups. Other good thing i can say about it is that it has excellent picture quality

So if you are thinking of upgrading your Darkbox SD, stay away from HD edition.

Yeah, I've read that the receiver isn't physically capable of receiving 4:2:2 regardless of software updates.

According to all the spiel about the Octagon box I got, it claims to have a 1000Mhz processor! I've read that it has nowhere near that speed, though I knew this before purchasing it. While Octagon did release a PVR beta firmware, it seemingly doesn't work the best, and I won't hold my breath waiting for the full proper release.

Ronan|Raven

Oh but there is a 2008 rev I have the box to prrove it The 2008 rev has a RF Modulator on it now. Only real difference.

Fat_Fingers

Byte,
it seams to me that lots of them are rushed and just released to market without any proper software. It is interesting how they can get away with selling hardware on "specs" and "coming up features"
Imagine buying a car with "specs" been able to do 120 miles/h but what you get is 40 miles/h max on condition to be updated in distant future to 120miles/h. :eek::D
Ronan, my bad, you are correct, there is 2008 for SD.. didn't see that.

nirelandguy

The darkbox HD should never have been released, its way to buggy, First there is the PVR function which doesn't work, then there is the menu deterioration, it reboots, organising channels etc is a total nightmare, there is constant promises of updates to fix bugs which never come, and if you say anything bad about it on al$hat you will get banned:mad:

Fat_Fingers

the bugs are far too numerous to mentioned them all or even try to remember them all. Last update even managed to break DiSEqC switching. I mean that is the very basic of requirements! You just have to laugh...

snaps

nirelandguy wrote: »

The darkbox HD should never have been released, its way to buggy, First there is the PVR function which doesn't work, then there is the menu deterioration, it reboots, organising channels etc is a total nightmare, there is constant promises of updates to fix bugs which never come, and if you say anything bad about it on al$hat you will get banned:mad:

Ive noticed that on alsat! Same happening with all the negative digitalb threads that are being opened!!

Well that settles it then, I was thinking of purchasing a darkbox 2008HD to move into the world of HD. I will hold off.

Anyone heard about the technomate HD boxes? Are they any good? Technomates i have had in the past and still use have been terrific.

Caruso

snaps wrote: »

Ive noticed that on alsat! Same happening with all the negative digitalb threads that are being opened!!

Well that settles it then, I was thinking of purchasing a darkbox 2008HD to move into the world of HD. I will hold off.

Anyone heard about the technomate HD boxes? Are they any good? Technomates i have had in the past and still use have been terrific.

Greetings all. After lurking for a few weeks I decided it was time to post.

Seeing how criticism was handled on Alsat finally put me off buying a Darkbox. I was thinking of going for the Technomate 6800HD (I already own a non-HD Technomate and am very happy with it). But after reading this thread I decided to order the Clarke-Tech HD5000 from ebay. It shares its essential hardware with the 6800, but at a better price. Got mine for €262 delivered (from Germany). Online support is excellent and picture quality superb--now picking up HD channels from 28E and 19E. Even works with my Sky card. There's also a combo version with an additional digital terrestrial tuner (equivalent to the TM 6900).

One oddity which it shares with the 6800: no RGB-out from scart (though it does allow RGB passthrough). This didn't worry me, though -- always planned to use HDMI anyway.

snaps

Interesting. Is the clarke rech easy to update/patch? Whats the support like? Are all the available channels available with with a latest patch that are available on my technomate at present?

shinobi

watty wrote: »

The Lyngbox has 2 x CI at back, DTT, Sat DVB-S2, HDD (PVR) and HDMI/SCART/HD and downsampling HD to SCART. Plus 4 x USB host for USB drive, viewing camera etc..

Don't know if Dragon CAM for Sky works.

I was looking up the specs for the Lyngbox. It said it had a dual tuner & could receive DVB-S/S2 & DVB-T.

Does this mean

1) One tuner solely for DVB-S/S2 & One tuner solely for DVB-T
or
2) It can be setup like Sky+ for either satellite or terresterial.

Thanks again.

Fat_Fingers

Yes to number 1, not to 2.
But it has expansion slot for extra tuner so you could add another tuner (DVB-S/S2 or DVB-T) so in theory it will give you "+" feature on satellite or terrestrial, depending on what tuner you install.

Fat_Fingers

mind you, entry level one costs about 700 euro.. not sure if that is value for money...
Add extra tuner and bigger hard drive and you are talking 900 euro.
You could build decent media PC for that money.

Caruso

snaps wrote: »

Interesting. Is the clarke rech easy to update/patch? Whats the support like? Are all the available channels available with with a latest patch that are available on my technomate at present?

Same update/patch options as TM. In fact same interface. Support is less UK-based, more international, but plenty of English-language forums. All the same channels available (except for additional HD channels on CT). I run mine alongside my TM so that I can watch one channel, record another etc. and the differences are minor.

byte

Caruso wrote: »

Same update/patch options as TM. In fact same interface. Support is less UK-based, more international, but plenty of English-language forums. All the same channels available (except for additional HD channels on CT). I run mine alongside my TM so that I can watch one channel, record another etc. and the differences are minor.

Since you have both CT and TM box together, does the remote for one operate the other?

This query was asked in a thread recently.

Caruso

No, the CT remote has no effect on the TM and vice versa.

byte

Caruso wrote: »

No, the CT remote has no effect on the TM and vice versa.

Ah, I've just twigged that the TM you have is a non-HD model.

Fat_Fingers

And one more thing on subject of Darkbox..Manufacturer web site is gone, it was there until last week.... when trying to access it (UK one) error comes up:

If you see this page, it means that you have set up your web server for serving a new site, but have not uploaded the site content yet.

Holly cow! Talking about short lived product!!! :eek::D

snaps

Ive come across a clarke tech combo for €239 (From germany). Dual DVBs and DVBt tuners. is this really worth getting.

watty

Not in My Opinion.

snaps

Perhaps for the amount of channels available and the cost of the hardware needed, perhaps i should hold off for a while. Prices seem to be coming down all the time. I would say in a few months we will know for def what will be needed for the DTT system being put in place.

Fat_Fingers

Hey Watty,

In your opinion what would be a good combo box (if any). I've already been burned by Darkbox so i'm interested to hear from someone like yourself who's very knowledgeable and doesn't have a vested interest.