Potentially cheap DTT/SAT HD Combo €129

Mann239

Coming back to the question of sound on the Edision 2 in 1. Where I live in France, they've got one jump ahead of themselves and are only broadcasting HD signals in the new Dolby Digital Plus format. I've yet to see a box that's capable of receiving this, apart from a few of the latest terrestrial-only set-tops on sale here - the famous French exception! However, this format is apparently going to be adopted Europe-wide. So what I'm wondering is:
a) will Edision be putting out a simple firmware upgrade to sort this out?
b) as I'm not planning to change my good stereo amp for 7.1 job, will I have any problems with getting sound on HD stations anyway? A kind member of this forum said I should be able to get sound through the stereo without probs, just not in surround, which is fine by me. Can anyone confirm? Does anyone have the 2-in-1's sound output connected to an amp by good old RCA cables?

STB

Mann239 wrote: »

Coming back to the question of sound on the Edision 2 in 1. Where I live in France, they've got one jump ahead of themselves and are only broadcasting HD signals in the new Dolby Digital Plus format. I've yet to see a box that's capable of receiving this, apart from a few of the latest terrestrial-only set-tops on sale here - the famous French exception! However, this format is apparently going to be adopted Europe-wide. So what I'm wondering is:
a) will Edision be putting out a simple firmware upgrade to sort this out?
b) as I'm not planning to change my good stereo amp for 7.1 job, will I have any problems with getting sound on HD stations anyway? A kind member of this forum said I should be able to get sound through the stereo without probs, just not in surround, which is fine by me. Can anyone confirm? Does anyone have the 2-in-1's sound output connected to an amp by good old RCA cables?

Yeah its part of RTEs spec too.


HDMI 1.3 or downmixing (is there a S/PDIF ?). See the part about downmixing here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital_Plus

mossym

STB wrote: »

Yeah its part of RTEs spec too.


HDMI 1.3 or downmixing (is there a S/PDIF ?). See the part about downmixing here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital_Plus

presumably if he has a stero amp it has no HDMI, i've never seen a stereo amp with HDMI.

however, even if Dolby Digital plus is part of the spec, 90% of these boxes will be hooked directly to TV's. TV's(Huge Huge Majority, almost all) don't ahve multichannel decoders. so the EDID in the TV forces stereo only from any source. so there must be a stereo only feed, either transmitted with the program, or decoded from the multichannel audio in the box itself and then fed to the tv, or in your case the amp.

if the stereo is there, which it will have to be, then there are a couple of methods of getting it to your amp, the phono line out red/white connectors on the back of the box, or take the audio out connection on the tv(if it has one ) and feed that to the amp.
But the essence of it is that it should be doable

Mann239

Thanks a lot for those replies, very helpful. So stereo would be possible by linking the 2-in-1 by red & white RCAs to my amp (yes, it has no HDMI and I don't think its successor does either - it's old-fashioned stereo, good to listen to music with). If I were to "upgrade" to a 7.1 system - which I'm not looking to do, though others probably are - I suppose Edision will have addressed the Dolby + issue by a firmware update (if the 2-in-1's chipset can accommodate this).

slegs

There is a new Edision mini 2 in 1 IP Firmware available here (release 27 May)

http://www.argus-family.de/produktreceiverargusminiSATip.html

The bootloader has changed so note options 6 below (otherwise you will get an error message on the standard upgrade)

1. Backup your channel list to usb key through the Backup to USB option
2. Download ths .abs file from the link above (Software 27.05.10 v.1.1.40 4 MB)
3. Copy the .abs file to a usb key
4. Go to Upgrade by USB on the Menu
5. Choose the file from the usb
6. Choose Upgrade SW + Bootloader
7. Start the upgrade and the box will reboot when complete

If your channel list gets wiped you may need to do the following also

1. Get the backup file you created before the upgrade
2. Copy this .abs file to a usb key
3. Go to Upgrade by USB on the Menu
4. Choose the file from the usb
5. Choose Channel List Only
6. Start the upgrade and the box will reboot when complete

[Edit] This firmware has Dolby Digital fixes - checking if there is anything else in there.

ActingDanClark

hi all-i'm living in delgany wicklow at the bottom of a hill where there is a transmitter but no clear line of sight,i do however get rte 1 and 2 on an indoor aerial.if i buy the edision box is there an indoor aerial that'll do the job,or do i need a hi gain uhf roof mounted aerial pointed in the kippure direction? i've seen some comments here that suggest that the box is capable of operating even with a poor signal..
i'm no techie,so any suggestions would be gratefully received-have received some direct advice already from satellite.ie,for which many thanks

snaps

Does the edision 2 in 1 IP version play avi files from a USB drive after firmware upgrade? This machine seems to do a lot, but this option is important to me? Is this machine the VIP2 stb?

slegs

snaps wrote: »

Does the edision 2 in 1 IP version play avi files from a USB drive after firmware upgrade? This machine seems to do a lot, but this option is important to me? Is this machine the VIP2 stb?

No, it doesnt do avi files

No the VIP 2 is related but the next level up with modular tuners. You can do 2 * DVB-S2 if you want in the VIP 2

snaps

Cheers, perhaps in future firmwares avi playback will be added.

MayoForSam

I am just after buying one of these boxes (2in1 ip) from slegs, had it up and running in 20 minutes, DTT, Freesat and the 2 HD channels in time for the World Cup

Managed to save myself a few bob by making my own DTT aerial from a piece of 3x1, a few steel welding rods, screws, washers and a balun from Maplin:



Set the aerial up in my attic, used a combiner/splitter to connect the sat and DTT feed to one cable and another to split the signal downstairs, plugged in and worked first time. Getting about 68% signal strength from Maghera which does me just fine.

Picture quality is excellent and comparable to standard Sky.

Neb

OK this is a basic question but I'll ask anyway:
For the Argus Mini - or is there literally a short between TV In and TV Out ? So uou still need a seperate decoder to put it into another TV.

MayoForSam

AFAIK, you are right, basically its the same signal you are putting through so you would need a separate decoder for another TV. No RF-out on the box itself. You could use a Scart-to-coaxial modulator I guess.

jd_darkroom

Hi All,

New to this forum, quick question on the Edison 2 in 1, if somebody could help me as I'm interested in buying this box.
What is the buffer size on the PVR (USB port), the period of time (TV) that is held in the buffer before it is overwritten?

snaps

anyone succesfully set up the 2in1 on a motorised dish? my mate is having a Nightmare setting it up! apparently it turns to 19.2 and thats it?

oaklands

slegs wrote: »

There is a new Edision mini 2 in 1 IP Firmware available here (release 27 May)

http://www.argus-family.de/produktreceiverargusminiSATip.html

The bootloader has changed so note options 6 below (otherwise you will get an error message on the standard upgrade)

1. Backup your channel list to usb key through the Backup to USB option
2. Download ths .abs file from the link above (Software 27.05.10 v.1.1.40 4 MB)
3. Copy the .abs file to a usb key
4. Go to Upgrade by USB on the Menu
5. Choose the file from the usb
6. Choose Upgrade SW + Bootloader
7. Start the upgrade and the box will reboot when complete

If your channel list gets wiped you may need to do the following also

1. Get the backup file you created before the upgrade
2. Copy this .abs file to a usb key
3. Go to Upgrade by USB on the Menu
4. Choose the file from the usb
5. Choose Channel List Only
6. Start the upgrade and the box will reboot when complete

[Edit] This firmware has Dolby Digital fixes - checking if there is anything else in there.

Hi, I tried to update this firmware (software & bootloader) which went OK, but when I then tried to restore the "channel list only" from a previous backup got an error message "Bin file mismatch".

Has anyone been able to restore the channel list after upgrading to this firmware version (Software 27.05.10 v.1.1.40)?

In the meantime I have reloaded the previous firmware version including the channel list. Otherwise - this is a superb combo device which I am happy to recommend.

slegs

oaklands wrote: »

Hi, I tried to update this firmware (software & bootloader) which went OK, but when I then tried to restore the "channel list only" from a previous backup got an error message "Bin file mismatch".

Has anyone been able to restore the channel list after upgrading to this firmware version (Software 27.05.10 v.1.1.40)?

In the meantime I have reloaded the previous firmware version including the channel list. Otherwise - this is a superb combo device which I am happy to recommend.

Yes, I will need to updated the channel list for the latest firmware. Will be doing this during the week. It needs to be done in the channel editor when the bootloader changes. Channel list will be made available to customers.

slegs

jd_darkroom wrote: »

Hi All,

New to this forum, quick question on the Edison 2 in 1, if somebody could help me as I'm interested in buying this box.
What is the buffer size on the PVR (USB port), the period of time (TV) that is held in the buffer before it is overwritten?

Its is 2 hours for timeshift I believe (from when you started watching that particular channel - gets wiped when you switch channels).
If you press record on a program you can watch/catch up to the length of the program whatever that is.

zbluebirdz

oaklands wrote: »

Hi, I tried to update this firmware (software & bootloader) which went OK, but when I then tried to restore the "channel list only" from a previous backup got an error message "Bin file mismatch".

Has anyone been able to restore the channel list after upgrading to this firmware version (Software 27.05.10 v.1.1.40)?

In the meantime I have reloaded the previous firmware version including the channel list. Otherwise - this is a superb combo device which I am happy to recommend.

I also received the dreaded "bin file mismatch". Unfortunately, I could not retrieve anything from the backup file.

Had to re-enter the location of the dish, find the satellites (quite fiddly - still don't have satellites I would like to look at), rescan the satellites for channels, setup the favourites ...

If I had known that the "upgrade" will wipe everything out, I wouldn't have upgraded. Grrr. Very much unlike the Technomate - upgrade, but not lose vital settings.

slegs

zbluebirdz wrote: »

I also received the dreaded "bin file mismatch". Unfortunately, I could not retrieve anything from the backup file.

Had to re-enter the location of the dish, find the satellites (quite fiddly - still don't have satellites I would like to look at), rescan the satellites for channels, setup the favourites ...

If I had known that the "upgrade" will wipe everything out, I wouldn't have upgraded. Grrr. Very much unlike the Technomate - upgrade, but not lose vital settings.

You should always backup your settings so you can go back if you wish. It seems that some of the upgrades involve a bootloader change which causes this. If you use the channel editor (cost 23e from setedit.de) you can edit the channel list back onto the new firwmare easily

zbluebirdz

slegs wrote: »

You should always backup your settings so you can go back if you wish. It seems that some of the upgrades involve a bootloader change which causes this. If you use the channel editor (cost 23e from setedit.de) you can edit the channel list back onto the new firwmare easily

Can you point me into the direction where I can save the settings? - I would like to save how I have setup the Argus Mini box.

slegs

zbluebirdz wrote: »

Can you point me into the direction where I can save the settings? - I would like to save how I have setup the Argus Mini box.

Its in the Menu under the System sub menu

Connect a USB Key or esternal USB drive into the box via the USB port at rear
Go to Menu->System->Backup to USB
It will automatically give the file a name generated from the date
The extension is .abs
Press OK on the Start option and it will save everything to the USB stick in one file (your firmware, settings and channel list).

It can be restored then from the Update from USB option just above whenever needed.

slegs

New firmware released yesterday 16.06 - checking with Edision what is in it.

oaklands

I tried to update to this latest firmware (Software 16.06.10 v.1.1.49) which worked OK, Unfortunately, restoring channel list from previous firmware version (1.1.07) also did not work & gave the same error message (bin file mismatch). Identical issue to my earlier post #196 above.
This may save you some time if you are trying to achieve the same.

The older firmware works fine for me, so I don't plan to update & re-enter the channels & favourites until there is a significant feature upgrade or until this issue is resolved.

Does anyone know where a possible bug like this could be logged with Edision? (Its not obvious from their website)

zbluebirdz

slegs wrote: »

Its in the Menu under the System sub menu

Connect a USB Key or esternal USB drive into the box via the USB port at rear
Go to Menu->System->Backup to USB
It will automatically give the file a name generated from the date
The extension is .abs
Press OK on the Start option and it will save everything to the USB stick in one file (your firmware, settings and channel list).

It can be restored then from the Update from USB option just above whenever needed.

That is exactly what I did. Ended up with the "bin file mismatch" - backup not readable by the new firmware and the box being reset to German factory settings ...

slegs

zbluebirdz wrote: »

That is exactly what I did. Ended up with the "bin file mismatch" - backup not readable by the new firmware and the box being reset to German factory settings ...

Will update channel list this weekend on latest firmware. Will do a UK only one first so I can get it out quickly.

OneWayBet

Anyone else have a problem with spontaneous reboots? It may be a hardware fault with my box but I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced it in case it might be firmware related.

It rebooted 5 times last night, I've moved it to a more spacious location in case it is temperature related.

tlaavtech

slegs wrote: »

Will update channel list this weekend on latest firmware. Will do a UK only one first so I can get it out quickly.

Where will this be availible? I found that the May 27th version of software kept showing no favourites in the favourites list, but when you edit favourites still shows them with hearts beside them on the LHS with a blank list of favourites on the RHS.

I am hoping that the rush update (i.e two weeks later) is there to cure the problem!

tlaavtech

... I guess not! It seems that it does not like having both TV and Radio in the same favourites list.

OneWayBet

OneWayBet wrote: »

Anyone else have a problem with spontaneous reboots? It may be a hardware fault with my box but I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced it in case it might be firmware related.

It rebooted 5 times last night, I've moved it to a more spacious location in case it is temperature related.

I upgraded to the latest firmware and it hasn't crashed since after 3 days (just before the upgrade it crashed after 2 minutes so my problem is definitely not due to overheating) - hope it continues that way!

slegs

tlaavtech wrote: »

... I guess not! It seems that it does not like having both TV and Radio in the same favourites list.

No TV and radio are separate lists