combo receiver choice sab combo or amiko alien

batman1

I am trying to decide on what type of box to finally go for. I like the idea of the amiko alien with the triple tuner but am concerned that it needs constant tweaking or upgrading. I work away from home a lot so need something stable that family can use without it crashing out etc. Another option is the sab III combo receiver . I would like to hear opinions on the alien version and whether it is user friendly once set up, or would one be safer going for the other option but losing the triple tuner and epg etc

steveon

batman1 wrote: »

I am trying to decide on what type of box to finally go for. I like the idea of the amiko alien with the triple tuner but am concerned that it needs constant tweaking or upgrading. I work away from home a lot so need something stable that family can use without it crashing out etc. Another option is the sab III combo receiver . I would like to hear opinions on the alien version and whether it is user friendly once set up, or would one be safer going for the other option but losing the triple tuner and epg etc

Both practically the same box....just a different manufacturer.

A better buy would be the edison optimus or gigablue quad a cheaper variation of the VU duo range.

Technofobe

steveon wrote: »

Both practically the same box....just a different manufacturer.

A better buy would be the edison optimus or gigablue quad a cheaper variation of the VU duo range.

All the boxes listed by steve would be great given a choice I would love something with a bit more processing power than the alien 2 that I have had for almost a year now

But if budget is an issue you cant go wrong with the alien
you could do worse than leave it on the default spark operating system
If your worried that E2 may be a little tech for the family at this point
and as its dual boot you can always introduce them slowly by swapping into E2 for a weekend
and if they dont like it at the flick of a switch you can be back to your saved spark setup

spark is rock solid just not very pretty and there is also cross epg for spark

givecredit

batman1 wrote: »

I am trying to decide on what type of box to finally go for. I like the idea of the amiko alien with the triple tuner but am concerned that it needs constant tweaking or upgrading. I work away from home a lot so need something stable that family can use without it crashing out etc. Another option is the sab III combo receiver . I would like to hear opinions on the alien version and whether it is user friendly once set up, or would one be safer going for the other option but losing the triple tuner and epg etc

I have set up Amiko's and Sabs for friends with images. These images are installed for nearly 2 years now and are still working fine. Get yourself a good backup image, install it and leave it alone.

If you just want to watch tv and record a few programs the Amiko, Sab or Triplex are just fine and will do the job.

galtee boy

Technofobe wrote: »

All the boxes listed by steve would be great given a choice I would love something with a bit more processing power than the alien 2 that I have had for almost a year now

But if budget is an issue you cant go wrong with the alien
you could do worse than leave it on the default spark operating system
If your worried that E2 may be a little tech for the family at this point
and as its dual boot you can always introduce them slowly by swapping into E2 for a weekend
and if they dont like it at the flick of a switch you can be back to your saved spark setup

spark is rock solid just not very pretty and there is also cross epg for spark

Can I ask a few questions ?
1. Are all Irish and UK channels on the one EPG on these boxes ? And can you order the channels any way you want ?
2. How cumbersome is recording and live pause/ rewind etc via USB stick, can you set a programme to record for a number of weeks via timer, in the absence of series link ?
3. What is Spark OS and what does it do or give you ?
4. For non IT people, how difficult is it to install Enigma 2 and what does it give you that Spark doesn't ?

I know none of them will be as good as a Sky+ box, but which one comes nearest, in particular for family members who have never known anything other than Sky+ ?

Thanks guys.

Technofobe

galtee boy wrote: »

Can I ask a few questions ?
1. Are all Irish and UK channels on the one EPG on these boxes ? And can you order the channels any way you want ?
2. How cumbersome is recording and live pause/ rewind etc via USB stick, can you set a programme to record for a number of weeks via timer, in the absence of series link ?
3. What is Spark OS and what does it do or give you ?
4. For non IT people, how difficult is it to install Enigma 2 and what does it give you that Spark doesn't ?

I know none of them will be as good as a Sky+ box, but which one comes nearest, in particular for family members who have never known anything other than Sky+ ?

Thanks guys.

Yes all channels can be in 1 boquet (favorites ) i have this on mine irish and uk

Yes you can put the channels in whatever order you like
RTE 1 as number
RTE 2 as number 2 and so on

on enigma 2 pause and record are very straight forward like sky all be it
the buttons are small compared to a sky remote
Press pause and it will pause press record and you are offered a menu to record once or daily or weekly at same time until cancelled

Rewind requires a plugin called permanent timeshift which tends to cause a bit of greif

The alien 2 is dual boot so that means you can choose what operating system you wish to use
Spark is the default os and as such is rock solid pretty much glitch free
the GUI ( user interface ) is boring but your not really going to be looking at the menu much though

enigma 2 can be installed on the second partition of the box
and is an alternative operating system and comes in a few different versions by developers
Hyperion 4.5
openATV 4.2
openarp
enigma2 has a more modern GUI and can use plugins like autoboquets and cooltvguide a more sky looking epg
you can download backups from other peoples boxes an install them on your box where most of the work is already done

I would not reccommend a usb stick as these boxes are HD and if you record a hd station like RTE 1 HD the usb stick would very quickly fill up
most people tend to use a usb powered HDD like the samsung m3

enigma 2 install is covered by champions exellent guide in the enigma thread

Main spark thread is here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057246284

Main enigma2 thread is here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057246289

I opted for the amiko alien 2 mainly for price
There are better more powerful boxes available if you have the cash more power = more stability for enigma 2
bear in mind there is no rf out on these boxes so if you have a second tv running from your sky box via rf port you will need addtional equipment to send picture to the extra tv

Fresh potts has a very popular hyperion 4.5 with a sky GUI ( skin ) what they call wife friendly

this youtube video will give an idea of the skin described
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtkg9bEbC5w but was not made by FP

galtee boy

Technofobe wrote: »

Yes all channels can be in 1 boquet (favorites ) i have this on mine irish and uk

Yes you can put the channels in whatever order you like
RTE 1 as number
RTE 2 as number 2 and so on

on enigma 2 pause and record are very straight forward like sky all be it
the buttons are small compared to a sky remote
Press pause and it will pause press record and you are offered a menu to record once or daily or weekly at same time until cancelled

Rewind requires a plugin called permanent timeshift which tends to cause a bit of greif

The alien 2 is dual boot so that means you can choose what operating system you wish to use
Spark is the default os and as such is rock solid pretty much glitch free
the GUI ( user interface ) is boring but your not really going to be looking at the menu much though

enigma 2 can be installed on the second partition of the box
and is an alternative operating system and comes in a few different versions by developers
Hyperion 4.5
openATV 4.2
openarp
enigma2 has a more modern GUI and can use plugins like autoboquets and cooltvguide a more sky looking epg
you can download backups from other peoples boxes an install them on your box where most of the work is already done

I would not reccommend a usb stick as these boxes are HD and if you record a hd station like RTE 1 HD the usb stick would very quickly fill up
most people tend to use a usb powered HDD like the samsung m3

enigma 2 install is covered by champions exellent guide in the enigma thread

Main spark thread is here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057246284

Main enigma2 thread is here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057246289

I opted for the amiko alien 2 mainly for price
There are better more powerful boxes available if you have the cash more power = more stability for enigma 2
bear in mind there is no rf out on these boxes so if you have a second tv running from your sky box via rf port you will need addtional equipment to send picture to the extra tv

Fresh potts has a very popular hyperion 4.5 with a sky GUI ( skin ) what they call wife friendly

this youtube video will give an idea of the skin described
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtkg9bEbC5w but was not made by FP

Thanks for such a detailed response. A lot to ponder there.

codar

I have both an alien 2 triple and a vu solo2.
The solo2 is a lot more expensive (well it was when i bought it two years ago) than the alien amiko but enigma2 runs a lot better and more stable than the amiko.
That said, the alien is a good price for what you get but if you want to run enigma2 constantly, i'd shy away from the alien.
If your happy with spark os, i'd go for it.
Enigma 2 has more to offer though in the line of plugins.