Cost-Effective, High-Functionality, User-Friendly Replacement for Pay TV

NewClareman

Many customers of Pay TV companies are reluctant to consider subscription-free alternatives. The fear they will lose ease of use and a wide range of additional features - ending up with a "bargain basement" solution. That need not be the case.

This thread describes a high-functionality, feature-rich, alternative to Pay TV solutions. From a usability perspective, it compares very favourably to products from the main PayTv providers. It is designed to be user-friendly and suitable for general home/family use.

The solution is based on a customized Tiviar AlphaPlus set top box. The Tiviar AlphaPlus is a highly capable cable TV Box, with a large range of features. It is available with storage for about 1000 hours of programs, for around €200. However, it is complex to use for the general family, with a big learning curve.
To manage the usability issue, I have configured a simplified GUI to make it much more user friendly. Following substantial feedback this version has finally passed the wifey test. Given the amount of help I have got on this forum, I thought it only fair that I would make the image generally available. I have started a new thread to keep what is a substantial amount of information, easily accessible.

The attached image supports:

• All Popular Free-to-Air TV Channels (Irish + UK Satellite) with 7 day EPG
• Catch-Up TV (RTE Player and 3 Player, in Ireland)
• Satellite and Terrestrial Radio with 7 day EPG
• Internet Radio Stations with covers and track information.
• Film Playback with Covers, ratings and descriptions.
• Music Playback with Covers.
• Photo Viewing, With Slideshow
• Series Recordings assigned to folders to avoid recordings clutter
• TV Picture-In-Picture
• Apps for Tablets and Smartphones (3rd Party)

Design Criteria

• Intuitive to use, with low learning curve.
• Advanced Features for Sophisticated Users
• Emphasis on consumer information, rather than technical data.
• Single button to access popular functions.
• Single remote to control TV + STB – with simple usage.
• Insulated from user mis-operation – e.g. accidentally accessing technical features.
• Must pass the Wifey test!

The updated software, and any future updates, is available here
It only takes a few minutes to install and requires minimal setup, afterwards.

NewClareman

I prepared the Remote Control Guides, below, for use in the home.
I uploaded pdf versions, suitable for printing/laminating to the shared drive.

NewClareman

A very full set of catch-up services, are available. (Thanks to Gerry Wicklow)








The YouTube video shows the operation of the RTE Player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhC8m8K1jkg

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NewClareman

NewClareman

NewClareman

Films are stored on an external USB stick, or hard-drive, to improve usability. Information on each film is downloaded from the internet, for a brilliant User Experience. Additional information can be downloaded from Wikipedia, for film buffs.

NewClareman

Music can played from a USB stick, for easy playback.

NewClareman

NewClareman

NewClareman

Picture-In-Picture can be activated directly from the remote, or from the infobar, when scrolling through channels.
It can also be used when viewining a film, to keep an eye on what happening on a TV Channel.

NewClareman

Flashing

Place the tiviaraplus folder on a USB stick formatted to FAT32. A stick no larger than 8GB is recommended.
Turn the receiver off fully.
Plug in the USB fob to the front USB port, and power on.
Press the power button (the one with the white light on the front panel, when prompted to do so.
The front panel will show flashing, if USB recognised.
While the firmware is flashing DO NOT power down the unit, as this can cause permanent damage.
Comprehensive Flashing Guide http://www.openvix.co.uk/openvix-bui...r%20Alpha+.pdf (Thanks to THHB)

The software is provided without warranty and you use it at your own risk.

Picons

The picon folder has to be installed on your hard drive directory /media/hdd/.
On a Windows PC this can be done from the network folder as Samba makes the Tiviar Alphaplus drives visible.
If the WebIF is working, but the drives are not visible, Samba may have stopped.
Restart under: Main Menu => Setup => Network => CIFS/Samba Setup.

Controlling the TV with the remote.

CEC HDMI option

If you enable the CEC HDMI option, you may be able to control the TV power and volume, in STB mode.
This is the easiest option, if it works with your TV.
(You may need to set a delay between each HDMI command to get this to work.)

Matching the remote to the TV

The Tiviar Alphaplus remote is programmable, see the Tiviar AlphaPlus - Original User Manual, on the shared drive, for instructions.
(Bear in mind that the manual is for the Original operating system, so all the references in the manual to the software functions no longer apply.)
Once paired, the Power Off Button works for both devices, in either STB or TV Mode.
Once the CEC HDMI option is turned off, the STB has its own volume control.
You can then turn your TV volume setting to the maximum volume the user requires,and use the remote in STB mode to control the volume.

Weather Widget.

The weather information has been disabled on most views as we found it distraction. However, it can be activated under settings.
if using it, you'll need to edit your own weather location id in the mymetrix lite plugin, under settings. You can find your own location id here http://weather.mynonpublic.com/locationid.html

Setting Up Terrestrial Channels.

You may need to scan the terrestrial tuner if you're not receiving signal from Cairns Hill. (Worked out-of-the-box, for me.)
Auto-Managing Satellite Channel Changes.
At the moment these have to be managed manually as the Autobouquetsmaker was messing with the Bouquets I had already configured.
(I know there are solutions for this but don’t have time to pursue, for now. Maybe someone could set this up for me???)

Password

The password on the box, inherited from the THHB image, is username: root, password: tempass. You can change it using the command “passwd root” using the terminal (under extras) in the Open Web I/F. You will be prompted for a new password.

System Configuration and Updates

Configuration and Updates can only be done using the setup option on the main menu. All other routes are intentionally bricked off, to improve usability. (if I missed a brick, or two, please let me know.)

Known Issues
Any help/suggestions, in relation to these, would be most welcome.

Using WiFi for connectivity.

I have found WiFi connectivity unstable with the rtl8192cu chipset and I have to restart the connection regularly.
This appears to be a known issue, and is not solved with any of the available drivers.
It would be great if someone had a solution – even if it were only an auto-restart script for WiFi.
One workaround is to use a HotKey to point directly to the network folder.
This allows the WiFi to be restarted, with less effort.

Poor Visibility of Planned Recordings

The best approach I could think of was to make them visible under a simplified main menu. I would like to link directly to the sub-menu entries, or even the timer view pages directly, but haven't figured out how to do this.

Switching to Radio Mode (Terrestrial/Satellite) is awkward

Switching requires multiple clicks on the TV/Radio button as the TV Bouquets are always shown first.
When switching occurs, the last Radio Bouquet, rather than the Radio Bouquet List, are shown.

Tune-In-Radio Instability

TuneInRadio is unstable, and can cause a BSOD, if the broadband connection fails and an attempt is made to change channels.
(The plugin appears to be no longer supported, but is the best I found from a usability perspective.)

Spotty Wikipedia suuport, with Movie Organisor

When attempting to download additional film information from Wikipedia, a list of possible "hits", is returned.
When a particular title is selected, the lookup can fail.

No Soak Testing

Significant software changes, including an update of Enigma2, have been made under the skin.
It is likely that minor issues will arise in day-to-day use.
If these are made known to me, I will try to reproduce and forward to the appropriate support people, for resolution.

PIP Artefact

Occasionally, a blank PIP artifact remains on screen, e.g. after changing channel from the infobar.
It can be removed with the exit key.

View PIP from Browser Unstable

When a PIP session is started from within the Movie Organisor it can cause a crash (BSOD).
If I cant find a fix I'll disable this functionality.

Some Menu Items have unfriendly terms

Terms such as 'Bouquet', 'Event' and (Auto)Timer are not ideal for a casual user. Ideally I'd like to change this, e.g. by using a dedicated language file, if someone could give me an idea where to start.

The high horse brigade

Fair play, subbd

NewClareman

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Fair play, subbd

This thread is really about highlighting what can be achieved, without having to pay big fees to Pay-Tv Providers. For a one-off outlay of between €250 and €350, depending on whether a professional installation is required, a feature-rich TV/Radio service is possible. You did all the early running, all I did was build upon your work.

Johnboy1951

Congratulations, a very comprehensive set up NewClareman.
It looks like a great result from the effort put in.

Lots of bling!

NewClareman

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Congratulations, a very comprehensive set up NewClareman.
It looks like a great result from the effort put in.

Lots of bling!

Yeah, Wifey and I are very pleased with the result. We left Sky about 3 months ago where we were paying over €70 per month (discount price) for Tv and DSL Broadband. We are now paying €30 per month for unlimited Fibre Broadband (Fatpipe 24 from Magnet). A minimum saving of €500/year - nice!
(Well we thought it was fibre, it is actually DSL, but still grand for our purposes.)

It might seem like bling but there is simply no comparison, in terms of User Experience, between what we have now, and our previous setup. The amount of free features, and services, is simply fantastic. We had 100’s of CD’s gathering dust, because it was too much trouble to play them. Now they are available, at the touch of a button. (Well two buttons actually - I still have to turn the amplifier On/Off, manually. Everything else is via the remote.)

I’ve had FTA Tv for many years, including a Freesat, but no one else in the family was interested. The Sky box was simply too easy to use, for them. With the current setup it’s the other way around. Best of all, it can be replicated very easily, using the image above.

Johnboy1951

You mentioned that recordings can be viewed from phone or tablet.
What software is required on phone/tablet to view recordings? Browser?

Can Live TV/Radio also be used from those devices?
EPG also?
Recording management?

Thanks. Just wondering about overall capabilities. I do not need the device itself.

The high horse brigade

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

You mentioned that recordings an be viewed from phone or tablet.
What software is required on phone/tablet to view recordings? Browser?

Can Live TV/Radio also be used from those devices?
EPG also?
Recording management?

Thanks. Just wondering about overall capabilities. I do not need the device itself.

There are plenty of apps for all platforms. Myself I'm using Dream EPG on my Android phone and tablet

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.cyberdream.dreamepg.premium

On laptops I just use the browser. Yes live TV and radio works also. I also have a VPN to the house so I can use it anywhere.

I honestly mostly use Dream epg to add timers and autotimers

Johnboy1951

The high horse brigade wrote: »

There are plenty of apps for all platforms. Myself I'm using Dream EPG on my Android phone and tablet

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.cyberdream.dreamepg.premium

On laptops I just use the browser. Yes live TV and radio works also. I also have a VPN to the house so I can use it anywhere.

I honestly mostly use Dream epg to add timers and autotimers

Is there an app that will display channel list and also EPG or do you use two separate apps?

mickdw

Looks like a good setup. Everything nicely integrated and will suit many.

The high horse brigade

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Is there an app that will display channel list and also EPG or do you use two separate apps?

That one does, click the icon on the left gives a drop-down to select a different bouquet. There lots of different views and the sidebar has a link to movie directory

Johnboy1951

The high horse brigade wrote: »

That one does

Thanks.

The high horse brigade

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Thanks.

Ninja edited

Tigerandahalf

@thhb

Is the vpn for streaming when abroad?

The high horse brigade

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

@thhb

Is the vpn for streaming when abroad?

No although it's very handy to have a connection to my own network. I use it on my phone for security on public WiFi and also Pihole adblocking from my home network when out and about.

https://pi-hole.net/

vidapura

This looks great.
I'm hoping to get an Enigma box soon... but was thinkin of a different one to the Tiviar.
So I suppose I'd have to make my own image...
A list of the plugins you recommend would be really handy.
Its openvix you used is it?
Is a decent RTE player a difficult thing to find or is there only one available?

Thanks

NewClareman

You will have to make your own image, I'm afraid. (In theory it might be possible to add drivers for a new box, to make a multi-box image, but I'd be afraid I'd brick my box.) See pictures below, for the plugins I currently use. I also tried Kodi 5, but it hogs resources and runs slow, so I removed it.

I don't know of any alternatives to E2iPlayer, for RTE Player.

The high horse brigade

@NewClareman, you can change the font size of the word extensions in the mymetrix plugin so it fits below the screen. It's in fonts half way down, called large text, set it to 60%

vidapura

Brilliant, thanks.
new box has been put back by another month.. wiper motor failed on SWMBO's Qashqai.. sigh...

..but we live in hope...

mikeecho

I'm running a smart android tv with netflix and other apps for streaming.
The tv has Saorview, and a sat tuner, so I have selected Sat ch' s tuned in. I also have a Freesat pvr.

USB hdd connected to tv to record terrestrial.
Freesat box records sat ch' s


Don't pay a penny.

( keep changing email to get free netflix)

davidm20

Thanks and I'm in, brilliantly explained and steps laid clearly out.

Was in the market for a new box, ordered yesterday.

NewClareman

I've just posted an updated image to the folder linked to in the first post of this thread.

There a are a few tweaks and I've also included MediaPortal - it is available when you "long-press" the red button. Ive attempted to remove the remaining adult feeds, in line with this being a family-friendly configuration.

This build includes some software updates and addresses an issue where live TV was being stored permanently, filling up the hard-drive.

I would love to have the satellite stations update automatically, should they change frequencies, in future. I'd really appreciate it if someone had a solution for this.

penno

only signed up to Eir TV a month ago..... raging!!!...... I hate the layout of it. but stuck now for 12 months.
your set up is 100 times better.
I had FTA on my 'smart TV' and lost it over night about a month ago (hence the arrival of Eir ) was just left with Saorview. Bizarre.
I am deffo going to put this box on my xmas list and study and save your thread for further reference. Thanks for all the effort you put in much appreciated.

sligojoek

penno wrote: »

only signed up to Eir TV a month ago..... raging!!!...... I hate the layout of it. but stuck now for 12 months.
your set up is 100 times better.
I had FTA on my 'smart TV' and lost it over night about a month ago (hence the arrival of Eir ) was just left with Saorview. Bizarre.
I am deffo going to put this box on my xmas list and study and save your thread for further reference. Thanks for all the effort you put in much appreciated.

You could get a quad LNB and use the box in another room. Well worth the money.

sligojoek

Question for NCM and/or THHB.

If I flash this tomorrow, Can I revert back to THHB's image from HDD, or do I have to do it with a pen drive and wipe NCN's image?

The high horse brigade

sligojoek wrote: »

Question for NCM and/or THHB.

If I flash this tomorrow, Can I revert back to THHB's image from HDD, or do I have to do it with a pen drive and wipe NCN's image?

Do a backup, the date and time will be in that backup name. You can go back to that backup at any time by copying it to the root of the drive/usb key and renaming it tiviaraplus. A trick I sometimes use is putting a few letters after image names like tiviaraplusold tiviaraplusnew tiviaraplusnov18 etc, then just remove the few letters when you want to use it and rename it again for storage when flashed

NewClareman

sligojoek wrote: »

Question for NCM and/or THHB.

If I flash this tomorrow, Can I revert back to THHB's image from HDD, or do I have to do it with a pen drive and wipe NCN's image?

Let us know how you get on. All feedback, including suggestions for improvement, welcome.

sligojoek

Just getting to it now. I'll let you know how it goes.

Alkers

Apologies for the probably simplistic post!
We have a satellite dish on our house from a previous occupants SKY installation - could I use one of these boxes with that satellite dish and coax cabling or would I need to do anything else?
Any recommended retailers?
How are the saorview channels picked up - I didn't think they were broadcast on satellite?

sligojoek

The dish should be fine. Ideally you'd need a twin feed from the LNB on the dish.
You'll need a separate terrestrial antenna to recieve Saorview. That also plugs into the box

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/tiviar-alpha-plus

niallb

Simona1986 wrote: »

Apologies for the probably simplistic post!
could I use one of these boxes with that satellite dish and coax cabling or would I need to do anything else?

Almost definitely.
If they had Sky Q though, you'll probably need to change the LNB on the dish.

Alkers

sligojoek wrote: »

The dish should be fine. Ideally you'd need a twin feed from the LNB on the dish.
You'll need a separate terrestrial antenna to recieve Saorview. That also plugs into the box

https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/tiviar-alpha-plus

Thanks for the replies!

I have two coax cables from the satellite dish but they go to separate rooms, I assume a twinfeed is to watch one channel while recording another?

Any preference for firmware if ordering the box from the linked site?

NewClareman

Simona1986 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies!

I have two coax cables from the satellite dish but they go to separate rooms, I assume a twinfeed is to watch one channel while recording another?

Any preference for firmware if ordering the box from the linked site?

Yes the two feeds is to watch one channel while recording another.

I used OpenATV, based on recommendations from this forum. To get the full functionality on this thread, you’ll need to add in the plugins I listed, and configure same. The image I linked to I the first post overrides the original firmwRe and requires minimal configuration, apart from the tuning in the terrestrial channels.

vidapura

Simona1986 wrote: »

Apologies for the probably simplistic post!
We have a satellite dish on our house from a previous occupants SKY installation - could I use one of these boxes with that satellite dish and coax cabling or would I need to do anything else?
Any recommended retailers?
How are the saorview channels picked up - I didn't think they were broadcast on satellite?

I had the same situation when I moved in to our place. Old satellite dish and some wires....

Friend of mine donated an old sky box, so I plugged it in, and I was able to get all the free satellite channels despite not having a sky card. (BBC etc)
(those old sky boxes are around the place for free sometimes on freecycle or like 20 bucks on adverts )

Might be an idea just to get you going..
You might be able to see if that works then its probably not a Sky Q installation... so should work with the Tiviar...
The telly I subsequently bought has a sat tuner built in so I use that now.. while I try pull together cash for a proper box... not ideal but it works ...

Yah you need a freeview aerial for the Irish saorview channels.

Former Former

Simona1986 wrote: »

Any preference for firmware if ordering the box from the linked site?

The difference between Openvix and OpenATV is absolutely minimal. I use Vix and it's very good, but really much of a muchness.

sligojoek

Posted this in the TA+ thread by mistake.

Bit of a problem lads. Flashed with new image last night and all went well. However the OH didn't like it as she's got used to the way it was. I took a backup of my image yesterday and am now trying to flash with it instead. All seemed to be OK but now it's stopped at "F-rootfs" for the last half hour.
Where do I go from here?

The high horse brigade

sligojoek wrote: »

Posted this in the TA+ thread by mistake.

Where is the backup you're trying to flash? Have you backups on both usb and HDD? If it's on the HDD unplug the usb, if on the usb open it and unplug the HDD until you get it flashed

sligojoek

I copied the backup from the HDD to the USB and renamed it "tiviaraplus".
So I'm rying to flash from USB now. The origional backup is still on the HDD

sligojoek

if on the usb open it and unplug the HDD until you get it flashed

Open the box?

Is it safe to turn off the power and maybe try a different USB stick?

The high horse brigade

sligojoek wrote: »

I copied the backup from the HDD to the USB and renamed it "tiviaraplus".
So I'm rying to flash from USB now. The origional backup is still on the HDD

Try a different usb key. If that fails open the box and unplug the HDD.

sligojoek

Powered off, took the key out, powered back on and Newclareman's image has booted up fine. I was afraid I'd brick the box by stopping mid-flash. I'll leave it as it is for now have a root around for another key and try later. TV is booked till about 12.

Thanks for the speedy reply

Gerry Wicklow

sligojoek wrote: »

Powered off, took the key out, powered back on and Newclareman's image has booted up fine. I was afraid I'd brick the box by stopping mid-flash. I'll leave it as it is for now have a root around for another key and try later. TV is booked till about 12.

Thanks for the speedy reply

There should be no need to use a key unless you are using someone else's image. If you want a clean install, the box will download it directly. Just look under the BLUE button for FLASH ONLINE. If you want to restore a previous full backup opt for LOCAL and DEVICES to find your existing backup images listed by date.