Amiko Mini Combo Extra. Views or recommendations

sligojoek

I did a channel update for my mother in law during the week on a 5 year old Edision box.

She's decided to get a new LNB and put that box in her bedroom. She's on the look out for a new box for the living room. I saw this in a shop yesterday and just wondering is it any good. SHe wouldn't be using the terrestrial bit as she has saorview on both TVs already. She's not very tech minded so the least hassle the better. Recording (which I see is possible) isn't an option. She'll only be usinf it for watching.

The high horse brigade

I would avoid any proprietary box unless you fancy continuously rescanning to put back missing satellite channels when they regularly change frequency. You would be better with a Tiviar or Edison combo box running Enigma. Amiko even do some that can be flashed with Enigma.

sligojoek

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I would avoid any proprietary box unless you fancy continuously rescanning to put back missing satellite channels when they regularly change frequency. You would be better with a Tiviar or Edison combo box running Enigma. Amiko even do some that can be flashed with Enigma.

Thanks THHB. I;m running a Tiviar here with your image. Best thing I ever did. It would be too much for the MIL. Just googled that box there and it's possibly too much for her too. l'll look out for a single tuner HD box.

Her husband died 3 yrs ago. I used always text him the new frequencies and he'd tune them no bother. JUst a few weeks ago she asked me to look at her receiver and re tune some missing channels. Now that the subject has come up it's only a matter of me making a detour on the way home and scanning a new TP for her if anything changes..

The high horse brigade

sligojoek wrote: »

Thanks THHB. I;m running a Tiviar here with your image. Best thing I ever did. It would be too much for the MIL. Just googled that box there and it's possibly too much for her too. l'll look out for a single tuner HD box.

Her husband died 3 yrs ago. I used always text him the new frequencies and he'd tune them no bother. JUst a few weeks ago she asked me to look at her receiver and re tune some missing channels. Now that the subject has come up it's only a matter of me making a detour on the way home and scanning a new TP for her if anything changes..

It's not just the updating you would be missing out on, no 7 day epg on satellite either.

I have an Edison os nino in the kitchen, it's about the size of that Amiko and cost £79. It's setup identically to my Tiviar image, same version openatv, same skin, same channel list. It's a set it once and forget it device. It doesn't have a recording drive but I've added a usb key for crossepg and picons.

Johnboy1951

SHe wouldn't be using the terrestrial bit as she has saorview on both TVs already.

It would surely be less hassle to have both terrestrial and satellite channels on the one channel list, from a single device, operated by one remote.
Feed the aerial cable into the STB along with the sat cable ..... much better user experience IMO.

dulpit

If there's no need for recording and saorview, wouldn't a simple freesat box work? I have one of those manhatten boxes, was like £30, no hassle with retuning and the full 7 day epg...

sligojoek

Thanks for the input folks.

The high horse brigade wrote: »

It's not just the updating you would be missing out on, no 7 day epg on satellite either.

I have an Edison os nino in the kitchen, it's about the size of that Amiko and cost . It's setup identically to my Tiviar image, same version openatv, same skin, same channel list. It's a set it once and forget it device. It doesn't have a recording drive but I've added a usb key for crossepg and picons.

She doesn't watch much, only a few quizzes and soaps and the news. She gets her 7 day EPG from the Mail on Sunday magazine. Far too much over kill for her. My own mother would have no problem with it.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

It would surely be less hassle to have both terrestrial and satellite channels on the one channel list, from a single device, operated by one remote.
Feed the aerial cable into the STB along with the sat cable ..... much better user experience IMO.

I know. She's set in her ways and has no problem with one remote for SV and another for Sat.

dulpit wrote: »

If there's no need for recording and saorview, wouldn't a simple freesat box work? I have one of those manhatten boxes, was like , no hassle with retuning and the full 7 day epg...

I think this might be the best idea. I;m going to Enniskillen next week and will have a look around there and see what's on offer. Simpler the better.

Capt'n Midnight

sligojoek wrote: »

SHe wouldn't be using the terrestrial bit as she has saorview on both TVs already.

Just get a Genuine FreeSat box then.

Power it up , stick in Postcode BT1 1AA * to get BBC NI and UTV.
Job done.

Full 7 day EPG, series link, channels update overnight.



* or SW1 1AA if you want BBC London.

The high horse brigade

Something like this would also be an option
https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/zgemma-h9s

sligojoek

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Something like this would also be an option
https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/zgemma-h9s

Too much for what she wants but I'll more than likely get that myself for the kitchen.

For my mother in law, I think I'll go with a very basic Freesat box in Enniskillen next week.

Inviere

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I would avoid any proprietary box unless you fancy continuously rescanning to put back missing satellite channels when they regularly change frequency. You would be better with a Tiviar or Edison combo box running Enigma. Amiko even do some that can be flashed with Enigma.

Is there a recommended box with a twin tuner (for freesat & saorview) which will auto retune new frequencies etc? Currently using a SAB Titan III and a SAB Titan IV and it's a pita keeping up with channel changes all the time.

The high horse brigade

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Something like this would also be an option
https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/zgemma-h9s

do you have to find /install your own epg on this enigma 2 box - free or paid?

enigma2 is linux based so no android appst then?

The high horse brigade

Inviere wrote: »

Is there a recommended box with a twin tuner (for freesat & saorview) which will auto retune new frequencies etc? Currently using a SAB Titan III and a SAB Titan IV and it's a pita keeping up with channel changes all the time.

Yes, any box that runs Enigma 2. There are 2 threads on here about the Tiviar Alpha
https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057827739/11/#post106783394
https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057925678/1

The high horse brigade

glasso wrote: »

do you have to find /install your own epg on this enigma 2 box - free or paid?

enigma2 is linux based so no android appst then?

Enigma 2 is open source and has its own plugins created by the community

It has a plugin called crossepg that pulls down the 7 day
Freesat epg from satellite on a schedule (daily) and saves it as an XML file on local storage for fast access.
Another plugin called autobouquetsmaker scans on s schedule for frequency changes and keeps the channel list updated the same as Freesat and Saorview.
Autotimers is series link, it searches ahead in the EPG for shows you want to record on a schedule and adds them as recording timers.

you don't need a special LNB for hd?

i.e. the normal LNB will pick up hd signals?

thanks.

The high horse brigade

glasso wrote: »

you don't need a special LNB for hd?

i.e. the normal LNB will pick up hd signals?

thanks.

Yes normal lnb will pick up all channels and enigma will display them if they are not encrypted

Capt'n Midnight

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Yes normal lnb will pick up all channels and enigma will display them if they are not encrypted

One niche gotcha with genuine FreeSat boxes is that encrypt Free To Air HD programs when recording.

Only an issue if you export the files to watch on a different device so not a biggie for most older peoples. And you can still export SD recordings.

Johnboy1951

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

One niche gotcha with genuine FreeSat boxes is that encrypt Free To Air HD programs when recording.

Only an issue if you export the files to watch on a different device so not a biggie for most older peoples. And you can still export SD recordings.

Agism is alive and well it seems! :eek:

sligojoek

Update.

Sister in law is getting a basic Freesat Manhattan box for her mother in Argos Enniskillen for £50 tomorrow. I'll set it up over the weekend.

@THHB I'll deffo get that Enigma 2 box for my own kitchen soon. I'm using an old Grundig out of date Sky box out there. About time I updated to HD there if nothing else. As an added bonus I can watch recorded stuff off the living room Tiviar.

Thanks again to all who replied.