Vu+ Duo/Gigablue - whole house distribution

Darando

Hear me out! Got lost in reading too many discussions)

Is it possible to use a Vu+Duo 4k or a Gigablue UHD to have TV (Saorview and FTA channels) in multiple rooms.

Rooms all have a LAN connection.

Looking at maybe 4 locations but that could grow later to other rooms. Is it a case of Dish with Unicable2 feed and aerial feed to one of those boxes and then at other locations something like a firestick/android box, therefore allowing people to watch different channels etc at the same time? (from the 8 demodulations of those boxes and 2 dual DVB-T tuners?).

Ideally then a simple interface at each location (like EPG etc..)

Or am do I have that all wrong?

Or is other option having all rooms with coax and splitting the Unicable sat feeds to each of them (expensive option ?? if good receivers used to have easy to use interface - like I've seen on receivers running OpenVix)

andy1249

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058360925/vu-duo-gigablue-whole-house-distribution

The first part is correct.

Anything running kodi with an enigma2 plugin , or plex with a pass , can connect to the main box over the network. You get a full EPG on each client.

I am also told ( but havnt seen them ) that there are various enigma2 apps available as well for portable devices.

Also , any cheap single tuner enigma2 receiver box , Zgemma H82h =50 quid , Octagon S8008 = 100 quid etc. can connect in client mode to the main box over the network and use one of its tuners.

During the Euros , I had 3 instances of people running two instances of plugins so that they could watch both final group matches live at the same time …… all tuners busy ….. but hey , at least I know it works very well.

JDxtra

Yes, this works - might be a bit of trial and error with secondary devices and streaming quality. Personally I found the best quality was from another Enigma2 box in client mode. I've tried the Apple TV apps for both GigaBlue and VU+ and they were OK, but seemed to have a lower bit rate even on a LAN connection.

Darando

Does the E2 box that is in client mode have to have the necessary tuners that match the main box (i.e. both DVB-S and T2) or is it just any E2 box such as a ZGemma H11S?

JDxtra

Any E2 box should work - but I have found this of the same type worked well (I was using GigaBlue).

andy1249

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437672#Comment_122437672

Client mode uses a tuner from the main box , the tuning hardware on the client box is totally ignored and not used at all.

It connects to the main box using your home network and pulls the channel list and epg from the main box , a good network connection is essential , so either a gigabit network port or good wifi is needed.

Any box should do , but keep in mind that the processor in the box is used , so make it at least half decent.

In my case , I have two single tuner boxes , a Zgemma H82h and an Octagon S8008.

The Zgemma is rubbish ( crappy huawei chipset and sticks on BBC1 and BBC news ). It also takes quite a while to load the EPG , sometimes as much as 2-3 seconds , this is every single time you press the EPG button , and makes it seem like its broken.

The Octagon has a faster broadcom chipset and is altogether much much better.

Both of the above boxes are cheap , the octagon is not as cheap as the Zgemma but wipes the floor with it.

MarkR

Can they all watch different channels, or are you limited by the amount of tuners?

JDxtra

This will depend on the tuners - so, for Saorview you'll need a dual capable terrestrial tuner. For free to air satellite, you'll need a box with an FBC tuner and a Unicable LNB.

Not sure how many streams a good solid box would support, but certainly I've tested it recording/watching/streaming 4 or 5 with no issues.

andy1249

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439243#Comment_122439243

You are limited by the amount of tuners , strictly speaking.

With a VU+ or a Gigablue running a dual FBC tuner module from a Unicable II LNB you have 8 tuners. however these 8 tuners cover almost all transponders , and on the WOS site there are users that have been experimenting and gotten up to 50 recordings running simultaneously.

That means that any client box should have no issue grabbing a tuner and watching whatever you want separate from the main box.

With Saorview , the VU+ or Gigablue will need a dual DVB T tuner if a client wants to grab a tuner and watch something different to the main box , but these DVB T tuners have only 2 , and if a client grabs one , then there is only one left to use on the main box for recording or watching , not both.

dam099

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445414#Comment_122445414

2 DVB-T tuners allows all Saorview to be watched or recorded simultaneously as there are only 2 muxes used for it.

Darando

Thanks, I had an idea it would work once it was an E2 system.. I'll keep an eye out for a cheap box to try it on initially without the Unicable2 LNB just for performance. Adverts seems slow these days for used boxes :) .

Akula

very interested in how you get on. I’d love to just distribute via ip within the house. Ideally to an Apple TV app.

Was toying with buying either a vu or gigablu box as the master and use the corresponding app. Or is there a better box / app combo.

JDxtra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122492014#Comment_122492014

I found both the GigaBlue and VU+ Apple TV apps a little lacking. Stream quality was OK, but seemed to be at a lower frame rate.

There may be better options on the Apple TV. Maybe a TV Headend client app or SatIP?

Darando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122492014#Comment_122492014

Still just looking - can't find a GigaBlue or Vu+ that has the dual DVB-T module anymore. Gigablue stopped manufacturing the Dual DVB-T module for the newer boxes(the agent told me). You can get a Dual DVB-T for older boxes, but you can't get older boxes!!

So the 8 Modulator DVB-S and Dual DVB-T tuner combination on a box seems like unavailable these days due to hardware unavailability…or correct me if anyone knows otherwise.

Only option is distributing via coax now and not network.

JDxtra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122495055#Comment_122495055

Buy a USB DVB-T tuner to supplement the onboard one.