Zgemma H7s Guide

Davexirl · 04-09-2020 9:55am

Getting rid of Sky Q and I am going to order this box, from reading up on it, I would be best with going OpenATV? Easiest to setup for a newbie?

_Kaiser_ · 04-09-2020 10:00am

Davexirl wrote: »

Getting rid of Sky Q and I am going to order this box, from reading up on it, I would be best with going OpenATV? Easiest to setup for a newbie?

It helps to be comfortable with PCs, FTP, understanding configurations etc if you want to tweak and customise, but the box itself with OpenATV (which is what I have) is perfectly usable as is with minimal effort.

Cyrus · 04-09-2020 10:31am

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

So it's been a few weeks with the box but I am very happy with it and have it setup just as I want it now . Took a while but got there

I have a question though.. So the Web TV interface allows you to watch/stream TV through the browser and you can export individual channel playlist files to open in Potplayer (in my case - tho I'm sure VLC would work too) - but, is there a way to export the whole list or use an external player to interface with the box.

Basically I'm thinking SkyGo functionality but using this hardware. Then all I'd need to do is open the relevant ports on the firewall and I can watch TV from anywhere

what skin did you settle on?

_Kaiser_ · 04-09-2020 10:38am

Cyrus wrote: »

what skin did you settle on?

Slyk Q in the end.

09-09-2020 10:43pm

Hi all,

Got this box the other day.

Been setting it up but not sure if I have a fault.

The box seems highly sensative to being touched, today I forgot to lug in my lan cable in the back of the unit, as soon as I did the box froze and wouldnt reboot. Every time I turned it on it just lit up the logo and dislayed nothing.

Eventually after a few minutes and failed retempts it booted again.

Found that any touching of the cables in the back do the same, even touching the HDMI, not unlugging but just touching sends the box crazy.

Any ideas if this is a faulty box?

bfa1509 · 09-09-2020 10:56pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi all,

Got this box the other day.

Been setting it up but not sure if I have a fault.

The box seems highly sensative to being touched, today I forgot to lug in my lan cable in the back of the unit, as soon as I did the box froze and wouldnt reboot. Every time I turned it on it just lit up the logo and dislayed nothing.

Eventually after a few minutes and failed retempts it booted again.

Found that any touching of the cables in the back do the same, even touching the HDMI, not unlugging but just touching sends the box crazy.

Any ideas if this is a faulty box?

I do get electric shocks off the back of mine but nothing annoying like the above. I would flash a different image or two (Pure2 works well for me) and if it persists I would say faulty box

danIrl · 11-09-2020 12:46pm

Anyone have issues with recordings?
I have a box with a preinstalled hard disk. However playback even on SD channels has problems. Will not fast forward properly and sometimes during playback it will stutter.

Running OpenVix 5.3.039

FlexMcMurphy · 11-09-2020 10:58pm

danIrl wrote: »

Anyone have issues with recordings?

That might be an issue with the hard drive itself... hardware or firmware.

I have had those problems you describe but only on a different less powerful box when I was playing back and recording HD programs to a network drive.

You could plug in a usb key or usb drive and make recordings on to that and see if it performs better. I have used both on a Zgemma H7S and not had the problems you describe using an internal drive.

Flex

danIrl · 11-09-2020 11:07pm

Interesting. Yeah I might try a usb disk. I bought it from world of satellite so I presumed they would have everything correctly setup.

FlexMcMurphy · 11-09-2020 11:14pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi all,

The box seems highly sensative to being touched, today I forgot to lug in my lan cable in the back of the unit, as soon as I did the box froze and wouldn't reboot.

I had a similar problem to this a few weeks ago and had to return the box for a replacement. I only had it four months. I would put the box to sleep and it wouldn't come back on, would disappear off the network and I'd have to plug it out and in again. Sometimes the picture would randomly break up and the box would just shut off. Applying gentle pressure down on the top of the box would cause the picture to go all snowy and then the box to die.. like there was a power issue or a loose connection.

I never got to the bottom of what was the cause. But World of Satellite didn't make any hassle over supplying me with a replacement.

With the replacement box I don't record to an external drive any more only to an internal drive. Previously I had put the Kodi plugin on it and that's when it started dying on me. I doubt there was any connection between the two but I won't be doing anything fancy with my new Zgemma H7S. I lost a bit of confidence in it really. Don't think it's built to last the seven years my old Amiko Alien 2 did! (actually it still works just fine)

Flex

Fingleberries · 14-09-2020 9:26am

Hi folks,

Overall, I find this a great little box, but lately I'm running into a strange series of errors, the box doesn't seem to install updates any more.

It's running OpenVix 5.3.0.39. But when I look to update packages, I've started getting an error

No state is present for card bcm
Found hardware: "bcm" "BCM mixer" "" "" ""
Hardware is initialized using a generic method
No state is present for card bcm
Not selecting libavformat58 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libavdevice58 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libavutil56 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libavcodec58 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libswresample3 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libavresample4 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libswscale5 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libavfilter7 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Not selecting libpostproc55 4.1.4 as installing it would break existing dependencies.
Configuring alsa-state.
Collected errors: * pkg_run_script: package "alsa-state" postinst script returned status 22. * opkg_configure: alsa-state.postinst returned 22.

If I look at the list of packages to update, it looks like there could be an issue with the package numbers - there is a decimal point before 15, that is not there for 16.

e.g. kernel-base (4.10.12-.15 -> 4.10.12-16)
Linux kernel for h7

Any tips on how I could address these issues?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

FlexMcMurphy · 14-09-2020 9:45am

You would be better off asking them in the OpenVix Image Forum on World of Satellite.

People like abu baniaz, Sicilian and twol develop and support that image there.

Flex

Gerry Wicklow · 14-09-2020 2:16pm

I noticed the other day that they haven't updated Vix for Zgemma since July. Kinda worrying.

Kannon · 21-09-2020 12:36pm

Hi folks

I've ordered one of these, due to be delivered this week. I currently using Eir but I have a sky Q dish from a couple of years ago, so from reading through various threads here I can see that I need to replace the LNB with a hybrid LNB. This doesn't look too difficult however I also need to get an aerial for Saorview and I'm prone to breaking stuff. My query is, would an installer do both of these even though they are not supplying the receiver box? If so, I'm assuming someone like Freesat would offer this service?

Thank you

_Kaiser_ · 21-09-2020 12:39pm

Kannon wrote: »

Hi folks

I've ordered one of these, due to be delivered this week. I currently using Eir but I have a sky Q dish from a couple of years ago, so from reading through various threads here I can see that I need to replace the LNB with a hybrid LNB. This doesn't look too difficult however I also need to get an aerial for Saorview and I'm prone to breaking stuff. My query is, would an installer do both of these even though they are not supplying the receiver box? If so, I'm assuming someone like Freesat would offer this service?

Thank you

An independent will supply/fit the dish and aerial alright. I recently had one recable and reorient my Saorview/Freesat setup after an unsatisfactory install by another previously.

Kannon · 21-09-2020 5:00pm

Thanks for that Kaiser. I'll get a few quotes, any ideas how much it should cost roughly?

_Kaiser_ · 21-09-2020 5:14pm

Kannon wrote: »

Thanks for that Kaiser. I'll get a few quotes, any ideas how much it should cost roughly?

In my case 100 covered reorienting the aerial, rewiring the satellite and running a new cable for a second feed but it'll depend on where you are, what you need and how much work is involved

I used these guys - https://satelliteandaerialtvservices.com/ - and was happy with what was done.

Johnboy1951 · 21-09-2020 5:28pm

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

In my case 100 covered reorienting the aerial, rewiring the satellite and running a new cable for a second feed but it'll depend on where you are, what you need and how much work is involved

I used these guys - https://satelliteandaerialtvservices.com/ - and was happy with what was done.

Are they country-wide?

I noticed this on the home page

This Weeks Specials
<snip>
Tiviar Alpha Combo Plus: Saorview & Freesat Digital HD Full 7 Day TV Guide Combo Plus Record & Watch.

_Kaiser_ · 21-09-2020 5:32pm

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Are they country-wide?

I noticed this on the home page

Not sure if country-wide (it says 16 counties on the site) and the website isn't great, but I was happy with the work and price myself.

Davexirl · 21-09-2020 8:02pm

My box has arrived in Parcel Motel in Dublin, it should be in my locker tomorrow.

Davexirl · 22-09-2020 9:44pm

Davexirl wrote: »

My box has arrived in Parcel Motel in Dublin, it should be in my locker tomorrow.

Changed the Sky Q LNB handy enough, Tuned in the channels but having issues even trying to sort them. Can't find autobouquets maker, I installed the plugin, so I believe but can't locate it.

_Kaiser_ · 22-09-2020 9:59pm

Davexirl wrote: »

Changed the Sky Q LNB handy enough, Tuned in the channels but having issues even trying to sort them. Can't find autobouquets maker, I installed the plugin, so I believe but can't locate it.

I did most of it through the web interface myself

Kannon · 22-09-2020 10:22pm

Hi folks

I chose not to get the internal HDD option that WoS offered with the box as it seemed a bit expensive. Can anyone recommend a relatively affordable one?

Thank you

FlexMcMurphy · 22-09-2020 10:58pm

WoS don't charge all that much to add in the hard drive. Now you have to order it separately and put it in yourself.

It depends on what you want to do with a hard drive... record movies and programs frequently and leave them on there? Enable pause/rewind live TV?
If the former then you might as well get a big drive e.g: a 2.5" 1TB would do. If the later then you're better off paying for an SSD.

You can also simply plug in a usb key and record onto that but the more capacity you have the better.. an hour long standard def program takes up around 1GB of space. High def about 3GB.

eBay and amazon have lots of options.

Flex

Gerry Wicklow · 22-09-2020 11:25pm

This is what I use , easily enough for ~30 hours of HD.

_Kaiser_ · 23-09-2020 8:59am

I had a few 256GB 2.5" SSDs spare after replacing the PC over the summer so stuck one of those into it. 5 minute job, but read back a few pages here as setting it up in the software isn't as intuitive as it could be.

Davexirl · 23-09-2020 8:44pm

Managed to get it all set up this evening, I am delighted with it.

henke · 23-09-2020 8:58pm

Davexirl wrote: »

Managed to get it all set up this evening, I am delighted with it.

Going to purchase myself shortly. Did you go with OpenVix or OpenATV? Did you spend long setting up?

Davexirl · 23-09-2020 9:16pm

henke wrote: »

Going to purchase myself shortly. Did you go with OpenVix or OpenATV? Did you spend long setting up?

It was my first time setting one of these up and it took me probably 5-6 hours. I went with OpenATV from advice on here and from searching google on what to do. A bit of pain but worth it.

greasepalm · 23-09-2020 9:24pm

I have always used openvix on all my boxes as it does what i need.

Zgemma H7s Guide

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