Ross HD Satellite box... recordings to disk - are they encrypted?

zaphodbeeb · 25-02-2011 02:52PM #1

...was looking at this and a Technosat (I think) box.

TS box looks the better, but the recordings to disk are encrypted and can only be played back via itself (i.e. you can't connect to PC etc)

Just wondering if the recordings made by the Ross box are also encrypted?

Anyone tried this?

watty · 25-02-2011 04:07PM

They will be Transport Stream Format.

If you want to play in a PC, buy a €25 DVB-S2 PCI card for PC instead of messing with Set-box HDD.

I wouldn't go near the Ross HD box.

If it's for UK TV, get a "Freesat HD" box or PVR. If it's for Continental FTA mainly, get a good make HD box. If it's for Continental PayTV or FTV, get a box known to be compatible with CAM and/or Card the provider uses.

zaphodbeeb · 25-02-2011 04:11PM

...but you didn't really answer the question :-)

I imagine there'd be very little I'd record that I'd want to keep into perpetuity but sometimes some music concerts etc.... and while it'd be ideal to connect to a PC, I only currently have one satellite feed....

So it would be great if you could just connect the external hard disk to a pc and off you go... hence the question.

Anyone who has one can they check / let me know.

nikon1000 · 25-02-2011 04:30PM

I'm fairly sure VLC media player can play .ts files.

zaphodbeeb · 25-02-2011 04:41PM

I think it can too.

Again, the question is whether or not the recorded files are encrypted...

Apogee · 25-02-2011 04:45PM

All FTA receivers record FTA channels unencrypted.

nikon1000 · 25-02-2011 04:45PM

I very much doubt that they are encrypted.

watty · 25-02-2011 04:50PM

zaphodbeeb wrote: »

I think it can too.

Again, the question is whether or not the recorded files are encrypted...

not on FTA boxes.
But they are Transport Stream Format. Most media playing Sw makes a hash of that unless you have installed a Satellite card or similar and a suitable DTT/Sat viewing application.

zaphodbeeb · 25-02-2011 05:04PM

...that records to an external drive with unecrypted files. Something like the basic Humax HD model....

I'll keep looking :-)

ladgie353 · 25-02-2011 05:08PM

I have one of the Ross boxes and the files are in .ts format and can be played on the computer once you have the correct codecs.
Actlually, when I record BBC HD the PC is the only way to play the recording as the Ross box doesn't give me sound.

watty · 25-02-2011 06:04PM

Get a PCI Satellite DVB-S2 Card for PC!

norbert64 · 25-02-2011 06:49PM

ladgie353 wrote: »

I have one of the Ross boxes and the files are in .ts format and can be played on the computer once you have the correct codecs.
Actlually, when I record BBC HD the PC is the only way to play the recording as the Ross box doesn't give me sound.

If you go into the settings, you can choose between Raw/AC3/PCM. One of those should give you sound.

Getting back to the OP, have one of the Ross HD boxes myself and can categorically state, that ''The Recorded files are not encrypted''. :cool:

Tomk1 · 26-02-2011 01:58AM

I've got a Ross HD box and no problems playing the (HD) .ts fils with Media player classic but you do need the lastest version, also no probs watching divx/mpeg4 movies copied from the pc on the sat-box. I did see on the B&Q site they now have a box with an internal hard drive, not sure if their selling them in Ireland.

Just a note they did update the box from the original one which did freeze sometimes on EPG-mode when rapidly flicking through the channels, but no-problems with the new one.

vkid · 26-02-2011 11:09PM

ladgie353 wrote: »

I have one of the Ross boxes and the files are in .ts format and can be played on the computer once you have the correct codecs.
Actlually, when I record BBC HD the PC is the only way to play the recording as the Ross box doesn't give me sound.

How is the ross box. Saw a kit in B+Q today with a ross box. 99eu
Looking for a cheap functional box. Its HD with some form of recording. Wont use the dish from the package, just the box. Down grading from sky+ so just curious if you had any problems with it,

watty · 26-02-2011 11:46PM

It's a very poor choice compared to a Humax or Technisat "Freesat HD".

No BBC Red button
Manual retuning
No Interactive
No Multiscreen
Built down to a minimum price and just a Ross badge. Not a real manufacturer.

vkid · 27-02-2011 12:40AM

ok thanks.

zaphodbeeb · 27-02-2011 10:11PM

Am seriously impressed so far - picture was so good that I actually watched some of Skating on ice [and that's saying something]

Most of what Watty said is true - however (just for balance).

- Upgraded from a cheap LIDL box. I mention this as never having had the 7 day EPG I'm not missing it. Yes it would be handy but as a first HD box I'm delighted
- Have a 500GB disk drive that I'm connecting to it. Have to format to FAT32 (WHY!!) but this is a common thing. Just wish I had some nice handy app to do it quickly. However, once done it'll be a HD PVR.
- Red button services are all there - just not accessed via a red button. I'll just move the service / channels into a Favourites group and that'll do me

I came close to buying a Sagemcom Freesat HD recorder box in Richer Sounds but having just upgraded a Blu Ray player thought I'd save a few quid.

Ultimately I've saved 60 pounds (whatever that is in eu) and have much the same functionality. I can live with doing a rescan or manually adding the few new stations that come along every once in a while - Channel 4 HD in April for example.

Each to their own. It's (in my limited experience of about an hour) an impressive box. I understand also that I can connect the hard disk to my PC and burn whatever I've recorded to DVD / Blu Ray so am very happy so far.

If Freesat [as in 7 day EPG, red button etc] is important look elsewhere.

I will experiment with the whole recording / timeshift / connecting drive to PC etc and post an update.

zaphodbeeb · 01-03-2011 03:41PM

Ok, been playing with this box for a couple of days.

Out of the box it comes with all the channels setup pretty much as they would be on a Freesat box with some important differences - some of the newer channels such as BBC One HD and UTV +1 etc aren't there.

Initially I just did a re-scan but whatever way I did it it seemed to add ALL of the channels (plus the new ones) onto the end, more than doubling the number of presets I had. This was a pain, especially as I'd deleted all the dodgy channels and that takes time.

I'd also found that on pressing record it could take up to 30 seconds for a recording to actually start, and that initially you'd not even know it'd started as there was no indication, red light or otherwise, until 30 seconds later you see a green timer (starting at 00:00) appear in the top left. A bit clunky to say the least. As I wasn't sure if it was in fact recording, I'd pressed the record button about five times - and then got five error messages saying "Already recording!" :-)

So not great.

HOWEVER, finally did one last factory reset (down again to a managable number of channels) and rather than doing a re-scan, I got onto the lyngsat.com site and just re-scanned the transponders that had the newer channels on them.

Much better. Still took a while sorting the channels the way I want and again removing the dodgy ones but finally, after some time, happy enough with the box. Time it's taking to record is now about 15 seconds. Still pretty poor but I can live with it as the recordings (especially off the HD stations *when they're actually showing something in HD*) is very good.

On the plus point you can (once you have channels setup the way you want) backup the channels to a USB / hard disk so that if you mess them up again (as I did many times) you can restore them.

So, in short:

Plus points

Excellent quality picture on the few shows that are broadcast in full HD rather than upscaled (e.g. Dancing on Ice, The Graham Norton show etc)
Recordings are excellent and can be viewed on PC / archived
Will play DIVX / show photos / mp3 off a USB stick

Minus points

Horrible interface - manual pretty poor too
Patience needed to setup as you want it
Will not add new channels automatically - you will have to do this
No 7 day EPG just now and next
Deleting recordings doesn't seem to be straightforward [still haven't figured it out]

Cheapest freesat box with recording at least 60 pounds dearer. A key element for me was the ability to move recordings off box onto USB stick / pc / burn onto DVD / blu ray etc.

I think the Humax allows this but was almost three times the price without dish. Although that said, I now have a spare satellite dish - also think I'd get an 80cm one anyway as some channels like the music ones breaking up badly with current 60cm dish although may just need some re-aligning as has been up for a few years in stormy area).

Conclusion: Overall, happy with it as a toe in the water HD satellite box. I think if it were for my own home I'd go with a Humax Freesat and just pay the extra money.... or certainly it seems good enough for a second [cheaper] box rather than the main most used one....

Hope this is of some use... one final point. This box is in my mother in laws' house. Almost 100% of her use will be just watching TV on it [rather than recording or anything else] so as such she'll enjoy the HD channels for relatively small money. Also, it's setup now, won't need doing again other than to manually add new channels of note (e.g. Channel 4 HD in April).

solerina · 01-03-2011 07:24PM

I have been trying to understand this discussion and I am failing (sorry for my lack of technological know how)...Can someone please advise me.
I have UPC because I cant afford/cant justify getting in sky with sky plus.
Anyway are some of the above mentioned boxes worth my while purchasing ? I would like to be able to record programmes when I am out of the house but I cant do this at the moment (the old fashioned video timed setting wont work and I dont know of another way). Thanks for any help !!!

zaphodbeeb · 02-03-2011 07:34PM

Having had the Ross box for a bit, a little disappointed with it, although connected the external drive to the PC and the recordings play back fine. Yet to figure out how to burn to a BR disc but that's for another discussion.

The ones you should go for are:

Humax FOXSAT (bit pricey but if you'll have it for years....)
Sagemcom

Richersounds / The Philips shop will do these and they have a forum on here.
(See Biz -> ... Talk to ... -> richersounds.ie)

I haven't tried timed recordings with the Ross box yet although I'd be surprised if they're problem free.

Also weird bug when recording - the sound can drop out for half a sec and fade back in. Usually you can still follow the speech but on playback it seems ok. Flippin annoying though. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will sort these issues in time but probably best avoid for now.

Ross HD Satellite box... recordings to disk - are they encrypted?

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