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New Gigablue Quad Plus

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Comments

  • #32
    fat-tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    The OpenMIPS image seems to be very stable now. Have stopped messing with online updates. Have played around with AutoBouquetMaker and it's really nice at setting up the Freesat genres. VIX have released the Helios images now and are up to version 006, but not for the Quad Plus just yet. ABM on the VIX image seems to incorporate DVB-T so it should be just the thing to merge sat and terrestrial listings for Irish users. Have offered to help andyblac with testing on the terrestrial side once the QUad plus image is available.

    One question (probably for @STB). Anyone know why the logfile entries (including debug and crash logs also) don't have timestamps? Is this a consequence of how the image is compiled or can it be enabled through a system setting? It's a nuisance if I'm checking back to see how timers are working and how the machine is performing and I can't see timestamps in the logs.


  • #33
    x PHEONIX x
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭x PHEONIX x


    fat-tony wrote: »
    One question (probably for @STB). Anyone know why the logfile entries (including debug and crash logs also) don't have timestamps? Is this a consequence of how the image is compiled or can it be enabled through a system setting? It's a nuisance if I'm checking back to see how timers are working and how the machine is performing and I can't see timestamps in the logs.

    Andy is looking into the possibility of implementing exactly this, but it's not a simple task and rite now may not be possible to implement cleanly, if at all.


  • #34
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    Oi Oi Fat-tony

    openvix-Apollo.008-gbquadplus_usb.zip


  • #35
    x PHEONIX x
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭x PHEONIX x


    STB wrote: »
    Oi Oi Fat-tony

    yes he knows, he's the one who tested the image and fixed the LCD issues that were preventing the release.


  • #36
    iba
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭iba


    Only £259 on WoS at the moment

    (talking to myself as I have just seen on WoS (and coz STB is on Apollo 8) that I have to flash my box again to go from Apollo 3 to Apollo 8 - my box is going to start thinking it's a stripper the amount of times it has had to flash in the last few months)


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  • #37
    steveon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,905 ✭✭✭steveon


    iba wrote: »
    Only £259 on WoS at the moment

    (talking to myself as I have just seen on WoS (and coz STB is on Apollo 8) that I have to flash my box again to go from Apollo 3 to Apollo 8 - my box is going to start thinking it's a stripper the amount of times it has had to flash in the last few months)

    Still on helios myself is it worth the bother of updating to apollo?


  • #38
    iba
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭iba


    steveon wrote: »
    Still on helios myself is it worth the bother of updating to apollo?

    I always, with whatever I have, like to have the latest OS - whether it is worth it I can not categorically say but why would new versions be released if they were not improvments?

    For example, You could stay on Windows 99 or have updated to XP, Vista, 7 or 8. Or do you update your browsers or stay on old versions.

    Personal choice for everyone, I guess.


  • #39
    BenEadir
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,539 ✭✭✭BenEadir


    Hi Guys,

    I started a thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057231788 looking for a combo box to replace UPC for TV only as I already have a good media streaming setup with a Minix X7 and local NAS etc. I also have a Freesat (Sagem DTR 94500) which was installed in order to watch the 2010 World cup in South Africa in HD and hasn't been used much since :o I tried to use it as a UPC replacement but without the Saorview channels that idea was shot down by the family democracy.

    IBA, STB and Zardoz have been very helpful and in the end I've decided to go with the box STB originally recommended which is the The Gigablue Quad Plus but I need some help as I want to make sure I don't order the wrong setup/components etc.

    I'm therefore hoping to lean on the contributors of this thread to hold my hand as I order and set up the box which I very much hope will be "the one" which finally allows me to ditch UPC once and for all ;)

    I'm looking at ordering it from here but need some help to make sure I order it correctly - http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/...te-terrestrial

    Given my requirement is to be able to watch one Satellite channel whilst recording another and watch one Saorview channel whilst watching another can you please help me configure it?

    1. What HD Quad extra Hybrid Tuners if any do I need?

    2. What HD Quad extra Satellite Tuners if any do I need?

    3. I assume a 1tb HDD drive is the best option to select?

    4. Whats the best WiFi option to go for? I need the best WiFi capability possible as I stream over WiFi!!!

    5. I assume I don't need a special USB flash drive?? I have a million of them floating about my house which I can format to FAT32 for flashing purposes.

    6. I assume OpenVix is the best firmware to have preflashed onto the machine?

    Anything else I need to know/tweak before I place my order?

    Cheers in advance guys,

    Ben


  • #40
    BenEadir
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,539 ✭✭✭BenEadir


    ^^^ I'd really appreciate some input on the above please guys. I need some guidance on how to configure the options before I place my order.

    Cheers,

    Ben


  • #41
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    BenThere wrote: »
    Hi Guys,

    I started a thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057231788 looking for a combo box to replace UPC for TV only as I already have a good media streaming setup with a Minix X7 and local NAS etc. I also have a Freesat (Sagem DTR 94500) which was installed in order to watch the 2010 World cup in South Africa in HD and hasn't been used much since :o I tried to use it as a UPC replacement but without the Saorview channels that idea was shot down by the family democracy.

    IBA, STB and Zardoz have been very helpful and in the end I've decided to go with the box STB originally recommended which is the The Gigablue Quad Plus but I need some help as I want to make sure I don't order the wrong setup/components etc.

    I'm therefore hoping to lean on the contributors of this thread to hold my hand as I order and set up the box which I very much hope will be "the one" which finally allows me to ditch UPC once and for all ;)

    I'm looking at ordering it from here but need some help to make sure I order it correctly - http://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/...te-terrestrial

    Given my requirement is to be able to watch one Satellite channel whilst recording another and watch one Saorview channel whilst watching another can you please help me configure it?

    1. What HD Quad extra Hybrid Tuners if any do I need?

    2. What HD Quad extra Satellite Tuners if any do I need?

    3. I assume a 1tb HDD drive is the best option to select?

    4. Whats the best WiFi option to go for? I need the best WiFi capability possible as I stream over WiFi!!!

    5. I assume I don't need a special USB flash drive?? I have a million of them floating about my house which I can format to FAT32 for flashing purposes.

    6. I assume OpenVix is the best firmware to have preflashed onto the machine?

    Anything else I need to know/tweak before I place my order?

    Cheers in advance guys,

    Ben

    These boxes come with a normal config of 2 x dvb-s (satellite), but they sell in them in various configs on websites as deals with the extra tuners (as the other 2 are plug and play - they slot into a board on the box).

    For this reason you may wish to check with WOS's claim of being reduced from £350 to £259 is not disingenuous especially given its headed GiGaBlue HD QUAD+ PLUS Linux Enigma 2 HD PVR Satellite Receiver 2x DVB-S/S2 + 2x Plug & Play Tuner Slots

    This gives the impression that you get 2 x dvb-s and 2 dvb-t2 tuners. When I added the 2 x dvb-t to the config the price shot up to £317. So check what price it is. If it is £259 (€325), then this is a good price as I think they dont charge for postage to Ireland. They are €359 on hm sat in Germany.

    1&2. You will need 2 sat and 2 terrestrial in order to cover all combinations of watch and record.

    3. The hard drive. You can get a 1TB 2.5" SATA HDD on Amazon for £40 if you want to put it in the box yourself (its fairly easy). Its up to you.

    4. You can buy a wifi dongle if your box will be far away from your router. I run a cable to my router from the box. Its then on my LAN. I can then stream from and two it with other wifi devices. If your NAS is wireless then you will also be asble to stream from that with the box. Twonky via android works well with this using a plugin for the box called Open Airplay, so you can beam youtube from a handheld device wirelessly. You also have lots of pluugins for Youtube streaming anyhow for the box.

    5. Yes most USB pen drives will work no issue. I have a Kinsgston 8Gb permamently attached to the back USB port on my box which stores the picons (Channel pictures) and EPG data and swapfiles so the internal memory wont be eaten up.

    6. Openvix is the easiest and best setup for UK Ireland.

    Have you used linux boxes before ? They require a bit of setting up. A little technical knowledge and patience is key. They arent as plug and play as a normal off the shelf box. They require tweaking, but once you have it the way you want it, then it will be fine. You can backup an image of your setup.


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  • #42
    BenEadir
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,539 ✭✭✭BenEadir


    Hi STB,

    Thanks for the feedback.
    STB wrote: »
    For this reason you may wish to check with WOS's claim of being reduced from £350 to £259 is not disingenuous
    I configured the machine as (I think) I need it and it comes out at £415

    2ykx2d3.jpg

    I hope I've configured it correctly??? Is there a discount code I can use? I signed up as a member of WOS but don't recall receiving a discount code.

    At this price am I better spending a bit more and getting the Vu+ Duo2?

    I already have a good media streaming box set up so I don't think I'll need the Sat box to run YouTube or stream online content etc. Does that mean the Wifi dongle will only be used for automatically updating the channel list and EPG?

    Yes, this will be my first Linux box. I'm handy enough with all things Android including media boxes. This will be a brand new learning curve for me but I'm up for the challenge.

    Appreciate your help.

    Ben


  • #43
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    £415 sterling. No that's crazy money.

    The price is not deducting the 2 hybrid tuners.

    What the WOS site says is that it is £259 for 2 sat tuners and 2 terrestrial tuners.

    When you are adding these tuners it is bringing the price up. It shouldn't be. It should remain at £259.

    Given you are also paying for the HDD and Wifi then I would also be asking for free shipping. They have done this in the past. Should bring your price down by £60/80 or so.

    Email Stef in WOS and ask him why the price is not changing at checkout. (His email is sales at world-of-satellite.co.uk). They are prompt enough with replies.


  • #44
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    STB wrote: »
    Email Stef in WOS and ask him why the price is not changing at checkout. (His email is sales at world-of-satellite.co.uk). They are prompt enough with replies.

    I'd also be interested to hear their response although the way I'm reading it is that:
    + 2x Plug & Play Tuner Slots
    While slightly misleading, just means there is space for 2 more tuners...


  • #45
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    @gtg60. Very subtle alright. I hadn't picked up on the word "slots".

    These boxes are €359 with 4 tuners on HM SAT. There is no way they were ever £349 stg for just the basic 2 tuner config.

    Anyhow that being the case its £317stg (€400) for the 4 tuners from WOS. Far too dear. Also €88 euro for a 1TB Sata HDD. Hmmmm.

    You can only ask will they will match HM SAT price or just go with HM SAT as the four tuner config plus a 1TB drive is coming in @ €429 with HM SAT.


  • #46
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    Must admit, I'm quite tempted by one of these, can anybody who has one please let me know how it is as a media player, specifically HD and 3D mkv's from a NAS?


  • #47
    fat-tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    Price from WoS is a bit strange as I paid about €430 odd for 4 tuners plus 1 GB disk and courier from HM-sat in Germany back in April. As a media player, I'm less than impressed as it pales in comparison with my openelec xbmc media player as regards support of the advanced Dolby and DTS multichannel codecs and doesn't work at all with PCM multichannel and has issues with navigation and playback of DVD ISO files. However, as regards recording and playback of TV it's the dog's danglies - never fails to record, huge flexibility with regard to programme start time and end time, timeshift is smooth as is skip and FF and RW - something the xbmc PVR is crap at!


  • #48
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    fat-tony wrote: »
    Price from WoS is a bit strange as I paid about €430 odd for 4 tuners plus 1 GB disk and courier from HM-sat in Germany back in April. As a media player, I'm less than impressed as it pales in comparison with my openelec xbmc media player as regards support of the advanced Dolby and DTS multichannel codecs and doesn't work at all with PCM multichannel and has issues with navigation and playback of DVD ISO files. However, as regards recording and playback of TV it's the dog's danglies - never fails to record, huge flexibility with regard to programme start time and end time, timeshift is smooth as is skip and FF and RW - something the xbmc PVR is crap at!

    Does downmix not work ?

    Because they are licensable codecs there must be third plugins (someone must have figured this out on openpli) for playing these media files. Its not a hardware limitation.

    EDIT: Try "enigma2-DTSplugin.ON_OFF-ET9000-OpenPLI.ipk" Its a pugin that was written for the Xtrends, no harm to try it.


  • #49
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    fat-tony wrote: »
    Price from WoS is a bit strange as I paid about €430 odd for 4 tuners plus 1 GB disk and courier from HM-sat in Germany back in April. As a media player, I'm less than impressed as it pales in comparison with my openelec xbmc media player as regards support of the advanced Dolby and DTS multichannel codecs and doesn't work at all with PCM multichannel and has issues with navigation and playback of DVD ISO files. However, as regards recording and playback of TV it's the dog's danglies - never fails to record, huge flexibility with regard to programme start time and end time, timeshift is smooth as is skip and FF and RW - something the xbmc PVR is crap at!

    Thanks fat-tony, pulled the trigger on one of these at the weekend, hopefully have it before the week is out.
    As I have a Multi-Sat setup, I went for 3 x SAT and 1 x Terrestrial tuners as this should provide me with the greatest flexibility.
    Looking forward to getting it now :D


  • #50
    fat-tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    STB wrote: »
    Does downmix not work ?

    Because they are licensable codecs there must be third plugins (someone must have figured this out on openpli) for playing these media files. Its not a hardware limitation.

    EDIT: Try "enigma2-DTSplugin.ON_OFF-ET9000-OpenPLI.ipk" Its a pugin that was written for the Xtrends, no harm to try it.
    I've two boxes - the Quad Plus and a Miraclebox Twin Premium. The Quad Plus is in the bedroom at the moment while I test image releases, but will be moved into the living room where I can test out the multichannel capabilities more. The Miraclebox is actually sitting in the living room and doing temporary service as a Saorview box and is connected to my Onkyo AV amp. It seems to downmix everything (DD 5.1 or DTS) to 48kHz stereo PCM no matter how I set it and will not process my 96kHz or 88kHz FLAC multichannel PCM recordings. This may be just a driver issue and is of no real consequence to me as I will be moving this box back to the bedroom as my machine for tweaking and testing releases without upsetting the family machine. I tried to find the specs of these Broadcom SoC devices to see if they are capable of processing 88, 96 and 192kHz multichannel files and outputting the data over HDMI but I failed to find anything relevant. There was a long slog with xbmc to get proper multichannel PCM audio working on my openelec box which uses a AT5IONT-I board from Asus, but the devs got there in the end. I'm assuming that if the Broadcom SoC is hardware capable of uncompressed multichannel audio, we'll also get there eventually. I just need more testing time!


  • #51
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    STB wrote: »
    • Set Devices to /media/usb- 8g USB Stick for Flash memory - EXT4 format. HDD to /media/hdd.
    • Install picons - Transparent Ocram (do not use internal memory)
    • Install Skin - Open ATV - Metrix HD is good.
    • Install other Plugins & cams.
    • Configure EPG to media/usb/epg.dat.
    • Set a large swapfile on /USB also.

    I like your methodical approach :D Quick question though, why favour a USB stick over a portion of your HDD?


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  • #52
    Zardoz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,183 ✭✭✭Zardoz


    gtg60 wrote: »
    I like your methodical approach :D Quick question though, why favour a USB stick over a portion of your HDD?

    I doubt a swap file is of any use on the Quad as it has 1Gb of Ram.
    If anything it deteriorates performance.

    A swap file is really only of use on receivers with low Ram and even at that I'm not entirely convinced of its merits.


  • #53
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    Depending on how many plugins you have loaded the memory can be eaten up very quickly, even with 1gig of ram.

    The main reason I have a permanent usb stick is for the epg data and picons. You do not want them on your internal flash. Also its a petty hate of mine to have an internal hard drive being accessed and spinning unnecessarily. The Picons and epg data re-writing is grand on an EXT4 stick.

    You'd only be making partitions on a HDD otherwise. EVeryone to their own.


  • #54
    Zardoz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,183 ✭✭✭Zardoz


    STB wrote: »
    Depending on how many plugins you have loaded the memory can be eaten up very quickly, even with 1gig of ram.

    The main reason I have a permanent usb stick is for the epg data and picons. You do not want them on your internal flash. Also its a petty hate of mine to have an internal hard drive being accessed and spinning unnecessarily. The Picons and epg data re-writing is grand on an EXT4 stick.

    You'd only be making partitions on a HDD otherwise. EVeryone to their own.

    Yeah thats true ,a usb drive is definitely best for epg and picons,my comment was more in relation to the need for a swap file .
    I believe the epg is actually stored in memory when the receiver is running ,so its not really accessing the hard drive that much ,its only when epg changes are made that it needs to write to the drive.
    Definitely better to use a usb drive in tandem with a hard drive though.


  • #55
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    That all makes sense, I'm sure I've a USB stick around I'm not using, what size would all the Picons, EPG etc take up (i.e. what would the minimum size I could get away with?).

    @STB
    Do you not use timeshift? Would the HDD not be spinning all the time anyway?


  • #56
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    No I dont use timeshift. I have a USB drive connected when I want and a USB stick permanently in the back. I have the UE+ which is single DVB-T & DVB-S2 combo gigablue. Its the same software (except for the bootloader) which might explains why I couldnt be bothered installing a dedicated HDD!

    File size for picons and epg. 128mb stick would be fine. The EPG is about 15mb. The picons less than 50mb (depending on how many satellites you use - I've multiple).

    A commonn issue I see with these is the mounting part. From memory you only need to format to EXT4 if you are going to use the swapfile as you have to mount it as EXT4 for that purpose.

    But say you have an old drive with films etc, that you also want to use to record to. I have seen a lot of people give up on the drive not being recognised and trying to mount it only being asked to initialise it (which will format your drive! and you lose everything). You don't need to do that. You can set it to mount as /media/hdd or media/usb under Vix mount manager BUT make sure you have the NTFS plugin installed (its in the plugins). Its the key thing that people miss and for some reason its not installed by default. You can set the location shortcut for the video button.
    Zardoz wrote: »
    I believe the epg is actually stored in memory when the receiver is running ,so its not really accessing the hard drive that much ,its only when epg changes are made that it needs to write to the drive.

    I have tested this. If your USB stick isnt present it has no epg to load. My EPG location in settings is /media/usb, so its not reading off the internal storage memory. Anyone who is constantly recording or using timeshift wont be worried about the drive being constantly accessed. My drive just doubles up as a media drive/record when I want scenario as I dont use a NAS or dedicated HDD.

    I can give you the symbolic links for the Saorview Channels so that you can link the picons for the RTE's etc if you wish.
    Also I am using the Blue HD Skin which is fairly nice (instead of my Metrix) mantioned earlier. Its a lot quicker and sleaker. Good Picons are Ocram shd white no padding ones.


  • #57
    STB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    fat-tony wrote: »
    I've two boxes - the Quad Plus and a Miraclebox Twin Premium. The Quad Plus is in the bedroom at the moment while I test image releases, but will be moved into the living room where I can test out the multichannel capabilities more. The Miraclebox is actually sitting in the living room and doing temporary service as a Saorview box and is connected to my Onkyo AV amp. It seems to downmix everything (DD 5.1 or DTS) to 48kHz stereo PCM no matter how I set it and will not process my 96kHz or 88kHz FLAC multichannel PCM recordings. This may be just a driver issue and is of no real consequence to me as I will be moving this box back to the bedroom as my machine for tweaking and testing releases without upsetting the family machine. I tried to find the specs of these Broadcom SoC devices to see if they are capable of processing 88, 96 and 192kHz multichannel files and outputting the data over HDMI but I failed to find anything relevant. There was a long slog with xbmc to get proper multichannel PCM audio working on my openelec box which uses a AT5IONT-I board from Asus, but the devs got there in the end. I'm assuming that if the Broadcom SoC is hardware capable of uncompressed multichannel audio, we'll also get there eventually. I just need more testing time!

    The BCM7356 supports AAC LC, AAC LC+SBR Level 2, AAC HE Level 2, AAC HE Level 4,AC3, DTS, MPEG-1/2, MP3, WMA, WMA pro, LPCM, FLAC, multichannel FLAC and Ogg/Vorbis. You might want to ask Gigablue Germany why its not working or the Vix guys. I see its a problem not just with the gigablues but also the VU+'s as well. Driver updates required for version of Gstreamer to work with images.

    You have a Miraclebox. How do you find them ? You must be testing for WOS :)


  • #58
    gtg60
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭gtg60


    STB wrote: »
    I can give you the symbolic links for the Saorview Channels so that you can link the picons for the RTE's etc if you wish.
    Also I am using the Blue HD Skin which is fairly nice (instead of my Metrix) mantioned earlier. Its a lot quicker and sleaker. Good Picons are Ocram shd white no padding ones.

    Yes, I would appreciate that, thanks.

    Have a 320GB drive I salvaged from one of Eircom's eVision boxes and (as this box will be replacing a Sky box with a UK recording card) I want to keep at least the same functionality.

    Think I have a spare 1GB stick so I'll probably use that.

    Overall my impressions of the box are very good, looks a bit cheap (as does the remote) but once I started to use them I feel a lot happier. The real test will be when the rest of the family have to switch over and start using it :eek:

    BTW cheapest place I could find one for was here:http://www.kosmos24.com
    363 Euro including extra DVB-S, DVB-T tuners and delivery. Had it within 4 days of ordering.


  • #59
    fat-tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    STB wrote: »
    The BCM7356 supports AAC LC, AAC LC+SBR Level 2, AAC HE Level 2, AAC HE Level 4,AC3, DTS, MPEG-1/2, MP3, WMA, WMA pro, LPCM, FLAC, multichannel FLAC and Ogg/Vorbis. You might want to ask Gigablue Germany why its not working or the Vix guys. I see its a problem not just with the gigablues but also the VU+'s as well. Driver updates required for version of Gstreamer to work with images.

    You have a Miraclebox. How do you find them ? You must be testing for WOS :)
    Hi STB - yes I'm testing for ViX. Did work on the LCD standard and picon display xml files for the Quad Plus prior to release. Had to hurry up the process as I was getting fed up waiting for a ViX image:D I bought a Miraclebox as my second machine as the Quad Plus was being moved to duties as the main Saorview/Freesat DVR platform. I used my Harmony remote and set up the buttons as they were on the Humax Freesat box so SWMBO would have an easy transition. So far, so good.

    Where did you get the specs for the BCM7356? Do you have a link? I looked for specs months ago and came up blank. If it genuinely handles multichannel FLAC input it would be good. It needs to support 88kHz and 96kHz input, though. Evrything seems to get transcoded to 48kHz PCM output when you set "Multichannel PCM" on in the sound menu. Any input at the high bit rates stutters. Handles DD 5.1 or DTS ok, but these are compressed 48kHz in any case. It can transfer these soundtracks as bitstreams to my AV amp. So, it's really just affecting my high-bitrate music stuff. I'll check out with GB in Germany, but I think Andy is slowing down his development involvement in ViX so I don't think there will be much more to come on that image. It's very stable, though, and ultra reliable for recordings. The 7 day EPG works with Freesat and Saorview straight out of the box.

    The Miraclebox is fine - basic single DVB-S2 and DVB-T2 tuner installed. Was able to fit (barely!) a 3.5" HDD. The box has its own internal PSU and there is a fan (pretty quiet) to keep the innards cool. The box exterior is actually good quality, but the remote is pretty dire - spongy keys and bad layout. The VFD is pretty clear, displays date/time (image dependant) in standby and channel name during norml operation. HDMI support up to 1080i (although specs say 1080p) and does support SD PiP. If you have PiP on a HD channel the image is messed up - again specs are not clear on this. Plenty of RAM and flash so no issues there. Not quite as snappy in operation as the Quad Plus, though! Overall, I'm happy with it and seems stable in operation.


  • #60
    fat-tony
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭fat-tony


    gtg60 wrote: »
    Yes, I would appreciate that, thanks.

    Have a 320GB drive I salvaged from one of Eircom's eVision boxes and (as this box will be replacing a Sky box with a UK recording card) I want to keep at least the same functionality.

    Think I have a spare 1GB stick so I'll probably use that.

    Overall my impressions of the box are very good, looks a bit cheap (as does the remote) but once I started to use them I feel a lot happier. The real test will be when the rest of the family have to switch over and start using it :eek:

    BTW cheapest place I could find one for was here:http://www.kosmos24.com
    363 Euro including extra DVB-S, DVB-T tuners and delivery. Had it within 4 days of ordering.

    Just to throw my own views in here as regards picon, EPG storage etc:

    The Quad Plus has tons of flash memory, so I store the picons in the /picon directory there. It's the fastest retrievable location, no messing about with USB sticks. If you had a receiver with restricted flash or were string picons for all the sats viewable, then the USB stick option would be better, possibly. The icon sets downloadable from ViX ask where you want the data stored - internal flash or USB. Not a good idea to store them on HDD as they are dynamically loaded so unless you are running timeshift you will be waiting for disk spinup. No issues with flash wear really as they are read only.

    The EPG data, particularly if you are running CrossEPG, should be stored on the HDD if you have one or on USB stick. The files are biggish - 15 - 16MB if using CrossEPG. The recommendation is not to store the EPG in the box flash due to the fact that the EPG is re-written during deep standby and at intervals. The EPG data is managed in RAM during normal operation, I'm told, and is only read from and written to HDD (or USB stick) on startup and shutdown. I certainly don't notice my HDD spinning up at all during normal operation unless I'm recording something or switch on timeshift by pressing pause. If I select deep standby the HDD spins up to store the EPG and then spins down.

    If you are going to use a HDD for timeshift and recording etc., it's probably a good idea to let the box initialise it and create its mount points.


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  • #61
    Apogee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,899 ✭✭✭Apogee


    @fat-tony - how are you finding Vix on the Quad plus?

    Apart from the issue with certain media files, are there any other problems/glitches? Does the image appear to be stable? How well does it work on the DVB-T side - I'm assuming you have 2x DVB-S2 and 2x DVB-T2 tuners?


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