This is yet another area which has moved on leaps & bounds in recent times. Humax, Technomate, Hauppauge, TechniSat & probably others all appear to have full on HD PVRs which are not limited to domestic Freesat channels. Does anyone have experience of these &/or done any comparisons? Some appear to have 2 RF inputs too.
What Satellite HD PVR
- Thread starter stevenjonas
- Start date
i have the humax hdr1000s bought when i canceled sky,i would not go back its a fantastic bit of kit and no issues in 2 years.crucially has a better picture than my sky hd box and great sound ,this is the freesat version of the youview box,ie the epg scrolls back a week as well as forward,on demand content and control app,love it
Big Aura
Well-known member
I had a Humax FoxsatHD (single tuner, non-recording) and it was ace. I migrated to a Samsung SMT 7800 (I think) - which got 5 stars here as I wanted a HDR model and it was a good deal at the time. It's just not a very nice bit of kit. It doesn't feel as userfriendly as the Humax. So buy a Humax!
daveh75
Well-known member
stevenjonas said:
Given the requirements of your other thread i would suggest looking at multi-tuner Linux based "Enigma 2" receiver from the likes of Vu+, Technomate or gigablue etc (avoid dreambox clones) for your main TV.
This would cover your terrestrial and multisat needs on that TV, and could also be used as "tuner server" for clients connected to the other TVs.
For clients on the remote TVs could you could use less expensive single tuner linux boxes (since you dont actually need the tuner) or an inexpensive XBMC box, like a Raspberry Pi for example. That way you only need to worry about running ethernet to these TVs.
You'd also be able to stream to phones, tablets and PCs.
Be aware though there is a fairly steep learning curve when it comes to configuring Linux receivers, though there is an abundance of guides and dedicated forums out there to help.
Wow, your post certainly blew my mind. Many thanks. I see that I'm going to have to some serious Googling. Both the VU+ Ultimo & the VU= Duo2 seem amazing bits of kit. The former appears to have significantly more options whilst the latter is the more modern.
daveh75
Well-known member
The Duo2 is a significantly better box than the ultimo IMO, for a number of reasons, not leasts its far more powerful CPU and onboard transcoding (especially handy if you intend HD streaming to phones/tablets etc)
What an amazing machine the Duo2 appears to be. Am I correct that I can feed in to it my 3 satellite feeds + my terrestrial Freeview, record any number of them & at the same time watchdifferent channels on different TVs in different parts of the house?
daveh75
Well-known member
Yes if you add the hybrid dvb-c/t tuner module as its usually supplied with just the twin dvb-s2 module (though Linux boxes also support USB tuner sticks).
There is a limit to the number of channels you can simultaneously watch/record but it won't be an issue for most.
I've had 12 going before now, and probably would have done more but the box started to become a bit unresponsive/laggy
There is a limit to the number of channels you can simultaneously watch/record but it won't be an issue for most.
I've had 12 going before now, and probably would have done more but the box started to become a bit unresponsive/laggy
Whilst £420-ish is not a great deal of money for what this machine provides, suppose I decided that I didn't need the PRV capability. What would you recomend then, given that it is for watching foreign channels & not just English speaking ones? We currently have 2 dishes with a total of 3 LNBs, to pick up German, Italian & French channels, as well as the British ones.
daveh75
Well-known member
Either a cheaper linux box like the Vu+ Solo/Solo2, or Gigablue HD 800 SE+/UE+. Or if you dont want to go down the linux route, a Technomate TM-5x02, or Blade BM7000
Very interesting. many thanks
I have an SD technomate & I do not find it very user-friendly. Looking at the reviews of the latest ones, that has not changed. The Blade 7000s is by far the cheapest (around £150), but it is not a linux machine, does not have an ethernet connection & has no front usb connection. However, it does have blind search.
The Vu+Solo2 (like the Duo2) appears to be an amazing machine, with gigabit ethernet. It does not appear to have blind search & costs just under £300.
The Gigablue 8000 SE+ & UE+ do not appear to have gagabit ethernet & do not appear to have blind search either. Both are just under £200.
How am I doing so far?
I have an SD technomate & I do not find it very user-friendly. Looking at the reviews of the latest ones, that has not changed. The Blade 7000s is by far the cheapest (around £150), but it is not a linux machine, does not have an ethernet connection & has no front usb connection. However, it does have blind search.
The Vu+Solo2 (like the Duo2) appears to be an amazing machine, with gigabit ethernet. It does not appear to have blind search & costs just under £300.
The Gigablue 8000 SE+ & UE+ do not appear to have gagabit ethernet & do not appear to have blind search either. Both are just under £200.
How am I doing so far?
daveh75
Well-known member
stevenjonas said:
Depending on how old your Techno is, the UI has been improved over the years. The BM7000s does have Ethernet, and is basically just a TM-5x02 in a different case and running blades f/w
Don't think blind scan ever got fixed on the Solo2 unfortunately. But unless you're into feed hunting isn't really an issue TBH.
No they don't, but I think they're great little boxes for the money.
The only differences between the Gigablue 8000 SE+ & UE+ appear to be that the UE+ has a DVB-S/S2 connector, a DVB-C/T connector & a LCD display, whilst the SE+ has twin DVB-S/S2 connectors & no LCD display. Is that correct? Their prices appear to be almost identical.
I think that I'm drifting towards the GiGaBlue HD 800 UE+ Linux Enigma 2 machine, with 1 x satellite DVB-S/S2 & 1 x hybrid DVB-C/T. Looking at (German) Youtube videos, it appears fairly straighforward fitting extra DVB-S/S2 sockets. (I would prefer the Vu+ Duo2 but I cannot justify it.) The only downside for me is that it appears to come with a continental plug, with an adaptor for a British 13 amp plug. I see no reason why I cannot cut off the continental one & put on my own British one?
I think that it is cheaper to buy my own 1TB HDD & fit it myself. It's not clear whether I should buy a 2.5 disc or a 3.5 disc for this machine. Does anyone have any views, please?
One can buy 4GB, 8GB or 16GB Flash drive with it. I think that 4GB should be sufficient. Does anyone have any views, please?
There are then several GigaBlue Firmware options: Official Factory (OpenMips); OpenMips (Nightly build); or OpenATV (Nightly build). Again, does anyone have any views, please?
I think that it is cheaper to buy my own 1TB HDD & fit it myself. It's not clear whether I should buy a 2.5 disc or a 3.5 disc for this machine. Does anyone have any views, please?
One can buy 4GB, 8GB or 16GB Flash drive with it. I think that 4GB should be sufficient. Does anyone have any views, please?
There are then several GigaBlue Firmware options: Official Factory (OpenMips); OpenMips (Nightly build); or OpenATV (Nightly build). Again, does anyone have any views, please?
daveh75
Well-known member
stevenjonas said:
You can't cut the plug off, they're DC and come with a 'wall wart'. You could probably source an alternative though.
The HD 800SE/UE/+ are 'USB PVRs' I.e they don't take an internal drive, you just use an external USB drive.
Doesn't really matter since you'll only really be using it for flashing images (firmware) or storing EPG data.
Its personal preference, and you'll probably end up trying most, but i'd probably start out with openvix as its one of the easier to setup/configure if your new to Linux boxes.
The news, so far, is that I have 2 satellite dishes combining 3 LNBs. The 3 feeds go in to a stacker/destacker, leaving one cable to run in to whichever receiver I buy. Then I have the terresterial Freeview. That seems to mean that I need a DVB-S2 input & a DVB-C/T input.
There was a suggestion, earlier in this thread, that if I streched to the VU+ Duo2, (to which one has to add the cost of adding a 1TB hard disc) then the Duo2 would also facilitate different feeds to different TVs in different rooms. Is that still the case & is it possible with any other receiver?
As I read it, the suggestion is (still learning fast) that the 'only' requirement is that I have a linux receiver to receive the feeds, with an HDMI lead to take the feed to a TV & an ethernet link to despatch the feeds on to my network. Then I need another linux receiver attached to another TV to receive the feeds from the 1st receiver & HDMI lead to send the feed to the 2nd TV.
That way I can watch different feeds on different TVs
Does all that seem possible?
There was a suggestion, earlier in this thread, that if I streched to the VU+ Duo2, (to which one has to add the cost of adding a 1TB hard disc) then the Duo2 would also facilitate different feeds to different TVs in different rooms. Is that still the case & is it possible with any other receiver?
As I read it, the suggestion is (still learning fast) that the 'only' requirement is that I have a linux receiver to receive the feeds, with an HDMI lead to take the feed to a TV & an ethernet link to despatch the feeds on to my network. Then I need another linux receiver attached to another TV to receive the feeds from the 1st receiver & HDMI lead to send the feed to the 2nd TV.
That way I can watch different feeds on different TVs
Does all that seem possible?
daveh75
Well-known member
Yes. You could still use the Gigablue as 'tuner server' and stream to a second Linux box (acting as client) you just need to install the 'remote stream convertor' plugin on the client box. You could also still stream to PCs/phones/tablets too.
A couple of caveats though,
Firstly with a single sat tuner you're going to be limited to what satellite channels you can watch on the main server box, and stream on the client box simultaneously, i.e only channels on the same MUX. You would obviously be able to watch any satellite channel on one box whilst watching a terrestrial on the other.
Secondly, don't try this over WiFi, both boxes need to be connected to your network with ethernet.
The Gigablue (and pretty much every other Linux box) doesn't transcode like the Duo2, so you'll find streaming HD channels to the client box impossible, and SD channels maybe choppy with WiFi envolved.
A couple of caveats though,
Firstly with a single sat tuner you're going to be limited to what satellite channels you can watch on the main server box, and stream on the client box simultaneously, i.e only channels on the same MUX. You would obviously be able to watch any satellite channel on one box whilst watching a terrestrial on the other.
Secondly, don't try this over WiFi, both boxes need to be connected to your network with ethernet.
The Gigablue (and pretty much every other Linux box) doesn't transcode like the Duo2, so you'll find streaming HD channels to the client box impossible, and SD channels maybe choppy with WiFi envolved.
Alternatively, having stacked/destacked my 3 LNB feeds in to 1, to get them in to the house in 1 cable, could I not un - stack/destack or split those feeds in to seperate cables taking them to different TVs (each requiring its own receiver - but that would be necessary anyway)?
daveh75
Well-known member
A stacker/destacker stacks two feeds onto a single cable then unstacks them back into two feeds. BTW
What you have DiSEqaC switch, which as the name implies uses the DiSEqC protocol two switch between multiple LNBs.
You could eliminate the switch, and run each LNB feed to its own receiver, but you'd obviously be limited to watching only that satellite on each receiver.
You could use the remote stream convertor plugin I mentioned above on each receiver (each receiver becoming a tuner server and client) but that could become z bit confusing.
You can't split a sat feed, but the other and better solution would be to replace your single LNBs with twins, add another DiSEqC switch so each receiver has its own feed.
What you have DiSEqaC switch, which as the name implies uses the DiSEqC protocol two switch between multiple LNBs.
You could eliminate the switch, and run each LNB feed to its own receiver, but you'd obviously be limited to watching only that satellite on each receiver.
You could use the remote stream convertor plugin I mentioned above on each receiver (each receiver becoming a tuner server and client) but that could become z bit confusing.
You can't split a sat feed, but the other and better solution would be to replace your single LNBs with twins, add another DiSEqC switch so each receiver has its own feed.
Anticipating these problems, 1 of my LNBs is a twin, although the chap from the arial firm only conected 1 feed. To be honest, my brain is completely frazzled, notwithstanding your enormous help & patience. You have persuaded me not to be so hostile to Technomat products & I'm thinking of the TM-Nano OE HD, the TM-800HD or the non - linux TM-5502 HD CI+.
I've never needed a CI slot.
I'm swaying towards the TM-800 HD
I've never needed a CI slot.
I'm swaying towards the TM-800 HD
daveh75
Well-known member
No!
Do not buy the TM 800. It is a terrible linux box. Due to its chipset, and lack of support, broken promises and lies.
Do not buy the TM 800. It is a terrible linux box. Due to its chipset, and lack of support, broken promises and lies.
daveh75
Well-known member
Yep. Avoid it like the plague.
Their non Linux kit is OK, and broadcom chipset based Linux boxes are too, but not the tm 800
Their non Linux kit is OK, and broadcom chipset based Linux boxes are too, but not the tm 800
The next cheapest is the Technomat TM-Nano OE HD. But, it does not have a UHF loop facility, which I think is quite useful. In any event, I suspect that your comments about the TM-800 HD would apply equally to the Nano?
That brings us to the Gigablue HD 800 UE+ which does have a hybrid DVB-C/T socket as well as a DVB-S/S2 socket. But it is £50 more expensive & (more importantly) only seems to come with a continental 2-pin plug with an adaptor. Not very tidy. :wall:
That brings us to the Gigablue HD 800 UE+ which does have a hybrid DVB-C/T socket as well as a DVB-S/S2 socket. But it is £50 more expensive & (more importantly) only seems to come with a continental 2-pin plug with an adaptor. Not very tidy. :wall:
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