39 replies to this topic

[robertut]

Asking for advice friends,

 

Used to have an Xtrend ET6000 for the last 3 years now, it was working perfectly until it suddenly died after a power outage.

Looking for something to replace it.

 

Found VU+ Zero. I really like the fact that it's a compact box, has all the features of my old Xtrend, and in addition has Dolby Digital Plus & DTS by hardware (according to the specs).

Also very attractive price.

 

Question is, is it properly supported by OpenPLi? Especially on the DTS side, the old Xtrend didn't support DTS sound and had problems playing MKVs with DTS tracks, will the VU+ Zero handle DTS properly in MKVs under OpenPLi?

 

Some background:

- I'm using a NAS for recordings, so no local storage attached.

- Also using a DVB-T USB stick (AF9015-based) as a secondary tuner

- also LCD4Linux USB little display

[WanWizard]

Afaik that is all handled by gstreamer, and that is the same in all images.

 

You are aware that the VU+ Zero is a zapper box, it doesn't have a license for recordings, and it doesn't record out of the box?

[Frenske]

Why don't you let the ET6000 take a look at. What's the issue?
Perhaps 'just' a defective SB. Can you still login with putty and type lsusb? And post the output here.

[robertut]

Afaik that is all handled by gstreamer, and that is the same in all images.

 

You are aware that the VU+ Zero is a zapper box, it doesn't have a license for recordings, and it doesn't record out of the box?

 

How do you mean "it doesn't have a license for recordings"?

If I simply flash an OpenPLi image to it, and mount my network storage via LAN as I did in my previous boxes (I had DM600, DM800, DM800SE and Xtrend ET6000 so far during 10 years) what prohibits me from using recording functions natively provided by Enigma2???

[robertut]

OK, found the topic describing the situation. This is ridiculous.

[robertut]

Why don't you let the ET6000 take a look at. What's the issue?
Perhaps 'just' a defective SB. Can you still login with putty and type lsusb? And post the output here.

 

Not booting. Front LEDs don't even lit up anymore. I inspected the PSU already - it's fine, also tried with another one, same. More exactly, out of 20 tries, it was able to boot once, but never since. There must be some issue on the PCB.

[robertut]

OK - what's your advice guys for a minimalistic box like ET6000 was or VuZero is, which would comply with the fully open aspects of the software, without having to take hits like this shitty recording blockings.

I'm not looking at prices like 400 euros and stuff. Don't need dual tuners and don't need internal HDD and any other fancy stuff. 2 USB ports are enough, 1 SAT tuner and analogue audio out. I'd target rather around max 100-150 Euros.

 

I looked at the downloads page and found only these brands:

- Dream Multimedia

- Formuler

- Maxdigital

- Mut@nt

- Vu+

- Xtrend

 

Well Dream Multimedia is too damn expensive and it's been said several times that it's not actively supported anymore by OpenPLi.

Formuler, Maxdigital, Mut@nt are unknown brands. One can't buy such a device in Central Europe.

Vu+ has this stupid licensing problem (maybe OpenPLi will stop supporting it because of this in the future, like it did with dreamboxes), Xtrend employs a stupid security board which likes to fail in the boxes.

 

What's left? I remember OpenPLi supported 3 times as many box types/brands, they are all gone now?

Edited by robertut, 7 May 2015 - 20:46.

[Frenske]

No you're definitely wrong. We never supported that much extra boxes. Ok, we used to support the enigma1 boxes like dm500, dm5600 etc. but that was it.
How about an Xtrend ET7000 then? Nice basic box which works ok. Affordable and works great.

[robertut]

They don't sell any Xtrend box in my area.

[el bandido]

I think you will find a reason for not buying any of the boxes mentioned. I have a Vu+Zero and have been real happy with how it performs overall. The Vu+ Zero seems to have a decent hardware build for the price.

[Frenske]

I agree. Besides the limitation of recording / streaming, which can easily be worked around, I really like the Zero too. It's small, it's basic but complete and works ok.
I recently got an email that Xtrend is available in the UK from Mai the first or something like that. I already wondered whether this wasn't so earlier. Very odd.

[Rob van der Does]

Xtrend has been available in the UK for years.

[robertut]

Xtrend was also available in Central Europe for a good couple of years (3 years ago I bought two ET6000s), but not anymore. Nobody sells Xtrend around here anymore.

[malakudi]

VU+ Zero is fine. Your Xtrend, if it is not the PSU, then maybe it is some capacitors on the STB board?

I am still waiting for the "promised" drivers from Xtrend that will make my three dead Xtrend boxes (Security board battery died) to work again. I will not pay a single euro for replacing a defective part that was broken by design - the manufacturer knew this would happen from day 1. And till Xtrend releases those drivers, I am not suggesting anyone to buy Xtrend.

I still have Humax 5400 or Nokia 9800 working. Never had an "expiring" STB, and that was Xtrend ET5000 and 6000. They had an expire date - the date the battery would fail.

Edited by malakudi, 8 May 2015 - 10:17.

[Robinson]

So as regards Xtrend's, is it best to have a spare motherboard (or security board) on hand?

[malakudi]

I don't know about the new boxes, but older (ET5000,6000,9000,9200) will eventually die. It might take 2,5 years (as it happened for me), it might take 7 years (that was initial Xtrend's statement) but it WILL die. Never had an expiring STB in the past. Xtrend had made a comment that when time comes, they will make a software fix - suggesting they would release a driver that doesn't check the SB. So far they haven't done. I have two ET6000 and one ET5000 in my basement, awaiting for a fix. Sure, the battery died when warranty expired, but that doesn't excuse the manufacture for such a bad design implementation of their security. If I new from start that the STBs will die, I would not have bought them in the first place.

Sure, other boxes also fail after some years (look at VU+ Duo capacitor issue) but at least you can repair them one way or the other. With the SB issue, you can't - I don't consider a repairing option buying a new SB for 60 euros plus shipping. This was broken by design and Xtrend has to address it by delivering the drivers. Even getting a new SB for free is not an option, because it would fail again in the future.

[Frenske]

@Malakudi

You've got a PM.

[Rob van der Does]

I am still waiting for the "promised" drivers from Xtrend that will make my three dead Xtrend boxes (Security board battery died) to work again. I will not pay a single euro for replacing a defective part that was broken by design - the manufacturer knew this would happen from day 1. And till Xtrend releases those drivers, I am not suggesting anyone to buy Xtrend.

As far as I know only the ET5k got drivers that circumvented the security board.

[robertut]

I don't know about the new boxes, but older (ET5000,6000,9000,9200) will eventually die. It might take 2,5 years (as it happened for me), it might take 7 years (that was initial Xtrend's statement) but it WILL die. Never had an expiring STB in the past. Xtrend had made a comment that when time comes, they will make a software fix - suggesting they would release a driver that doesn't check the SB. So far they haven't done. I have two ET6000 and one ET5000 in my basement, awaiting for a fix. Sure, the battery died when warranty expired, but that doesn't excuse the manufacture for such a bad design implementation of their security. If I new from start that the STBs will die, I would not have bought them in the first place.

Sure, other boxes also fail after some years (look at VU+ Duo capacitor issue) but at least you can repair them one way or the other. With the SB issue, you can't - I don't consider a repairing option buying a new SB for 60 euros plus shipping. This was broken by design and Xtrend has to address it by delivering the drivers. Even getting a new SB for free is not an option, because it would fail again in the future.

 

That's exactly the reason why I would also definitely avoid Xtrends in the future. Don't know yet if mine died for the same reason, but I've got another one at my mother's house, and I'm seriously afraid I'm gonna be hit by this.

Also if I would have known from start that the STBs will die, I too would not have bought them in the first place.

[malakudi]

@robertut: Does the LAN leds show any activity? When SB is off, the box works OK, there is lan and serial port activity. If you don't have lan and serial port activity, then you should check the capacitors on the board - since you said you already checked the PSU and gives correct power.