7 replies to this topic

[george kildare]

My Xtrend ET10000 PVR has served me well for many years. I don’t know how long it will last, but I am thinking of replacing it and would appreciate advice on what box to buy.

 

I like the Enigma2 operating system, because of the ability to set up any number of cable, satellite and IPTV channels/bouquets, mix and sort in my preferred order and record. I need double satellite and double cable tuners. Until now I have used OpenPLI and OpenVIX, E-Channelizer on my PC as a setup tool and watch Ziggo channels with an old (CI?) smartcard and CCAM softcam. 

 

Although I realise that CI+ is difficult with Enigma2, if possible, I would like the ability to use a Ziggo CI+ module/ card, e.g. through a plug in.  I realise that IPTV on Enigma is not ideal, but it would be good to choose an Enigma2 box for which buffering is a minimum.

 

I have seen god reviews of VU+, but I do not need or want the separate internal screen, as on the VU+, because I often listen to channels at night in the dark via a separate amplifier. Also, from Internet postings, I gather that support for the VU+ is questionable. 

 

I am thinking of trying an OCTAGON SF8008 4K E2 DVB-S2X&C/T2. How does this compare to my old ET10000. Is there any disadvantage in using an external USB hard  drive for recording compared with the internal hard drive of my ET10000? Are there alternatives that I should consider, e.g. ZGemma or Gigablue? 

 

Any advice would be welcome.

 

 

[WanWizard]

If you need 4 tuners (4 cable inputs), the only option at the moment is the VU+ Duo 4K SE, with a DVB-S2 and a DVB-C FBC card.

 

VU+ has stopped manufacturing the current line of receivers, as they used Broadcom as their chip supplier, and they don't supply the OEM market anymore. Gigablue has the same problem.

 

The only other chipset manufacturers, HiSilicon and AMLogic, don't make chipsets that support lots of tuners.

 

The SF8008, which has a HiSilicon chipset, only has 2 tuners. Same is true for most others, like zgemma.

 

The only disadvantage of a USB device is the limited throughput, compared to an internal disk. There is a huge difference between USB-to-SATA chipsets used in USB disk enclosures, so you'll have to test, and compare it with the number of parallel recordings / playback you need to support.

[george kildare]

Many thanks for this info. It would seem that the best option is to stick to my Xtrend ET10000 until it gives up the ghosr!

[george kildare]

Maybe I don't need 2 double-tuners after all. My present tuner configuration on the ET10000 is 

Tuner A: TDA10024 (DVB-C)

[george kildare]

Sorry. Pressed too quickly on the key.

 

My present tuner config is 

Tuner A: TDA10024 (DVB-C)   Enabled                           (Connected via CI module and old smartcard to Ziggo cable)

Tuner B: AVL6211 (DVB-S2) DiSEqC A/B/C/D  Sats: 19.2E,13.0E, 28.2E, 23.5E

Tuner C: TDA10024 (DVB-C) Disabled

Tuner D: AVL6211 (DVB-S2) Equal to Tuner B

 

This was all installed so long ago that I had forgotten it. Do I need a double satellite tuner to replicate Tuners B and D and recording while watching?

 

[Abu Baniaz]

No point just talking about tuners and what you have set. You also need to describe the dish lnbs etc. Going by above, you have told your system that you have a diseqc switch with 4 dishes hooked up to Tuner A. You have told the system that you have the same/identical/equal equipment also hooked up to tuner D. i.e  your LNBs have multiple outputs and you have two diseqc switches. If that is the equipment you have and need, then yes you will need a twin satellite connection. An FBC tuner has two physical inputs if that is what you decide to get.

 

Surely the CI/card does the descrambling, not the tuner. So provided you don't get penalties for multiple connections, it would make sense to use both of the Cable tuners.

[george kildare]

Sorry for my ignorance and thanks for the clarification Abu.

 

Going by above, you have told your system that you have a diseqc switch with 4 dishes hooked up to Tuner A.

Not 4 dishes but I THINK 1 and a multi-satellite switchable LNB with 2 coax cables that transport the signal. As I said, it was installed many years ago.

 

An FBC tuner has two physical inputs if that is what you decide to get.

Does this mean that I need a dual satellite tuner (VU+) or that one of the less expensive boxes (single tuner) would suffice?

 

 

So provided you don't get penalties for multiple connections, it would make sense to use both of the Cable tuners.

I only have 1 CI module with the Ziggo card. Doesn't this limit me to 1 connection? Maybe I should have set Tuner C to "Equal to Tuner A"

 

Thanks again.

[WanWizard]

2 cables means you can use 2 tuners (or two tuner inputs in case of FBC). If you want to watch and record at the same time, you need both.

 

And yes, if you need a CI module for cable, you are limited to one tuner for encrypted channels. But I thought Ziggo had a lot of free to view channels too?