Arris UHD Freesat box

FERRET2010

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Hi folks

I'm itching to cancel Sky.

I have the cables coming into the house from the LNB's. Sky was installed around 13 years ago, so these I guess would be Universal LNB's?
Am I right in thinking I would only be able to record two channels while watching a third if I still use said LNB's?

Moving on to the Arris box, I've seen bad press in both forums and reviews.

How are the boxes behaving right now with the 'latest' software. Is this box something to avoid buying right now.

I can see there have been a few software upgrades that have cured some issues, e.g, Search actually works now ...

I am wondering if some of the issues with these boxes might be down to hardware and so would not be fixable by software upgrades ~ is this NOT the case?

The boxes do seem outright expensive ~ maybe because they are the only boxes now being manufactured to offer a full Freesat experience.

I'd go for another box, but I would need the EPG, recording, pause etc. Are there any third-party satellite receivers out there that can offer EPG's, menus that integrate with Freesat?

Thanks for any replies in advance.
 
The biggest grumble now, from what I can work out, is the forced HDR picture, even on SD material. Until that’s fixed I’ll stick with my old Humax 1100S.
 
Thanks for the reply

Just to clarify, the Arris box always outputs HDR, so it does the up-scaling (badly, or at least not as well as some TV's) ... most viewers would like the box to output 576 / 1080 (and HDR from limited Netflix content and YouTube) and let the 4K TV do a 'better' job of up-scaling? is this about the size of it?

I was thinking about the getting a third party FTA box based on Enigma 2 and installing / configuring a Sky-esque skin and Freesat-compatible EPG. Having had a Dreambox in the past, I found this a bit techie and unstable - may have been a 'grey' import though.

Not too scared of Linux etc, but would really like all the nuts and bolts to be hidden during normal TV viewing and for the box to appear to behave like an Arris box (without the issues).

Also, do you (or anyone else) know if an FTA box would allow me to view the handful of FTV channels on 28 East?

Cheers :)
 
I have mine set up for all the freesat channels and all the FTA sky channels, if there are any particular channels you are looking for let me know and I will see if I have them
 
Thanks ... I just took a look on the internet and it seems like there's not much out FTV there in addition to FTA?

My aims are to:

o Receive as many free channels as possible on 28 deg east

o See said channels in an EPG ... I realise the Humax and Arris boxes have this built in, but I also know that there are Enigma plug-ins to display an EPG on third-party STB's by downloading suitable files from the internet.

o Be able to pause / rewind / record programs via an EPG, not using a channel selector / timer. I'm not sure if an Enigma EPG plug-in supports this

o Pay Sky £0.00 per month

If Sky would (and they should) allow HD viewing and recording of all free channels on the SKY+ HD box, now that would be something else - job done. Just don't want to pay Sky for something that should be free on a *purchased* box, as per the Arris, Humax STB's.
 
I actually like the Sky+ HD box ... more importantly, my wife likes the box a lot!

I realise HD and the ability to record / time shift are cost options on a Sky sub.

What's confusing to me is what HD / Record options actually cost per month.

In my current bundle, I pay £40+ per month and HD / Recording costs are cited as free.

Does anyone know if there's a Sky 'package' offering JUST HD / the abiltiy to record on the Sky box, what it costs and what to ask for if so?

Thanks in advance :)
 
Enigma2 does every thing you are asked for.

In regards to EPG, use EPG importer (comes installed with VIX) set it to import each day go to sources and select UK Freesat and Sky Live.

To Tune you you use auto bouquet Manager Select Freesat (select your area) and Sky under the sky settings select FTA only and select your area. The press scan. You can then set up favourites reorder channels, but you dont have to.

Then are done maintenance free from there.

Timers and auto timers are set through the EPG (obviously you will need a box with a hard drive or plug in a USB hard drive. Most boxes come with a duel tuner but you can also plug in USB tuners to add more you and also mix freeview and sat tuners
 
Thanks again (JonMace)

Which Linux box do you have, please?

As I mentioned earlier, my old Dreambox running Enigma 2 used to lock out a lot and need the image re-loading, maybe because it was a grey import. This was 10 years ago, so I'm hoping hardware and Enigma 2 has moved on since?

The main quest is to stop paying Sky money and provide us with a near-Sky FTA experience. One the box is set up 'technically', I'd like the box to appear to the wife to be as near to what looks like the Sky+ HD screen.

o Cost of box (less hard drive, which I have already) should be around £250, inc. tuners (sometimes cited as an option on various websites)
o Needs to be PVR ready, with 2.5" drive able to fit inside, not sticking out, or external
o Should use Sky HD+ cables / LNB's as is. I guess my twin-LNB is universal, provided with Sky+ HD box around 13 years ago
o If possible, EPG should link to catch-up over the internet
o Optionally, able to install Netflix application

I don't suppose these boxes can load up and run Prime video?

Cheers :)
 
I have an Xtrend ET8500, but its old and you will not get one now.

I would hop over to Satellite Support Forum .: Home of VIX Team:. and have a chat over there, its the forum for openVix which for me is the best firmware as it has everything you need already built in.

World of Satellite also sell receivers and are a well respected supplier with good after sales service.

As long as you are just after 2 tuners the current LNB and cabling you have will be fine.

There is a sky skin so things will look the same.

I use a firestick for Netflix Prime and all the catchup services
 
Thanks for the reply

Just to clarify, the Arris box always outputs HDR, so it does the up-scaling (badly, or at least not as well as some TV's) ... most viewers would like the box to output 576 / 1080 (and HDR from limited Netflix content and YouTube) and let the 4K TV do a 'better' job of up-scaling? is this about the size of it?

I was thinking about the getting a third party FTA box based on Enigma 2 and installing / configuring a Sky-esque skin and Freesat-compatible EPG. Having had a Dreambox in the past, I found this a bit techie and unstable - may have been a 'grey' import though.

Not too scared of Linux etc, but would really like all the nuts and bolts to be hidden during normal TV viewing and for the box to appear to behave like an Arris box (without the issues).

Also, do you (or anyone else) know if an FTA box would allow me to view the handful of FTV channels on 28 East?

Cheers :)


FTV is still encrypted even though it's free you need a sky box with card in it.
 
Funny how I am watching C4 HD on mine at the moment then


Ch4 HD is FTA - (Free To Air) not FTV - Free To View. Not sure how many FTV channels there is left but they are or were as I said encrypted. .

I have it on my Foxsat-HDR and I can set manual timers to record it as well.

So it's not funny at all, you are just showing your ignorance.

There certainly is not a small number of FTA channels on 28.,2E

439 to be precise.

 
OK did not realise the difference, sorry think sky have gone FTA with most if not all probably as everything is going cardless and moving over to Sky Q where you do not own box
 
I think FTA are the channels you can watch on a Sky box without a card ... but I'm not sure if the HD channels all disappear when you pull the card out, since there's an unjustified extra charge on the Sky subs to include HD.

I'll pull out my card and see what gives.

Ch4 is an odd-ball on FTA, since the EPG isn't supported on FreeSat?
 
I get the HD channels from sky well the free ones anyway
 
I think FTA are the channels you can watch on a Sky box without a card ... but I'm not sure if the HD channels all disappear when you pull the card out, since there's an unjustified extra charge on the Sky subs to include HD.

I'll pull out my card and see what gives.

Ch4 is an odd-ball on FTA, since the EPG isn't supported on FreeSat?

FTA channels can be viewed on a Sky-HD box without a card. (including HD) What you don't get is a cutomised epg for your local channels at a lower LCN number.

Anything you pay for (including Sky-Q is encrypted so it must have a smart card of some description).

Channel classed as PSB (Public Service broadcasts) are not encrypted) and viewable using any generic FTA satellite box.
 

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