Thread: Channel List Backups: Instructional Tip

Don't be caught with your knickers down!

There is a very simple method to save (backup) your satellites, transponders, channels, LNBF type and L.O. frequencies, motor and switch settings. If you have done a lot of work to create your own personal list of these items, you don't want to have to repeat all that work (entering new sats or TPs or scanning for channels) if you don't have to. Guess what, you don't.

Format a USB flash memory stick with FAT32 system.

Insert this flash drive into your AZBox USB port.

Select SETTINGS > SYSTEM INFORMATION > BACKUP/RESTORE

Press the RED button on your remote to BACKUP the file/s to your USB drive.

You will be prompted to save the file to: /Data/usb1/sda1

Press OK

When the files have been transferred, you will be presented the message:

"Backup completed successfully"

Press the USB button on your remote and the message "Eject USB" will be shown on the TV screen indicating that you may safely remove the USB drive from the receiver.

The file saved will be: CHANNEL.bak

There are two other file folders that will be created (pvrfile and recordfile), but they will usually be empty and you won't require them for the restoration process.

This is a very simple procedure and extremely worth the few seconds it requires to complete.

If your AZBox should crash or become corrupted somehow, you have this list to restore your previously known working setup of satellites, transponders and channels as well as motor, switch and LNB L.O. settings.

To restore your data, simply insert the USB drive with the CHANNEL.bak file on it in your AZBox USB port, navigate to SETTINGS > SYSTEM INFORMATION > BACKUP/RESTORE and press the BLUE button on the remote.

A very nice perk! Enjoy.

RADAR

very cool

stickied.

The 2 other files that you mentioned it also creates when you load software into the receiver for some reason

Originally Posted by Iceberg

very cool

stickied.

The 2 other files that you mentioned it also creates when you load software into the receiver for some reason

Thanks Tony,

I also noticed that those file folders are created during other activities. I don't know why this is and I don't understand why they are always empty. I delete them, but I don't think they ever create a problem nor do I find a use for them.

I wonder if it is automatically performed to prepare the inserted USB stick for transferring recorded files. ???

RADAR

I think these two folders are where the AZ Box puts the files during "record" function.

I have an update on this particular "CHANNEL LIST BACKUP" technique.

I received a new AZBox Premium receiver today and attempted to load this "CHANNEL LIST" backup file to the new receiver. Here is the rundown of what I found...

Every indication of the channel list backup showed positive results. The receiver presented me with a notice that the "RESTORATION" was successful. WHen I checked my channel list, all the channels were present in my list and all my "FAVORITE GROUPS" of channels were present and contained all the channels that I had placed in them.

However, when I tried to view the channels, I was presented with the message "NO SIGNAL". The dish motor would not move and in the settings menu, the transponder list was lacking all of those that I had added manually.

No matter how I attempted to restore my channel list, nothing actually proved to be functional. Upon further investigation, I found that the LNBF settigs were set to UNIVERSAL, the switch parameters were all set to OFF and the motor type selection was set to NONE for all satellites. When I selected USALS, the original latitude ad longitude coordinates were set to 0.0E and 0.0N.

My original settings were 10750 MHz for LNBF L.O. frequency, DiSEqC 1.0 - LNB-1 and USALS with my coordinates for latitude and longitude entered appropriately.

Therefore, the channel list backup feature that they offer in the System Informatio Menu, does not include all of these antenna settings details. Only the channels themselves and the structure of the "favorite" groups are backed up and saved. All other details are apparently ignored.

Using FileZilla and FTP to backup the following three files from my original receiver:

all_channels.dat, DVBS.dat and antenna_list.dat

and then selecting these three files to FTP them over to my new AZBox receiver was the only way to restore my full channel list and the operation of the LNBF, switch settings and motor settings as well.

It will be important to remember this, as merely backing up the channel list via the AZBox menu and a USB memory device is NOT entirely complete. It only saves the channels.

This is another item for me to report to Opensat's bug list.

RADAR