Put old Orby set top boxes to use.

jwhite62

Member
Original poster
Mar 7, 2021
5
2
Trenton NC
The orby box still works to receive local channels. So if its a DVR, one should be able to DVR local channels. The non DVR box still works, but does nothing that a TV can't.

I may be wrong, but I thought that there are satellites what broadcast other content. And the orby box is not unique to them, but something that they bought and adapted to their use.

I am wondering if there is a way to put the Orby system to use viewing other satellite content.
 
The hardware in an Orby box is similar to most cheaply mass-produced receivers. It's the firmware that is very limited in its functions. So somebody would have to write new firmware. The only incentive for the manufacturer to do this would be to sell more receivers; not support old ones unfortunately. Or if they happen to be sitting on a substantial inventory they expected to sell to Orby they may want to make them sellable somehow. But I think the only real hope there is would be some smart hobbyist with too much time on their hands to take up the challenge .
 
orby box still works to receive local channels. So if its a DVR, one should be able to DVR local channels. The non DVR box still works, but does nothing that a TV can't.
The orby receiver is good if you want to have more than 1 antenna.
 
More than one antenna is needed when OTA stations are in different directions. Otherwise, one must use a rotor which are in limited supply nowadays, can be slow to turn and add a lot of weight on the top of the mast. A rotor also limits which channels can be recorded unattended.
 
The orby box still works to receive local channels. So if its a DVR, one should be able to DVR local channels. The non DVR box still works, but does nothing that a TV can't.

I may be wrong, but I thought that there are satellites what broadcast other content. And the orby box is not unique to them, but something that they bought and adapted to their use.

I am wondering if there is a way to put the Orby system to use viewing other satellite content.
For now...

Once that two week guide is depleted dvr becomes useless as well. No manual timer / recording feature leaves it dead.
 
I discovered accidentally that the EPG was delivered by satellite when I had my antenna disconnected. However, my basic Orby receiver still loads the current data via PSIP. I even rescanned it when Antenna TV, Grit returned and Cozi moved a week or so ago. I find that H&I has data without the satellite which it didn't with it. Seems to go forward about 2 days.
 
I discovered accidentally that the EPG was delivered by satellite when I had my antenna disconnected. However, my basic Orby receiver still loads the current data via PSIP. I even rescanned it when Antenna TV, Grit returned and Cozi moved a week or so ago. I find that H&I has data without the satellite which it didn't with it. Seems to go forward about 2 days.
Email the station engineer, and ask him to crank it out further. They can go out 16 days maximum, IF they want to. Even 7 days would be much more useful.
 
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Email the station engineer, and ask him to crank it out further. They can go out 16 days maximum, IF they want to. Even 7 days would be much more useful.
On the OTA boxes that can handle it, the program guides here go out 14 days from the TV stations. A lot of the OTA boxes do not have the memory to go out that far though.
 
I have had my orby dish disconnected since before Thanksgiving. Dish off the pole and wire disconnected. Still getting a guide. Some channels are 2 days and some others are more so think my guide Is coming thru the tv channel.
 
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I didn't confront the Orby representative at the time, but his statement that the local terrestrial EPG data was transmitted via satellite was pure BS. Local EPG data was never distributed in their stream.

Can you imagine the bandwidth required to provide EPG data for every US TV station that an Orby customer was capable of receiving? One of the two TPs would have been dedicated only for the EPG data alone. LOL!!!
 
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I didn't confront the Orby representative at the time, but his statement that the local terrestrial EPG data was transmitted via satellite was pure BS. Local EPG data was never distributed in their stream.

Can you imagine the bandwidth required to provide EPG data for every US TV station that an Orby customer was capable of receiving? One of the two TPs would have been dedicated only for the EPG data alone. LOL!!!
I wonder how Roku does OTA tv guide data, for Roku tv sets? It certainly isn't PSIP. I know if I change my zip code on the Roku, it changes (loses) the guide data on some channels. Right now we have some brand new sub-channels that just went live, and I'm trying to get Roku CSR's to get the guide data added, and I'm getting nowhere. Feels like when I had Dish Network and locals, lol

There's nowhere to submit a "Lineup Change" like with Tivo. It only took Tivo 3 days to get me guide data for those same channels.
 
I wonder how Roku does OTA tv guide data, for Roku tv sets? It certainly isn't PSIP. I know if I change my zip code on the Roku, it changes (loses) the guide data on some channels. Right now we have some brand new sub-channels that just went live, and I'm trying to get Roku CSR's to get the guide data added, and I'm getting nowhere. Feels like when I had Dish Network and locals, lol

There's nowhere to submit a "Lineup Change" like with Tivo. It only took Tivo 3 days to get me guide data for those same channels.
Your viewing habits are being monitored and in return you get free EPG data. :eeek
 
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