AZBox vs Openbox

[zamar23]

I don't know, why you call it kludgey, it proven very easy for me to get around any issues with STBs by using a modern PC Sat Tuner. The "kludgey" part possibly comes from resellers having no clue of using PC Tuners themselves, and offering no clear instructions on their sites. Of course, forums can complement, but not replace such cumulative support. Windows 7 Media Center now allows to integrate just about anything and is controlled by Remote, making such solution accessible to any PC user. Of course, traditional STB convenience will remain a factor for less "computerized" FTA fans.

 

[Mikey11]

If I were to advise what to buy now, buy 4:2:2. That way you are covered for what is frequently available now. What will the flavor be tomorrow???? Any one's guess......Maybe DVBS2 4:4:4?

"If I was to carry a knife, it would be a BIG Swiss Knife." - Brian Gohl circa 2011

"Buy more than you will ever need and you will be in need of nothing more!" Yeah Right! LOL!!! - Brian Gohl circa 2011

good point....i guess its go big or go home....lol

if i had c-band then i would go azbox for sure....im just thinking the azbox might be overkill and a waste for a ku only setup....

 

[Mr Tony]

if i had c-band then i would go azbox for sure....im just thinking the azbox might be overkill and a waste for a ku only setup....

if you are a sports fan it isn't
If you want it for HD only then yes you'd be right

 

[Mikey11]

if you are a sports fan it isn't
If you want it for HD only then yes you'd be right

yes i do like sports....any particular sports that you get?....or just random?

 

[Mr Tony]

with college basketball and college football alot of non-HD games are in 4:2:2
college hockey in most cases is 4:2:0
pro-sports its hit and miss. There isnt alot of pro sports up there to begin with (most stadiums have fibre) but the spring training games as example has been split 50/50 (if they're not in HD which alot werent)

 

[brentb636]

Zamar, for what it's worth, I think the Azbox is Kludgey, too. At least compared with the simplicity of the Openbox. I have had several PC tuners for years now, and I appreciate their capabilities, but as you know, they're not that easy for someone without an appropriate computer background and a willingness to dig in and "learn the system".

 

[AcWxRadar]

no there isnt.

Ice,

Unfortunately, there ARE AZBox clones out there. Opensat has a very lengthy description of how to ID them. You will be amazed because the differences are so very slight and subtle that almost no one would ever notice them without OpenSat's clone ID guide. I don't know if it is bad for the end user to have a clone, but it is certainly bad for OpenSat. I would like to post Opensat's clone ID guide here, but it is too big of a file (they use a lot of pix that take up a lot of space).

Some weeks ago, we have informed about the entrance of clones in several markets. They are low quality products illegally using the brand AZBox and the same PRODUCT NAME . The product cloned is the copy of Premium HD, which actually is a discontinued product.

Opensat is already taking all legal measures to stop such type of activities. In order to appease our distributors and customers and ensure reliability and security of your purchase, we prepared a document in .pdf format where you will be informed about the main differences between the original and the clone receiver.

If you find out that your receiver is a clone, please inform us immediately and provide us with the details of the seller.

In case you are interested in our products we strongly recommend that you read this document.

http://www.azbox.com/~design/info/clone_EN_vs.pdf

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

OpenBox Vs OpenSat's AZBox

Those of you who now own an OpenBox (please be careful not to confuse this STB with OpenSat's AZBox) will know first hand if this information is accurate.

I have personally NOT witnessed the OpenBox in operation. I could not convince my brother to open his wallet for an AZBox, but he did opt to purchase the less expensive OpenBox. If he is afforded the opportunity, he may look into the 4:2:2 issue, but don't hold your breath. My understanding from the discussion is that the OpenBox WILL pick the signal up, but won't process it to the TV directly. You would need some other equipment to do this, possibly like we have experienced with AC3 audio signals.

i.e. The box repeats (forwards) the AC3 audio on to another device, but will not decode it for direct use by the TV. A "go-between" device may be needed to process the signal. Possibly the same is true for 4:2:2 video, we are not sure of this.

For those of you who do have an OpenBox, please test this and let us know if when the OpenBox scans, if it is picking up the 4:2:2 signals naturally, and how it displays them (if at all) on your TV.

My brother has an idea that possibly the signal can be processed with some computer software programs to make it useable, but neither he nor I know this to be true as of yet. We are both just investigating this.

The Blind Scan function of the OpenBox is better (faster) than the AZBox. That much seems to be true.

Please understand that this OpenBox is very new to us and we haven't checked everything out yet. We are relying upon others who own them to insert their personal findings here.

RADAR

POST SCRIPT NOTE: I will remain loyal to the AZBox and allow my brother to investigate the OpenBox for the most part. I may buy an OpenBox to experiment with so that I can judge it personally and give authoritative feedback, but the AZBox will maintain my primary focus and attention.

 

[Jim S.]

The Openbox locates 4:2:2 channels just like it does any other video channels, it just doesn't display them correctly. You get a screen that looks scrambled, like a combination of snow and extreme macroblocking.

I kind of doubt that there's any way to process the video output in such a way to recover the proper picture.

However, it will record a 4:2:2 channel just as it will any other channel, so after a simple conversion from their .dvr format (which is not the same as Microsoft's .dvr format) to a .ts file, you can play it on your computer with any program that understands 4:2:2 video (VLC, for example).

 

[AcWxRadar]

Need Confirmation of a 4:2:2 signal from C-Band sat SatMex 6 113.0°W

Just discussing this issue with my brother. Need to get comfirmation of this from someone else.

On C-Band SatMex 6, (113W) TP 3779 HORIZONTAL, SR 6527....

There are three Azteca channels. The one named Azteca 7 Tamaulipas is listed as a 4:2:2 channel. My brother can pull this channel in on his Mini-Bud 1.2M GeosatPro dish with the OpenBox. Coming in clear and fine at 69% signal quality.

Is this signal truly a 4:2:2 signal on C-Band? If it is, then the OpenBox can process 4:2:2 signals, but we must know for sure that Lyngsat is not in error. Obviously, someone could have reported this as a 4:2:2 signal and they may have been a crazy person. LOL

My brother tried for a few Ku band channels that were listed as 4:2:2 and the signal was broken up a bit. Video was still present, but it wasn't really viewable. These Ku band channels that he was getting were on 107.3W Anik F1R. I could not pull them in either, so it is difficult to say.

If anyone can confirm the first listed C-Band channel as being truly 4:2:2 that would be helpful.

RADAR

 

[zamar23]

Since 4:2:2 is NOT a signal, but a method to encode color in compressed video, the signal reception is no different from any other signal broadcast with the same sat transmission standard. The signal is tuned and demodulated by the STB tuner & demod, but the resulting video stream can't be decoded properly, since the next in processing pipeline decoder chip doesn't support 4:2:2 decoding. If the box firmware allows to stream the TS over LAN, it can be decoded on a PC via VLC player. Another method frequently used in PC Media Centers like Windows Media Center is to keep recording streamed by a tuner video & audio mux and immediately playing it back (that allows Timeshifting). Existing OpenBox FW allows to record the TS via USB to a hard drive in a .ts like format. It might be interesting to request from manufacturer, if they can fix the FW to stream the TS via LAN instead of sending it via USB port. I don't have OpenBox in the moment, though would be interested to try one. It might already be possible now. In this capacity the STB would play a role of a PC Sat Tuner. Obviously, instead of a PC a standalone network media player can be used that supports 4:2:2 video decoding - you just hook it to a TV via HDMI cable.

Anyone tried to stream a non-decoded TS over LAN with AZBox? If it can do that, similar FW feature can possibly be added to OpenBox. The decoder chipset in OpenBox can NOT properly decode 4:2:2, it has insufficient processing power for that and no suitable codec.

 

[the_man_one]

zamar has a point... another option would be a live stripping of the .dvr tag from the ts stream run thru a capture card... making it a stb/pc tuner

 

[Mr Tony]

Just discussing this issue with my brother. Need to get comfirmation of this from someone else.

On C-Band SatMex 6, (113W) TP 3779 HORIZONTAL, SR 6527....

There are three Azteca channels. The one named Azteca 7 Tamaulipas is listed as a 4:2:2 channel. My brother can pull this channel in on his Mini-Bud 1.2M GeosatPro dish with the OpenBox. Coming in clear and fine at 69% signal quality.

Is this signal truly a 4:2:2 signal on C-Band?

its not 4:2:2
My Pansat 1500 picks them up fine

 

[stanleyjohn]

Just discussing this issue with my brother. Need to get comfirmation of this from someone else.

On C-Band SatMex 6, (113W) TP 3779 HORIZONTAL, SR 6527....

There are three Azteca channels. The one named Azteca 7 Tamaulipas is listed as a 4:2:2 channel. My brother can pull this channel in on his Mini-Bud 1.2M GeosatPro dish with the OpenBox. Coming in clear and fine at 69% signal quality.

Is this signal truly a 4:2:2 signal on C-Band? If it is, then the OpenBox can process 4:2:2 signals, but we must know for sure that Lyngsat is not in error. Obviously, someone could have reported this as a 4:2:2 signal and they may have been a crazy person. LOL

My brother tried for a few Ku band channels that were listed as 4:2:2 and the signal was broken up a bit. Video was still present, but it wasn't really viewable. These Ku band channels that he was getting were on 107.3W Anik F1R. I could not pull them in either, so it is difficult to say.

If anyone can confirm the first listed C-Band channel as being truly 4:2:2 that would be helpful.

RADAR

I have both receivers!The solomend which is slaved to the AZboz ultra,I will try to do a 422 comparision of the above channel this evening.

 

[Tron]

I can confirm that the Openbox will record a 4:2:2 stream, but will NOT display it correctly. On a connected monitor, you will see colorful macroblocking and can hear the audio. If you record the stream and play it back on a PC, the recording will be fine. This is similar to the Visionsat IV-200, which will record 4:2:2, but will not display it. The Visionsat will even record HD properly, despite the fact that it is a SD receiver.

 

[zamar23]

One can easily find out a sat stream Chroma coding by tuning to that channel TP in TSReader, opening that program PMT, and clicking on ES PID to see Video Stream Chroma Format in the upper section of middle raw in TSReader window. Another way is to record the channel stream for a few minutes, and then analyze that video file in a Media Analysis app like MediaInfo. Given Ice's experience, I wouldn't even do this, since he said already that SatMex 6 channel is not 4:2:2.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Since 4:2:2 is NOT a signal, but a method to encode color in compressed video, the signal reception is no different from any other signal broadcast with the same sat transmission standard. The signal is tuned and demodulated by the STB tuner & demod, but the resulting video stream can't be decoded properly, since the next in processing pipeline decoder chip doesn't support 4:2:2 decoding. If the box firmware allows to stream the TS over LAN, it can be decoded on a PC via VLC player. Another method frequently used in PC Media Centers like Windows Media Center is to keep recording streamed by a tuner video & audio mux and immediately playing it back (that allows Timeshifting). Existing OpenBox FW allows to record the TS via USB to a hard drive in a .ts like format. It might be interesting to request from manufacturer, if they can fix the FW to stream the TS via LAN instead of sending it via USB port. I don't have OpenBox in the moment, though would be interested to try one. It might already be possible now. In this capacity the STB would play a role of a PC Sat Tuner. Obviously, instead of a PC a standalone network media player can be used that supports 4:2:2 video decoding - you just hook it to a TV via HDMI cable.

Anyone tried to stream a non-decoded TS over LAN with AZBox? If it can do that, similar FW feature can possibly be added to OpenBox. The decoder chipset in OpenBox can NOT properly decode 4:2:2, it has insufficient processing power for that and no suitable codec.

I can confirm that the Openbox will record a 4:2:2 stream, but will NOT display it correctly. On a connected monitor, you will see colorful macroblocking and can hear the audio. If you record the stream and play it back on a PC, the recording will be fine. This is similar to the Visionsat IV-200, which will record 4:2:2, but will not display it. The Visionsat will even record HD properly, despite the fact that it is a SD receiver.

its not 4:2:2
My Pansat 1500 picks them up fine

Since the channel I mentioned (Azteca 7 Tamaulipas on C-Band SatMex 6 @ 113W, TP 3779 HORIZONTAL, SR 6527) can be displayed directly from the output of the Opensat and directly to the TV, then it must not truly be using 4:2:2 color information encoding? Correct?

My brother will have to locate a channel using true 4:2:2 color encoding to test this accurately.

RADAR

 

[zamar23]

Radar

Thousands of people own this STB. Just look at the original thread for Sadoun Sathawk. There was discussion about this feature, and DVBWorld tested it (he is the owner of company that manufactures sat devices and the exporter for Sadoun) and confirmed that this box can't do 4:2:2. Is that good enough for you?

 

[stanleyjohn]

its not 4:2:2
My Pansat 1500 picks them up fine

I agree with ice! My solomend picks these up just fine.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Radar

Thousands of people own this STB. Just look at the original thread for Sadoun Sathawk. There was discussion about this feature, and DVBWorld tested it (he is the owner of company that manufactures sat devices and the exporter for Sadoun) and confirmed that this box can't do 4:2:2. Is that good enough for you?

Zamar,

Our main question was if the channel was labeled correctly on Lyngsat. It is labeled as 4:2:2 and the Opensat receiver was capturing and displaying that channel fine. So, which was wrong?
Evidentally, Lyngsat is wrong. This was why I was asking for confirmation on the channel, and not so much on the ability of the OpenBox.

RADAR