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Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
I went looking through the forums for what was considered the best deal in an HD receiver. Lots of opinions out there. Some stated it simply - there is no one best for everyone, only one best for each person. After reading through a bunch of reviews here and on other sites I decided to order the Amiko Mini HD SE. Yes some have bashed the (*$#* out of it, even going as far as saying it won't do 4:2:2 - and technically that's correct. However one of the work arounds that's been done that I didn't see for other receivers is the ALi Big2Small Android app. This seems to be pretty cool especially since I have an HDMI dongle for my Nexus 7/II. My take is the receiver itself won't decode the 4:2:2 but the Android app will decode it from the streaming signal from the receiver on the same network. Seems pretty cool if it'll work. Since the receiver has MPEG 2 and 4 capability, DVB-S and S2 capability, and USALS it has what I want to play around with next as I experiment more with FTA. I didn't feel the need to put out more cash for the other receivers for the option to get 4:2:2. Really I was heading for an HD box with DVB-S2, MPEG 4, and USALS. Comments about the Amiko Mini HD SE welcome, especially if you have one and can tell me the pros/cons of it. Thanks,

Todd
20 Replies · 11942 views
T
For online upgrade, check this video at the marked start time (5:02)

http://youtu.be/pQV9SPJFCyc?t=5m2s

You'll want to be sure you are using manual upgrade exactly as shown in the video. Also make sure the URL shown in the video is there and hasn't been tampered with. I just verified a minute ago all is working.
T
RCU for 8240, Mini Original, Nano HD & Mini HD SE are all the same. :)

I think ke4est means when watching TV press the OK key, that brings up your satellite list and allows you to sort, edit and do different things. EPG key is pretty worthless in NA since we don't have EPG for most things. Or maybe he is talking a different way to do it within the built in channel editor.

In the various videos I tried to highlight the little tricks like the OK key since some of the stuff is a bit different than other brands of STB in NA.
X
For online upgrade, check this video at the marked start time (5:02)

http://youtu.be/pQV9SPJFCyc?t=5m2s

You'll want to be sure you are using manual upgrade exactly as shown in the video. Also make sure the URL shown in the video is there and hasn't been tampered with. I just verified a minute ago all is working.

Did the upgrade, no issues after correcting the URL. I must have fat fingered it when I was exploring the STB's menus and options.

I also got to learn how to restore the sat/channel list from my USB drive tonight. After getting my motor working and picking up both G19 and G16 I was thrilled. I went playing with other settings and screwed it all up. Finally I did a default restore and viola, as mentioned in the included note...all the sat information was gone. A simple plug in of the USB drive, update channels only and viola, back up and running after a quick scan of G19. I think my dish is slightly off because I have only been successful at locking onto those two birds. So far I'm still happy with the purchase. The learning curve has always been steep for FTA. More to come as time permits.

Thanks,

Todd

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!
X
RCU for 8240, Mini Original, Nano HD & Mini HD SE are all the same. :)

I think ke4est means when watching TV press the OK key, that brings up your satellite list and allows you to sort, edit and do different things. EPG key is pretty worthless in NA since we don't have EPG for most things. Or maybe he is talking a different way to do it within the built in channel editor.

In the various videos I tried to highlight the little tricks like the OK key since some of the stuff is a bit different than other brands of STB in NA.

BINGO we have a winner! Yes the OK button did it and now the yellow key is for properties with one of those being delete. Still more difficult than my X2 Mini which allows me to see the channel, select it then move to the next channel and so on, once all marked, select delete and done. However this is certainly better than using the full channel edit. Thank you both!

Todd

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!
KE4EST
I think ke4est means when watching TV press the OK key, that brings up your satellite list and allows you to sort, edit and do different things.

Yep that is what I was talking about. :)
X
Yep that is what I was talking about. :)

Cool and it does bring up the channel under the PIG. I just needed to be on a channel with a signal! Doh! Sometimes I feel like such a Homer.

Todd

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!
X
I'm still not done reviewing the Amiko Mini HD/SE, but my latest experience and feelings about this STB follow:

Pro's

Quality of picture is high.
Blind scan is fast.
Stability is excellent.
Added features such as You Tube, Weather and such are nice and work very well.
Signal and quality meter actually seem pretty close to my Tracker Light (unlike my X2 Mini which displays numbers much lower than my meter).
The graphic interface is easy to navigate once accustom to (see con below).
Channel switching is quick.
Flash update from the Internet was easy (once the graphic interface is learned – also watch the You Tube video on updating).
You Tube tutorials (yes this has nothing to do with the STB itself but these are great and eliminate the need to even look at the manual, which is listed as a con below).
Recording to an external hard drive is easy and works well.
Ethernet connection is plug and play for most home users.
Ability to use the ALi Big2Small application on my Google Nexus 7 to watch 4:2:2 broadcasts received by the STB but not able to decode them is a big plus. I just plug my Nexus 7 into one of my HDMI ports on my TV and I have 4:2:2 from the STB.

Con's

The user's manual is typical for STB's I've used – better to ignore.
The graphic interface takes time to get accustom to as settings aren't where one might think they should be.

The Amiko Mini HD SE comes with everything you need to get it up and running once connected to the coax. I thought that I wouldn't like the idea of not having any buttons on the STB itself, but those buttons that are on other STB's have proven to be unnecessary. Everything is easily controlled through the remote control, which has a great number of features too. Amiko even includes the HDMI cable and an AV Out cable. The AV Out cable came in handy because I use my mini laptop and a USB video/audio capture to view what the STB is broadcasting while working on the dish outside the house. That's much easier than dragging a TV along because I also have the Internet to look things up as I work. I'm glad Amiko included that cable. As you can see, I don't have many con's. There is a learning curve, but I'm getting past that with help from everyone on the Satellite Guys site as well as from Joe, the owner of Amiko Americas and FridgeFTA Satellite which is where I ordered my Amkio Mini HD SE from. Can't get much better support than that unless Joe wants to fly out to Dallas and help me finish the setup? Na, didn't think so. That's a little overboard on the support service. Over all I like the box very much. I really like the HD quality on my 32" LED TV. It's as good as what I get off my Verizon FiOS on my 65" DLP TV. With the Amiko Mini HD SE, PLL LNB, 76 cm Winegard dish, and SG 6100 motor I'm into this for about $252.99. That's a pretty small outlay for HD quality plus all the other features the Amiko Mini HD SE offers. I'm going to enjoy using it at home, and soon on a trip to a remote area of Colorado where no TV reception other than Dish, Direct, or best of all FTA is available. I'll be leaving the equipment in Colorado for my aunt and uncle through the summer. I imagine they will purchase it from me and I'll be placing another order for the exact same equipment, including the Amiko Mini HD SE STB. These of course are my personal opinions, others may vary. My experience is from old Pansat 2500 and 2800, a Conexsat using 30" dishes, and a 4DTV STB with a BUD. I also jumped back in on the cheap with a X2 Mini, which was a good re-introduction to FTA but will most likely find its way into a storage box someplace - what can I say I paid $22.00 for it. I'd say it would end up in my travel trailer but the HD of the Amiko Mini HD SE for just $99.99 has me hooked. Ok, so the X2 Mini will most likely end up in the travel trailer as an emergency backup - yeah, that'll be good.

Todd
T
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
4 Replies · 69 views
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Juan
Not alot of dish customers any more
Foxbat
I'm not a big fan of the new layout, especially on my Apple TV. It used to look like the old Guide layout on the Hopper 3, but they changed parts of that, too.
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dishstaller
I really dislike change for the sake of change
dishdude
I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.
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Foxbat
Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.

At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
17 Replies · 240 views
Ronnie-
Meh. The 4Ks I have will do everything that these do that I need them to do.


Which that's most tech these days for anything released the last four to five years.


It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.
navychop
It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.

Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
navychop
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
KAB
KAB
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
S
Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade.. :what. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
ncted
ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade
No. Makes me wonder if that is Apple or the carrier. I am on pre-paid, so I never get "an upgrade." I still have my old iPhone 11 Pro as a second line, and it runs iOS 27 just fine. My iPhone Air, which is still a current model, doesn't really seem that much faster in regular use. It is better in other ways, and worse in some ways than the 11 Pro (size), but performance really isn't a big differentiator, especially since I replaced the battery in the 11 Pro. If I had gotten enough storage when I originally bought the 11 Pro, it could still be my primary device with no issues.
ncted
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
Yeah, they boot up a bit slower than Roku, but the OS does a lot more, so it makes sense. How often are you booting them up that is a differentiator? Aside from OS updates, mine are on all the time. I will say the ATV4K is generally quicker than the Roku Ultras I have, when it comes to launching apps and responsiveness, not that the Roku is sluggish.
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navychop
apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while

What software? For iPhones? I tried to buy some image s/w IN THE APPLE STORE! They had none, and could not offer ANY s/w for iPhones
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
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osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
2 Replies · 61 views
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Howard Simmons

Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
dishstaller
Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
But.....if you like Tulsa King....looks like you would probably like this as well. I don't mind spin-offs as long as they don't involve a sassy niece who moves from the big city :rolleyes:
TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2132 Replies · 214691 views
Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Jimbo
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
Might be worth a watch when it comes out. Looks like typical big corp against the little guy movie BUT....there is a reason this plot type is so oft repeated, it draws audiences.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f9OGsKHd4
1 Replies · 16 views
dishstaller
BTW, I noticed right after I posted this that someone else had already mentioned it....sorry for the duplicate thread. Still looking forward to seeing the movie.
meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
If you're going try to read / listen to the book (can't recommend the audio book enough) before this comes out, I'd avoid trailers.

Trailer below, spoiling it to make sure you read the above bold message first. The book / audio book are fantastic. Go into this blind if you can IMO!




Kind of disappointed at how much they show. A lot still to see, but man, some good reveals in the book that are just served up here.
21 Replies · 718 views
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meStevo
I've seen it twice. Can't recommend the audio book enough, Ray Porter's performance is amazing and there's so much more in the book than the movie.
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Foxbat
"Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
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K
Forgot to comment. I did watch when it first came out on MGM. I enjoyed it a lot. I think reading the book made it easier to watch. Several friends commented it was a little hard to follow.
TRG
TRG
"astrophage". I read the book but didn't see the film yet.
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Howard Simmons
"Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
That's what I will be watching this weekend.🤗
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K
Kindle book on sale for $2.99 today at Amazon.
dishstaller
.........there's so much more in the book than the movie.
I agree. That can go for pretty much any book vs movie. Back when I was single I would read any Stephen King or John Grisham book I could get my hands on. When you read a book you make up the scenes and characters in your mind.....the movie version always disappoints.