AZ Box Do's and Don'ts

Diamond Jim

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Aug 18, 2004
4,393
525
The Boilermaker State (#19)
It is almost a year now since I bought my AZ Box Premium Plus. I can't honestly say that I like this receiver. I does not rate as high as others I have owned when it comes to being user friendly. I will say it does has it's good points, which brings me to the point of this thread. I have asked for and received quite a bit of help learning to use this receiver, which I do appreciate. But I have been told so much that I don't know which is true or false. I am going to list some of the things I have been told to do and not to do with the AZ.

1. Do not use the power switch to turn off and on.
2. Use the remote only to turn it off and on.
3. Use the remote as little as possible.
4. Do not delete anything using the remote.
5. Re boot after each addition or deletion that is made.
6. Re format the USB stick each time before doing a back up.
7. Do not move channels in the channel list.
8. Do not scroll up and down the channel list.

I hope to get your valued opinons on this. As it is I spend most of my time trying to keep this receiver in order than watching TV.
 
1. This I agree with but my elite is wacky. The ethernet port is shot (I knew it when I bought it) but if I power off on the back sometimes it gets stuck in "boot" and I have to repeat this a few times to get past that
2. agree..but then how else ya gonna turn it off? ;)
3. I use mine all the time to enter TP info and such. I only have 3 sats loaded (motor, C-Band and AMC16 which I have a fixed dish at) so I use the remote all the time. No issues with mine on that
4. I delete channels and programs all the time with the remote. With no ethernet I have no option but to remove them that way. I usually remote the TP in the list which removes the channel
5. huh? The only time I reboot (hit power off then scroll to reboot) is when it freezes up or I upload software. I add and remove channels in the list all the time.
6. I dont do a backup (since the azbox is slaved) so moot point. But I use one USB stick for all receivers software upgrades
7. I have done this only a few times but I have done it and it works fine
8. I dont get what you mean

One thing I'd add is dont rename the channel. When you do timers and recordings do not work (or they get hidden titles and you have to find them)
 
1&2 I use the remote to turn off, then when the AZ says too shut down I switch the power off on the back.

3&4 I use my remote for everything as I never was able to get MAZ channel editor to work for me, and I'm a computer junkie?? I add satellites, TPs and delete same with zero problems to date?

5 I do this sometimes, but not always.

6 Up until the LAN function stopped working on my Elite, I always did firmware updates from the USB hard drive connected to that box. Do that still with my Ultra but I'm still running firmware 5020 on both. Not sure the "format" before use is necessary as I didn't start using one on my Elite until the LAN function got zapped last summer. Always do backups to that hard drive also but I move the files with an FTP client to my computer. On the Elite with broken LAN though I recently started using a USB stick to do channel list backups and restores, ie, I use my Ultra for blind scan on my 10ft dish then transfer that data to the Elite on the 7.5ft dish system.

7 Never moved channel lists.

8 Not sure what you mean with this one? So how are you suppose to navagate the channel list without doing this??

One thing I will add here is that when you create a new satellite location, make sure you go in and add at least ONE TP to that satellite BEFORE you reboot!! Neither of my AZs like empty satellite locations. I always put in 3650 H 29270 on C band and 11700 H 29270 on Ku band sats that I create.
 
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8. I dont get what you mean

Hit the OK button, the channel list appears, then use the up and down arrows to scroll to the channel you want, then hit OK to bring it up.

One thing I'd add is dont rename the channel. When you do timers and recordings do not work (or they get hidden titles and you have to find them)

I don't use timers or do recording. One of the main reasons I bought this receiver was because I could rename the channels to keep track of them, unlike the Quali TV where I could never remember what was where.

One thing I will add here is that when you create a new satellite location, make sure you go in and add at least ONE TP to that satellite BEFORE you reboot!! Neither of my AZs like empty satellite locations.

I figured that one out real quick. That's why I didn't mention it.
 
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Hit the OK button, the channel list appears, then use the up and down arrows to scroll to the channel you want, then hit OK to bring it up.

Whoever told you not to do that was just plain incorrect.
That is the proper way to do it in that screen.

As for the power off:
What you were told is just a misconception: You never power off the receiver by just pressing the power button on the back of the receiver. That can cause problems. The proper way is to use the remote to shutdown the receiver and when the screen says it is now ok to turn it off .... THEN... you press the power button on the back of the receiver to turn it off.
So what you were told is correct in a way just taken out of context or not fully explained.
Some early models of the Azbox did not have the function on the remote to shut down the receiver like it now has in the firmware.
that is where this procedure has come up and made some unsure of how to do things properly.
 
A couple of things I can think of. When re-naming a channel, only do it in the Advanced Scan area, never in the main channel list. You won't have any problems then.

Scrolling through the channel list. The only problem I have ever had with that is every now and then it "re-sorts" the channels alphabetically when you are scrolling (too fast?). If you have moved channels in your list, using the "default" sort doesn't restore it to your original list (it sorts it to when the channels were scanned in). Therefore, I have to re-load in my channel list ever time.

Couple of other points. I have found that sometimes when moving or deleting channels, the list will re-sort back to the default setting I list above (usually when deleting channels). To avoid this, I have found that never be on the channel to be moved or deleted. That seems to significantly reduce that glitch.

Of course, always backup your channel list before any major changes. I also ftp to the computer all the files on the USB stick, /DISK2, and DISK1/DISK2_backup, every week or so, or before and after major changes. If you can't ftp, then every now and then take out your USB stick, plug it into your computer and keep backups of your channel list.
 
As for the power off:
What you were told is just a misconception: You never power off the receiver by just pressing the power button on the back of the receiver. That can cause problems. The proper way is to use the remote to shutdown the receiver and when the screen says it is now ok to turn it off .... THEN... you press the power button on the back of the receiver to turn it off.

I didn't state that quite right. I never use the power button in the back. I was talking about the power button in the front that puts it to sleep and wakes it up. I never power down, I always put it to sleep when not in use. Maybe I misunderstood what was being told to me and took for granted it was the button on the front they were talking about.

If you have moved channels in your list, using the "default" sort doesn't restore it to your original list (it sorts it to when the channels were scanned in). Therefore, I have to re-load in my channel list ever

Keith, a few weeks ago some of the channels lost their SRs. I din't know what to do and paniced. I played with it for a day or so to try to figure the easiest way to get them back, I finnally gave up, deleted and then rentered them. I was later told that all I had to do was hit the default button and it would have restored the SRs and channels. Is that true?

I have to agree with you about scrolling too fast. That has caused it to revert a few tims for me. Once I started to scroll up the list and only went one channel and it reverted to alphabetical. Strange, but yes I do agree that scrolling too fast casues problems.

Thanks for all of the tips. If you know of anything I haven't covered, please mention it. Anything I can learn to make this receiver easier to work with without using a computer makes my life easier.
 
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Hit the OK button, the channel list appears, then use the up and down arrows to scroll to the channel you want, then hit OK to bring it up.
I do that all the time. But again with having the Manhattan the azbox is mainly for 4:2:2 feeds so I dont scroll through it much. But when I've had a bunch of channels in there I use the OK button then scroll through the list
 
Keith, do I understand you right, If the channel list reverts to alphabetical I can hit the default to restore it instead of using the USB stick?
If you hit the default sort, it will restore them to how they were scanned in (oldest to newest, which is the way the channel file structure is set up, a new channel is always added to the end of the list, regardless of satellite) so if you don't move channels, then you would be fine. Since I move channels, I have to restore using the USB saved file.

Also, a few weeks ago some of the channels lost their SRs. I din't know what to do and paniced. I played with it for a day or so to try to figure the easiest way to get them back, I finnally gave up and deleted them and the rentered them. I was later told that all I had to do was ht the default button and it would have restored the SRs and channels. Is that true?

I have never had that happen, so don't know whether it would have worked or not (but think not, as it sounds like the transponder went AWOL from the satellite). I would have just re-scanned in one satellite and seen whether that restored the data to the channels. If not, then delete and re-scan, as you did. If it ever happens again (hope not!) then you can give it a try.
 
Keith,
I think I discovered something by accident. When the SRs went south the FR and SR stayed on the sat list with the signal strength showing. I thought OK, rescan and the SRs will go home where they belong and all would be fine. That didn't happen, new channels showed up at the end of the list, so I deleted and re entered all the bad ones. Which I don't understand why only some of the channels disappeared and not all of them. Anyway, after I finished I notched that I had forgot Alaska 360 North and the GCI channels on AMC7. When I went to the AMC 7 TP list 3760-25190 was gone, don't ask me where. I entered them, done a scan and went back to the channel list to name them and the SR was back and the channels where coming in like nothing had happened. I am thinking that if I would have went to each sat list and deleted the old FR and SR from the bad channel and re entered it the channels would have came back on their own and I wouldn't have had to redo the channel list. To be honest, I would really like to know what made the SRs disappear.

I do that all the time. But again with having the Manhattan the azbox is mainly for 4:2:2 feeds so I dont scroll through it much. But when I've had a bunch of channels in there I use the OK button then scroll through the list

I have about 100 S2 and AC3 channels on the AZ Box. I can't remember all of the channel numbers, so I have to scroll. I do agree, with Keith, this reverting problem happens when I scroll to fast. I now take it slow and easy.
 
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Keith,
I think I discovered something by accident. When the SRs went south the FR and SR stayed on the sat list with the signal strength showing. I thought OK, rescan and the SRs will go home where they belong and all would be fine. That didn't happen, new channels showed up at the end of the list, so I deleted and re entered all the bad ones. Which I don't understand why only some of the channels disappeared and not all of them. Anyway, after I finished I notched that I had forgot Alaska 360 North and the GCI channels on AMC7. When I went to the AMC 7 TP list 3760-25190 was gone, don't ask me where. I entered them, done a scan and went back to the channel list to name them and the SR was back and the channels where coming in like nothing had happened. I am thinking that if I would have went to each sat list and deleted the old FR and SR from the bad channel and re entered it the channels would have came back on their own and I wouldn't have had to redo the channel list. To be honest, I would really like to know what made the SRs disappear.

That is really strange, I would have thought the same as you, re-scan the transponder, channels would become "happy" again with all the information. The only time I have ever seen the transponder information disappear from the channel list is when a channel was re-named from the channel list area, instead of in the Advance Scan area. Even then, it didn't gray out the channel, and it only affected that re-named channel. The only thing I can think of is that your satellite/transponder list blew a gasket, which then strangely affected only parts of your channel list. All I can say is, may it never happen again!
 
I really don't mind the little problems with the channel list now that I have some ideas on what to do to correct them. My main problem was the reverting back to the European Sats. With the help of another member I did manage to eliminate them and enter my own list. As long as I have the USBs to correct things I consider it a minor inconvenience instead of a major problem.

I failed to tell you that when I lost the SRs I had pulled up the channel list, scrolled to the channel I wanted and when I hit the OK button is when it happened.

Thanks again to you and Ice.
 
1. Do not use the power switch to turn off and on.
2. Use the remote only to turn it off and on.

Older models with older firmware did not support shutting down the system via the remote. Akin to what Stargaze stated.
Because shutting the power to the AZBox off via the rear switch could possibly create errors in the system, they added the
shut down menu via the remote. This offers the utility of a proper shut down procedure just like you have on your PC.
When you shut down your PC, you don't just pull the plug or turn the power switch off. You know what happens when you
do that. Instead, you go through a menu and select the shut down procedure you want to execute (shut down, restart, log off, etc).
That allows the PC's OS to prepare for the shut down properly. It turns off all running files in a normal manner. It is the same
for the AZBox. Using the STANDBY (sleep mode) power button on the front of the box is just fine. I think it would be wisest to
select the sleep mode, then turn the main power switch off if you have older firmware that doesn't support the shut down menu.

I have personally never experienced troubles by shutting the box off from the rear power switch. But, I try to avoid complicating my
life and use the remote to enter the shut down routine menu. If the proper shut down procedure is available to you, use it.

3. Use the remote as little as possible.

Why? Are batteries that expensive? Nah! Use the remote all you want.

4. Do not delete anything using the remote.

This depends on what you are deleting. Anything that deals with the setup and file structure I would agree.
Deleting recorded programs and shows, no problem. Deleting channels, no problem. This should all be fine.
Deleting transponders and satellites can be done through the proper menus via the remote. If in doubt or you
question it, use the editor programs. It can sometimes be a little quirky with the remote. Doing so with the
satellite listings requires some additional steps as you will only be modifying the "working" file. The "backup"
file will remain unchanged. I would recommend downloading all the files to your PC and then re-uploading them
using ACC 1.1 utility program. Now the changes you made via the remote have been written to both the working
and the backup lists within the AZBox.

5. Re boot after each addition or deletion that is made.

Logically this makes some sense, but I I am not certain that it is required for every action.

6. Re format the USB stick each time before doing a back up.

Not at all. Once the USB drive is formatted, it remains formatted. There is no need to reformat it. The only time
that I would do so is if you have a suspicion that the USB drive has become corrupted. You are supposed to power
down the USB memory device prior to removal. If you forget to do so, it may possibly harm the device and corrupt
the data stored within. I have never seen it happen, but I guess it is a possibility. If that happens, then reformat
the device if you must. If reformatting doesn't work, then the drive is actually electrically damaged and won't work
anyway.

It is handy to use a USB stick that is dedicated solely to your AZBox so that you have nothing else on it (no other
files other than what you need). This isn't a necessity, it just allows you to keep down the clutter and keep everything
organized, not to mention safe (not lost).

7. Do not move channels in the channel list.

I don't get any bad results from trying to do so. Other than the fact that they may not stay where I put them. It doesn't seem
to harm or corrupt anything, but it doesn't seem to take root either. Personally, I just use the USER CREATED FAVORITE lists.
I organize my channels that way instead of trying to line them up in the main channel list. I do this with the remote, by the
way, but you can also set up favorites via the editors. Either way is fine.

8. Do not scroll up and down the channel list.

This is totally false. Scroll all you desire. There is only one thing that I can state here that might be related to this issue.
If you press any button on the remote and the AZBox doesn't respond immediately. Do NOT keep pressing buttons out of
impatience. Wait a few seconds and press your selection again. I cannot prove this, but I believe that if the LINUX OS is
busy and ignores your remote command at first, you should just wait a moment and tap the command again. Otherwise, I
believe that the box receives several commands all at once and gets confused as it detects partial codes from each command
and goes off on a tangent of it's own. I have witnessed this personally. I may be trying to navigate through a menu or a list
and when it doesn't respond immediately, I press the button again and again and all of a sudden, I am on YOU TUBE. What?
How did I get here? It might even take me to the shut down menu. Then I gotta back out of that. This is probably what the
person/s who told you not to scroll were experiencing, but they didn't spend any time to evaluate the situation. They just
jump to the conclusion that it is a bad thing, it's broke and don't do it... Hah! Ok. Whatever peels your banana. :)

Jim, I hope that between my information and the responses from all the others that you can dispel some of the myths and understand
some of the quirky facts.

RADAR
 
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