AzBox BootCamp: workaround for software problems to use as primary box

Achebee

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Nov 8, 2009
106
9
Honduras
I have had a Az Premium + since last year and around Christmas got frustrated and just quit using it, except to play 4:2:2 feeds.I, like most who have been into these pages, have gotten frustrated , changed software, cursed other updates, on and on, and danced around the AzBoz FW issues. In February, I decided to get back to it, and see if I could tame this bull down a bit and ride him for 8 seconds or so...After 250+ hours and many kicks in the ribs, I have now found a way to work around most of the software issues on the AZbox. I have tested this method with old and new software, and it works 100%, as I will outline for you below. Before I get started, I would like to mention a few things to keep in mind when you are reading this or before you try it out:
1. This is for people who want to use the premium + as an everyday good player, and edit channels and blindscan, using only the Azbox and feel like you are using one of the other boxes, but play more channels! I am not discussing software issues with the Browser or UTube or how that relates to a particular FW Release.. this is only for the AZ used as a box for playing, scanning and editing as a primary box .
2. I have been through the Maz Edit stuff, and I am not discussing editing programs here, because I was never able to get anything to work perfectly, and always had the box return to original lists etc. etc. and that whole deal that is discussed here in many threads.
3. I do not use the AZBOX for feed hunting and backhaul etc., as the software is not stable enough yet for that, there are always issues, so I personally use a Vantage 1100S for scanning when I want to get into stuff quickly. HOWEVER, I strongly feel that the P+ is as good a scanning box as there is out there. It blindscans better than Pansats and Sathawks overall..
4. I often times refer to "other" boxes. I currently have Pansat 9200HD's, SatHawkPVR800, Az Premium, Vantage 1100S, and a shelf full of old an new Sonicview, Viewsat, SonySat, DreamBox, and CoolSats... and a couple old Silver Bullets...(now you know how old I am!) So over the years I have been into it, like many of you, and take liberty to compare things to "other" boxes.
5. My setup is a dual orthomode system, so I have 2 sats named for each Position on many Sats, one for C band and one for KU when it applies.
OK, that being said, I am hoping like most that AZBOX will clean up the software and address the many issues that need to be worked on , but here is a way to work around those issues and have a good box.

1. This should be name "REboot Camp" and I'll go into it below...REBOOTING is the most essential part of this whole deal, and I'll cover it when it needs to be done below.

2. This method is working for all software I've tested, and currently I'm using the newest release 5020. I thought before the new stuff was no good, and older issues were better, but that is not the case. The first and perhaps most important thing to do, is load the software after "Formatting Application Area" I Format 2 times, just for the heck of it to hopefully get out all older files and start fresh.. This must be done . I use the resolution button on the remote to get back into the proper setup as the box will revert to PAL and you need to setup there first, then get into the Settings pages.

3. Now with the box cleaned ,I do the usual setup and get ready to blindscan and start setting up my Sat and Channel lists. I have found another secret, and I know others use it as well, and that is that I completely delete the Sat lists on the software...I do not leave anything there at all...You can delete and delete for about 20 minutes to get it done, but IT MUST BE DONE. When you get to one last Sat, you need to enter your first SAT that you want to work with. If you delete the last Sat on the list, the box glitches, and then reboots, and you still have that Sat on there...So keep track of where you are, leave one Sat on there, and load your 1st Sat onto the list..When the new Sat is on the list, then you must delete the last Sat from the software list...If you do not do this, this Sat will come back to haunt you, and cause the box to want to return to it's original list, and raise all sorts of issues... Now you have your one and only Sat Listed in the Sat list... REBOOT the BOX NOW. Rebooting, I believe is acting like Save on a regular computer...If you do not REBOOT and have this whole effort you just went through Saved properly, the box will glitch.

4. You are now back into Setup and ready to load all your other Sats, and Download and Edit. BUT...You can only do one Sat at a time...and complete the entire Sat setup before you move on to another Sat. i.e. you blindscan, the channels are there, and you must clean up the Channel and TP list before moving on... You can not blindscan several sats with the idea of "coming back later and editing and cleaning up" It will not work.
I delete all the scrambled channels and others I do not want.. then I make a list of the TP's that I am using for those channels, and I delete all the TP's that are not being used. When that is finished I double check everything and REBOOT THE BOX..This is the most important thing always REBOOT after finishing up a Sat. And never move on untill you have done So.
Then you can go ahead and roll through all your Sats one at a time and REBOOTING after each Sat is cleaned up.
It takes time...It takes me about 20 hours to do my whole setup...BUT when it's done its done.
REMEMBER: DELETE ALL CHANNELS YOU DO NOT WANT AND ALL TP"S THAT ARE NOT BEING USED BEFORE MOVING ON...AND REBOOT
If you do this you will sail right through and the software won't even know you are there...

5.This is another very important issue I have found out about the hard way. If I make an error and perhaps not have my Switch designation correct in my setup and I begin to blindscan a Sat that should be #3 on the Diseq and I have it as #1, then that is a real problem...You can not just go back and reset the antenna settings and start again...You need to DELETE that Sat, even if you did not get any TP's yet...Delete it, and then REBOOT the box again! Then you are back to where you were , and can setup the Sat correctly and move on.
If you do not Delete that Sat, it will come back and GET YOU.... So be Careful. Always double check everything before moving on into blindscan..This goes for any errors you make in Setup, like starting to scan another Sat and you haven't move your dish and you end up seeing all the channels from the last sat you downloaded....You must delete the Sat completely, you can not just clean up and delete TP's and start again, the memory will not clean unless it is Deleted and then REBOOTED.

6. I have found that in Editing using the box only, I can Delete, and Rename and clean up the list just fine...I have found that at times MOVING a channel will cause issues. The AZ likes to have the channels listed the way it lands them in your list..I always leave my lists by TP lowest to highest, and it works fine...if I decide to move my favorite channels up to the top of the list this will cause problems..So one is better off doing your Favorite lists, and leaving the channels alone, not MOVING any of them in the original downloaded list, but again you can edit without any problems on Renaming and Deleting.

7. I have been using the new software since it's release with no problem, and anytime I want to recan a Sat or TP I can do so, as long as I REBOOT after I have the new info edited.

8. So, REBOOT... that's all I can say...This has cleaned up all glitches on my box...I believe the Premium + could be used as a backhaul/feed hunter, but until the software issues get cleaned up, I prefer to use the Vantage for that, and then if I find something of interest I add it on to the P+ and Reboot after I have it listed... The P+ works as well as most and better than many other boxes on these initial scans..I have had very few issues with the Blindscan, as long as I REBOOT after inputting info.
I know many of you will say..."Hey, egghead...use editing software", but I have , and there are still many issues, and in the long run, after editing with software, and then having the box revert to another list, on and on and that whole dance, this method is the best I have found, and it works..
I hope this helps many of you out that are having problems with your lists, and rescanning over n over, and losing channels and all that stuff that AZboxes are famous for...This system works..Best of luck and I hope that others add to this, when needed and feel free to ask questions.. Happy REBOOTING !!!! HB
 
Last edited:
Achebee, I am awaiting delivery of my AZBox Premium Plus. I am just learning/ reading about this Receiver, can I ask a question - when you say ReBoot do you mean switch off the Power on the Back AC Power Switch or is it much more involved than that?
 
Achebee, I am awaiting delivery of my AZBox Premium Plus. I am just learning/ reading about this Receiver, can I ask a question - when you say ReBoot do you mean switch off the Power on the Back AC Power Switch or is it much more involved than that?
Press and hold the power button on the remote or power off from the switch on the back of the receiver.
 
Press and hold the power button on the remote or power off from the switch on the back of the receiver.

Thanks Babadem guess it was a trivial Question but now at least I know. Hope the constant Rebooting doesn't cause a problem as I have been told there has been a 50% Power Failure rate with the Premium HD + External Power Supplies. Guess that will be a good way to know if the Power Supply I have is any good!!

Also great info for us AZBox beginners Achebee, I hope it all works out as my main initial goal is to get the unit up and running to receive C and KU Band Satellites.
 
hey all. also another thing about the AZ being similar to a computer. you can put it in sleep mode etc. just press the power button on the remote for say 2 seconds then release. a new list should show up on-screen with a timer on top. i think the timer is counting down from 10 seconds. your choices are sleep,reboot,shutdown etc. just use the up/down keys for your choice and press ok. i prefer this method because it lets the box do its thing naturally rather than just turning the thing off suddenly. after all you wouldn't usually just power off your computer suddenly without shutting down your operating system first.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)

Latest posts