You should read this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/azbox-discussion/272537-azbox-me-android-os-dead-water.html
That poster put up the link to what is going on.
Sigma backed out of developing or finishing the development of the touted Android platform for the Azbox ME; and are offering the entire source code to anyone who asks them for it.
They now want it to be opensouce and not a closed type of firmware so anyone who has the knowledge can write what they want for their own firmware.
As it is right now, the Azbox ME out of the box does not even have North American satellites listed in the receiver.
The receiver would not even pick up certain signals that all the previous versions of the Azbox’s are getting.
Opensat was not reducing the cost with a receiver with incomplete firmware or rather non working firmware for this side of the world in North America.
Now for the sake of being impartial, the hardware in the receiver appears decent enough to handle what it was intended to do but with the lack of a good working firmware in it, is crippling this STB.
Furthermore, there were some other problems Opensat was dealt when they had an internal problem, (which I am not at liberty to disclose at the moment), this is what really prompted the company to put out a notice to offer the source code to the public.
Now if they can not overcome this internal problem they could end up dead in the water as far as offering any future STB’s in the market.
Then Opensat came out with saying that older models of their Azbox’s could now use another firmware type. However, those who tried it quickly found out that it offered them less functions then what they had.
Blind-scanning is one issue, several 4:2:2 feeds are another issue, North American Satellites are yet another issue, editing channel list are still another issue.
The list can go on so why in the world anyone would want this STB at this time unless they were a programmer and wanted to tinker with writing a firmware that would work with it is beyond me.
Then again if someone wanted to do this and succeeds they should be paid for their hard effort IMO!
Who want to be a guinea pig?
This is no way to run a business.
I have been a supporter of the Azbox and have no problem with the Ultra and Premium Plus receivers as I believe they are decent STB’s. However in all fairness the end user needs to be aware of the pitfalls with the Azbox ME as it now stands.
Can things change? Of course they can, but most people in North America want an STB that works out of the box! Not one they have to write program for to possibly get it to function partially!
I do not know of anyone in North America that has ever written a program to work in conjunction with the older Azbox’s let alone try writing a program for this new STB.
Every program that was written to work with the Azbox has come out of Europe.
At that many over here had problems getting them to work on their computers, from what they have posted in the past.
I know this post may be long but this needed to get put out there for those who are hoping that the Azbox ME was going to be their lifesaver at this time.
The truth is, at this time, it is not ready for Prime-time!
