latest Openbox S9 firmware might be a keeper!

[Jim S.]

I've been working with the July 31st firmware from Openbox S9 HD PVR,Skybox S9 HD PVR,Dreambox 500s,WIFI Bridge,HDMI Cable,LNB|SHENZHEN WANYING ELETRONICS LIMITED (The versions that say Skybox work on an Openbox.)

The blind-scan time seems to have improved dramatically, almost to its original speed, yet it still finds skinny transponders pretty reliably. I scanned 97w Ku in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, which is only slightly slower than before the scan parameters were changed originally, and 91w Ku in 5 minutes 13 seconds, which is much better than the 9+ minutes the previous new versions took. It finds Telemundo on 79w Ku, and Harold Camping and the other gospel channel on 72w Ku.

The only annoyance I've found so far is that the "Moving dish" message stays on screen much longer than it should when changing channels, but if you've arrived on the proper satellite you can hit the Exit button to get rid of it.

I haven't played with the PVR options at all yet, but the new version is supposed to let you record a .TS file instead of the .DVR files that the previous versions did, and also record an MPEG2 file (if from an MPEG2 source) just like the REALLY old versions did. The only drawback is that it won't play .DVR files.

Lastly, no, the clock still doesn't work. And I haven't checked whether LAN file loading works like it did in some of the other new versions. I'll probably check that tomorrow (right now the box isn't even plugged into my LAN), since, with the blind scan getting fixed and the elimination of the need to convert recordings to view on a computer, it looks like I'll be keeping this version loaded.

 

[Jim S.]

Oh by the way, this version comes up in 1080i/50, so if you can't deal with that, don't load it.

(I don't know whether the composite output comes up in 50Hz or 60Hz when the HD output is set to 50Hz, but supposedly the composite output WORKS in standard definition when the receiver is set to an HD mode now.)

 

[brentb636]

Thanks for the tip, Jim. I'm using the new software right now, and it does seem like an improvement. May stay with it.

 

[thebaggins]

Does this work on the Solomend 800 also??

 

[yankee495]

Thanks a bunch Jim!

Scanning 97W Ku now. I think that new Manhattan got them on the ball...every week or two we are getting things fixed. It still grays out the menus but loading the Tp prog fixes it.

The new recording works like a charm on the 7-13 file...will report on this if someone else doesn't.

I still believe the clock is a hardware issue and will not be fixed.

Scanned 97W in 3:55, set to FTA & TV only.

Looks like a winner! The HD video was much less jerky and hardly any freezes on 7-13.

Again, I'll post back.

 

[yankee495]

Does this work on the Solomend 800 also??

It should, S9 and PVR800 has always worked as far as I know.

 

[a_hockeynut]

Any idea if this firmware version has the green tint fix also? That version is what slowed down the scan, so I am hopeful this version has both the faster scan and the green tint fix.

 

[brentb636]

Any idea if this firmware version has the green tint fix also? That version is what slowed down the scan, so I am hopeful this version has both the faster scan and the green tint fix.

It looks like it to me, but my composite TV is a 10" screen and so it's not as noticeable anyway.

 

[dougruss]

I notice in this Version that there is a additional Scan Feature....."Accurate Scan" ?

 

[brentb636]

I'm trying it right now. Seems likely that we now have a choice of the previous fast blindscan ( which misses low SR feeds) and the more accurate, but slower newer Accurate Scan. It works, I've already picked up a SR=1666 tp on AMC6 Ku.

 

[Jim S.]

Oh wow, I never noticed the "Accurate Scan" option!

But you know what? Mine finds skinny transponders like 1666 now WITHOUT using it.

Weird.

But then, everything they do with these firmware releases is weird. Never in my life have I seen a programmer break so many old features with a new release that shouldn't have touched them. Yet until this version, that's what happened with every major change.

 

[Jim S.]

Really really really no idea here what the Accurate Scan is supposed to do that the Blind Scan doesn't, except go painfully slow on birds with weak signals and/or loud neighbors. Blind Scan finds every narrow transponder I've tried so far, and like I said before, does it in almost as little time as the fast scan from last year's firmwares that would miss them.

 

[carlospr43]

After blindscanning some of my sats with this version can't really see the difference. Something that I really noticed is that the CONSTANT.CW doesn't work!!
Also, don't like to see the SKYBOX background in an OPENBOX. Going back to my previous version......as ussual!!!

 

[yankee495]

WOW is right! Accurate Scan, Still no PID entry...

But hey, we're getting somewhere....Weekly!

 

[highskies]

After reading this thread, I decided to download this file and install. About the only thing I've noticed so far, the controls for brightness, contrast, and saturation, these no longer work. They're not greyed out or anything, but no matter which setting I apply to them, nothing happens. I even went all the way down to zero on all 3 settings, didn't change a thing. Anyone else encounter this with this firmware?

Here's a question in general, if someone could be so kind to tell me how to do this. I'm trying to setup USALS for my offset dish. In the Skybox FW for the Long, there is an option from changing E or W. Then there is a place that has three zeros followed by a decimal point. followed by two zeros.

But here's my Long...Longitude: -94.1107°

There are only two numbers followed by the dec point. So how exactly would I input this into the S9, since there are not three numbers in my long before the decimal point, but only two instead? The S9 keeps wanting me to input 3 numbers before the dec point .

Here's my Lat...Latitude: 33.4431°. So I assume for the Lat I change to N, then input 33.44. And for the Long, I'm assuming I first change to W, but I have no clue what three numbers I'm supposed to input, since it would obviously be out of range with three numbers before the dec point.

 

[highskies]

Any idea if this firmware version has the green tint fix also? That version is what slowed down the scan, so I am hopeful this version has both the faster scan and the green tint fix.

No green tint that I've noticed. One of my tv monitors is fed with a composite cable. The colors look accurate.

 

[yankee495]

After reading this thread, I decided to download this file and install. About the only thing I've noticed so far, the controls for brightness, contrast, and saturation, these no longer work. They're not greyed out or anything, but no matter which setting I apply to them, nothing happens. I even went all the way down to zero on all 3 settings, didn't change a thing. Anyone else encounter this with this firmware?

NO, mine work just fine.

 

[brentb636]

My sliders work too, on the HDMI output. Don't see any change on the composite output when I change the slider values. Of course, that might change if you chance the video settings to something less than 1080i.

 

[Jim S.]

If your longitude only has two digits before the decimal point, put a 0 in for the first digit in the antenna setup screen. It's always been this way.

 

[Pixl]

Here's a question in general, if someone could be so kind to tell me how to do this. I'm trying to setup USALS for my offset dish. In the Skybox FW for the Long, there is an option from changing E or W. Then there is a place that has three zeros followed by a decimal point. followed by two zeros.

But here's my Long...Longitude: -94.1107°

There are only two numbers followed by the dec point. So how exactly would I input this into the S9, since there are not three numbers in my long before the decimal point, but only two instead? The S9 keeps wanting me to input 3 numbers before the dec point .

Here's my Lat...Latitude: 33.4431°. So I assume for the Lat I change to N, then input 33.44. And for the Long, I'm assuming I first change to W, but I have no clue what three numbers I'm supposed to input, since it would obviously be out of range with three numbers before the dec point.

Just guessing, can you put a zero in the first place then your two digits, then round off to the nearest two digits after the (.)