Review: K1 Plus - Amlogic S905 Quad Core A53 DVBS2 Android

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I agree and support 100%. I believe that we are very close to the end of dedicated FTA set top boxes running closed source firmware. I actually thought that it would have happened before now.

Definitely will be a community development as no manufacturer or distributor will invest in an open source app or addon that won't sell their specific hardware.
Could there be a possibility of a Ubuntu based box?
 
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YouTube video is set to private.
 
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An Openelec image is now available from Vitaliy for the combo S2/T2 tuner and S905! See: http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/03/28/openelec-vitmos-os-for-videostrongvenz-k1-plus-android-dvb-receiver/ (See comments)
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Are you planning to try it? :hungry2

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Here is a video showing the 4k channels and a few of the K1 Plus satellite app menus:

Nice. First time I have seen those UHD channels play smoothly.
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Have a sample STB on the way that is promised to support up to 32apsk ( and 256QAM), h.265, UHD (10bit). Will see if the manufacturer's claims are supported by their hardware and firmware... :D
That could be great. Curious what chipset it has.
 
The Hisilicon 3798 (and I believe the 3796) paired with the right tuner and demod will do the 32apsk and ACM and 10 bit. The latest Rockchips also look quite capable, but they are weaker on DVBS integration. The early SOC development and adopters seemingly misread the developing market for UHD via DVB! The separate components exist, but no yet combined into a retail package. The first 3798 DVBS units should be out in a few months....

Most STB manufacturers are moving away from satellite and into IP / Media boxes. The manufacturers follow the cash train and currently the fast money to be made with these units is in the IP portion of the units. They certainly have nailed that on the head! :(
 
Brian, I wish I had a few bucks to kick your way to develop a good DVB receiver. God knows we need one. Maybe with your smarts and the help from the forum one could be developed. I would be willing to donate my tax return to the project. Hell, that would be enough to download a spec sheet!
 
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We have talked in other threads, but I believe that the best solution for the future satellite hobbyist is to open source develop a strong feature rich app for Android (basic app structure is already available for onboard tuners) and build driver database support for many USB or LAN tuner models.

The current STB distribution model is based on the Apple concept of planned obsolescence and forcing cutting edge users to buy a complete system every few years (if the package meets there demands). With a declining DTH FTA DVBS market, why not instead develop on the PC/Linux model of component upgrade based on user need. This way we could buy the latest processors and graphics, install necessary codecs and separately buy the tuner/demod that fits our budget and needs.

The OpenElec project is close to this ideal, but it is still closely tied to a specific platform or to limited list of components. I agree that the WeTek is a platform to keep an eye on. Look at the SDR hobbyist success with adopting multi-market, general use components and also supporting the high end niche market hardware for power users who will pay to play.

Any satellite hobbyist out there that is also an Android developer? I am sure that many of us with our varied satellite knowledge could team up to make a very impressive and cross platform app and repository.
 
Its amazing that so many features are missing - Dublin, I mean Dolby. 16apsk, ACM, what were they thinking?

What about the Raspberry Pi 2 that was discussed last year?
 
The K1+ has Dolby/AC3 internal decoding. :)

The Pi2 project was an interesting project for a few of us, but it required excessive Linux knowledge and time to compile. No simple automatic updating from a repository. Even after waiting for hours to compile, it was 50/50 chance if it would even work. Then a few weeks later a Linux update would disable. I gave up trying to maintain the PI2 for DVBS and installed OpenElec for media center operation. Definitely a project for a Linux guru, but not a simple solution for an average satellite hobbyist looking for a solution to easily install and maintain.

What I took away from the Pi2 project was how wonderfully easy my PC based HTPC was to install, set-up and use! :D

Hard to beat a PC with a PCIe DVBS2 tuner card running EBSpro and VLC! It just works!
 
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The K1+ has Dolby/AC3 internal decoding. :)

The Pi2 project was an interesting project for a few of us, but it required excessive Linux knowledge and time to compile. No simple automatic updating from a repository. Even after waiting for hours to compile, it was 50/50 chance if it would even work. Then a few weeks later a Linux update would disable. I gave up trying to maintain the PI2 for DVBS and installed OpenElec for media center operation. Definitely a project for a Linux guru, but not a simple solution for an average satellite hobbyist looking for a solution to easily install and maintain.

What I took away from the Pi2 project was how wonderfully easy my PC based HTPC was to install, set-up and use! :D

Hard to beat a PC with a PCIe DVBS2 tuner card running EBSpro and VLC! It just works!


And editing a config file and restarting services to change the channel was no joy either.
 
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The K1+ has Dolby/AC3 internal decoding. :)

The Pi2 project was an interesting project for a few of us, but it required excessive Linux knowledge and time to compile. No simple automatic updating from a repository. Even after waiting for hours to compile, it was 50/50 chance if it would even work. Then a few weeks later a Linux update would disable. I gave up trying to maintain the PI2 for DVBS and installed OpenElec for media center operation. Definitely a project for a Linux guru, but not a simple solution for an average satellite hobbyist looking for a solution to easily install and maintain.

What I took away from the Pi2 project was how wonderfully easy my PC based HTPC was to install, set-up and use! :D

Hard to beat a PC with a PCIe DVBS2 tuner card running EBSpro and VLC! It just works!

Good to know about Dolby after all. I read a another review which said it wasn't AC3 compatible: http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/02...android-tv-box-with-combo-dvb-s2dvb-t2-tuner/

Too bad about the Pi - I'd love to have a cheaper, more modular option. Thanks for taking one for the team!
 
Just thinking out loud here:

Would a specialized Linux Distro for x86, either 32 bit or 64 bit, that was set up especially for DBS duty and not much else be a possible option? If done well, could possibly be good enough to install and just work. I don't have any ideas on which base to use or even what packages to make a part of it. All would need work to work and play well together, whatever was chosen.

As I said, just thinking out loud. Might stand a better chance of being able to get a team together, don't know.
 
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