Which Azbox "Does it all" ?

[Dee_Ann]

Hi,

Ok, I'm tired of the limitations and annoyances of the pc theater app. I've looked at all the options of everything out there that I can find.

This one does that but won't do this. That one does this but won't do that. Bla bla bla..


I've decided to start saving up to get one of these Azbox machines.

What I want, is a EVERYTHING box.

I want it to get S2 on ku and cband, work with my 8 way switch, a 22k switch, at least one and maybe two Gboxes and a USALS ku motor. ALL at the same time.

I want it to be able to also get OTA tv shows from the antenna on my roof too.

It needs to be able to record shows on a schedule. It needs to be able to change channels (not record) on a schedule too.

It would be exceptionally nice if it could play the files I have already recorded on the pc and my music.

Anything else, would be a bonus.

So it needs to have at the very least one satellite S2 tuner and one OTA tv tuner.

Which Azbox would be my best bet?

I know they are expensive so it will take me a few months to save up for one but I want to start out with the right stuff to begin with.

Thanks!

 

[manikm]

the premium plus+ is a twin tuner, you can get a tuner for Sat, Cable, or TV, im not sure how the box copes with 2 types of tuner.

this box, is WIFI, and onboard LAN, it can play music, it can do 4.2.2 video, it can do blind scan.

it can schedule recordings, im not sure about scheduled channel changes (why?)

it can play a plethora of video files.

BUT.....

there are new ones coming out in August (Azbox ME) they are Android 2.2 based, with double the RAM of the Premium Plus range, but they are single tuner....

im from UK, and i can get a premium plus for around £250 if i shop around on ebay.

BUT im holding out for the new ME boxes, and will buy one of them, although the wait is agonising, however, the prices i'd pay for the new box, is what the existing boxes are at the moment, i dont care about dual tuner really.

hope this helps.

ps u can compare the specs here:
Set Top Boxes, Media Center: High Definition | AZBOX

 

[brentb636]

None of the current Azboxes have OTA tuner for North America market. So, none of them, do it all .

 

[pwrsurge]

None of the current Azboxes have OTA tuner for North America market. So, none of them, do it all .

That is not entirely true as there is an ATSC tuner available for the AzBox Elite and Premium models. However, the current software has issues when viewing OTA channels so we are waiting for these to be resolved before starting to sell these add-on tuners.


Regards,

pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

 

[Dee_Ann]

That is not entirely true as there is an ATSC tuner available for the AzBox Elite and Premium models. However, the current software has issues when viewing OTA channels so we are waiting for these to be resolved before starting to sell these add-on tuners.

Regards,

pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

Oh man!!

That's a bummer for sure!
I hope you guys get that sorted out soon. I really want one and being able to get satellite and OTA tv is important to me.

Well, time to start saving up. I really, really want one!!

Thank you!

Posted from my JB'd iPhone 3GS using the SatelliteGuys app

 

[stargaze]

Oh man!!

That's a bummer for sure!
I hope you guys get that sorted out soon. I really want one and being able to get satellite and OTA tv is important to me.

Well, time to start saving up. I really, really want one!!

Thank you!

As you start saving up for an AzBox you may want to familiarize yourself with the receiver and it's good and bad points.
You can start by reading the AzBox Users Guide and the Question and Answer Guide, two separate pdf files compiled from users of the AzBox from around the globe who put down in writing many things about these receivers.

You can find them here to download:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/azbox-discussion/235827-here-new-revised-edition-az-users.html

I highly doubt you will ever find one box that "does it all", but there is always hope, however the Azbox gives you more bang for your buck then any other STB I have heard about to date.

I might also add now that the AzBox Ultra has been discontinued.
As has the AzBox Elite and the AzBox Premium.

The current model out there is the AzBox Premium Plus and coming out in August you will begin to see the new AzBox ME's coming out which is replacing the Ultra and from the specs is a more powerful receiver then the Ultra currently is. (and the Premium Plus for that matter too.)

 

[Dee_Ann]

As you start saving up for an AzBox you may want to familiarize yourself with the receiver and it's good and bad points.
You can start by reading the AzBox Users Guide and the Question and Answer Guide, two separate pdf files compiled from users of the AzBox from around the globe who put down in writing many things about these receivers.

You can find them here to download:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/azbox-discussion/235827-here-new-revised-edition-az-users.html

I highly doubt you will ever find one box that "does it all", but there is always hope, however the Azbox gives you more bang for your buck then any other STB I have heard about to date.

I might also add now that the AzBox Ultra has been discontinued.
As has the AzBox Elite and the AzBox Premium.

The current model out there is the AzBox Premium Plus and coming out in August you will begin to see the new AzBox ME's coming out which is replacing the Ultra and from the specs is a more powerful receiver then the Ultra currently is. (and the Premium Plus for that matter too.)

Oh great...... I see the new ME tuner won't do what I want to do. That means I will have to HOPE that I can find an old used tuner on ebay. By the time I will have the money saved up the tuners that can do what I want will be history. I am not going to spend $400+ for a tuner that won't do satellite and OTA. I would do just as well to spend $100 on a satellite only tuner.

A "more powerful model" that is limited to one thing isn't what I'm looking for.



Thanks...

 

[pwrsurge]

I might also add now that the AzBox Ultra has been discontinued.
As has the AzBox Elite and the AzBox Premium.

The AzBox Ultra and AzBox Elite have NOT been discontinued. Unlike other satellite receiver brands who fail to provide new software updates to their older models once new ones come out, all AzBox HD satellite receivers continue to be supported as they all run the same software.

You may still purchase a new AzBox Elite or AzBox Premium today and it will still have the same 2 year warranty from the day you purchase it.

pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

 

[stargaze]

The AzBox Ultra and AzBox Elite have NOT been discontinued. Unlike other satellite receiver brands who fail to provide new software updates to their older models once new ones come out, all AzBox HD satellite receivers continue to be supported as they all run the same software.

You may still purchase a new AzBox Elite or AzBox Premium today and it will still have the same 2 year warranty from the day you purchase it.

pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

We were told by OpenSat that the Ultra has been discontinued.
They said they would continue to support their receivers but they would not be making any more new Ultra receivers.
The ME receivers would be replacing the Ultra receiver.
I have also heard that Opensat has sold out of the last of their inventory of the Ultra Receivers, and once the Az Dealers exhaust their current supply of Ultra's that is it.

Being discontinued and no longer being supported are two vastly different things. Opensat has been one decent company who has supported all their receivers even long after they were no longer being manufactured.
If they did not support their receivers I would not have 4 of them here.

Sorry if my terminology made that a bit confusing.

 

[stargaze]

Oh great...... I see the new ME tuner won't do what I want to do. That means I will have to HOPE that I can find an old used tuner on ebay. By the time I will have the money saved up the tuners that can do what I want will be history. I am not going to spend $400+ for a tuner that won't do satellite and OTA. I would do just as well to spend $100 on a satellite only tuner.

A "more powerful model" that is limited to one thing isn't what I'm looking for.



Thanks...

I do not think you are going to find one receiver that does it all.
Many would love the have an OTA tuner in the Azbox that works but at this time it is not a workable item.
This is due more to the way the OTA signals are sent out which is different then most other countries and our market base is not that big in N/A for a company to spend countless R&D into something they may never recoup their investment on.

 

[pwrsurge]

We were told by OpenSat that the Ultra has been discontinued.

A list of the current AzBox models available can be viewed at Set Top Boxes, Media Center: High Definition | AZBOX

As you can see, the AzBox Elite, Ultra and Premium are still listed along with the new ME and mini ME models. All of these receivers are current models and at the present time, the AzBox Ultra is NOT discontinued.

Production quantity of each model is based on demand. As the AzBox ME is similar in size and appearance to the Ultra, many people are assuming that the ME is replacing the Ultra which is incorrect. Once the AzBox ME becomes available, most dealers will probably stock up more on this new model as many people tend to prefer the latest models. However, the Ultra and any other model will remain available as long as their is enough demand for them.

Regards,


pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

 

[stargaze]

Since there is some discrepancy on whether or not the Ultra is or is not discontinued, here is the e-mail from Opensat, dated today.

"Regarding Ultra, the production is over, for some months. Some resellers still have a few, but they will no longer be available.
Soon, you will find Me and then miniMe on market.

Cumprimentos/Saludos/Best regards,


Customer Care | (email address deleted)


OpenSAT · AZBox

OpenSAT, Lda."

 

[Dee_Ann]

I just want a satellite tuner that will tune satellite and OTA all in one box. I ~HATE~ using a pc to do it. It's crude and very behind the times.
It doesn't play well with my flat screen tv either.

pc theater apps are all pretty much crude and crummy and limited. And then there is the problem of windows having it's own problems.

I want a tuner that just tunes tv. Not a pc that tunes tv only after you spend a small fortune and 150 years fighting with it.

The Azbox shows promise that it could do what I want. It can tune in OTA in other countries, what the heck is the problem with US TV?? Oh, that's right, we have to have our own weird "standards" that are totally incompatible with the rest of the planet. Just because we are better than everyone else.


Does ANYONE make a satellite tuner box that will also tune OTA tv, in a single device? I mean, one that works in the US?

Thanks..

 

[Dee_Ann]

the premium plus+ is a twin tuner, you can get a tuner for Sat, Cable, or TV, im not sure how the box copes with 2 types of tuner.

this box, is WIFI, and onboard LAN, it can play music, it can do 4.2.2 video, it can do blind scan.

it can schedule recordings, im not sure about scheduled channel changes (why?)

it can play a plethora of video files.

BUT.....

there are new ones coming out in August (Azbox ME) they are Android 2.2 based, with double the RAM of the Premium Plus range, but they are single tuner....

im from UK, and i can get a premium plus for around £250 if i shop around on ebay.

BUT im holding out for the new ME boxes, and will buy one of them, although the wait is agonising, however, the prices i'd pay for the new box, is what the existing boxes are at the moment, i dont care about dual tuner really.

hope this helps.

ps u can compare the specs here:
Set Top Boxes, Media Center: High Definition | AZBOX

This is what I am doing with the pc app. Basically, it automatically changes channels all day and all night for me when my favorite shows come on. I don't have to remember or be there.

Sometimes I may be outside with the dog and a show starts. The pc changes channels. I come back in 10 minutes later. I just "rewind" the video to the beginning and watch it. Then I can skip through commercials and catch up with the show so that by the end, I've seen the whole show and skipped most of the commercials.

What the picture doesn't show is that some of the shows repeat every day, some repeat only on weekdays and some only play once a week on Saturday or Sunday. Or both.

Oh, and Wild Wild West is the dumbest show ever. But, um, Robert Conrad was looking pretty good in the day. In that well tailored suit of his.. Just sayin... Sort of makes the show a little more watchable...

The truth is, I'm lazy...

 

[stargaze]

The Azbox shows promise that it could do what I want. It can tune in OTA in other countries, what the heck is the problem with US TV?? Oh, that's right, we have to have our own weird "standards" that are totally incompatible with the rest of the planet. Just because we are better than everyone else.


Does ANYONE make a satellite tuner box that will also tune OTA tv, in a single device? I mean, one that works in the US?

Thanks..

Sadly, there is no STB at this time that will do what you want.
That does not mean that tomorrow or next month something may happen just not today.

 

[brentb636]

I just want a satellite tuner that will tune satellite and OTA all in one box. I ~HATE~ using a pc to do it. It's crude and very behind the times.
It doesn't play well with my flat screen tv either.

pc theater apps are all pretty much crude and crummy and limited. And then there is the problem of windows having it's own problems.

I want a tuner that just tunes tv. Not a pc that tunes tv only after you spend a small fortune and 150 years fighting with it.

The Azbox shows promise that it could do what I want. It can tune in OTA in other countries, what the heck is the problem with US TV?? Oh, that's right, we have to have our own weird "standards" that are totally incompatible with the rest of the planet. Just because we are better than everyone else.


Does ANYONE make a satellite tuner box that will also tune OTA tv, in a single device? I mean, one that works in the US?

Thanks..

There are several such boxes, but they are older and all have their own issues. The Coolsat 8000/8100, Sonicview SV-8000, and no doubt several others, come to mind. None of them are a perfect match for what you want.

 

[pwrsurge]

Does ANYONE make a satellite tuner box that will also tune OTA tv, in a single device? I mean, one that works in the US?

Thanks..

We are currently working on fixing the bugs in the AzBox software that are causing the receiver to reboot after a while when viewing OTA channels with the ATSC tuner. Will post here once this is done and will try to take a youtube video of it working on Buffalo, NY and Toronto, ON OTA channels. We hope to have it ready within the next few weeks.


Regards,


pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

 

[pwrsurge]

There are several such boxes, but they are older and all have their own issues. The Coolsat 8000/8100, Sonicview SV-8000, and no doubt several others, come to mind. None of them are a perfect match for what you want.

The Sonicview SV-8000 does NOT support S2 (even though they claim it does) so you can take it off the list. The Coolsats do support S2 but the company making them is no longer in business so you would only be able to find old units.

 

[crackt]

the coolsat 8100 would be a good fit if it did more than 31 diseqc 1.2 positions. too bad coolsat is dead.

crackt out,.

 

[Dee_Ann]

We are currently working on fixing the bugs in the AzBox software that are causing the receiver to reboot after a while when viewing OTA channels with the ATSC tuner. Will post here once this is done and will try to take a youtube video of it working on Buffalo, NY and Toronto, ON OTA channels. We hope to have it ready within the next few weeks.


Regards,


pwrsurge
AzBox Canada

THANK YOU!!!!! THIS is what I was hoping to hear! THIS is good news and gives me hope! I will patiently wait, quietly for the next bit of good news and hold off on buying anything else because THIS is what I am looking for!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!