X2 Premium Mini HD Review

migold

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Dec 2, 2006
557
71
Pearisburg, Virginia
I purchased the X2 Premium Mini HD from Amazon. This is a low priced satellite receiver, and yet it has many features. I have not tested all the features, but I will report on what I have seen so far. I had hoped to use this to stream video over my WiFi to my Android 4.1 Netbook. This receiver has the capability to do this, but I was not totally successful. I believe that the problem was with my netbook, and not the X2 since the netbook did confirm a connection to the X2. I did receive audio with partial video from the receiver. My purpose was to use this to stream the video to my netbook, so that I could adjust the dish remotely. This is not going to work for me, but with a smart phone you may find this feature very beneficial.

Nevetheless, the receiver is so small – a little larger than the size of a pack of cigarettes – that it is easy to use at the dish for adjustments, with a display that takes either HDMI or NTSC video as both are output from the receiver. The cables going to the unit take more room than the set itself.

The receiver presents video in 480i/p, 576i/p, 720p and 1080i/p formats. The picture quality is excellent.

Connection to in home WiFi is made through USB dongle with antenna, which is supplied. I found no problem with this.

The menus show selection for DiSEqc 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 0/22k Hz and USALS. I have tested the DiSEqc 1.0 and the 0/22k Hz functions and they are working on my system. I have not tested the other selections.

Menus are available for a variety of channel editing functions, using the remote. I am not aware of any software for editing the channel list on a PC.

The unit comes with 2 remotes. One is a full function remote, and the other is a simple remote with only the basic functions.

I found the unit easy to setup and get started. It scans channels well, and the tuner seems quite sensitive.

One feature that I found unique is the remote sensor. The sensor is not on the receiver itself, but is a separate piece, which connects with a mini-USB cable. The sensor unit can be attached to the TV set, or another smooth surface. The current channel number is displayed on the unit, or if turned off, the display says “OFF”, and when turned on it says “BOOT” until the system comes up. The letters and numbers are of good size to be read across the room, and the illumination from the display has enough brightness to be useful as a night light in the room.

It does not do 4:2:2, but it does do DVB-S2.

For the price, in my opinion, this makes an excellent spare receiver, or good choice for a receiver to use for dish alignment.
 
I'm looking for a mini for one of my shops where I have limited space. I am going to try one.
I purchased one from Amazon shortly after I saw migolds review. After trying it for several days I have mixed feelings about it.

It arrived with a non-functional WiFi adapter. I contacted the seller's tech support and it took several days of email exchanges for them to offer to replace the WiFi adapter (which has not arrived yet). Not wanting to wait, I purchased a different brand of WiFi adapter that uses the same Ralink RT5370 chipset. Now the WiFi works with the X2 Premium Mini and I can continue experimenting with it.

The first thing I tried was streaming to my wife's Android phone using the 'Remote.apk' from the program disc, which seems like an advanced version of Big2Small (like the Mini HD SE uses). The 'Remote' app seems less buggy than Big2Small and was able to stream in HD to my wife's Samsung Mega. Besides viewing channel lists and selecting the one to watch, it also offers some additional capability including remote control.

The X2 Premium locked up frequently with some of the built-in apps and required a power cycle. I still need to try it more to decide whether or not to get rid of it.
 
Update 4/10/2015:

I received a replacement WiFi adapter from the seller. I tested it and it works fine.

I did more testing of the built-in apps. The only one that locks up consistently is the 'Maps' app when you set it to the USA, but it works with other parts of the world. Since I don't really need maps on my sat box, this is inconsequential to me.

The blind scan function of this X2 is able to find channels that my Amiko Mini HD SE doesn't. For example, it is able to scan in 'Shepards Chapel' on 99W 4006V every time. I just tried it again with my Amiko Mini HD SE and it fails to get this channel (same dish, same cable). There is a thread about this issue here on SatGuys and another elsewhere.

I have been in contact with the O.P. about the 'Remote' streaming to Android. It works fine if the X2 is on the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and the Android is set to the 5 GHz WiFi band. But if I put the Android on the 2.4GHz WiFi, it gets garbled video and audio. I would have preferred it if the X2 had a wired ethernet port.
 
Here's my report on the X2-premium mini. I received it in about 5 days and it was packed well. I hooked it up in my small shop where I had limited space. I had to manually some transponders that weren't in the satellite list but that was easy to do. The blind scan seemed to work best and it was pretty fast. The picture quality was excellent as was the audio. I am running it in HDMI. The most impressive thing was that it actually did find the trouble transponder on AMC-1 KU (11840) on a blind scan and DID find and lock onto Cozy. I was in disbelieve at that aspect. I was ready to have to manually add the transponder and hope it would lock onto it. Signals on that transponder were much better than I would have thought. (S-78% Q-59%). The Openbox S-9 that I had there would not lock on the transponder. The internet TV features were also impressive as was the YouTube feature. Overall I am very happy with this unit for what I am using it for. A fast wire tie job to the TV mount and a peel & stick with the IR remote and I was done. I give this unit a thumbs up.
 

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Got mine today and I am impressed. $35 for a great little receiver. Blind scan is fast and accurate, picks up more channels than my micro HD and has some extras like weather,youtube ect. For a low budget stb you can't go wrong. This little gem does almost as much as my high dollars STB's. It won,t beat my A3 but it was $180 cheaper.
 
I have not checked my software version, but out the box you tube is working well. I do know from other sources that youtube changed their apsk {sorry if I did that wrong been up since 4 AM] and other receivers are having problems also.
 
I contacted X2 support about YouTube. Just got this reply from them. If they come through as promised, I will be quite impressed.

:yessign

Dear Sir,

Thanks for write to us, Youtube update the platform from V2 to V3 and now we are working to solve it by this week , We will release new software and this problem will be solve

Please keep contact us

Best Regards
X Square Technology
Email: Support@x2sat.com
Web: www.x2sat.com
 
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Is Turbo 8PSK propietary, making the purchase and/or import and even possession of this box alone illegal?
 
Turbo 8psk is only a format and it is not illegal to demux the signal. There is no doubt in my opinion that Amazon is partnering with X2 in the promotion of theft of service against Dish Network and Bell (that subject could be discussed at length in another thread).

Occasionally there have been in-the-clear Turbo 8psk channels, but no one would develop and distribute a STB for FTA Turbo 8psk. KE4EST is correct that the X2 iSmart STB purpose is targeting the theft of service market.

I just wanted to point out this product as it is good that one knows about the company they are promoting and supporting!
 
I am sort of astonished that Amazon would allow this product to be sold.
There are even open references to I K S (an illegal activity) in the Q&A section.
I would like to hear more in another thread on why Amazon would sell this product, or a PM
if that is more appropriate.
 
I am sort of astonished that Amazon would allow this product to be sold.
There are even open references to I K S (an illegal activity) in the Q&A section.
I would like to hear more in another thread on why Amazon would sell this product, or a PM
if that is more appropriate.

My guess is that they have a disclaimer to the effect of "We do not condone any illegal use of this product blah, blah blah".

Which is BS, of course.
 
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