AMIKO Amiko A3 Owners Thread

[pacificrim]

Mine got stuck again at boot today. Wiped and installed, restored from backup. Happens once a week lately. I used the official instructions to take it back to .72 but it's not any more stable.


A3 Recovery: http://www.amiko-a3.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/A3-System-Partition-Restore-ROM-Instructions.pdf

 

[pacificrim]

I just tried to use Google Play Music and it wouldn't work and neither would CBC Music, so I'm updating to .78

Update - no difference. I don't need it anymore - Listed on classifieds

 

[Titanium]

I found that I had to run EuroTrash after updates to use any Google regional apps? Curious if you ran EuroTrash afterwards?

I also gave up on EPG. Without Joe's attention, the A3 is becoming more and more crippled in NA!

Probably would put my personal A3 up for sale, but I like the blind scan too much. Probably hang onto it until a new and improved A3 makes it to our market. Looks pretty bleak right now!

 

[Comptech]

I did the low level recovery last week after giving up on the A3 for awhile. Only reloaded the apps amiko software downloader and Fdroid. Started setting up the A3 with the Brians wonderful positioner and got two sats in when I got the message settings has stopped working. Rebooted and tried to go too software downloader and it was gone as was Fdroid. Went to my next sat to setup and as soon as I clicked motor in settings it locked up. Had to unplug the power three times to get it to boot. Put the micro HD back in place and have not decided what to do with the A3. Hell it's not heavy enough to use for a doorstop!

 

[pacificrim]

I have always run Eurotrash after a restore or upgrade but it didn't help the situation.

 

[pacificrim]

I'm curious what difference there really is between the Euro and NA boxes. I see that over at the fridge Joe is talking about all the coding going on for the new A3 quad, but what real, significant differences outside of the satellite list and some regional IPTV apps could there be? I saw someone bought a Euro A3 quad from ebay or something and was asking questions and got smacked pretty good. That'll teach him.

 

[Comptech]

Suposebly the file listed is the .72 with eurotrash already ran. At this point I think the only hope is a root kit, but we know that will never happen. I think android is just screwed on the boxes after some use. Maybe a upgrade to 5.0 would help?

 

[mr3p]

What ever happened to the release of the A3 quad? Seems like its been talked about for a quite a while

 

[Titanium]

I just heard that a small quantity of the A3 Quad is being brought to North America and available via the FridgeFTA store.

 

[N6BY]

I'm curious what difference there really is between the Euro and NA boxes. I see that over at the fridge Joe is talking about all the coding going on for the new A3 quad, but what real, significant differences outside of the satellite list and some regional IPTV apps could there be? I saw someone bought a Euro A3 quad from ebay or something and was asking questions and got smacked pretty good. That'll teach him.

The 2 most significant differences I think are 4K (UHD) and ACM. However, when I asked at Fridge they could not confirm ACM or the ability to record or view 60fps UHD without stuttering.

The reason I asked them was because my U4 Quad (same chipset) has those issues, and many others.

 

[pacificrim]

I can't find anywhere that 4K in Europe is different than 4K in USA. There are at least 2 standards but none is exclusive to NA or Europe ... AFAIK.

 

[. Raine]

Does anyone know what exactly is in the A3 firmware, is it open source, proprietary, [very much doubt it's proprietary, myself] encrypted, etc? If it's by chance open source software that was used in it and it's not locked down tight, I may pick up a used one up and see what's up with these issues. Or better yet, anyone know where there's a direct download for the firmware that I can download and check for myself.

It doesn't really seem to make sense, the problems the A3 is having. Seems like code problems to me, not hardware. Especially with this NA and Eu nonsense, that's just laziness on the coders part of development.

I was going to pick up a A3 when they released, but I'd bought a HDVR3500 instead, lot of sloppy and poorly written code that needed to be fixed there, maybe the A3 has the same issues.

 

[N6BY]

Does anyone know what exactly is in the A3 firmware, is it open source, proprietary, [very much doubt it's proprietary, myself] encrypted, etc? If it's by chance open source software that was used in it and it's not locked down tight, I may pick up a used one up and see what's up with these issues. Or better yet, anyone know where there's a direct download for the firmware that I can download and check for myself.

It doesn't really seem to make sense, the problems the A3 is having. Seems like code problems to me, not hardware. Especially with this NA and Eu nonsense, that's just laziness on the coders part of development.

I was going to pick up a A3 when they released, but I'd bought a HDVR3500 instead, lot of sloppy and poorly written code that needed to be fixed there, maybe the A3 has the same issues.

The part we care about (satellite reception) is undoubtedly the proprietary property of Amiko and not open source. However, some of the other Android apps might be open source.

 

[mr3p]

I just heard that a small quantity of the A3 Quad is being brought to North America and available via the FridgeFTA store.

FridgeFTA store (online) has been down for a while

 

[daylight]

The 2 most significant differences I think are 4K (UHD) and ACM. However, when I asked at Fridge they could not confirm ACM or the ability to record or view 60fps UHD without stuttering.

The reason I asked them was because my U4 Quad (same chipset) has those issues, and many others.

I have the A3 Quad ordered from europe cost was around 200 dollars but approximately 25-30 was shipping. The unit came with 1.0.28 software. It included european sat list but had upto either 45W or 50W don't remember. Just deleted all except the last two in list and started adding in north american sats. It won't let you delete them all and keeps one. When you add a sat it automatically adds one dummy TP --3000 frequency 3000 symbol rate. Once scanned you can delete the dummy tp. The unit can only do uhd in 30fps 8bit. The reason i bought the unit was for future proofing my system, thinking it would do 16apsk and uhd. It doesn't do the nasa, monkey, high4k, or fashion without studdering or not at all didn't bother trying to record. More information can be found if you search Spark2 Combo. The unit has been out since early 15 and has been upgraded from approximately 1.0.21 to the current 1.0.34. Found the 1.0.31 from Iran of all places but was able to download out side the box. The unit missed some channels such as some of the aztec (2) on 97w also some of the 116w an 113w channels no big deal. It scans pretty fast but not as fast or as accurately as the X2 premium 3. Tried to make a list using 2007 M xml as with the Alien2 but the unit had problems accepting listing and would hang. That brings up another problem unit does not have a on/off switch have to pull cord each time. The unit also had problems scanning 125w and hung but could manually add tps and scan them. At this time tried several things deleting sat resetting nothing would let it scan 125w, but have not upgraded to .34. At the time it had approximately 18 sats scanned in. I should explain my setup 4dtv with powerpass to lnb and used to position dish, lnb power, and skew, nonpower pass to azbox, (all units down line from 4dtv have voltage blockers at 2.5 ghz) looped out to Alien 2, looped out to X2 P3. This setup is C-Band only, have separate system for KU. I made a mistake in buying the unit. The unit is basically the u4 hybrid, wetek, or s805, all of which have been outdated by the s905/A53 2ghz hisilicon that does uhd in 10 bit and 60fps, which would be more of what i was wanting in a future proof set not to mention can be had with dual s2s, or s2 plus atsc. This was not to be an indepth review just a user/attempted user summation. The picture quality on calibrated plasma not as good as azbox about on par with the X2P3. Didn't try much of the online stuff, when it first connected it talked alot. The remote for this thing is not good at all the mouse is controlled by the arrow keys only and is sluggish at best, has to be pointed directly at unit etc. If some could provide one of the 16apsk tps on 95w for roberts communication could verify if it will decode. What the unit scanned in and what lysat has for frequency and symbol rate are different for the 16apsk channels, unit scanned in some but not all same as X2.

Enjoy reading the posts.

 

[daylight]

Does anyone know what exactly is in the A3 firmware, is it open source, proprietary, [very much doubt it's proprietary, myself] encrypted, etc? If it's by chance open source software that was used in it and it's not locked down tight, I may pick up a used one up and see what's up with these issues. Or better yet, anyone know where there's a direct download for the firmware that I can download and check for myself.

It doesn't really seem to make sense, the problems the A3 is having. Seems like code problems to me, not hardware. Especially with this NA and Eu nonsense, that's just laziness on the coders part of development.

I was going to pick up a A3 when they released, but I'd bought a HDVR3500 instead, lot of sloppy and poorly written code that needed to be fixed there, maybe the A3 has the same issues.

AES 256

 

[daylight]

The part we care about (satellite reception) is undoubtedly the proprietary property of Amiko and not open source. However, some of the other Android apps might be open source.

The satellite list downloaded from the unit is the same xml format as the Alien2 without the additional tuners.

 

[daylight]

I'm curious what difference there really is between the Euro and NA boxes. I see that over at the fridge Joe is talking about all the coding going on for the new A3 quad, but what real, significant differences outside of the satellite list and some regional IPTV apps could there be? I saw someone bought a Euro A3 quad from ebay or something and was asking questions and got smacked pretty good. That'll teach him.

Cannot speak to the A3 (I'm not the ebay buyer) but had many problems with the alien2 switched it to european side deleted the european stuff made up a NA sat list left .68 in place never glitched again. But and a big one I don't use the spark side much but use HDMU and tsmedia. Part of the reason for the european version the alien2 is memory lacking and needed for iptv and doing this got the free memory upto approximately 120 megs but still need to run memclr plugin.

 

[mr3p]

daylight, thanks for the review. While I guess Joe might be able to make improvements over stock Euro version, sounds like its not a great option. Too early to tell but the new Wetek Play + looks like it could be winner. http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/01...tuner-with-a-smartcard-reader-and-an-ssd-bay/

 

[N6BY]

... The unit can only do uhd in 30fps 8bit. The reason i bought the unit was for future proofing my system, thinking it would do 16apsk and uhd. It doesn't do the nasa, monkey, high4k, or fashion without studdering or not at all didn't bother trying to record. ...

Thanks, that might explain why no one at Fridge answered my questions about these issues.

... I made a mistake in buying the unit. The unit is basically the u4 hybrid, wetek, or s805, all of which have been outdated by the s905/A53 2ghz hisilicon that does uhd in 10 bit and 60fps, which would be more of what i was wanting in a future proof set not to mention can be had with dual s2s, or s2 plus atsc....

Yep, outdated and not capable of receiving currently available UHD content without stuttering or other issues.

The S905 boxes show promise. Perhaps in a month or so we'll have a real UHD receiver.