AZbox problems

[adm22]

I have been trying in vain to get the AZBox to chnage channels on it sown so I can make an analogue recording of a programme on an external device (Betamax).

I have been unable to figure out how this can be done. The fact that the AZBox came with no instruction manual is not a big help.

At first I suspected the timer option in the settings meu would do this but I was wrong.

I figured out that the reservation menu was what I wanted. However if I set up a timer it had to be in "play" not "record" if you select record it says no recordable device exits or something. This works all nice andfine, when the appointed hour comes. Up pops a dialogue box asking if I want to tine to the reserved prgramme. If I do nothing it just stays there.

I did however discover that if you turn the AZBox off, it will turn itself on at the appointed time and channel. Yeah! But if you have a second reservation it will again pop up with the dialogue box asking me if I want to change the channel. So this actaully accomplishes nothing. Since I could just leave the AZbox tuned to the channel I wanted and leave it on and get the same result.

This as far as I can tell makes the AZbox useless to tune to desired channels when I am not around. Was wondering if anyone has figured out a way to get around this.

I do not know if this is how it is if you select record. However I have also been unable to find any menu that lets me tell the AZbox I have a recordable device attached so it will let me select the record option.

I have also found three other rather annoying faults with the AZBox one of which I have figured a work around, the other two I have not.

1) The audio outputs through both the scart and RCA jacks are in mono. The AZbox does do stereo but here chooses not to output it. You can however get stereo audio if you connect the optical output to an external decoder: Such as this:

GefenTV Digital to Analog Decoder :: Optical Cable :: Audio Cables :: Lenexpo-electronics :: HDMI Cables, DVI Cables, Audio Video Cables, HDMI DVI Component Switchers, HDMI DVI Component Amplifiers, HDMI DVI Component Converters, and much more!

However it would be nice to not need to spend more money for something that dhould be able to be handled internally.

2) On some DVB S-2 channels the NTSC output has all the blacks displayed as a dark gray. No clue how to get by this.

3) It does not seem to be able to save the prefered audio settings when a channel has more than one audio track. In fcat it tends to pick the second one (often undesired) and forgets that you want the primary one even when you go into the audio list settings and select it with both the cheque mark and the selection box. This is annoying when flipping through channels and would be even more annoying if the timer actaully worked.

l have firmware 0.9.3177 TD210. All these bugs occued with previous verisons and when I tried and update it lost all my channels and the unit kept crashing so I reverted and went back to find all my channels.

 

[Lak7]

Here is the user manual...
http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-manuals/182659-azbox-elite-premium-manual.html

I do not know if this is how it is if you select record. However I have also been unable to find any menu that lets me tell the AZbox I have a recordable device attached so it will let me select the record option.

The AZBox only records to a Hard Drive / USB Stick. To get the Record options, you Must have either one attached and powered up.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Adm22,

For the recording problem, try this for a work around.

First of all, you will need a recording device. If you have the Premium model, you may use either an internal SATA HDD or an external USB HDD or a USB flash drive. The Samsung HD502HI 500 GB works perfectly for an internal HDD, but read the instructions for installing this first. The Maxtor One Touch 750 GB USB HDD works very well for an external drive.

Set up your RESERVE RECORD feature to wake up the box when the first show comes on. Then use the TIMER feature to put it to sleep after that show is over. Then the RESERVE RECORD feature for the next program will have to wake up the box again to start recording. If you need to record more programs, set up more RESERVATIONS and more SLEEP TIMERS.

If you wish to use another external recording device like your BetaMax, simply record to it when you watch the playback of the program from one of the HDDs.

This is a rather cumbersome approach and I am not sure it will actually work. This issue will need to be addressed on the hit-list or bug-list for the next update to the image file.

RADAR

 

[adm22]

Thanks AcWxRadar

Not really wanting to invest more money into this with really big hard drives Until I know it might do what I want.

I did however modify your suggestion a bit. And it kinda sorta works in a bizzaro world fashion.

I had already discovered that a reserve to play it would turn itself on if powered off at a desired time and channel. I went in and played with the timer settings a got the box to go to sleep.At a point when an imaginary programme was over. I also progrogrammed in a second reserve to play programme. It turns out that it did turn itself on when desired, then turn itself off when desired and back on a few minutes later to a second channel. For the purpose of this experiment I did not programme it to go back to sleep. But figure if it works oce it should keep on working until I run out of timer settings. I can this just set my recorder to record via the line inputs at the desired time as I would with any other sat receiver.

This is weird and bizarre. I know I played around with the timer settings in the settings menu and coule never get it to turn onto a channel I wanted when I wanted it to. It would however turn itself on. Never figured I would have to have it turn on then off. Every similar device I ahve ever had just changes the channels when I want it to.

Now need to figure out who to get it to default to the English audio on feeds with more than one udio soundtrack (Like MYNetwrok TV feed on G4). I repeatedly select English since it defaults to Spanish both through the menu and the yellow button but everytime I return to the channel it is back to Espanol!

Anyone figure out a way that makes no sense to get around this?

 

[Mr Tony]

Now need to figure out who to get it to default to the English audio on feeds with more than one udio soundtrack (Like MYNetwrok TV feed on G4). I repeatedly select English since it defaults to Spanish both through the menu and the yellow button but everytime I return to the channel it is back to Espanol!

what software are you running? I had the same issue with 2880 but after that it works fine

edit: noticed what software you have.

I use 3501 and no issues here. Just checked

 

[adm22]

what software are you running? I had the same issue with 2880 but after that it works fine

edit: noticed what software you have.

I use 3501 and no issues here. Just checked

Do you know if the timer work around will work with that software? Would hate to have to go through the trouble of getting 3501 to load into it, loose all my channels and have to reprogramme them only to loose the klugey timer.

 

[Mr Tony]

I didnt lose my channels when I upgraded. Just did it last nite. All channels there.

Havent tried the timer

 

[Mr Tony]

eh same issue

set to change channels and with receiver on it says "do you want to change" when the time comes

so still not fixed with the new software

 

[Mr Tony]

I noticed if I set it to record to the hard drive it does work

set one timer for 10 minutes on one channel
then set another timer for 10 minutes to start 1 minute after the other one ended

both recorded fine

only drawback is the unit doesnt show the channel name and you cant see anything on the TV (at least through the HDMI cable) so you dont know if its recording or not.

But both recorded fine

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks AcWxRadar

Not really wanting to invest more money into this with really big hard drives Until I know it might do what I want.

I did however modify your suggestion a bit. And it kinda sorta works in a bizzaro world fashion.

I had already discovered that a reserve to play it would turn itself on if powered off at a desired time and channel. I went in and played with the timer settings a got the box to go to sleep.At a point when an imaginary programme was over. I also progrogrammed in a second reserve to play programme. It turns out that it did turn itself on when desired, then turn itself off when desired and back on a few minutes later to a second channel. For the purpose of this experiment I did not programme it to go back to sleep. But figure if it works oce it should keep on working until I run out of timer settings. I can this just set my recorder to record via the line inputs at the desired time as I would with any other sat receiver.

This is weird and bizarre. I know I played around with the timer settings in the settings menu and coule never get it to turn onto a channel I wanted when I wanted it to. It would however turn itself on. Never figured I would have to have it turn on then off. Every similar device I ahve ever had just changes the channels when I want it to.

Now need to figure out who to get it to default to the English audio on feeds with more than one udio soundtrack (Like MYNetwrok TV feed on G4). I repeatedly select English since it defaults to Spanish both through the menu and the yellow button but everytime I return to the channel it is back to Espanol!

Anyone figure out a way that makes no sense to get around this?

Adm22,

I have an internal HDD that I installed that works really well. It is extremely quiet (I cannot hear it running unless I put my ear within six inches of it and the room is absoultely quite).

It is a "green" HDD so it demands very minimal current and runs very cool. To the touch, I cannot tell much difference between it and my Coolsat 5K receiver.

It isn't too small compared to most PVRs as it has a 500 GB capacity.

It isn't very expensive as I have found them on New Egg for $50 and free shipping. This is a Samsung HD502HI SATA HDD.

You really cannot go wrong with this!

Now, I have just fairly recently begun to experiment with this AZBox. You are already aware of what it cannot do and what quirks it may have, but by the time you figure out how to use everything that you don't know yet, they may have already fixed the other things! At lest I am hopeful of such. This STB has great potential and I liked it so much so far that I bought a second one to play with.

I have seen the image files (firmware) be updated from 2871 through 3501 so far, which is five versions inclusive. I like their improvements and I am very positive and optimistic regarding the future of this AZBox!

I have a strong feeling that you will be very happy with it down the road a bit.

RADAR

 

[zaxxon]

Have you got a copy ofthe manual yet????

If not go onto azbox web site and download a copy, It will be in an Abobe PDF you will also need to down load a copy of the Korean fonts from Adobe, you will get a blank screen without the Korean fonts. Just be sure you download the correct version 8 or 9 for your computer.

The manual is 158 pages long. I put mine in a binder.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Have you got a copy ofthe manual yet????

If not go onto azbox web site and download a copy, It will be in an Abobe PDF you will also need to down load a copy of the Korean fonts from Adobe, you will get a blank screen without the Korean fonts. Just be sure you download the correct version 8 or 9 for your computer.

The manual is 158 pages long. I put mine in a binder.

Hi Zaxxon,

The same manual is available here in the manual area. But, a person still needs the Adobe upgrade for Korean fonts.

RADAR

 

[B.J.]

You also might look at a program called PDF Reader ( CAD-KAS Software - PDF bearbeiten - Download Seite ). I've gotten fed up with web pages constantly switching to new versions that keep telling you that you need either a new fonts or a new version of the Acrobat reader, or just giving you an error when trying to open up the pdf files.
So I've installed this PDF Reader program, and 99% of the time, whenever I get some error or blank screen, or request for new fonts, etc, it will load the pdf file fine. It is slightly less user friendly than the Acrobat reader, and it is a slightly disabled version since they are trying to sell you a pdf editor program, but I've found it very handy.
It opens the Azbox pdf, although it's possible that it might be using korean fonts that I've downloaded in the past through the AR program, but it never asked me for anything new with any pdf I've thrown at it.