GEOSATpro HDVR3500 - New DVBS2 STB - Photos and Initial Testing

[SatelliteAV]

We are still troubleshooting more major issues, but the lock ups is not normal. If the customer experiences lock ups every day, we will replace the receiver. I have receivers from all batches operating starting november 2014 and they work 24/7 (at my home and our office) - some we deliberately kept with official software that shipped. Some we have updated to all new firmwares, and we find the last 992 to be very dependable, moving two dishes, our C-Band and Ku-Band motorized dishes and we have most of the satellites with FTA channels scanned in. The receiver has locked up maybe once a week, but that's because we use it heavily testing all kinds of IPTV and Kodi things, so I am accepting a work horse to lock up some times.

Often lock ups would be eligible for warranty replacements. I will need the receiver shipped to us.

 

[Titanium]

In my case, the bench STB has not been locking-up on past firmware versions over the past two months unless it was playing an HD DVR recording, playing the last DVR recording in he list or trying to time shift an HD channel. Since all other users are reporting these same DVR/Timeshift problems with past firmware, I wouldn't think that the current lock-up issue is hardware related and believe that a hardware replacement is unnecessary. I will return to an earlier firmware version, leave the STB running for the next week and see if this resolves the lock-up problem.

 

[KE4EST]

Yes, I agree. I'm sure the hardware has never changed. I had a replacement receiver and it was still locking up with it.
I would just instruct buyers to downgrade or wait for the next iteration of firmware.
Will save on more aggravation.

 

[SatelliteAV]

I'm sure the hardware has never changed.

Hardware hasn't changed, but it would be not normal for receiver to lock up often. This could be a hardware issue.

In normal circumstances the receivers did not lock up for no reason.
If the receiver freezes very often during normal watching of the particular program, let us know what is the program and firmware to replicate it.
If this happens on all channels regardless of firmware, then it's a hardware issue.

 

[KE4EST]

I am also going to rollback firmware and let it run a few days and see what happens.
I'll report back with the testing in a couple of days or so.

 

[. Raine]

We are still troubleshooting more major issues, but the lock ups is not normal. If the customer experiences lock ups every day, we will replace the receiver. I have receivers from all batches operating starting november 2014 and they work 24/7 (at my home and our office) - some we deliberately kept with official software that shipped. Some we have updated to all new firmwares, and we find the last 992 to be very dependable, moving two dishes, our C-Band and Ku-Band motorized dishes and we have most of the satellites with FTA channels scanned in. The receiver has locked up maybe once a week, but that's because we use it heavily testing all kinds of IPTV and Kodi things, so I am accepting a work horse to lock up some times.

Often lock ups would be eligible for warranty replacements. I will need the receiver shipped to us.

Will you also reimburse the shipping price to send the receiver to you in this scenario?

My receiver has been locking up randomly here and there right from the beginning, as I posted in post #432, 517, another earlier time also, I believe. Was locked up this morning when I got up and then again when I got home tonight from work. Locked up yesterday twice.

It has always locked up randomly here and there, but I think Ke4est and Brian are right in suspecting something to do with network and auto-updating in 922, I too have seen the network error messages that Ke4est mentioned and the lock ups seem much more often with 922. As I mentioned before, the 922 firmware seems less stable than previous releases here on my receiver.

You aren't over clocking the processor in 922, are you?

 

[. Raine]

Hardware hasn't changed, but it would be not normal for receiver to lock up often. This could be a hardware issue.

In normal circumstances the receivers did not lock up for no reason.
If the receiver freezes very often during normal watching of the particular program, let us know what is the program and firmware to replicate it.
If this happens on all channels regardless of firmware, then it's a hardware issue.

Mine, with these recent daily/nightly lockups, is never when I am watching TV. I get up at 5:30 am and the receiver is frozen, cycle power, watch for a hour or two and then go to work. Come home at 5:30 pm and it's locked up, cycle power and then it's usually being watched until 11 pm or so.

Are the auto update checks between 11 pm to 5:30 am and between 7 am and 5:30 pm?

Or, could it possibly be something to do with the TV being off, HDMI not active, or something like that?

 

[Gfox]

We are still troubleshooting more major issues, but the lock ups is not normal. If the customer experiences lock ups every day, we will replace the receiver. I have receivers from all batches operating starting november 2014 and they work 24/7 (at my home and our office) - some we deliberately kept with official software that shipped. Some we have updated to all new firmwares, and we find the last 992 to be very dependable, moving two dishes, our C-Band and Ku-Band motorized dishes and we have most of the satellites with FTA channels scanned in. The receiver has locked up maybe once a week, but that's because we use it heavily testing all kinds of IPTV and Kodi things, so I am accepting a work horse to lock up some times.

Often lock ups would be eligible for warranty replacements. I will need the receiver shipped to us.

I just want to report that my HDVR 3500 unit stays on 24/7 and I have been using the 992 firmware since the day that it was released. Since I have been using this firmware release I CANNOT remember a single lock up unless I was making changes, adjustments, etc. and I overwhelmed the unit with push button inputs and did not allow the unit to stabilize before inputting more commands. OR... As I reported in an earlier post my WIFI/network connection is slow to hook-up for some reason. If I don't wait until the network is connected I notice the entire system is sluggish and is susceptible to locking up and even rebooting if I try to navigate around and make changes before the network is connected. The recording feature has worked smooth and flawlessly for me unlike with previous firmware versions. I know that there are still bugs and enhancements needed which are being addressed but I just want ALL to know that the problems that some are encountering with their units is not across the board with all units. The satellite side of my unit works GREAT. I am very happy with the unit and look forward to future improvements and enhancements.

 

[Titanium]

Your report of sluggish and lock-ups associated with network connectivity might yield some clues. If a network issue causes this, what if the STB was trying to access the network for time, update, etc during the idle time and got a connectivity error. The connectivity error could be either external or internal. Could this be causing the lock-ups?

The lock-ups may also be associated with the channel type that is tuned and the amount of processor required to decode. The bench unit tuned to a 125w PBS HD feeds.

It would be helpful to identify what service or mode the STB was in during lock-up situations or what channels are being tuned 24/7 without lock-ups. Enough folks have contacted me about the lock-ups happening when the unit is left on 24/7 to be more than a coincidence or to have distributed that many defective units.

The common thread seems to be that the unit is tuned to an HD channel and they often see a network connectivity window appear if watching when it happens.

After to returning to original firmware yesterday, the STB has been tuned to PBS HD and no lock-up overnight. Will report back at the end of next week with the testing results.

 

[Gfox]

I just want to report that my HDVR 3500 unit stays on 24/7 and I have been using the 992 firmware since the day that it was released. Since I have been using this firmware release I CANNOT remember a single lock up unless I was making changes, adjustments, etc. and I overwhelmed the unit with push button inputs and did not allow the unit to stabilize before inputting more commands. OR... As I reported in an earlier post my WIFI/network connection is slow to hook-up for some reason. If I don't wait until the network is connected I notice the entire system is sluggish and is susceptible to locking up and even rebooting if I try to navigate around and make changes before the network is connected. The recording feature has worked smooth and flawlessly for me unlike with previous firmware versions. I know that there are still bugs and enhancements needed which are being addressed but I just want ALL to know that the problems that some are encountering with their units is not across the board with all units. The satellite side of my unit works GREAT. I am very happy with the unit and look forward to future improvements and enhancements.

OOPS, I spoke too soon...LOL. I moved to 125W but I am Cband only so I don't get PBS on that bird. I tuned to TBN HD and was watching Davy & Goliath. When I pushed the OK remote button to bring up the channel list the unit locked up. I waited 5 minutes but it was locked solid. I turned the unit off with master switch and back on. I tried the same routine that had just locked me up about 5 or 6 times with no repeat of the initial lock up problem.

 

[. Raine]

I just want to report that my HDVR 3500 unit stays on 24/7 and I have been using the 992 firmware since the day that it was released. Since I have been using this firmware release I CANNOT remember a single lock up unless I was making changes, adjustments, etc. and I overwhelmed the unit with push button inputs and did not allow the unit to stabilize before inputting more commands. OR... As I reported in an earlier post my WIFI/network connection is slow to hook-up for some reason. If I don't wait until the network is connected I notice the entire system is sluggish and is susceptible to locking up and even rebooting if I try to navigate around and make changes before the network is connected. The recording feature has worked smooth and flawlessly for me unlike with previous firmware versions. I know that there are still bugs and enhancements needed which are being addressed but I just want ALL to know that the problems that some are encountering with their units is not across the board with all units. The satellite side of my unit works GREAT. I am very happy with the unit and look forward to future improvements and enhancements.

That's good, you're having much better results with 992 than I am.

My receiver was locked up this morning again. I did notice something different this time though. I have my receiver outputting on both the HDMI and composite outputs simultaneously, which I'd asked very early in this thread if it would be ok to do that and was told yes. This is the way my MicroHD had been hooked up for the past few years, the composite runs to a modulator that modulates the satellite receiver channel onto our OTA setup and the HDMI to our living room TV.

When I got up this morning, the bedroom TV had a very jerky picture with no sound, remote was unresponsive. The downstairs TV had no picture/sound at all, remote and buttons on the receiver were unresponsive. Receiver was on a SD channel on 97 W C band. TP 3941.

I didn't think to Telnet or SSH into the unit to see what was going on. I'd gone back to the previous firmware myself recently but then reflashed 992 figuring maybe it was just a bad flash, will go back to the other previous firmware. As I stated before and I'm not being a jerk here, just stating facts, here on my receiver, 992 is much less stable than previous firmwares. Tried a few recordings and they were worse, all other issues are also there still and some new very annoying ones which once again, have been totally ignored, not even acknowledged. If anyone has noticed, Sat Av responded to Ke4est and to Brian, but has totally ignored my posts and other members posts too. I get it, my input in this thread isn't wanted or maybe people think I'm imagining the problems I have here. Looks like that I'm not imagining or making up the lock up problem at least, judging from previous posts.

Going to revert back to the previous firmware and stick with that and no one will have to deal with me in this thread.

My HDVR3500 will be relegated to doing a chore like my X2 does, hooked to a stationary dish and the output modulated onto our OTA setup, if it can.

 

[fred555]

That's good, you're having much better results with 992 than I am.

My receiver was locked up this morning again. I did notice something different this time though. I have my receiver outputting on both the HDMI and composite outputs simultaneously, which I'd asked very early in this thread if it would be ok to do that and was told yes. This is the way my MicroHD had been hooked up for the past few years, the composite runs to a modulator that modulates the satellite receiver channel onto our OTA setup and the HDMI to our living room TV.

When I got up this morning, the bedroom TV had a very jerky picture with no sound, remote was unresponsive. The downstairs TV had no picture/sound at all, remote and buttons on the receiver were unresponsive. Receiver was on a SD channel on 97 W C band. TP 3941.

I didn't think to Telnet or SSH into the unit to see what was going on. I'd gone back to the previous firmware myself recently but then reflashed 992 figuring maybe it was just a bad flash, will go back to the other previous firmware. As I stated before and I'm not being a jerk here, just stating facts, here on my receiver, 992 is much less stable than previous firmwares. Tried a few recordings and they were worse, all other issues are also there still and some new very annoying ones which once again, have been totally ignored, not even acknowledged. If anyone has noticed, Sat Av responded to Ke4est and to Brian, but has totally ignored my posts and other members posts too. I get it, my input in this thread isn't wanted or maybe people think I'm imagining the problems I have here. Looks like that I'm not imagining or making up the lock up problem at least, judging from previous posts.

Going to revert back to the previous firmware and stick with that and no one will have to deal with me in this thread.

My HDVR3500 will be relegated to doing a chore like my X2 does, hooked to a stationary dish and the output modulated onto our OTA setup, if it can.

Can you start another thread and tell us of this output modulation you speak of?
It sounds interesting.

 

[. Raine]

Can you start another thread and tell us of this output modulation you speak of?
It sounds interesting.

Sure.

 

[. Raine]

Looks better this way, more realistic expectations. Glorystar gone too.

 

[. Raine]

Anyone know how to manually enter PIDs on this receiver? I want to add radio channels from 103W that won't scan in using the blind scan or network scan. For example: from transponder 12145/V/20000 - 80's Hits - VPID 0 (blank), APID 7499, PCR 7499. I have a list of about 100 radio channels that the only way to add/listen to them is to manually add them.

I don't think anyone answered you, if so disregard.

On the main screen, like when you're watching a channel, push Ok, go to the channel you want, select Edit with the blue button on the remote, go to Edit service at the bottom of the Select Edit Mode screen in the lower right, click ok, click on desired channel to edit again and in that screen you can edit PIDs.

 

[dsmith0429]

I don't think anyone answered you, if so disregard.

On the main screen, like when you're watching a channel, push Ok, go to the channel you want, select Edit with the blue button on the remote, go to Edit service at the bottom of the Select Edit Mode screen in the lower right, click ok, click on desired channel to edit again and in that screen you can edit PIDs.

What I want to do is manually add additional PIDs that the blindscan doesn't pick up, I have about 100 radio stations I want to add to 103w Ku, is this how to do that?

 

[dsmith0429]

Mine arrived yesterday. Blind scan is definitely faster and the tuner does seem more sensitive.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it receives 8PSK ACM from a transponder on 125W C-Band! My other receivers don't get it -- only my TBS6983 tuner card and the HDVR3500.

My times for blind scanning 103W SES-3 KU Band:
GEOSATpro HDVR3500: 2:08
Vigica C90S: 2:27
Amiko Mini HD SE: 3:02

The HDVR3500 found 33 channels, the Vigica found 30, and the Mini HD SE got 28..


Yes, I read the manual cover to cover because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on any cool features (which there are quite a few!)

However, I also found parts of the manual that didn't match:
1) Page 5 of the manual mentions the existence of a mute button, but I didn't see one on mine either. It would have been handy to have.
2) On pages 22 and 23 it mentions "Access a shared folder on a computer" for playing media files. I hope I'm wrong, but I couldn't find a way to do that. Also my HDVR3500 did not show up as a device on my network. Tried both Windows and Mac. Will have to study this more.

IPTV works very well for me too. But I ran into problems with XBMC, probably because its older than KODI. One of the problems was that I installed an add-on for 'TWiT TV' (The Week in Tech) and it loaded the older add-on that didn't work. Didn't have this problem with KODI on other devices. I look forward to a transition from XBMC to Kodi.

Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase.

Mute button is labeled as GOTO button on my remote (discovered by accident)

 

[Gfox]

Mute button is labeled as GOTO button on my remote (discovered by accident)

Yes, that was added onto the first firmware upgrade by request of some of the members because there was not any MUTE button. The GOTO does not mute when using the original 898 firmware version.

 

[dsmith0429]

I don't think anyone answered you, if so disregard.

On the main screen, like when you're watching a channel, push Ok, go to the channel you want, select Edit with the blue button on the remote, go to Edit service at the bottom of the Select Edit Mode screen in the lower right, click ok, click on desired channel to edit again and in that screen you can edit PIDs.

EUREKA! I figured it out! Since I was wanting to add Radio channels here's how I did it:
1. Press TV/Radio button (can also be done after you are into the channel editing menu)
2. Press OK to bring up channel list (middle button on remote)
3. Press Edit (Blue button labeled as Media)
4. Press Select Edit Mode (Red button labeled as CC)
5. Navigate using the arrows in the center of remote to Edit Service on the menu on the right of the screen
6. Press Add Service (Green button labeled as Audio)
7. Now you can type in all your settings for whatever channels you want to manually add!

Same process for TV channels, just make sure to press TV/Radio button for the TV channels. ENJOY!

 

[Gfox]

What I want to do is manually add additional PIDs that the blindscan doesn't pick up, I have about 100 radio stations I want to add to 103w Ku, is this how to do that?

I am not sure about earlier firmware versions but using the 992 version firmware if you navigate to Settings/Dish Settings/Transponder/ there is a blue Edit button that allows you to add channels that did not scan.