I've had the S9 for a couple of months now. The only issue I've had that could be frustrating is a freezing picture on The RTV (83Ku) channels. Rebooting fixes the problem usally..Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with it..
Just ordered another new receiver
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The S9 is in a different class than the rest of the "S" class.....its nice and big
Yes, the S9 does seem to be the best of the bunch, judging by most members' experiences posted here. I'll still be using my S9 even when the microHD comes out and takes over most of the recording duties.
Exactly! I don't like the overall tone of this thread. Here you have an individual who is going to check out a new receiver and report back. We should encourage that so we know which are good products and which are junk instead of assuming that it's junk before we know. If it's crap, then everybody will be wiser. If it's worthwhile, then others in the industry have valid competition they must compete against and this improves the whole industry. Or is there worry that a $47 receiver just might actually be worth that small amount?
Competition benefits everyone. Buy more receivers, Popcorn. If your Anaconda text is any example, you could quit your day job to write reviews. 'cept as readers we don't pay too well, haha.
Out of the package, i honestly felt like i wasted my money on the s10 openbox. It is terribly glitchy. It freezes on Hd channels.
eurosport said:I have a Pansat 9200 and a Coolsat 8000 here that I've never messed with the firmware and they both still work nearly perfectly. ( I say nearly 'cause they do need a re-boot once in a very long while)
Same here, i have 5 pansat 9200 receivers and other than a reboot they work smoothly.
I've heard there are many varieties of these Openbox S'X' receivers. It would be more helpful if those reporting good or bad results specify more precisely which box they have. Whether this means quoting a serial number, manufacturing location, firmware, I don't know. Either quality control, firmware version or hardware manufacturer must be critical since many have had such different experiences.
If I could I would love to have a receiver that had the UHF remote of the Pansat 9500, blind scan of the Coolsat 5000, the graphics of the Optibox, the picture quality of the Openbox and the front display of the Amiko receivers.
Believe me if the Skybox S12 receiver cost over $100 I would of never purchased it. But for less than $80 it costs as much as I pay for gas each week just to get to work. Plus I figured I could use it in the bedroom due to it's small size until the MicroHD becomes available. Then I could compare the Skybox S12 to the MicroHD after I had been using the Skybox for awhile. I could even put both receivers to the "wife" test to see which receiver is easier for her to learn and operate.
Believe me if the Skybox S12 receiver cost over $100 I would of never purchased it. But for less than $80 it costs as much as I pay for gas each week just to get to work. Plus I figured I could use it in the bedroom due to it's small size until the MicroHD becomes available. Then I could compare the Skybox S12 to the MicroHD after I had been using the Skybox for awhile. I could even put both receivers to the "wife" test to see which receiver is easier for her to learn and operate.
Your requirements for a receiver are very different from mine. This may explain why some give good reviews and some bad reviews for any particular receiver: we want different. Unimportant features for me include small size (lots of space in living room; I can stack vertically to roof), wife-friendly (only a receiver that approaches zero cost would be this), UHF remote (I sit close enough that the infrared signal has always reached the box), graphics (pretty to look at the first time), front display (I look at video screen not box). Important features include reliability/longevity, cost, picture quality, firmware/feature support and development, blind scan accuracy, networking capability, low power usage, ability to edit channel data.
From my experience with the S10 it worked ok out of the box. I just like experimenting with firmwares. I am running 7.14.11 right now and it works pretty good. With some of the newer firmwares it would lock-up on the ion mux on 103C and ABC on the PR mux on 99. Recently it would lock up on PBJ on 83Ku. About 2 weeks ago I took the firmwares I had and downloaded some more and did a lengthy test that took about 2 days. I settled on 7.14.11. It works good and a faster blind scan and catches everything. Only thing with this one is when you change channels the audio and video is out of sync for about a second and you hear muted sound and then all is fine and it will play for days on anything I have threw at it without locking up.
$47 plus taxes good deal if working and do s2 no problem .I ope did working good because are good for all on the free to air.And today 2012 $80; on the 1991 Pansat 100 cust more and more.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record...... $47 for a unit directly from a Chinese factory is a disturbing trend in the distribution and retail world. It would be one thing if the seller was directly supporting their customers, products and respecting the required certifications, licensing and consumer protection legislation that legit distributors must provide when selling globally.
Unregulated and unchecked, these "factories" are only about making a dollar or two profit, disregarding intellectual properties and ignoring product safety.
Sorry to turn this into another rant from the soapbox, but it irritates me to no end when I hear of non-compliant and unlicensed goods being sold on the grey market. I know the challenges, time and upfront investment to provide a quality legit product to market. It is impossible to provide a compliant and supported receiver to the retail market at even double this price....
The growing Walmart mentality has promoted reduced customer expectation of product performance as a trade-off for a never ending cost reduction. The Apple experience has redefined lifecycle and created a disposable product marketplace. I guess that at some point I will just have to accept that buyers no longer want customer service or need product support.
With that said.... the S12 is based on the M3606 chipset and is very limited on the ability to offer any additional development. The chipset is on limited production as it was meant to be a transitionary chip. STB development was very limited on this chipset. If you are able to cancel your order and wish to test a STB with similar performance to the microHD, order a F3 instead.
Unregulated and unchecked, these "factories" are only about making a dollar or two profit, disregarding intellectual properties and ignoring product safety.
Sorry to turn this into another rant from the soapbox, but it irritates me to no end when I hear of non-compliant and unlicensed goods being sold on the grey market. I know the challenges, time and upfront investment to provide a quality legit product to market. It is impossible to provide a compliant and supported receiver to the retail market at even double this price....
The growing Walmart mentality has promoted reduced customer expectation of product performance as a trade-off for a never ending cost reduction. The Apple experience has redefined lifecycle and created a disposable product marketplace. I guess that at some point I will just have to accept that buyers no longer want customer service or need product support.
With that said.... the S12 is based on the M3606 chipset and is very limited on the ability to offer any additional development. The chipset is on limited production as it was meant to be a transitionary chip. STB development was very limited on this chipset. If you are able to cancel your order and wish to test a STB with similar performance to the microHD, order a F3 instead.
Instead of all the different receivers that might work in bringing in something for awhile. Why can't any group or company lobby for FTA in North America like over seas? Before the IPTV takes over and satellite is only used for news & sports feeds.
The growing Walmart mentality has promoted reduced customer expectation of product performance as a trade-off for a never ending cost reduction. The Apple experience has redefined lifecycle and created a disposable product marketplace. I guess that at some point I will just have to accept that buyers no longer want customer service or need product support.
I totally agree Brian. This hurts companies like yours that spend the money to become compliant and take the time to market a quality product. I just ordered this low cost receiver as a toy to tinker with until the MicroHD becomes available. I heard some good things about it such as the fast blind scan and I thought I would give it a shot since it was being offered at such a low price.
I appreciate your comments and agree with much that you say. Having said that...let's walk down the path of reality. Customers are the way they are. If you need to tell a customer why they shouldn't be satisfied with a product they bought, think is worth the money, and would buy again, you're wasting your breath. China is here to stay. China's products in general in the coming years will get better and better (if the market wants that), just as Japan's products did in the 1960s and 1970s. South Korea and India will become more dominant too in manufacturing. Ultimately, end users decide what sells and that's the way it should be. If certifications are not being met, yet products are allowed into a country against regulations, that is the fault of local government, not of overseas manufacturers.
PopcornNMore,
Don't read me wrong. This is not about you ordering something to play with as I do the same and order at least 5 receivers each month from different manufacturers and even buy competitor's product. I agree that it is great to know what is available and to find the gem in a pile of rocks.
If you have the option to cancel the s12 and instead test the F3, I believe that you will be happier with your choice to spend $1 more.....
I certainly do not consider it a waste of any of my breath in pointing out that non-compliant manufacturers are producing products that are not responsible to the end user, the environment, or their employees. As a responsible citizen of planet Earth I truly believe that the majority of the rules and licenses are in place to provide a better environment and consumer experience. I do favor "protectionism" rules if they benefit the end user and are applied fairly to all products entering the marketplace. If I don't speak up and voice my opinion about reality (right or wrong) I might as well just fall into line behind all of the other lemmings.....
Consumers did not buy Japanese products in a global market in the 60's and 70's. Japanese manufacturers adhered to certification and compliance standards and distributed through regional distributors who in turn directly supported the end user. The Japanese concentrated on producing a better product that was better than the market offered. The current manufacturers in developing countries are focusing on offering a cheaper price and not necessarily a better mousetrap.
If you have the option to cancel the s12 and instead test the F3, I believe that you will be happier with your choice to spend $1 more.....
What is an F3
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