Review: Azbox Elite HD FTA Receiver

[stogie5150]

I just got the Elite today. I haven't hooked it up yet since a manual didn't come with it. But, I did find a PDF file for it and the user guide indicates that a User Guide CD-ROM should have came with it (but there isn't any). And even though I bought this from a U.S. dealer, the OTA TV in/out antenna connections aren't F connections - they look more like RCA jacks. Also, the manual states that the LNB connections are on the rear-right of the receiver but my receiver connections are labeled "LOOP" and "IF INPUT" instead of "LNB IN" and "LNB OUT". I'm trying to decide if I should send this back or try to figure out how to use it.

All that is absolutely normal. Mine is like that. The antenna jacks are the Euro standard connections, you will have to have adaptors to use them, although the only thing I see them used for is running the output to another room, which I do, and it works quite well. You can get the adaptors at Radio Shack. Go to the site and type euro TV antenna adaptors and you will see the adaptors.

IF input is where you plug your LNB, and LOOP is the out to go to another receiver. Again, no problems.

Enjoy your Azbox. I love mine, more each day.

 

[ZetaMale]

All that is absolutely normal. Mine is like that. The antenna jacks are the Euro standard connections, you will have to have adaptors to use them, although the only thing I see them used for is running the output to another room, which I do, and it works quite well. You can get the adaptors at Radio Shack. Go to the site and type euro TV antenna adaptors and you will see the adaptors.

IF input is where you plug your LNB, and LOOP is the out to go to another receiver. Again, no problems.

Enjoy your Azbox. I love mine, more each day.

I'll try to get it going tomorrow. Obviously, it was built for Europeans since the power cord needs an adapter, also, so that I can get power to the box.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Tuner Model / part number(s)

I am curious if the tuners used in the AZBox are the same as those in the AB IPBox. If any of you have one of your AZBoxes open, check the part numbers on the tuner.

I found a menu in the IP box that showed the information for both tuners, but I think I will open it to be certain.

This is what my menu shows for the DVB-S2 tuners in my IPBox:

Tuner #1 PLL STV6110, demodulator STV0903 part number Z0169.

Tuner #2 PLL CX24116, demodulator CX24116 and part number DNDU24512.

If the tuners are interchangeable, I might have to order an AZBox myself.

RADAR

 

[Lak7]

I'll try to get it going tomorrow. Obviously, it was built for Europeans since the power cord needs an adapter, also, so that I can get power to the box.

I would not use an adapter. Once you receive it, look at the power cord connection next to the power switch, and get a new cord to match. You may even have one laying around, VCRs and Portable Radios are good places to look.

 

[brentb636]

All that is absolutely normal. Mine is like that. The antenna jacks are the Euro standard connections, you will have to have adaptors to use them, although the only thing I see them used for is running the output to another room, which I do, and it works quite well. You can get the adaptors at Radio Shack. Go to the site and type euro TV antenna adaptors and you will see the adaptors.

IF input is where you plug your LNB, and LOOP is the out to go to another receiver. Again, no problems.

Enjoy your Azbox. I love mine, more each day.

I found these adaptors, https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18356 , somewhat cheaper than Radio shack, if you can wait for delivery.

 

[ZetaMale]

I found these adaptors, https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18356 , somewhat cheaper than Radio shack, if you can wait for delivery.

I heard that these people take forever to send out merchandise so I'm not going to order from them. Besides, I can't justify a $4.00 order. I'd rather go to the local RS and pay $5 each. Thanks for the reply. Anyway, I just picked up a power cord at RS for the box. I just need to find a good place to put the box. I'd rather have the box down in the basement but it'll take a 100 foot HDMI cable run to get it to the TV (I'm too cheap to tear out walls to run it thru the walls).

 

[brentb636]

These connectors are shipped from Hong Kong, and took about 3 weeks to arrive. They work, and they are inexpensive.

 

[ZetaMale]

Not sure if I have a bad box. I first scanned Galaxy 3 and got a bunch of channels but when I went to watch them I got "No Signal" on the TV. There's good signal strength shown for the channel but the quality is zero. I hooked up my old box and I get a picture with it. So my cabling must be OK. Did I miss something in the setup? These aren't HD channels so I don't need to set the HD flag. I guess I'll play around with the new box some more and see I can figure out why it found channels but couldn't give video later.

 

[ZetaMale]

It's official - my Azbox is bad. I tried a factory reset since the box was erratic and now it shows "Invalid format" on the TV and nothing works. I've requested a replacement.

 

[stogie5150]

It's official - my Azbox is bad. I tried a factory reset since the box was erratic and now it shows "Invalid format" on the TV and nothing works. I've requested a replacement.

Thats NOT what it is!

The Azbox reverts to PAL European output and you have to change it to our format (NTSC). Your box is very likely okay. You need to press the resolution button on the remote and watch the display on the receiver, NOT the TV, everytime you press the button the format will change on the receiver's display.

it'll go something like this...the first five are PAL

576i
576p
720p
1080i
1080p

Then the NTSC starts....

480i
480p
720p
1080i
1080p

Get your display back, and we will work on your other problem.:up

 

[ZetaMale]

Yeah, you're right. I came to that conclusion this morning and got everything working. Sorry for panicking. Nice box even though it doesn't have AMC11 thru AMC8 in the satellite list by "default". I figured out how to manually add them. But, I must have something wrong with my setup since I can't get anything on AMC10. I know that I'm on the correct sat since I'm getting NorthWest Cable news on the 4DTV DCII. I haven't added the others yet since the wife wants to watch TV. Also, when I started deleting satellites that are out of my view, the box rebooted when I removed the sat at 1.0W - as a matter of fact, the unit froze up until it decided to reboot. This has already been asked, but can wireless be added to this box and can it be set up to do wireless encryption (i.e. WPA2)? My network is setup to accept WPA2 encrypted connections only. Otherwise, I'm happy with the box. There's a lot to learn.

 

[stogie5150]

Yeah, you're right. I came to that conclusion this morning and got everything working. Sorry for panicking. Nice box even though it doesn't have AMC11 thru AMC8 in the satellite list by "default". I figured out how to manually add them. But, I must have something wrong with my setup since I can't get anything on AMC10. I know that I'm on the correct sat since I'm getting NorthWest Cable news on the 4DTV DCII. I haven't added the others yet since the wife wants to watch TV. Also, when I started deleting satellites that are out of my view, the box rebooted when I removed the sat at 1.0W - as a matter of fact, the unit froze up until it decided to reboot. This has already been asked, but can wireless be added to this box and can it be set up to do wireless encryption (i.e. WPA2)? My network is setup to accept WPA2 encrypted connections only. Otherwise, I'm happy with the box. There's a lot to learn.

go to:

satellites.xml generator

Select North/South America to make the list, go to the bottom and check the box that says "split band transponders", and that will make you separate c/Ku band satellites for each one that has C/Ku bands on them...

Enter the security code, and hit download. Save the xml file to your desktop, open the azbox editor, select "import from .xml file". Bang, there's your custom list.

Getting it to the azbox is going to require some kind of network connection, I used a wire so I can't speak of a wireless connection, but its worth it to run Ethernet to your Azbox. Because if you have that done you can push the channellist you just made to the azbox and you're channel list problems are solved. They even populate it with some transponders for you.

Thanks to Brother Linuxman for discovering this. It works like a charm.

 

[ZetaMale]

Thanks for the info. I'll play with this some more tomorrow. Too bad I can't change the sat designations in the 4DTV also - that would make things easier on me rather than keeping a list around with the old and new designations. :rant:

 

[ZetaMale]

go to:

satellites.xml generator

Select North/South America to make the list, go to the bottom and check the box that says "split band transponders", and that will make you separate c/Ku band satellites for each one that has C/Ku bands on them...

Enter the security code, and hit download. Save the xml file to your desktop, open the azbox editor, select "import from .xml file". Bang, there's your custom list.

Getting it to the azbox is going to require some kind of network connection, I used a wire so I can't speak of a wireless connection, but its worth it to run Ethernet to your Azbox. Because if you have that done you can push the channellist you just made to the azbox and you're channel list problems are solved. They even populate it with some transponders for you.

Thanks to Brother Linuxman for discovering this. It works like a charm.

I downloaded AzboxEdit version 0.9.7b but it has no import function and when I selected "Open" from the File menu the program is expecting a file extension of .dat. Did I get an old version of the editor?

 

[ZetaMale]

Disregard last "transmission". I guess I need to slow down and be thorough.

 

[SatinKzo]

Anyone have any issues with the azbox switching properly? Sometimes I have issues changing sats to where I hvae to go to the settings screen and select the sat and cycle to a hot TP.

I am going through an ecoda 22khz to 2 sadoun 4x1 diseqcs.

 

[babcea]

No problem at all,I am using only one cheita heavy duty diseqc.

 

[Christopherve7alb]

I just bought an Elite HD yesterday from a member of the eye-patch club for $225. Does anyone know what the "IP Channel" option under "TV Channel" in the main menu is for? I couldn't find any mention of it in the manual.

 

[Lak7]

Does anyone know what the "IP Channel" option under "TV Channel" in the main menu is for?

Internet Channels.

 

[Christopherve7alb]

How exactly is it used? Can you watch live streamed channels like France24?