New Freeview HD hardware: eXtra Terrestrial Freeview HD tuner

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116 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

Trusted

#191312 22-Jan-2009 14:56

Bought the

Yess CDVB-T9900

Will let you know how I get on.
Seller prepared to take returns.

MrWestie

116 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

Trusted

#191459 23-Jan-2009 09:33

First impressions of the Yess up http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=83&TopicId=29909

Now to box and ship the ET back.

dodgemnz

51 posts

Master Geek

#191678 23-Jan-2009 21:57

Im undecided what to do with the ET now my pixilation isnt going away and it seems the Yess has its own issiues which adds to the list with Zinwell and some others i guess.

I just want to know if they are working on fixes for the pixilation........ my sound is fine, the clock has no problems, i do have occasional freezing up of the controls just about any time and especially if its been on one channel for a period of time.

Im really sad that we all have this freeview advertised on tv as the best thing out and so far i think its all rubbish, and on top of this we have retailers making wonderful claims of the best and greatest equipment to find out its not all roses? How can the NZ public be subjected to all this un-tested equipment or perhaps the transmissions are to blame???

Who do I call at freeview to see how the transmission signals can be tested?

bronto

28 posts

Geek

#191790 24-Jan-2009 12:42

Hi all, long time listener first time caller, so to speak.

I bought the ET box shortly before Christmas, in short I've also experienced most of the problems that have been reported here.

I've actually taken some photos of the pixellation that occurs, the first two are using the antenna on my roof, the second two are using one of these with a direct line of site to the sky tower:

Rooftop antenna 1
Rooftop antenna 2
Active antenna 1
Active antenna 2

The box also crashes randomly, often while changing channel or returning from the EPG. I can understand the pixellation being caused by poor signal, but the box should not crash, ever. This indicates either faulty hardware or poorly written firmware.

I got a friend to bring round his Dick Smith box the other week, it worked fine off the rooftop antenna with no issues at all. This also suggests the fault lies with the ET box, again due to poor hardware (cheap tuners?) or firmware.

People have posted that the original firmware worked fine, and it's only the stuff Pete and his mates are hacking together that doesn't work so well. This is quite possible, and doesn't bode well for the success of the PVR solution which is already 3 months late.

I'm certainly considering asking for a refund and either buying one of the Dick Smith boxes or building my own media center PC.

-bronto

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#191800 24-Jan-2009 13:50

bronto: Hi all, long time listener first time caller, so to speak.

I bought the ET box shortly before Christmas, in short I've also experienced most of the problems that have been reported here.

I've actually taken some photos of the pixellation that occurs, the first two are using the antenna on my roof, the second two are using one of these with a direct line of site to the sky tower:

Rooftop antenna 1
Rooftop antenna 2
Active antenna 1
Active antenna 2

The box also crashes randomly, often while changing channel or returning from the EPG. I can understand the pixellation being caused by poor signal, but the box should not crash, ever. This indicates either faulty hardware or poorly written firmware.

I got a friend to bring round his Dick Smith box the other week, it worked fine off the rooftop antenna with no issues at all. This also suggests the fault lies with the ET box, again due to poor hardware (cheap tuners?) or firmware.

People have posted that the original firmware worked fine, and it's only the stuff Pete and his mates are hacking together that doesn't work so well. This is quite possible, and doesn't bode well for the success of the PVR solution which is already 3 months late.

I'm certainly considering asking for a refund and either buying one of the Dick Smith boxes or building my own media center PC.

-bronto

I agree - the box should never crash. Its either dud hardware or software - cant be anything else.

Pete thinks we are all imagining problems and that its cabling/interference/leprechauns or something - but where another box can be plugged in and proven to work ok where the ET doesnt.... well you can work it out. If he was serious about his claims about the ET he would ask you nicely if he can come and have a look.

I would say that if its an option for you to get your money back, then do that and get the DSE box. There is a reason that some of the manufacturers pay to get their boxes certified. They are prepared to pay get them tested in a lab so that they can wear the sticker!

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

wiredr

203 posts

Master Geek

#191801 24-Jan-2009 13:52

hi bronto welcom abord.

i also have had the same problems as you and many other ET users. different aerials - no change , switched off at wall at nite still no improvement , i had my box with no epg upgrade and worked fine , soon as upgrades installed problems started, the only iritant is that the softeare upgrades are not backwould installable . and there is no factory reset to be able to compair different upgrades with.

the htpc is my plan b and works fine off the same aerials . i have a hp dv6000 witha haupauge 900h usb tuner , and dvbviewer
rock solid except for the lack of epg . interestingly when it was running vista the cpu load was around 60% for tv3 but is now around 13% with windows 7.

my twin tuner satellite pvr ( coship 9200a ) died yesterday so it needs to be replaced . well the ET is not an option . there arent any twin dtt pvr's that work reliable around so the unanimous decision is too upgrade my sky box to misky until a reliable dtt dual tuner pvr is available .
thats sad because i certainly like the extra quality pics on hd but that is life.

at the moment i am using a mediagate-450hd which is brilliant . so when i can figure out how to convert h264 ts video to avi i wont need an ET to wach recoeded content in my lounge.

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#191813 24-Jan-2009 14:37

the only iritant is that the softeare upgrades are not backwould installable . and there is no factory reset to be able to compair different upgrades with.

at the moment i am using a mediagate-450hd which is brilliant . so when i can figure out how to convert h264 ts video to avi i wont need an ET to wach recoeded content in my lounge.

When I bought my box it had the EPG version already installed. There have been 3 'upgrades' since the version that came pre-installed (2 in September and one in November) . Just for the hell of it 2 nights ago I regresed it back to the oldest version I have - the version before the 'clock fix'. It installed ok and sure enough the clock was all over the place. (the clock fix always worked perfectly for me). Picture just as bad as ever though (thats what I was really wanting to see). So it does seem to install old versions. Now... If I could try a copy of the pre EPG software - that would be interesting..... (assuming it installs). Anyone got a copy?

By the way - I have the MG-350HD (the 450 without the HDMI socket - it has DVI instead) - they are great little boxes. Have you seen the yahoo group at groups.yahoo.com? Though I expect the conversion that you want to do will be some trial and error from google howtos.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Brunzy

2019 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 241

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#191828 24-Jan-2009 15:57

robjg63:
bronto: Hi all, long time listener first time caller, so to speak.

I bought the ET box shortly before Christmas, in short I've also experienced most of the problems that have been reported here.

I've actually taken some photos of the pixellation that occurs, the first two are using the antenna on my roof, the second two are using one of these with a direct line of site to the sky tower:

Rooftop antenna 1
Rooftop antenna 2
Active antenna 1
Active antenna 2

The box also crashes randomly, often while changing channel or returning from the EPG. I can understand the pixellation being caused by poor signal, but the box should not crash, ever. This indicates either faulty hardware or poorly written firmware.

I got a friend to bring round his Dick Smith box the other week, it worked fine off the rooftop antenna with no issues at all. This also suggests the fault lies with the ET box, again due to poor hardware (cheap tuners?) or firmware.

People have posted that the original firmware worked fine, and it's only the stuff Pete and his mates are hacking together that doesn't work so well. This is quite possible, and doesn't bode well for the success of the PVR solution which is already 3 months late.

I'm certainly considering asking for a refund and either buying one of the Dick Smith boxes or building my own media center PC.

-bronto

I agree - the box should never crash. Its either dud hardware or software - cant be anything else.

Pete thinks we are all imagining problems and that its cabling/interference/leprechauns or something - but where another box can be plugged in and proven to work ok where the ET doesnt.... well you can work it out. If he was serious about his claims about the ET he would ask you nicely if he can come and have a look.

I would say that if its an option for you to get your money back, then do that and get the DSE box. There is a reason that some of the manufacturers pay to get their boxes certified. They are prepared to pay get them tested in a lab so that they can wear the sticker!

They(Zinwell),also send a team of engineers here for onsite testing,to try and alleviate any issues

rizzo

18 posts

Geek

#192998 30-Jan-2009 21:01

Testing, testing: has this thread been ended or has everyone run out of steam?

DaveB

1139 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 456
Inactive user

#193008 30-Jan-2009 23:01

rizzo: ..... or has everyone run out of steam?

Run out of patience perhaps?

Dawg

233 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#193017 30-Jan-2009 23:28

Nah just waiitin untill 5 feb next lot of firmware

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

InspectorGadget

208 posts

Master Geek

#193018 30-Jan-2009 23:30

Run out of steam until the update I suppose. That's what we're all hanging out for.

mentalinc

3384 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1023

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#193034 31-Jan-2009 08:04

Waiting for next thursday when everyone will come steaming in to find out the new firmware has been delayed again.

CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB: Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX

InspectorGadget

208 posts

Master Geek

#193041 31-Jan-2009 08:50

pete9321:
Here is update from our supplier ...Re/ PVR feature...

1. immediatelly recording. This step will achieve immdediate record and replay. On this step, you need to conect USB or extendal Hardish when you want to record; You need disconnect USB or extend hardish. It can record and wacth two channels on the same time at same frequncy. can record multple subtitle.; This step take many jobs, the main issue for us is to make the USB port compatiable. Now this function basicall is complete. However, there are some bugs. When we search channels, EPG function watching, sometimes the STB deadlock, it may relate to . The USB port compatiable still not can not support the most popular USB brand. We think we can only fix these bugs after we came back office from holiday. Our holiday is from Jan 21th-Feb 2nd. We think we should finish this job on Feb 10th-15th. 2. EPG and timer recording. It will provide EGP and time setting recording. This feature need 15 days after finish the first step.

I think next Thurs is a bit optimistic. Judging by what the suppliers have said to Pete there are two steps.

1) Getting the USB working. 10-15th of Feb

2) Getting the EPG recording working. Three weeks after that, so the beginning of March.

The question really will be whether Pete will organise an interim release for us on Feb the 10th-15th so we can at least start recording and feedback any issues we encounter. This would allow any issues to be fixed by the second update.

MrWestie

116 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

Trusted

#193053 31-Jan-2009 10:08

He did me a test PVR firmware when I asked for a refund.

Anyone game to take him up on it?

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