Newbie Needing Advice

[TR21]

Hi,

Im looking to buy a box and would like some advice. I'd like a box that can be updated fairly easy and that doesn't require a pc (i use a mac). If possible i'd like one that i can plug in and begin receiving all channels like sky sports and movies. Can anyone recommend a box?

Also, i noticed most boxes allow a hdd to be connected to record. Can i watch one channel and record another like one sky?

One last thing. I have a virgin feed coming into my house which is live. It's downstairs and i want my new box upstairs. What cables will i need?

Thanks for any help provided .

[TR21]

I've done a bit of research and it seems most boxes can not record another channel while watching one. Can anyone recommend a box with a twin tuner?

Thanks

[billthebus]

Starview has a box with twin tuner but I dont know much about them.Google it and im sure you will be able to get more details,hope this helped

[GeeJay48]

Just got a The Box USB flashed firmware onto usb inserted it into box turned on and just got 8882 on display cannot access menu or anything any ideas ? Thanks

[MorriSoft]

Originally Posted by GeeJay48

Just got a The Box USB flashed firmware onto usb inserted it into box turned on and just got 8882 on display cannot access menu or anything any ideas ? Thanks

8882 means fatal error - Not a good sign. What software version did you flash? V1.10?

If so you need to work out whether or not you box is a clone. The easiest way to do this is to look over the top of your box through the slits to the inside. If there is a silver cover protecting the processor, you have got a cloned box. If not, then yours is the real deal and there should be a fix available, as mentioned I believe its likely you will have to j-tag the box if this is the case.

J-Tagging: To fix the 8882 problem, you need to use a Max232 adapter with a null modem cable. The Max232 interface will cost you roughly £12 delivered from eBay. Either that or if you used a reputable supplier they may help you out, with either a repair or replacement. First port of call should be your supplier.

The Max232 acts as an interface so you can bypass the USB interface (since the USB isn't working due to a bad flash - which gives you the 8882 error).

Format your memory stick on the box first before putting firmware on stick and flashing. This may stop you from getting the 8882 error.

[Repoman123]

Originally Posted by TR21

One last thing. I have a virgin feed coming into my house which is live. It's downstairs and i want my new box upstairs. What cables will i need?

Thanks for any help provided .

I think to do this you will need to buy a splitter and split the feed coming into your house downstairs so you can carry on sending the original feed to where ever it is going and with the second feed you'll need to attach a really long normal aerial cable so it goes upstairs. Relatively big job, either you can feed the cable through the ceiling and through the upstairs floor or you can attach it along the skirting boards or something going up the stairs.

You can pick up a splitter and some cable pretty cheap on ebay. I looked into it when I wanted my xbox to be connected to live without buying the expensive wireless adaptor, I just ended up moving my xbox upstairs and playing it on a smaller tv.

I'm about 95% sure this is what you have to do but there is a small chance I'm wrong?

[MorriSoft]

Originally Posted by Repoman123

I think to do this you will need to buy a splitter and split the feed coming into your house downstairs so you can carry on sending the original feed to where ever it is going and with the second feed you'll need to attach a really long normal aerial cable so it goes upstairs. Relatively big job, either you can feed the cable through the ceiling and through the upstairs floor or you can attach it along the skirting boards or something going up the stairs.

You can pick up a splitter and some cable pretty cheap on ebay. I looked into it when I wanted my xbox to be connected to live without buying the expensive wireless adaptor, I just ended up moving my xbox upstairs and playing it on a smaller tv.

I'm about 95% sure this is what you have to do but there is a small chance I'm wrong?

You are correct mate, no worries about being wrong there fella!

[Repoman123]

Lol cheers Morrisoft, I'm slowly getting the hang of things! I still can't believe we've been paying people to sort our cable boxes out for us for years now when all this info and all these helpful people have been around for just as long!

[MorriSoft]

Originally Posted by Repoman123

Lol cheers Morrisoft, I'm slowly getting the hang of things! I still can't believe we've been paying people to sort our cable boxes out for us for years now when all this info and all these helpful people have been around for just as long!

If not longer!

I was lucky not to have had to pay anyone to do this or that, as my interest in 'playing' with CATV networks only became apparent when I first visited the forum (as a guest) just before christmas last year!

Upon registering in February this year, I already knew quite a bit from reading up on here, and just half a year later, I know everything I need to, and then some!

Keep it up mate, its great to see others like myself joining and contributing to the best of thier abilities, makes me certain I am not wasting my time on the 'one line wonders' some newer members seem to chuck up on this forum!

Plenty here to help, just gotta show you have initiative first, well done mate, good to see the right attitude on a new member!

[Repoman123]

Since I graduated I've had much more time on my hands, I actually stumbled upon this site just before my final exam period, a period where I didn't have much spare time so the techwatch forums bookmark was just collecting dust but now that I've had more time to look into things I've been doing some reading up and stuff, I now know enough so we don't have to pay the 'guy' my dad knows which I think is a wicked achievement. There was a time where everyone I knew would just assume the people in the know were like gods because they could bring us expensive channels for 20quid and we'd all cave but I realise it isn't rocket science!

We have a starview 1 box, I've ordered the rs232 to USB cable from ebay last night so once that arrives I'm gonna load the new fw on our box and hopefully we won't ever have to call that 'guy' again. According to some of the sticky threads we are one fw behind the latest so hopefully once I've loaded that fw on, we won't have the little problems we are currently having.

I'm also gonna get a starview 4 box for my gf and load the fw on that for her too so they can watch all the channels without paying for them too. So spending a little time getting to know everyone here and helping out when I can is a really small price to pay if you ask me. After all, it's the people that make the forums!

Thanks for the welcome mate, much appreciated.