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el bandido
01-27-2012, 11:58 PM
The Amiko SHD-8900 Alien really got my attention. I search the internet for fta software and hardware as part of a hobby. When I saw this receiver,I simply could not pass it up. I just have finished paying $258.99 for this receiver and its optional wireless keyboard. This price includes a 3 year warranty through square trade on Ebay. Expected wait time for the shipping is approximately 2 weeks.
The Amiko SHD-8900 has a lot of features that I have dreamed about a fta receiver having. I dunno, maybe I just blew a couple of hundred bucks on a piece of junk, but I am sick and tired of the over-priced fta receivers with piss poor firmwares that are available in the U.S. & the North American Market.
One feature that stands out for me on this particular Amiko is the dual boot capability. I expect the SHD-8900 receiver to have the feel of two different receivers with the dual boot. The Amiko SHD-8900 pvr can also record not one or two but up to four SD programs at one time.
A .pdf review from a good source is attached. Please take the time to read the review and tell me what you think. I realize $260.00 U.S. is a steep price for a fta receiver, but look at all of the features and options I get for that money. I paid almost $260.00 for a Pansat 9500HDx receiver not long ago.
Buying a fta receiver like this is a very risky venture at best. To be as safe as possible, I purchased this receiver through Ebay. I also researched the seller as best as I could, and I paid with PayPal. Hopefully, I purchased an excellent receiver that very few people have in this part of the world, and at worst, I have lost some money. One thing is for sure: I could not stomach buying another Ali based receiver, so I decided to pass on the new SatAv product and put my money in this thing. Only time will tell if I made the right decision. EB

el bandido
01-28-2012, 12:56 AM
Here is a link to a video that shows some of the menus and capabilities of this receiver.


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

easily confused
01-28-2012, 06:44 AM
Darn, I was hoping, for that price, we would have seen 4:2:2 chroma included. Didn't see AC3 audio but I am assuming that is the Dolby Digital listed under Technical specs? Definitely a far cry, in price, from the new S-12!

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 07:47 AM
I can see why you have one on the way EB, looks very interesting , I have not read the whole review yet buy, looks like very fast scanning, pid entry and and and..Looking forward to hearing from you on how it performs.

Oh, I embedded the video for you above..

el bandido
01-28-2012, 08:01 AM
I do not know if it does 4:2:2 or not, but I assume there is no 4:2:2.
I have seen AC3 in some of the videos so I am not too worried about that. My only question about ac3: Is it available through the hdmi connector or is a separate cable needed? For this $260.00 price, I got the remote keyboard and a video player that is supposed to actually play some videos besides what the receiver can record. Plus, the receiver supports wireless 3G devices and usb wifi devices. This will make it easier to connect the receiver to the internet. Plug-ins are another option that I will have to explore.

Almost any DVB S2 receiver will appear to be high priced when compared to the $49.00 price of the S12. As far as comparing the price to the S12, what do you actually get with a S12? The S12 is made out of the cheapest materials available, and it is missing some hardware. The S12 internet connection is useless for this part of the world and the video player on the S12 or any other current Openbox product will not play much of a variety of videos. Playing YouTube or other internet videos on the S12 is a pipe dream.
My $260.00 Amiko SHD-8900 Alien price reflects two options that I did not have to buy. I purchased the wireless keyboard plus an extended three year warranty and these two options drove the price up about 60 dollars. I could have purchased the Amiko SHD-8900 Alien for 189.00 dollars if I had not purchased these two options.
Currently, the Manhattan sells(or is advertised) for around $175.00, the Pansat 9500 HDX sells for a little over $200.00, and Sat Av says his new micro receiver will sell for around $125.00. The Amiko SHD-8900 Alien does not have that steep of a price when you look at the other receiver prices, then factor in what you are supposed to get for the money.

el bandido
01-28-2012, 08:04 AM
I can see why you have one on the way EB, looks very interesting , I have not read the whole review yet buy, looks like very fast scanning, pid entry and and and..Looking forward to hearing from you on how it performs.

Oh, I embedded the video for you above..

Thanks for embedding the video but I still see the link and not the video...
I like electronics with bells and whistles. If it works as advertised, I bet you will get one too...lol

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 08:10 AM
A Hungarian receiver at that.. not sure if I have seen or heard of one from there..Do they have a website for file releases? and do they have other models or is this the first for them?

I think 189 is reasonable for the features..what about the sat list..have you found an editor to make NA satellite lists?

easily confused
01-28-2012, 08:10 AM
I did notice all the different video formats it plays and that is a definite plus. I had about 20 recorded movies on my external HDD in avi. format that the S-9 will not play. I see this receiver will play avi and many others. That is a definite plus, and you're right, once you read the complete write up, $260 is not a huge outlay when you consider what it does. The idea of internet connectivity is great, as well. I will definitely be watching for your reviews on this box.

Guest
01-28-2012, 08:31 AM
There's a full review of this receiver in this months issue:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

el bandido
01-28-2012, 08:33 AM
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

One of the Amiko websites is listed in the above link.
Software updates can be done over the internet if you boot in Spark. (Remember, there are two different firmware boots for this receiver. It is a dual boot piece.) I do not see any problems getting the updates that are available for this receiver.
I have found some tools and a channel editor program, but I understand that the channel editor in the receiver is more powerful than what we are used to with the Ali firmwares. I will post firmware links and tools for this receiver once I actually get the receiver and run it a little bit. I have two weeks at least to search and prepare for the arrival of this receiver.
Overall, from what I have seen, the reviews are good and there are not many complaints about this receiver's performance. TELESatellite magazine is supposed to review the remote keyboard for this receiver in the January 2012 issue. I will look at Costa's link and see what they say about it.

el bandido
01-28-2012, 08:42 AM
Costa's link has the same information as my .pdf file in post#1. I understood there is supposed to be a review of the remote keyboard in this month's issue of the TeleSatellite magazine. EB

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 08:46 AM
Looks like they pump out the firmware pretty good, file sizes are more along the azbox size.


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Bellboy
01-28-2012, 08:53 AM
A Hungarian receiver at that.. not sure if I have seen or heard of one from there..Do they have a website for file releases? and do they have other models or is this the first for them?

I think 189 is reasonable for the features..what about the sat list..have you found an editor to make NA satellite lists?

here their web site with downloads & SparkEditor_Beta. hxxp://[Only registered and activated users can see links]

el bandido
01-28-2012, 09:28 AM
Thanks. I will make a note of the website.
Dual boot(Spark & Alien) means you need two of everything unless you only want to use only one of the two operating systems.
I will put something on the table now. Attached is the Amiko toolbox. This is a multiple utility that contains some common Ali3602 tools, plus the Alien channel editor. The first order of business will be to make a North American sat file for the Amiko.

Note: I have posted this utility here in this thread because I have not tested it on any firmware(s). Feel free to move it to the files section if you see fit. Check it out. It is a very nice multiple utility. EB

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 10:12 AM
Yep, nice utility.. we can leave it here for now and if it's as advertised we will make a section for it.

I just ordered one, no keyboard at 189.. are we going to have to change the ac plug?

el bandido
01-28-2012, 10:20 AM
You ordered one???LOL. OK. You can share the pains or gains with me...
I expect it to have the same plug as the Openbox, so it will probably need an adapter.
The receiver's power supply is designed for 50-60 hertz at 100-200 volts. This design allows it to be compatible in almost any part of the world.

BTW, Costa's link works. I had more than one .pdf file open and got confused. I think the review of the Amiko remote is on page 48 of his link. The download for his link is close to 100MB.

another link to embed:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 10:41 AM
Yes I ordered one fokker... see what you get me into....lol

It looks like a fun box, so what the hell!

musicmanitou
01-28-2012, 10:47 AM
Looking forward to reading your review. Looks like a great receiver.

el bandido
01-28-2012, 10:48 AM
Yes I ordered one fokker... see what you get me into....lol

It looks like a fun box, so what the hell!

Yeah...Well...Look at page 48 in Costa's link. You will find information on the remote keyboard. I find this remote keyboard to be about as interesting as the receiver itself.
Also, they mention a huge Alien firmware update and describe how to load this update in the receiver.

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 12:16 PM
I will see how I get by with no Keyboard for now, can always add one later. for 189 I'll test it like this first.

I'm pumped to try this thing out..lol

el bandido
01-28-2012, 12:49 PM
I think you will get by just fine without the wireless remote because the firmware update has a virtual remote built-in.

ViP3R
01-28-2012, 03:01 PM
I think you will get by just fine without the wireless remote because the firmware update has a virtual remote built-in.

Oh for sure EB, I will get by..nice to have another option though..I think this will turn out to be a very interesting box.. the possibility's seem far beyond what we have now..

el bandido
01-29-2012, 08:22 AM
Here is a post and link for an Enigma2 update for the 8900.
For the fta receivers in North America, it is common for only a few items to be fixed in a firmware release.(One company recently released an update with only one item added.) I look forward to trying some of these Enigma updates. EB




[Only registered and activated users can see links] Re: Amiko Alien 8900 Enigma2 by Jole911
New image from PKT ... HAARP v3c !
===========================




Image is designed for installation in FLASH !!!
Support receiver: Golden Media 990 (SPARK)
Kernel stm24-207

Added by sh4 Duckbox Team:

- [eplayer3] playback aac-he streams with aac-lc
- fix timing problem in filepush
- [Player2 179/191] possible fix for chopped DTS sound on some files
- [e2 nightly-0]introduce 3D Mode for OSD ( paint OSD twice in Side by Side or Top and Bottom )
- [libeplayer3] support for OSD 3D modes for subtitles
- [libeplayer2, libeplayer3] Close directory file handles after looking for subtitle files
- new BusyBox 1.19.3
- extend streamproxy to support linuxdvbapi5
- [player2_191/player2_179]resturucture dts fix. The fix now only applys to DTS streams and the playback time is only corrected on time differences up to 50ms this MAY fix some issues with async sound
- [player191] adoptions from p179; bugfix for 710x receiver (HD channel problems)
- [player2_191] fsynth bugfix
- fix ufs910 audio on scart
- use utf8 as python default
- adapt wrong page_offset and improve mem
- [stmfb] fix wrong alpha behaviour
- [tuxtxt] add freezer work on hd
- update: boost 1.48.0 and ffmpeg 0.8.7
- update: curl v7.23.1
- [player191] readd orfhd sound fix


Added by PKT:

- new function "live ecm" in infobar
- show Channel Number on Front Pannel + ON/OFF in setup menu
- upgrade CrossEPG svn 268
- fix qwerty VirtualKeyboard
- fix Backup/Autorestore function | LABEL=RECOVERY required
- fix channel number showing on VFD if long channel name
- set home directory to /root
- EPG description on channel list -> ON
- change reading of ecm.info
- new converters and skins modifications
- fix dimmer action when channel switch
- fix parsing PROV, CAID, PID
- moving EPG support to KeyMapper
- ReferencePKT optimization
- set PKTGoldHD as default skin
- fix CIFS mount if passwd is empty
- MPlayer fix GS of EOF
- upgrade formating device in Install Manager
- update EmuManager v1.0.6
- add sh4Cam support & gbox fix
- font FIX moved to Skin setup
- remove unnused files or BP menu settings modification
- fix showing processes
- res_emu in standby add in BP->Settings
- tune and fix sys_info
- add showing /Loaded modules/ in BP ->Menu ->System
- update WIFI scripts:
* add detecting of supported USB WLAN adapters
* user is informed about unsupported device
* optimize selecting WLAN driver
* optimize starting WLAN driver
- fix show event-progress in channel selection
- fix crossEPG
- PKT InstallManager 1.2.2
- PKT KeyMapper 1.5
- update Permanent Clock
- fix EMUManager russian translate
- add green button support in Media Player
- fix streamproxy after reboot
- add support for fake cccam

+ change only in HAARP V3c version
- picons update
- added BPanel activation in MoviePlayer ( key blue )
- added compatibility to standard non PKTeams skins
- fix dot on VFD if channel number is not available
- fix for radio mode wallpaper
- fix showing picons on channels list, when are located in /hdd/picon folder
- added /media/usb/picon to picons search folders
- 2nd generation of speed up channels zap
- add standby smooth extingushing TV
- channel list update
- display quality improvement
- new BluePanel 2D v3.1.21 with graphic interface:
-- added function to check update is needed
-- added color & numeric keys actions support to immidiate plugin/function/menu activation
-- 1st row - keys: 1, 2, 3, 4
-- 2nd row - keys: 5, 6, 7, 8
-- 3rd row - keys: red, green, yellow, blue
-- added menu key action support
-- added changelog information menu
-- added synchronization of local time and date from NTP server
-- added on/Off the smooth extinguish TV while switching to standby mode
- fix missing reference.dat
- fix international fonts switch in Skin Setup
- screenshot OSD fix
- fix GS on GlassHD skin
- upgrade e2 to 2011-09-13-experimental
- fix exception on hddtemp running on box with no sata port
- fix GS in TimeShift path Menu
- fix sata HDD sleep in standby
- add new Webinterface v1.6.8
- add WebMedia 4.0
- add new Multimedia items in BP
- fix firmware update checking
- [ALL] extinguishing fix
- [ALL] MediaPlayer GS fix - RuntimeError
- [ALL] fix crash system after Factory reset
- [ALL] probably sleeping hdd fix in standby
- [ALL] set default highSR=OFF
- [ALL] fix Left/Right Key action in KeyMapper
- [ALL] add % loaded e2 process while BOX have VFD display
- [ALL] fix exit from CutListEditor
- [SPARK] faster channel zap

FTP login: root, passwd: pkteam

Download firmware file:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

el bandido
01-29-2012, 10:22 AM
Attached file explaining how to upgrade the 8900.
Upgrading this receiver is nothing like we are used to with Ali based receivers.:hhh:

easily confused
01-29-2012, 10:35 AM
In the upgrade guide for both Spark and Enigma2 they say "1. We only recommend Kingston USB stick, we don’t support USB hard disk"

Does this also mean that in order to use it as a PVR, you need to use a Kingston USB stick and cannot record and play from a USB HDD?

ViP3R
01-29-2012, 10:51 AM
I believe all they are saying is use a good quality USB stick such as Kingston and not to use your USB drive that you would use for recording.

easily confused
01-29-2012, 11:14 AM
I believe all they are saying is use a good quality USB stick such as Kingston and not to use your USB drive that you would use for recording.

Ok, so this is for upgrading only. Thanks.

ViP3R
01-29-2012, 11:33 AM
Ok, so this is for upgrading only. Thanks.

Exactly EC, just for updating the box..I guess the same could be said for any box on using a good quality USB stick.. I have run into problems before with the cheap ones that you sometimes get with a new box.

el bandido
01-29-2012, 12:03 PM
Read the review that is in the .pdf file of the first post. In that review, they talk about recording 4 SD channels at the same time. Nowhere do they mention that a usb stick is the only option for recording.
I have also seen comments about the Amiko being able to access the hard drives of other computers on the network and playing video content from them. I think this information can be found starting on page 48 in Costa's link.

On another note, I see options to change channel and guide skins. It looks like if you get tired of what you are looking at, you can change it to something else.

With the Amiko, you are not seeing the results from one or two people coding and making firmware changes. You are seeing the results of several groups of people making firmware changes. This is totally different from the single Ali coder mindset we have here in the N.A. products.
With the N.A. Ali fta receivers, you get the perception of the vendor pulling shades around his coder and coding so you cannot see what they are doing, let alone participate. It appears that they expect you to be happy if a single item is added in a firmware update, and you are expected to be happy with things not working or things not working right. I have had enough of this mentality, and this is the main reason for me buying the Amiko receiver. The coding you are seeing in the Amiko is more open and lots of talented people are allowed to participate in its structure.
There are Ali tools that could be released which would make the NA receivers we have now much more enjoyable to us. But it will never happen unless people quit buying their products and demand more from their firmwares.

ViP3R
01-29-2012, 01:23 PM
I foresee a fun ride with this box, the possibility's with plugins and addons seem endless. Much reading to be done yet, but I will say for the first time in some time I am excited about getting this new box.. been a while since we have had something truly different to play with. Like you say EB, they fix numerous things at a time rather than one thing that fixes something yet breaks other things...lol

We will be adding some sections for this box sometime soon.

el bandido
01-29-2012, 05:07 PM
Note: This post was copied from Antox.




Re: Amiko SHD-8900 ALIEN/Enigma How to Upgrade plugin by FTP
Quote:


Upgrade Step:
1. Set your STB IP addr in system/Net setting menu
2.connect your PC to STB by LAN, now we only support LAN, do not support WLAN
3.Use ftp to telnet stb and copy plugin folder to /root



Upgrade Spark7111 by USB
Quote:
[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2"] Preparation:
1. We only recommend Kingston USB stick, we don

el bandido
01-30-2012, 05:55 AM
Darn, I was hoping, for that price, we would have seen 4:2:2 chroma included. Didn't see AC3 audio but I am assuming that is the Dolby Digital listed under Technical specs? Definitely a far cry, in price, from the new S-12!
4:2:2 may be possible because the Amiko 8900 is similar to the AZBox. I suspect the Amiko will have the 4:2:2 codec in one of its operating systems. I did not buy the Amiko for 4:2:2 so it will be a bonus for me if it has it. EB

el bandido
01-30-2012, 06:04 PM
This is the best Enigma plug-in I have found.

[QUOTE]Enigma Signal Meter v0.006

Small and simple Windows application for fine tuning your satellite dish with Enigma 1 and 2 based satellite reciever. You

ViP3R
01-30-2012, 06:14 PM
Very nice..lol this just sounds like to much fun! Like mentioned above the possibility's do seem endless..:cool3:

easily confused
01-31-2012, 07:29 AM
Just a quick question, here. Does anyone know if the clock, on this box works? Apparently, the Chinese don't seem to care if the clock works so I was wondering about this box. I can set the time on my S-9 and it's fine as long as I leave the box turned on but I wonder if this will cause a problem with the box over the long term. Everything I read about this box tempts me to order one but I haven't figured how to get it without getting caught, haha!

musicmanitou
01-31-2012, 07:51 AM
Just a quick question, here. Does anyone know if the clock, on this box works? Apparently, the Chinese don't seem to care if the clock works so I was wondering about this box. I can set the time on my S-9 and it's fine as long as I leave the box turned on but I wonder if this will cause a problem with the box over the long term. Everything I read about this box tempts me to order one but I haven't figured how to get it without getting caught, haha!

To get it without getting caught you need to have it delivered to a buddy's house, about a week before you expect it to arrive you need to get up a few times during the night to "Use the bathroom" each time you spend a little extra time, on the day it arrives you hide it in the garage, closet, car or where ever, you wait until night and when you get up for one of your "Bathroom" visits you connect your new toy and hide it in plain sight, it may be days or weeks before she notices. If you get caught she might get mad, but she may be relieved that you don't really have a prostate problem.

easily confused
01-31-2012, 08:33 AM
That is one elaborate plan, MM. I think it would be simpler to just put up with being in trouble for a while. Considering she is a very light sleeper, doubt I'd get away with anything like that, but I must say you seem to have thought this one out well, Done it before?? LOL

el bandido
01-31-2012, 08:41 AM
To get it without getting caught you need to have it delivered to a buddy's house, about a week before you expect it to arrive you need to get up a few times during the night to "Use the bathroom" each time you spend a little extra time, on the day it arrives you hide it in the garage, closet, car or where ever, you wait until night and when you get up for one of your "Bathroom" visits you connect your new toy and hide it in plain sight, it may be days or weeks before she notices. If you get caught she might get mad, but she may be relieved that you don't really have a prostate problem.

Lol... I assume you are speaking from experience???

Seriously, you might want to wait a bit before ordering one of these because they are made to European Standards and I do not know what all that will affect here. I suspect it will not be much but it would be wise to wait and see. My receiver should arrive sometime next week.

el bandido
01-31-2012, 08:55 AM
Let's not get our hopes too high but I have asked directly about 4:2:2 video format. The reply i received is quoted below. 4:2:2 Should not be difficult because AZBox has it.


Hi again

The engineers said it should be ok with the format you have specified but i am waiting for an official answer from the vendors.

That is a heck of a lots better response than the hard to understand, broken English responses I am used to getting. EB

easily confused
01-31-2012, 09:00 AM
Lol... I assume you are speaking from experience???

Seriously, you might want to wait a bit before ordering one of these because they are made to European Standards and I do not know what all that will affect here. I suspect it will not be much but it would be wise to wait and see. My receiver should arrive sometime next week.

Oh, I planned on waiting, but this thing is starting to sound so darn interesting that I am really strongly considering one. Hopefully they will offer NA setups with applicable sats, time zones, etc.

el bandido
01-31-2012, 09:54 AM
A North American time zone is probably already in it. I am sure they put as many world-wide features in it as they could. Read the TELESat reviews on recording and you will not find them mentioning any problems with the timers or the clock functions. of course, this does not tell us for certain that these things work, but those reviews are pretty thorough.

As for the North American satellite file, there isn't one. We will have to build it from scratch and I have already started on this for the Enigma firmware. I do not have a sat file for the Spark firmware yet. I will build one for Spark when i find the needed file or when I get the receiver.

el bandido
02-02-2012, 08:47 AM
Attached is the owner's manual for the Amiko 8900. This manual is in Adobe .pdf format. EB

ViP3R
02-02-2012, 12:23 PM
Thread moved to the new Alien section..:th_thumbs20up:

Yankee495
02-03-2012, 02:12 AM
This is for sure what I want! None on ebay now. I have a roku and S9 and if I could crossbreed the dam things...

Keyboard+
Media player+
Web+

Well, it looks like it rocks though you guys will have to build sat lists. But hey, save it and you won't have to again.

I have a little money and if I don't spend it on something the wife will...I've been looking for something to drop a couple bills on...

Once I have it, she don't complain! She'd die without the Roku or S9...her laptop would have to save her life!

I got a email about this box and I've been away looking for deals on computer parts...got some good ones.

Hint: Logitec C910 new is near $100, refurbs are cheaper, $60....but logitec has, on their site, a dented box deal for $60 with full warranty.

Anyway, it is way late here...was gonna go to bed but now, gotta read this...

Where to order? None on ebay...

I AGREE the ALI chinese junk and games are getting old...it is a shame...they could've done it right the first time and I'm only talking about the basic features it was supposed to have like a CLOCK!

Sorry about all that.

el bandido
02-03-2012, 09:37 AM
We are still working on getting these receivers into North America, but I sent you a PM on where to order one now. Let me know if you have any problems.
My Amiko should be here next week. EB

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 11:06 AM
The old S9 has a SCART and the adapters on ebay give you composite & Svideo out. I have two of them and they're only like $2.50 or something like that and will probably work on the Amiko for someone wanting Svideo.

For $2-$3 it's worth a shot. Reading the manual now. The wife wants a tablet...well so do I. I have a really bad back and today it is killin' me. Would be nice to kick back with and read this stuff.

Anyway, the new file that makes the S9 clock work sometimes crashes and reboots while rewinding and she don't like that because she is missing American Idol...she about had a fit.

When you think about price/features it is a bargain...

I did read the telesat stuff...looks very nice.

ViP3R
02-04-2012, 11:13 AM
The old S9 has a SCART and the adapters on ebay give you composite & Svideo out. I have two of them and they're only like $2.50 or something like that and will probably work on the Amiko for someone wanting Svideo.

For $2-$3 it's worth a shot. Reading the manual now. The wife wants a tablet...well so do I. I have a really bad back and today it is killin' me. Would be nice to kick back with and read this stuff.

Anyway, the new file that makes the S9 clock work sometimes crashes and reboots while rewinding and she don't like that because she is missing American Idol...she about had a fit.

When you think about price/features it is a bargain...

I did read the telesat stuff...looks very nice.

I also ordered a scart RGB to component adapter to test with the Alien.. for 5 bucks it should give me component to go along with the HDMI.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Eye_Patch
02-04-2012, 11:27 AM
I'm thinking I will wait until the 'blind-scan' feature will be added before I order my Alien. I do tons of feed hunting and need my blind-scan ability. Otherwise, nice box.

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 11:29 AM
Main Processor
450M Hz based CPU
Flash Memory
Nor flash:8MB X 1 ; Nand flash:512MB X 1
DDR SDRAM
DDR2 128MB x 2

I wonder what CPU? Also, this worries me...

MEPG-1 layer I/II, Mpeg2 layerII, Dolby digital

Will it do AC3 for METV out HDMI?

I like that Info screen.

I don't see multiple sat scan, but that is ok...

I going to research AC3...

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 11:36 AM
I found this:

First Enigma 2 image for Amiko Allien-BETA
e2_Alien_RSP173_G1906 beta 04

We would like to once again express our gratitude for all TDT and active "sh4_duckbox_project" mebers for their entire work that have open our way and guided us.


- stm23_0123
- player2 179
- eplayer3
- "high bitrate" bug resolved
- AC3 and DTS (when DTS downmix is OFF) forwarded to S/PDIF and HDMI

In the new release the main benefits are : the new media player witch plays smootly any movie file and the exceptional picture stability at any bitrate !
The quality sound fans are granted with AC3 and DTS (when DTS downmix is OFF) forwarded to S/PDIF and HDMI.

The known unsolved bugs are :
- no output on the SCART
- no HD skins ...yet !
- some strange artefacts in video mode 1080i on Thor HD channels (use 720P or 1080P)
- the cardreader driver still in hold !

- U need 1 FAT32 formated USB
- create one folder named /enigma2
- Power OFF the receiver from the back switch
- plug in the USB
- press the OK button on the front panel and power ON the receiver
- hold the OK button till on the display you will see the following message:
FORC ( forced boot )
- press "down" ( V ) button and on the display, you will see "ENIG" message now press OK
- power OFF the receiver, press "OK"and power ON again
- after the FORC message appear press "right" ( > ) and wait till the upgrade is complete

_______________

It does say AC3 forwarded thru HDMI and no output on SCART yet.

Someone mentioned upgrade thru high quality USB stick. I think this is because of the HDD being mechanical and prone to more failures...Most likely will work fine.

ViP3R
02-04-2012, 11:59 AM
I'm thinking I will wait until April when the 'blind-scan' feature will be added before I order my Alien. I do tons of feed hunting and need my blind-scan ability. Otherwise, nice box.


It has blindscan now, otherwise I would not have bothered..lol

It does ac3 through HDMI and it's a STI 7111 chip.

ViP3R
02-04-2012, 12:03 PM
I found this:

First Enigma 2 image for Amiko Allien-BETA
e2_Alien_RSP173_G1906 beta 04

We would like to once again express our gratitude for all TDT and active "sh4_duckbox_project" mebers for their entire work that have open our way and guided us.


- stm23_0123
- player2 179
- eplayer3
- "high bitrate" bug resolved
- AC3 and DTS (when DTS downmix is OFF) forwarded to S/PDIF and HDMI

In the new release the main benefits are : the new media player witch plays smootly any movie file and the exceptional picture stability at any bitrate !
The quality sound fans are granted with AC3 and DTS (when DTS downmix is OFF) forwarded to S/PDIF and HDMI.

The known unsolved bugs are :
- no output on the SCART
- no HD skins ...yet !
- some strange artefacts in video mode 1080i on Thor HD channels (use 720P or 1080P)
- the cardreader driver still in hold !

- U need 1 FAT32 formated USB
- create one folder named /enigma2
- Power OFF the receiver from the back switch
- plug in the USB
- press the OK button on the front panel and power ON the receiver
- hold the OK button till on the display you will see the following message:
FORC ( forced boot )
- press "down" ( V ) button and on the display, you will see "ENIG" message now press OK
- power OFF the receiver, press "OK"and power ON again
- after the FORC message appear press "right" ( > ) and wait till the upgrade is complete

_______________

It does say AC3 forwarded thru HDMI and no output on SCART yet.

Someone mentioned upgrade thru high quality USB stick. I think this is because of the HDD being mechanical and prone to more failures...Most likely will work fine.

It can be upgraded via Ethernet, USB or rs232.. They just recommend using a good quality USB stick and not the hard drive you would use for recording.

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 12:09 PM
Viper got it, STI 7111 and there are other boxes with that chip...Some don't have the scart.

Blind scan...missed it and assumed it had it.

From the manual:


10.1.11 Single Scan
1. Press [RED] key, it will show up a dialog to ask you scan mode (means you want to scan all channels or only scan free channels), program type (means you want to scan all channels or only scan TV/Radio channels), scan type (means preset scan, that is searching the existed TP. Automatic Scan means blind scan. It is no need existed TP info) and NIT Search on/off. After you set up, press [ENTER] key to start scanning.


Didn't see PID edit. Probably over looked it.

ViP3R
02-04-2012, 12:14 PM
Viper got it, STI 7111 and there are other boxes with that chip...Some don't have the scart.

Blind scan...missed it and assumed it had it.

From the manual:


10.1.11 Single Scan
1. Press [RED] key, it will show up a dialog to ask you scan mode (means you want to scan all channels or only scan free channels), program type (means you want to scan all channels or only scan TV/Radio channels), scan type (means preset scan, that is searching the existed TP. Automatic Scan means blind scan. It is no need existed TP info) and NIT Search on/off. After you set up, press [ENTER] key to start scanning.


Didn't see PID edit. Probably over looked it.

Yes, pretty sure I did see PID addition as well...;)

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 12:19 PM
I am not finding anything on manual PID's. With update over network it wouldn't be so bad. I could just edit on my laptop and tell it to load it. I hate getting up and down out of my chair 10 times to fix the CW's and they get the PIDs screwed up from time to time on a my Viewsat & S9.

ViP3R
02-04-2012, 12:21 PM
I am not finding anything on manual PID's. With update over network it wouldn't be so bad. I could just edit on my laptop and tell it to load it. I hate getting up and down out of my chair 10 times to fix the CW's and they get the PIDs screwed up from time to time on a my Viewsat & S9.

I did see a screenshot of the manual PID addition in the Alien..I just can't remember where..I should have saved it..lol

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 02:25 PM
If it will use a different wireless keyboard here is a trackball version.

Looks just like the Amiko but with trackball. The Amiko keyboard says compatible with XP, Vista & Win7...so it looks to be a normal 2.4 Ghz keyboard. If so, you could use a full sized one.

These are available on ebay.

2801

el bandido
02-04-2012, 03:34 PM
I have counted about 3 different teams producing Enigma or E2 software for the Amiko Alien. This is in addition to the Spark firmware. Remember this receiver is dual boot???
I saw where a version of Spark found 2500 channels on a satellite in under five minutes. I think this info was in TELESat. I also saw where it locked on skinny transponders below 2000SR.
I remember seeing a pid addition also, but I do not remember which version or variety of firmware has it. We are looking at a receiver that has been developed for over 6 months. The Alien was released in the first part of 2011, so most of the bugs have been worked out. Plus, features and plug-ins have been added.

I expect other remote keyboards to work also, but I wanted to see what the factory offered first.

Yankee495
02-04-2012, 05:55 PM
I was reading at another US site that the manufacturer says it will not blind scan...

The manual does say "Automatic Scan means blind scan. It is no need existed TP info) and NIT Search on/off. After you set up, press [ENTER] key to start scanning."

They recommend not buying one "at this time", posted today, because of NO BLIND SCAN. Maybe they have a ton of S9-S12 stock to unload before people discover the Amiko?

They also say they had to edit tons of stuff to get a channel. This site also claimed to have the only "Factory FW" for the S9.

Jim S.
02-05-2012, 03:10 PM
Yeah, this bit about not having blind scan bothers me, since He Who Shall Not Be Named does claim to actually have a receiver, unlike anyone here. I wonder if the factory has just copied the English manual from some other receiver and forgot to change it?

He also says that USALS didn't work in the western hemisphere before he modified it, and the polarity selection voltage was 14/19 instead of 13/18 (although I'm not sure what that matters -- I would think the LNBs would be tolerant of 1 volt difference!)

ViP3R
02-05-2012, 03:27 PM
Yeah, this bit about not having blind scan bothers me, since He Who Shall Not Be Named does claim to actually have a receiver, unlike anyone here. I wonder if the factory has just copied the English manual from some other receiver and forgot to change it?

He also says that USALS didn't work in the western hemisphere before he modified it, and the polarity selection voltage was 14/19 instead of 13/18 (although I'm not sure what that matters -- I would think the LNBs would be tolerant of 1 volt difference!)

USALS is designed as you know to work anywhere,,It's a trademark...If this person is modifying USALS he is violating that trademark and infringing on copy-write materiel ! and should be punished to the full extent of the law...lmao

We should have a few boxes here next week and will be posting what we find...

lme
02-08-2012, 09:55 AM
The price went up just one day after I order one.
I know the quality of hugarian products from many years ago (Orion tv set), so I did buy it before the chinese are clonning it..

rrob311
02-10-2012, 09:27 PM
So nobody has gotten their hands on this unit yet? It looks awesome and I bet it could eliminate the computers in my room. I wonder if you can watch TV in one window and have the web browser window open at the same time. That would be great.

el bandido
02-10-2012, 09:41 PM
Mine is not here yet. It has been up in New York for the past several days. I think the original 13 colonies received mail at about the same speed back in the 1700's as we do today. No wonder USPS is in financial trouble. EB

rrob311
02-10-2012, 09:47 PM
Hmm, where is a good place to pick one of these up? If it is as good as it looks I want one. Seems to blow everything else out of the water.

el bandido
02-10-2012, 09:56 PM
If you want one right now, let me know. I suggest you wait a day or two at least and let me look at mine. This Amiko receiver is one of three we are looking at. There is another receiver we have listed on this forum that will be a better choice for some than this one, depending on what you want it to do. The one I am talking about is the Optibox Raptor. Check it out!!! EB

ViP3R
02-11-2012, 09:05 AM
I just got the Alien yesterday, but did not have much time to set things up and figure things out yet.

Working on loading a NA sat list is number one. I just edited a sat and entered some tp's for 97W KU, I wanted to try the KU side first to test USALS..this appears to be working fine.

Also hooked up a home plug for internet and this worked very well, just hit IP Config and it was set up in seconds.. tried out youtube zero problems, You can go to the menu and portal with internet and they have a Spark App store were you just click to add the app..there is a nice Concert app with free concerts, searchable by artist, genres and others. Sorry EC, youporn is not working at the moment..lmao

When new software is added for Spark you can just download right from the box.. very easy!

I tried the dual boot and loaded enigma2, this worked as advertised as well. A whole new menu with many other things to learn here.

Just a general look around around is all I have really done at the moment..But I can tell this box will keep us very busy.

easily confused
02-11-2012, 10:24 AM
"Sorry EC, youporn is not working at the moment..lmao"

:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

Tell you what, I'll trade off the youporn for a blind scan. :th_thumbs20up::th_thumbs20up:

ViP3R
02-11-2012, 11:04 AM
"Sorry EC, youporn is not working at the moment..lmao"

:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah:

Tell you what, I'll trade off the youporn for a blind scan. :th_thumbs20up::th_thumbs20up:


Sure, sure..lol

Tell you what though, people are better off viewing porn on the box instead of the PC if that's there thing.. I'm trying to fix three laptops right now with porn infested mbr rootkit infections.. lmao

easily confused
02-11-2012, 12:10 PM
Sure, sure..lol

Tell you what though, people are better off viewing porn on the box instead of the PC if that's there thing.. I'm trying to fix three laptops right now with porn infested mbr rootkit infections.. lmao

Well, after you infected the first one, I would have thought you would have stopped viewing the darn stuff, instead of infecting two more!! :rofl::rofl:

ViP3R
02-11-2012, 12:13 PM
Well, after you infected the first one, I would have thought you would have stopped viewing the darn stuff, instead of infecting two more!! :rofl::rofl:

:idunno: I'll send them back to you once I clean them of the infestations... :shocked22:

Yankee495
02-11-2012, 08:04 PM
I ordered a USB Wifi for $7.99 with free S & H that is said to work good with Linux so I hope it works on the Amiko too. Plug & play in Linux they say.

Here is a link if you just want one...

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166022

By the way, I work for newegg and am filthy rich!

No really...I work on computers a lot and some have no wifi so I need one for that. $8 is a great deal. Good till 2-16.

Oh yeah, TELL US MORE....blind scan? Delete your channels on 97 and set it to auto before you get too far.

Yankee495
02-11-2012, 08:09 PM
Vip3r,
If it has blind scan I want one now. Power plug? Got adapter with it?

Here, you'll be needing one of these:

West Bend 58002 Silver Residential Coffee urn
Capacity: 42 cup

Also available at newegg.

el bandido
02-11-2012, 08:28 PM
I ordered a USB Wifi for $7.99 with free S & H that is said to work good with Linux so I hope it works on the Amiko too. Plug & play in Linux they say.

Here is a link if you just want one...

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166022

By the way, I work for newegg and am filthy rich!

No really...I work on computers a lot and some have no wifi so I need one for that. $8 is a great deal. Good till 2-16.

Oh yeah, TELL US MORE....blind scan? Delete your channels on 97 and set it to auto before you get too far.

I just do not know what to think of a spammer that would come here and make posts like this. So I bought the product just to test it and see if it will work with the Amiko. I can always use it somewhere else if it does not work with the Amiko. EB

Yankee495
02-11-2012, 08:34 PM
I also posted it in computer help with USB and Wifi extension cables as the adapter has a removable antenna and you could relocate it with the cable.

I thought someone might just find this all useful and like you...For $8, I can always use it on something else. I just don't see how a guy can go wrong on this one.

Oh, one thing. They say it is a bit wide...so use a extension cable and some hubs you just use the top port.

el bandido
02-11-2012, 09:27 PM
We have been told that there is not a blind scan feature for the Amiko Alien. Still, I cannot help to wonder what the owner's manual and the TELESat review were referring to when they describe two different scan features.
I noticed early in my research that the specs for the Amiko did not mention blind scan, so it has been in the back of my mind that it may not have it. My main reason for buying the alien was for the video player. I was tired of the limited video player formats the Ali receivers have. The video player plus the networking convinced me that I could justify the price of the Amiko for my house even if it did not have a blind scan.
The Optibox Raptor may be of more interest to you. It is advertised as having an intelligent blind scan, plus it has two tuners that can be changed for different services. Plans can change, but I plan to have a Raptor within 3 weeks. You might want to wait and see what it does.
If that does not suit you, there is an Amiko Alien 2 that is to be released soon. This receiver is supposed to blind scan. But IMO, until it is released, it is nothing more than a picture or vapor.

Yankee495
02-11-2012, 09:54 PM
Breaking News! New: Amiko Alien 2 for receiving FreeDBS! Hahahahaha, oh boy.

No, really, is there any info on the Amiko Alien 2?

I can't afford but one box so it has to be the do all box.

el bandido
02-11-2012, 10:20 PM
We plan to post information on the Alien 2 as it becomes available.

ViP3R
02-12-2012, 12:25 PM
Vip3r,
If it has blind scan I want one now. Power plug? Got adapter with it?

Here, you'll be needing one of these:

West Bend 58002 Silver Residential Coffee urn
Capacity: 42 cup

Also available at newegg.


No blind scan feature is in the menu - We will have to wait for Alien 2 for this.

Mine came with a free HDMI cable but no NA Power plug.. This is something they could change, drop the HDMI and include a NA power adapter in it's place..Most of us have spare HDMI cables or can pick one up anywhere..NA power adapters are not readily available at my local stores. This might be different depending on where you live.

I just took the one off my Openbox and used that.

A bigger coffee urn would be better...lmao

Guest
02-12-2012, 12:42 PM
Try the Source for an adapter, I picked one up for my s12 a few weeks ago- it's meant for Central and South America but works fine here.

ViP3R
02-12-2012, 01:58 PM
Try the Source for an adapter, I picked one up for my s12 a few weeks ago- it's meant for Central and South America but works fine here.

Thanks bro. Never even thought of them...

Eye_Patch
02-12-2012, 03:34 PM
Ironically in post # 69, ViP3R spoke the following words:

Sure, sure..lol

Tell you what though, people are better off viewing porn on the box instead of the PC if that's there thing.. I'm trying to fix three laptops right now with porn infested mbr rootkit infections.. lmao


I'm a Network/Systems Administrator at my day job and fix peoples PC's in my spare time and I run into this a lot of times. In the 12 years that I have been running all the different distributions of Linux, I have never had any problems of a virus getting in and doing any damage. And I do go to (those) sites that are rumored to have questionable material on them. [Quite often] LOL
But people will rather use something they are comfortable with (Windows) and all its ills than to be free from all that and run Linux. So, I keep dragging in the big bucks for fixing their computers.

ViP3R
02-12-2012, 03:53 PM
Ironically in post # 69, ViP3R spoke the following words:



I'm a Network/Systems Administrator at my day job and fix peoples PC's in my spare time and I run into this a lot of times. In the 12 years that I have been running all the different distributions of Linux, I have never had any problems of a virus getting in and doing any damage. And I do go to (those) sites that are rumored to have questionable material on them. [Quite often] LOL
But people will rather use something they are comfortable with (Windows) and all its ills than to be free from all that and run Linux. So, I keep dragging in the big bucks for fixing their computers.


This is very true...Linux and Mac are not prone to infections for the most part.

Simply because Windows (All Systems) are what the majority of people use...Thus this is where the target is.

There are many pros and cons of different systems..I also use Linux on a separate PC..The problem for most windows user is certain programs we use will just not work or is not compatible.. Sure there are programs like wine and such. but for the average user. this is not something they want to get into.

Ease of use is what they/me most people want.

Yankee495
02-13-2012, 07:02 AM
I dual boot Mandriva 2010.2 and love it. With a linux OS and an Amiko a guy who knew what he was doing could do a lot.

I gave Mandriva 2007 to a friend in 07 and he has not used windows since...

Well, no blind scan...bummer...Such a nice set of features.

I mentioned earlier how you could find the channels on the forums and edit the channel list and network it into the Amiko. Might be pretty easy. I still don't know about manual PID.

When a new find is listed, I go to satsmf enter the TP and scan to get PIDs on my S9. So the Amiko won't find TP's, but if you enter TP info it will pick up the channels (well not CW's). Is this right?

This is how I get most of my channels in my list.

Some won't scan, so manual PID would be cool. I hardly ever hunt for stuff...wife is too busy watching it.

el bandido
02-13-2012, 09:32 AM
Yankee, look closely at the owner's manual for the Optibox Raptor and see what you think about it. It has what the Amiko is missing (blind scan).

easily confused
02-13-2012, 11:25 AM
Does the Raptor do anything along the lines of the Alien as far as multimedia?

Guest
02-13-2012, 11:38 AM
Have a look here bud:



[Only registered and activated users can see links]

el bandido
02-13-2012, 01:10 PM
I will start a thread on the Raptor shortly. EB

ViP3R
02-14-2012, 07:14 PM
I had some time today to hook this up to the C-Band system and added the Atlantic bird 58W to check out the HD video.

Tuned to NHK World the picture is very impressive, stable with no stutter..Crisp and clear! Pressing the info button will tell you the channel is in HD, press info again and you have the option to view the detail by pressing the red button.

On channels where the EPG is available you have the option of Now,Next, Schedule by pressing the green button.

Still working on a full NA sat list to get this puppy rolling, in the mean time here's a few pics.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

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rrob311
02-14-2012, 08:10 PM
Have you used the browser and other functions on this? Can you watch TV in one window with the browser open in another?

lme
02-15-2012, 07:56 AM
There is an internet site for north america regarding alien 8900 named amikoalienusa.
it has a sat/tp/channel editor for download.
maybe it is handy for building a sat list.

ViP3R
02-15-2012, 09:13 AM
Have you used the browser and other functions on this? Can you watch TV in one window with the browser open in another?

I did try the Opera browser, YouTube, i concerts briefly and they all worked as advertised, I'm not sure about the windows, I'll check this out a little later and report back. There are so many options yet to try, for the moment I'm concentrating on building a sat list.

Species
02-15-2012, 03:53 PM
The new update answers your question rrob311 :).
The new update hides some more surprises!!!!!!!!

el bandido
02-15-2012, 06:38 PM
It looks like my Alien may have been captured by U.S. customs. I don't know....USPS says they do not have it. I will just have to wait it out. EB

Your item has been processed through our sort facility in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) at 12:22 pm on February 07, 2012.

Yankee495
02-15-2012, 08:16 PM
Amazon has a deal on the Wireless keyboard for the Amiko. It is identical and and little over $9 cheaper ($29.94 with free S&H). Amiko on ebay with KB is $39 more than just the STB.

So, for those of you ordering an Amiko from ebay you can save $9 by getting KB on Amazon and Alien on ebay.



[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Ok, scratch that. The STB alone is $170 & $40 S&H....the STB with KB is $209 & $30 S&H.

Dam thing is going up! But still the best price for the keyboard only if you already bought the STB.

Comes in Color:
Black
Green
Pink
Silver

EDIT: KB went down to $28.98 today.

Yankee495
02-16-2012, 12:13 PM
It looks like my Alien may have been captured by U.S. customs. I don't know....USPS says they do not have it. I will just have to wait it out. EB

No, the Alien seen just how dam mean mankind is and left! We'll kill anything!

ViP3R
02-17-2012, 01:58 PM
There was another online upgrade for Spark today.. 1.2.01b fixes Hebrew language.. Not so important for most, but nice to see they fix things for all.

I tried a number of enigma2 files to use the dual boot feature, the problem is most are set to European standard of 50hz, so all I would get is Invalid format on the tv, switching to composite like we do for some pal openbox files to change does not work. The Alien IS capable of switching to NA standard of 60hz..

I ended up using the PKT SVN-1354 HAARP v3c Image..This does not boot right away though..you have to watch the scrolling message on the box, it takes a few minutes to let it go through comompnent, press Y, Scart press Y.. In my case I waiting for HDMI 10801..then press OK, then wait for 50hz to scroll by, once you see 60hz press OK, you will then see Y..press OK.. then it will boot in 60hz 1080i.

Once this is done it will remember the settings and boot in this format after this.

The welcome screen will greet you with a setup wizard..and I would highly recommend you use this to get started. I tried manual at first but it was over my head...lol

The wizard will walk you through the basic setups and even get you Internet set up very fast.. I used Ethernet at first because the Spark seems to require that certain WiFi stick.
Once I looked around the menu I noticed the PKT guy's added support for most WiFi adapters, I had a Hawkings adapter and plugged it in, ran the PKT adapter setup wizard and bingo..WiFi connected.

enigma2 is not going to be for everybody..it's not just plug and play and reading will be required..lot's of it. But the options and features for those who are interested will keep you very busy.

I'm still trying to figure out how to load a NA sat list that I have ready, being geared to the EU market, most forums are in languages I don't understand and Google translate in most cases butchers it..lol
So still doing research on this to help myself and our members. I'm all ears if anyone comes across a good guide in the mean time. I do run a Linux laptop and know the basics, but some posts I could understand were just over my head.

Anyway I took a few screens on the PKT enigma2 menu's so you guy's can have a peek in no certain order,, sorry about some of the shots. I'm not the best photographer..

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]



[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 03:44 PM
Cool, it has a sheep timer! Hahaha...looks like sheep (blur).

Really, very nice. You're wanting to know how to build a NA list or how to load a NA list...

Or is it how to build a NA list that it will load?

What kind of list do you have on hand? For what that is...

And you want to convert that to load in Enigma2...

I'm good at reading "Chinese English", ie, Gibberish...

I'll help you hunt & translate.

My Vizio does 50 Hz...

But when I feed it to the bedroom its screwed...that HDTV don't.

ViP3R
02-17-2012, 03:52 PM
Cool, it has a sheep timer! Hahaha...looks like sheep (blur).

Really, very nice. You're wanting to know how to build a NA list or how to load a NA list...

Or is it how to build a NA list that it will load?

What kind of list do you have on hand? For what that is...

And you want to convert that to load in Enigma2...

I'm good at reading "Chinese English", ie, Gibberish...

I'll help you hunt & translate.

My Vizio does 50 Hz...

But when I feed it to the bedroom its screwed...that HDTV don't.


I told you I was not the best with the camera.....baaaaa.... lol

On engima2 I have not found out how to load a sat list yet.. Spark is another story..you can download the EU list and edit in dog..(thank you) but the Alien will not load it..

So, I have the sat lists built and just trying to load..


Gibberish will be a be plus here..this is the standard language we use...lmao

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 04:07 PM
Here is a satellites.xml file for the Enigma2. It has a lot of NA sats with TPs but appears some are missing. It has DTV & Dish too...just delete those.

I did see that 118W is missing.

But there are enough to start scanning if it loads.

I put the file here as it is a test file and I wanted you & other to be able to find it. It can be moved or deleted.

I think it will work. I USED 7-ZIP. Some people report not being able to open them. Works for me.


2944

ViP3R
02-17-2012, 04:17 PM
Thanks, though the problem is how to load this or other xml files in enigma2.

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 04:19 PM
Here is one where if a sat is C & Ku you will have two sats listed...one for C and one for Ku.

I used Winrar on this one but made it a zip.

Must rename the file to satellites.xml

Maybe you don't have to rename it...I don't know if it has a default name or ask you which file to load. Default name would be satellites.xml

2945

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 04:24 PM
Thanks, though the problem is how to load this or other xml files in enigma2.

There is a folder where you put it....

Let me find out where.

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 04:32 PM
The satelites.xml goes in etc/enigma2 and is the user satellite file.

There is also one in etc/tuxbox

Here is the info:

On startup the system looks in etc/enigma2 to see if a satellites.xml exists. If so: that's the one to be used (and that's a user-file: it will never be overwritten by the system(update).

If it does not exist, the satellites.xml in etc/tuxbox will be used. That is a system file: during an online update it will be replaced.

The advantage is that:

1. If a user never does anything with the satellites.xml, the file will be kept up-to-date by the image itself;
2. If a user wants to make his own changes, he can do so without being hampered by the system-files being updated.
3. If a user corrupts his file, it's easy to revert to an existing up-to-date file.

This should get you going.

I'll be glad to help as I have some Linux experience too...about 10 years...I have no Amiko, but I can read what to put where...I have not read how to access the Amiko to get to the etc/enigma2 folder. I assume you can FTP or whatever to get to it over wireless. Then you would restart it for it to find the satellite.xml file. Can send you my Yahoo ID. Also have Windows Live Messenger and Kopete (about any messenger) in Linux.

ViP3R
02-17-2012, 04:57 PM
The satelites.xml goes in etc/enigma2 and is the user satellite file.

There is also one in etc/tuxbox

Here is the info:

On startup the system looks in etc/enigma2 to see if a satellites.xml exists. If so: that's the one to be used (and that's a user-file: it will never be overwritten by the system(update).

If it does not exist, the satellites.xml in etc/tuxbox will be used. That is a system file: during an online update it will be replaced.

The advantage is that:

1. If a user never does anything with the satellites.xml, the file will be kept up-to-date by the image itself;
2. If a user wants to make his own changes, he can do so without being hampered by the system-files being updated.
3. If a user corrupts his file, it's easy to revert to an existing up-to-date file.

This should get you going.

I'll be glad to help as I have some Linux experience too...about 10 years...I have no Amiko, but I can read what to put where...I have not read how to access the Amiko to get to the etc/enigma2 folder. I assume you can FTP or whatever to get to it over wireless. Then you would restart it for it to find the satellite.xml file. Can send you my Yahoo ID. Also have Windows Live Messenger and Kopete (about any messenger) in Linux.


Thanks, This the hard part, there does not seem to be a way through usb for this..might be, but I don't see it.. so ftp I think is the way..Let me see if I can set this up.. I appreciate the help.

How about Skype, nice and easy to transfer files and chat. If your around tomorrow we could work on it.

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 04:59 PM
Since the etc/tuxbox system file will be all EU sats I'd back it up and put the NA xml in both...

But try first to see which it loads on a restart!

Yankee495
02-17-2012, 05:00 PM
I have Skype on the desktop...will install on laptop.

I'll look out for you.

ViP3R
02-17-2012, 05:15 PM
Sent you PM with my Skype name...:Smiley_wink:

el bandido
02-18-2012, 12:38 AM
I cannot help but wonder if the Raptor will be a better "out of the box" receiver for North America? Looking at the owner's manual for the Raptor leaves me with the impression of an Operating System that is easy to navigate and understand.

These Amiko Alien E2 features and other things I have seen on the Alien will make me very happy. But I am sure some people will feel overwhelmed by all of these features and settings. Spark definitely seems more user friendly than E2 for people that do not have much fta receiver experience.

Tracking now shows my Alien in Atlanta, so I expect it very soon!!! :smiley14:


Detailed Results:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]
[Only registered and activated users can see links]


[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, February 18, 2012, 12:37 am, ATLANTA, GA 30369


[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Processed Through Sort Facility, February 07, 2012, 12:22 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)


[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

Yankee495
02-18-2012, 05:24 AM
I cannot help but wonder if the Raptor will be a better "out of the box" receiver for North America? Looking at the owner's manual for the Raptor leaves me with the impression of an Operating System that is easy to navigate and understand.

These Amiko Alien E2 features and other things I have seen on the Alien will make me very happy. But I am sure some people will feel overwhelmed by all of these features and settings. Spark definitely seems more user friendly than E2 for people that do not have much fta receiver experience.

Tracking now shows my Alien in Atlanta, so I expect it very soon!!! :smiley14:

Overwhelmed? Us Linux guys have been overwhelmed since day one! I think it was Stevie Ray Vaughn who said he wanted an amp with just one knob, labeled "more".

Jimmy on the other hand had a sound no one could figure out. He plugged a distortion box into a distortion box and got "more", distortion that is.

We like stuff to jack with!

EB: Atlanta: Most Lax TSA to leave this world.

I do think the Enigma2 poses more of a challenge, but the best fruits come from the best cultivated gardens.

lme
02-18-2012, 09:45 AM
I got my amiko 2 days ago (faster then advertised), and since then i am on "no sleep"...sort of !
I just tested it on spark on 2 sats only: 83 & 97 ku witch i entered manually in the list. some claim to have a NA sat list on ftp private site !!!!
Also tested it on the internet. Pic q is very good. Some problems with hdmi. every time i turn the box off/on i get sound only but i can bring the pic back with the vformat. doesn't remember the format i left it on no matter 1080, 720 or auto. 480 only.
wireless keybord is a new toy for this application but very handy.
this is my first experience with e2 system, so i may be bothering you guys with novice's questions for advice.
where should i start to learn about the enigma before i mess up with the amiko ?
thank you.

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 10:19 AM
I cannot help but wonder if the Raptor will be a better "out of the box" receiver for North America? Looking at the owner's manual for the Raptor leaves me with the impression of an Operating System that is easy to navigate and understand.

These Amiko Alien E2 features and other things I have seen on the Alien will make me very happy. But I am sure some people will feel overwhelmed by all of these features and settings. Spark definitely seems more user friendly than E2 for people that do not have much fta receiver experience.

Tracking now shows my Alien in Atlanta, so I expect it very soon!!! :smiley14:

Good new EB, about time eh!

I was up at 6:30 and setup the wifi properly, I was able to edit a NA KU sat list with dogsettings and connect to the Alien with this same program and loaded the list with success! This is probably the easiest way and we don't need another FTP program. I have been getting some software problems and the gui will reboot.

I just loaded the file in both /etc/enigma2/ to see how that goes.. still also looking at my configurations in the tuner, making good headway I would say though...lol

el bandido
02-18-2012, 11:09 AM
I got my amiko 2 days ago (faster then advertised), and since then i am on "no sleep"...sort of !
I just tested it on spark on 2 sats only: 83 & 97 ku witch i entered manually in the list. some claim to have a NA sat list on ftp private site !!!!
Also tested it on the internet. Pic q is very good. Some problems with hdmi. every time i turn the box off/on i get sound only but i can bring the pic back with the vformat. doesn't remember the format i left it on no matter 1080, 720 or auto. 480 only.
wireless keybord is a new toy for this application but very handy.
this is my first experience with e2 system, so i may be bothering you guys with novice's questions for advice.
where should i start to learn about the enigma before i mess up with the amiko ?
thank you.

Private site = Pay site. A private site does not promote or support the hobby, only the pocketbook(s) of the owner(s) are supported!!!

We will be glad to share any fta information or files we have with you.
Look for Dreambox information on the internet. These receivers are similar to the Alien, as for messing up with E2, be careful of what you load. The E2 files posted here have been tested, but as with any file, there are no guarantees. Always load at your own risk!! EB

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 11:16 AM
Here is a pic of the loaded list, well some of it..Me and the camera don't mix well. This is just a test list, so once we know it's working properly we can add a full C and KU list.

Just trying to set up the tuner configurations to scan some of these in.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 12:25 PM
Private site = Pay site. A private site does not promote or support the hobby, only the pocketbook(s) of the owner(s) are supported!!!

We will be glad to share any fta information or files we have with you.
Look for Dreambox information on the internet. These receivers are similar to the Alien, as for messing up with E2, be careful of what you load. The E2 files posted here have been tested, but as with any file, there are no guarantees. Always load at your own risk!! EB

And be careful what directory you you load files in.

Otherwise, this happens...lol

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

It hangs in this error screen even after a hard boot, So I will have to reload the file and start from scratch again.. :twitch:

lme
02-18-2012, 03:04 PM
Look at "amikoalienusa" site.
says :"NA_1.2.41 image, NA_PATCH_1.00 and new NA sat file now on private FTP" with some instruction videos uploaded on youtube.
i do not know if the site promote private/pay support for decripting providers channels or is from where.
I did not touch the enigma part of the box. need more education on this subject.

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 03:38 PM
Look at "amikoalienusa" site.
says :"NA_1.2.41 image, NA_PATCH_1.00 and new NA sat file now on private FTP" with some instruction videos uploaded on youtube.
i do not know if the site promote private/pay support for decripting providers channels or is from where.
I did not touch the enigma part of the box. need more education on this subject.

This is another fridgefta site. You only get support from there if you buy something. AKA the Private ftp and Private files. Private means PAY.. unless you PAY. no support.
No one will spend a dime here..all is free here! and once we have our own files made by us. they will be available free for all.

None of this private crap... FTA = Free to Air... not Pay to Air...lol

lme
02-18-2012, 04:59 PM
I didn't know that belongs to fridge. so, it is a store for fta products with support for what they sell ?

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 05:03 PM
I didn't know that belongs to fridge. so, it is a store for fta products with support for what they sell ?


You got it lme... exactly..

lme
02-18-2012, 06:17 PM
Found out from another forum from europe (my former country), that alien 2 will be on the market prety soon.
hope is not a chinese clone of the original !

ViP3R
02-18-2012, 06:31 PM
Found out from another forum from europe (my former country), that alien 2 will be on the market prety soon.
hope is not a chinese clone of the original !

Yes it will, the Alien2 will have blind scan..there are a few posts on that here somewhere..

el bandido
02-19-2012, 02:25 AM
I have been able to spend a few hours with the Alien without having any major problems.

The biggest thing is making a decent sat file. This will take some time but it will not be difficult.
I did not have any problems with USALS, and no modifications were needed to operate USALS.
The 13/18 switching works fine for me too.

There are a few things I would like to get working, but I find this Amiko receiver to be about like most of the European receivers: It works fine, but it needs a North American sat file.
Two of my hard discs are not being recognized by the Alien. Don't really know why yet.
My usb SanDisk will not work for loading E2 files. I had to use a Kingston usb to load the E2 files.EB

ViP3R
02-19-2012, 10:53 AM
The ARP E2 file recognized my 500gig seagate GoFlex pro drive, you can see the movies in the media player and can select, but only audio no video! not sure on this either. maybe a video codec missing?, pretty cool feature is the front display on the box will scroll the name on the movie playing.

Another nice option with this file is you can boot right to spark from the menu. press restart and it will boot to spark with no need to go and turn off the rear switch .

el bandido
02-19-2012, 11:37 AM
I see something that needs to be looked at.
USALS works fine, but what about diseqc 1.2 for my c band actuator?

Here is the problem: There is not any way that I see to change the position for the diseqc 1.2 motor setting. It looks like the diseqc 1.2 position setting is assigned as the same number as the satellite. Satellite number 1 is assigned diseqc 1.2 position 1...Satellite number 64 is assigned diseqc position 64.
This is what I am seeing. I have not connected the Amiko to the c band actuator to check this. EB

ViP3R
02-19-2012, 12:41 PM
Update: I got the video working. I changed the colour format in the A/V settings from RGB to YUV and working fine now.

el bandido
02-20-2012, 09:24 AM
The Amiko cannot be a scanning receiver, so I put it in the main room where scans are not needed very often.
I uploaded the channel file from the Pansat 9500 that the Amiko will be replacing and transferred all of the satellite and transponder information from the Pansat to the Amiko.
Then the Amiko was connected to the loop out on the Pansat, and it was moved through the satellites and scanned. Diseqc 1.2 positions are preset in the Amiko, so I changed the satellite locations in the G box and Pansat while the Amiko was being scanned. Now the Pansat and the Amiko have the same satellite information, plus the G box positioner has the correct satellite locations stored for the Amiko. After the transfer information had been verified, the Pansat 9500 was shut down and replaced with the Amiko.

The Pansat had been handling a combination of c and ku antenna systems, plus it was moving the dishes with a combination of USALS and diseqc commands.
The Amiko took the task of moving the dishes in this system with ease. There have been no hang-ups, and everything is stopping and starting where it is supposed to.

The Amiko has one problem that I have not figured out. When I scanned the channels, I got some fta channels with dollar signs($) beside them. This should not be happening since they are unencrypted. Some of these unencrypted channels with the dollar sign do not have any volume. The fix is to rescan the satellite or transponder. Usually the dollar sign is not there in a rescan and the audio works. This may be a bug or it may be something I am doing wrong. Either way, it is a bit aggravating.

High bit-rate feeds are not a problem with the Amiko. The Reelz channel on 91 and the HD channels on 107.3 do not have any jerking or glitches. This is a big improvement over the Pansat 9500. (BTW, I paid about as much for the Pansat 9500 as I did for the Amiko Alien.)

Out-of-sync audio has been a problem with all of the Ali receivers that I own including the Pansat 9500. I have not noticed any audio or video problems with the Amiko.

The more I run the Amiko, the more I like it. Channel editing is a breeze and it can take place from more than one menu location. I will try to post some screen shots and show you a few things that I like.

It was in the back of my mind that the Amiko Alien might not blind scan when I bought it. There was not any information on this receiver in North America that I know of until this thread was started. My plan was simple. If the Amiko did not blind scan, I could still justify its cost by its internet and movie capabilities. No blind scan would mean that the receiver could not be used to scan and update channels. It would also mean placing the Amiko in a room where the channel content was not changed often. But at the same time, placing the Amiko in an area that does not see many changes would also make its movie and internet capabilities more valuable. I do not regret buying the Amiko. Blind scan would have been nice but I can use it like it is. EB

el bandido
02-20-2012, 10:26 AM
One thing I need to add:
Several different people will be using the Alien so I needed to make it easy for them. A while back, I found a Phillips remote in WalMart that has learning capability. I posted information about this remote in this forum.
All of the important Alien remote control buttons was programmed into a Phillips remote. This put the buttons and features in the same place on the Phillips remote as the other receivers that I have ran in this room. Doing it this way saves the users from having to learn the layout and controls of the Alien remote. It also saves wear and tear on the Alien remote. EB

el bandido
02-21-2012, 12:14 AM
The Alien has been ran by different people without any real fta experience. They know how to operate the Phillips remote, and that is all they want or need to know. I have had zero complaints about operating the Alien, so the Spark operating system is definitely easy to use.

Press the OK button on the remote once while viewing a channel and you are given a triple sub-menu. Additional channel selection, satellite selection, and a few other items are available in this sub-menu window.

el bandido
02-21-2012, 12:20 AM
Pressing the Yellow remote button immediately after you enter this sub-menu will give you the properity menu which has channel edit features.

el bandido
02-21-2012, 10:42 AM
I have not had any luck manually entering a channel(PID) in the Amiko. I do not know if I am doing something wrong or if the feature does not work. The CW channels on 91W were the ones I tested. EB

el bandido
02-22-2012, 08:54 AM
I have had some problems running the Opera web browser. Some pages do not want to load, and the cursor will hang or not move correctly. It may be my internet connection, but this is something that needs to be looked at.

Some user questions finally came up about how to operate the Amiko on the internet.

The Alien keeps good time when the receiver is on or when the receiver is turned off with the remote. I have the time set to not update automatically because some transponders do not have the correct time on them.

ViP3R
02-22-2012, 09:12 AM
See if you can enter your city for weather forecasts,, I could at first, but now I just get a message..network failure, please relogin or reboot your box if this continues. Of course I did a reboot and still the same.
Otherwise the other network functions such as Youtube are working fine.

el bandido
02-22-2012, 09:15 AM
Same here. The weather forecaster does not work for me either. I forgot to mention that.
I also forgot to mention that the receiver's display can be configured to show the channel number or the time.

ViP3R
02-22-2012, 09:24 AM
Thanks for confirming that, I think this change happened after I upgraded online to the newer file. So might be good if they could look at this.

lme
02-22-2012, 10:14 AM
The weather forcast works fine for me, showing forecast for 6 days.

el bandido
02-22-2012, 11:11 AM
What firmware are you using?
Are you having any problems or issues with your Alien?

lme
02-22-2012, 06:04 PM
2.41.b
no problems with spark. did not go into e2.

el bandido
02-22-2012, 06:11 PM
OK.
From what I saw, E2 needs some work before it is ready for North America.
I am going to quit looking at the Alien shortly and focus on the Optibox Raptor for a bit. EB

ViP3R
02-22-2012, 06:15 PM
I just tried again and got...city error..Then tried Toronto and it worked..could be they only have so many Cities listed?

el bandido
02-22-2012, 06:25 PM
I dunno. Maybe TA can tell us what the problem is.

lme
02-22-2012, 06:30 PM
my city is a fraction of toronto (witch is known around the world), but i still get the weather for my area.
i was surprised, but did not get it for a capital city from europe !!! got the message with the connection failed...
amiko should provide weather forecaster for more than one location at once.

el bandido
02-22-2012, 06:39 PM
Please tell us exactly how you entered the city name.

ViP3R
02-22-2012, 06:39 PM
my city is a fraction of toronto (witch is known around the world), but i still get the weather for my area.
i was surprised, but did not get it for a capital city from europe !!! got the message with the connection failed...
amiko should provide weather forecaster for more than one location at once.


It does do more than one location..I just entered another city, then you can use the page up or down to switch city's.

lme
02-23-2012, 11:05 AM
Please tell us exactly how you entered the city name.
city name, country name.

ViP3R
02-23-2012, 06:29 PM
What worked for me for Canadian cities , enter city name and abbreviation for the province...such as Toronto,ON

lme
02-29-2012, 07:48 AM
HOW about belgrade, serbia or bucharest, romania ?
tried to enter it with the full name of the city, full name of the country. Didn't take it, nor with abbreviation for the country name.

Species
03-05-2012, 06:45 AM
Amiko Alien 8900 FW version 1.2.41b enables mini keyboard to work fully in Spark OS ( not just the browser) :)

rrob311
03-11-2012, 08:06 PM
EB what is your opinion of the tuner sensitivity of this model? Does it lock weak transponders that other boxes will not? Tuner sensitivity is a biggie that I look at when making a purchase.

el bandido
03-11-2012, 08:37 PM
The Amiko alien seems to have good tuner sensitivity but it does not blind scan. You have to manually enter the transponders that you want to use.

Bellboy
03-11-2012, 08:58 PM
Do we have a price list for these units? or is it just talk.

el bandido
03-11-2012, 09:39 PM
You may buy an Alien now on Ebay.