further experiments with E2

Having found nothing but bugs with the Team Ducktales version of E2 on the Gekko, I decided to try other versions. I updated the boot loader script to the PKT version, so that I could try the PKT_SF918SE+_E2_HAARP_v3c and PKT_SF918SE+_E2_NEBULA_v1 releases (intended for the Octagon SF918SE+ receiver, which is identical to the Gekko.) I did NOT modify the reseller ID.

Both versions still gave me no success with the HDMI output. HAARP gave me a distorted screen as I reported in the other thread on the TDT release. (As I said before, other devices have given me no problem with 50Hz displays. I would try the Gekko on another monitor, but I have no satellite cable running to that location yet. Eventually I may try it anyway, just to satisfy my curiosity about this problem.) Nebula gave me no HDMI output at all. I haven't tested all the extra settings under the HDMI menu yet though, maybe I'll eventually find something that works.

HAARP had problems moving between satellites when scanning, just like TDT did, and also crashed a few times at random. So I moved to Nebula, which is also newer. Nebula didn't crash, and seemed to handle the USALS positioner just fine. So I set it to work scanning all Ku satellites from 72W to 125W, using a transponder list generated at satellites-xml.eu. The scan took about 2 1/2 hours, which was a lot longer than I expected since it's not a blind scan. It did find all the known channels though. I looked at the available plugins for this version, and I didn't see anything for blind scan.

One thing I like about Nebula is that switching between channels is very fast. The picture appears almost instantly, which is what I'd expect from unencrypted channels even though almost every other receiver takes a few seconds. The picture is very soft compared to the Optibox software though. (The other versions of Enigma also looked soft.) I don't know whether it's because of the conversion to 50Hz, or something else, but since the composite output is run through the SCART menu, there's no way to change it to 60Hz.

I really wish I could get the HDMI output producing a stable picture so I could test it in HD. E2 displays a lot of information in the channel banners, but the text is almost too small to read in SD.

Jim, you might want to try a scart to component adapter..I bought one for my Alien to test and it worked well. I also tested it on the Anaconda and works fine,, this will get you into HD..I bought mine from ebay for $1.99 was a Toronto store, but I;m sure there are many more closer to you.