In the last ten years, VuPlus has produced some good quality receivers that are capable of receiving fta satellite signals. VuPlus even had their own image that was based on some ancient enigma2 code. BlackHole images were built strctly for VuPlus receivers, and the BlackHole image coding was also based on the ancient enigma2 code that VuPlus was maintaining.

Enigma2 images are constructed using several sources. There is a lot of python code in enigma2 images. The VuPLus enigma2 image is coded using python 2, which is more or less obsolete. Most of the image groups now have either adopted python 3 code, or are actively working on adapting to python 3 code. VuPlus is doing absolutely nothing now. Here is a list of updates from openvuplus 3.0.git:

2021-05-27 update driver(duo4kse)
2021-04-28 update vuplus-wifi-util (duo4k, duo4kse, ultimo4k)
2021-04-27 update driver(duo4kse, uno4kse, zero4k)
2021-02-23 remove mirror archive.vuplus.com
2021-02-22 Fix SRC_URI from archive.vuplus.com to code.vuplus.com
2021-02-09 Add vuplus-tuner-turbo2 driver. (solo2, duo2, solose, zero)
2021-01-21 increase dvbapp PR.
2021-01-21 Add vuplus-tuner-turbo2 driver.
2020-12-28 [vuplus-wifi-util] fix SSID issue.
2020-10-20 [chromium] fix UA

As mentioned previously, the BlackHole enigma2 image was based on the openvuplus code, and BlackHole images were built strictly for VuPlus receivers. A few years ago, an Open BlackHole image appeared that again was built strictly for VuPlus receivers. The open BlackHole images is built using OE Alliance sources. The Open BlackHole image today seems to be heavily related to OpenVix, but the Open BlackHole image has the look and feel of the original BlackHole image that was built from ancient openvuplus sources.

VuPlus has not released a new receiver for quite some time now. We can also see that the openvuplus git is no longer active because nothing has been done with it for some seven months. Recently the Open BlackHole image group that used to only make images for VuPlus announced they will be making images for other makes/models besides VuPlus.

I applaud anyone or any group that makes open-source enigma2 images because it usually improves the experience for everyone, including North American users. Anyone that has an octagon SF8008 may now download and install an Open BlackHole image into their receiver. Most likely, other makes/models of receivers will have Open BlackHole images at some point in the future.

Putting all of this together (VuPlus not releasing any new receivers, openvuplus.git no longer supported, Open BlackHole group making images for other makes/models of receivers) leads me to think VuPlus may no longer exist soon. Regardless of what happens, the Pandemic has put a terrible stress on fta equipment that has included chip shortages and manufacturing facilities closing.

The years 2022 and 2023 may see a rebound of fta receivers and other products. Only time will tell. I would like to wish the Open BlackHole Team the best in their future endeavors. EB

VuPlus Links:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Open BlackHole Links:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]