DM800 original vs. clone

ruddyrum

ruddyrum

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I need to finally get me a linux HD receiver and it has to work with my hd sky card - So logically the Dm800 seems the way forward.

However an original will set me back £399 whereas I have seen clones for £210... that's near half price of the original! so what i want to know is, what will i be missing out on? i mean for £200 less will i get £200 less of components i.e. half a box? will I get half of the High def (medium definition)?

I have also read that clones wont work on any image based on cvs date later than august 2008, but yet new patched images and the PLI images work on clones! So what exactly is the deal? for a saving of £200 im not too fussy about which image i use! all i really care about are the cams and plug-ins!

I have 2 DM500 clones and have had them for well over 2 years and never had a problem! As a result of the reliability of these clones it has made me think why not get a dm800 clone... perhaps even two, as opposed to one original. Basically to me there seem more pros (200 more in fact) than cons to getting a cloned dm800... What I am looking for is more negative reasons justifying why I should not get a clone, because I cant really see any!

Any comments are much appreciated!
 
ruddyrum said:
I need to finally get me a linux HD receiver and it has to work with my hd sky card - So logically the Dm800 seems the way forward.

However an original will set me back £399 whereas I have seen clones for £210... that's near half price of the original! so what i want to know is, what will i be missing out on? i mean for £200 less will i get £200 less of components i.e. half a box? will I get half of the High def (medium definition)?

I have also read that clones wont work on any image based on cvs date later than august 2008, but yet new patched images and the PLI images work on clones! So what exactly is the deal? for a saving of £200 im not too fussy about which image i use! all i really care about are the cams and plug-ins!

I have 2 DM500 clones and have had them for well over 2 years and never had a problem! As a result of the reliability of these clones it has made me think why not get a dm800 clone... perhaps even two, as opposed to one original. Basically to me there seem more pros (200 more in fact) than cons to getting a cloned dm800... What I am looking for is more negative reasons justifying why I should not get a clone, because I cant really see any!

Any comments are much appreciated!
Click to expand...

I am in the exact same boat, and will be interested to read the replies in this thread. I don't know whether to hold off for the new 500HD or get an 800 clone. Where is selling it for £210?
 
davie said:
Where is selling it for £210?
Click to expand...

sorry, that was a typo! meant £220... cant edit original post to the correct figure!

Just google-shop dm800 or something along those lines... there's a UK seller offering it for £220.99
 
ruddyrum said:
sorry, that was a typo! meant £220... cant edit original post to the correct figure!

Just google-shop dm800 or something along those lines... there's a UK seller offering it for £220.99
Click to expand...

£20 shipping! : shocked2

I don't think theyre UK based either, they ship via EMS.
 
davie said:
£20 shipping! : shocked2
Click to expand...

didn't see that.... looks like DVBMonkey is the cheapest at £224.99 all in!

I think digidude has one as well sow e await his input
Click to expand...

Lol... He seems to have one of every receiver ever made!!

Would be great if the dm800 clone is exactly that... an exact clone/replica of the original - just £200 cheaper!

will wait for further posts/feedback before i make my final decision - would also be good to know where you bought them from, how much for, and what delivery/service was like!

Thanks
 
im in the exact same boat , im after a HD sat box but as you say , whats the difference between a clone and original ??. i heard its something to do with the boot loader that wont load newer images.
as for waiting for the new 500HD dont hold your breath m8 ! your lungs will explode !.
 
been doing my research, and many people are saying the clones are better built. Not just more sturdy, but some original dm800 seem to have overheating issues, but the good-ol' clones have been fitted with a heatsink... lol!

Seems the only negative is the image support.... but then again, this was only an issue a while back. My favourite image is PLI and by the looks of things they support cloned dm800's! Also there are plenty of patched non-clone supporting images, such as gemini!

I am still failing to see why i should get an original over a clone!
 
silverdale said:
i heard its something to do with the boot loader that wont load newer images
Click to expand...

Bootloader 70 apparently 'killed' clones! Didnt exactly kill them though, as a reflash of 69 fixed the problem! Again this is an old issue as i believe there are many ways aroun this now. Alternatively if you want to use a more recent bootloader, i think you can get a modified sim/security card!

also, here is a very good read with regards to genuine vs clone!
 
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the one i have is a first gen original, complete with the heat issues (now sorted) i bought it when they first came out for 349 delivered, got a hard drive on offer from PC world, and put a $3 HDD cooling fan on the top, and have had not a days trouble with it

the only reason i havent got a DM8000 is the price, but clones of those are meant to be available soon, and i wouldnt think twice about buying a clone, but my enjoyment of the hobby is getting things to work when they dont

i very rarely watch telly, my main TV packed in on the weekend, i might get round to fixing it if the kids nag me enough to play on the consoles though lol
 
i wouldnt think twice about buying a clone
Click to expand...
cool... That's all i really needed to hear! just our of interest, what image are you running on it, and any issues with bootloaders? do cams/plugins work fine with your clone?

I dont see how DMM can justify charging almost twice as much as a clone... to try and compete they should at least lower their price a bit.

Could anyone who has already bought a clone recommend a retailer?
 
ruddyrum said:
cool... That's all i really needed to hear! just our of interest, what image are you running on it, and any issues with bootloaders? do cams/plugins work fine with your clone?

I dont see how DMM can justify charging almost twice as much as a clone... to try and compete they should at least lower their price a bit.

Could anyone who has already bought a clone recommend a retailer?
Click to expand...


just to clarify m8, my DM800 is an original, but i will be getting a DM8000 clone when theyre available

i have nabilosat BH0.9 running on mine
 
should really learn to read :)

I have done enough looking around to determine that the clone is the way to go. The later clones seem to be very good, and as they are getting more and more common, support for them is also on the increase!

Still would be good if some people who have bought a clone could continue to give their input!
 
ruddyrum said:
cool... That's all i really needed to hear! just our of interest, what image are you running on it, and any issues with bootloaders? do cams/plugins work fine with your clone?

I dont see how DMM can justify charging almost twice as much as a clone... to try and compete they should at least lower their price a bit.

Could anyone who has already bought a clone recommend a retailer?
Click to expand...

I bought 5 x Dm500 from DVBseller.com in China, the package reached me here in Normandy in just over a week, cant fault them, I see they are doing
the DM800HD for £245.00, I'm tempted.

Finearrow
 
ruddyrum said:
should really learn to read :)

I have done enough looking around to determine that the clone is the way to go. The later clones seem to be very good, and as they are getting more and more common, support for them is also on the increase!

Still would be good if some people who have bought a clone could continue to give their input!
Click to expand...

Hi ruddyrum, did you make a decision yet? I'm in the same position right now... clone vs original :(

What was your conclusion?
 
tsj said:
Hi ruddyrum, did you make a decision yet? I'm in the same position right now... clone vs original :(

What was your conclusion?
Click to expand...

I honestly cant see a reason not to get one... the clones are of a very good build quality, and as a result are very stable and not breaking (funnily enough, it is the originals that are having faults due to overheating issues etc) The clones were/are produced in the same factories as the originals... however they were obviously produced after them, so any issues encountered by originals/earlier clones are usually ironed out with the later batches!

The only negative i can see, which i must confess is still a bit of a grey area for me, is the image support for a cloned dm800. Clones cannot natively boot images with the 70 bootloader... as a result an image with bootloader 69 will have to be used. This may be a big turn off for some people considering a clone, but this i can live with, as ultimately im saving £200 and there are ways around it so you can use any recent image... you must install an older image with bootloader 69 on the internal flash memory of the clone and then use any, yes any image that is installed on the external flash! The best 69 image to be installed for this purpose is the Nabilo_DM800_PureFlash

As cams/plugins are software not hardware dependant, it will depend on what image you have installed and running at the time.

Lastly DreamMultiMedia will obviously not give any support/warranty to clone owners. Again this i can quiet happily without, as myself and many friends included have been using cloned dm500's for a very, very long time and have never felt the need to contact DMM for assistance! If you have an issues, just contact the seller, they can usually resolve any issues!

Listed above are two negative points about the cloned Dm800... no native support for later images, and no warranty/support from DMM. Other than that the clone functions exactly like the original... On the upside there are 201 positive reasons to get a clone over the original... its £200 cheaper, and it is better built! In the end it is your choice! You can play it safe, pay more and get an original... or save £200 and get a clone! My conclusion: Buy a clone, use the dual boot method to use the later images, save £200 and enjoy HD TV!
 
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ruddyrum said:
I honestly cant see a reason not to get one... the clones are of a very good build quality, and as a result are very stable and not breaking (funnily enough, it is the originals that are having faults due to overheating issues etc) The clones were/are produced in the same factories as the originals... however they were obviously produced after them, so any issues encountered by originals/earlier clones are usually ironed out with the later batches!

The only negative i can see, which i must confess is still a bit of a grey area for me, is the image support for a cloned dm800. Clones cannot natively boot images with the 70 bootloader... as a result an image with bootloader 69 will have to be used. This may be a big turn off for some people considering a clone, but this i can live with, as ultimately im saving £200 and there are ways around it so you can use any recent image... you must install an older image with bootloader 69 on the internal flash memory of the clone and then use any, yes any image that is installed on the external flash! The best 69 image to be installed for this purpose is the Nabilo_DM800_PureFlash

As cams/plugins are software not hardware dependant, it will depend on what image you have installed and running at the time.

Lastly DreamMultiMedia will obviously not give any support/warranty to clone owners. Again this i can quiet happily without, as myself and many friends included have been using cloned dm500's for a very, very long time and have never felt the need to contact DMM for assistance! If you have an issues, just contact the seller, they can usually resolve any issues!

Listed above are two negative points about the cloned Dm800... no native support for later images, and no warranty/support from DMM. Other than that the clone functions exactly like the original... On the upside there are 201 positive reasons to get a clone over the original... its £200 cheaper, and it is better built! In the end it is your choice! You can play it safe, pay more and get an original... or save £200 and get a clone! My conclusion: Buy a clone, use the dual boot method to use the later images, save £200 and enjoy HD TV!
Click to expand...

Damn that has swayed me back a little :)

Have you placed your order yet? Where do you plan to order it from?
 
No order placed as yet! I am still waiting for people who actually have a clone to post back! I know some people on this forum use clones, as i have seen posts about them... would be nice if one of them could let us know how its going with the clone!
 
Yes, I think you are right. I will sit back and wait too :)

I need a new TV in the living room first anyway...
 
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