What to buy?

[elmoemo]

As the title suggests i need help in deciding what box to go for. I have studied multiple forums for a while and found this to be the most helpful. Ive looked into a few boxes, I had a openbox x3 which did exactly as i expected after reading up about it but now im looking to upgrade to the world of enigma 2 . Ive wrote in the forums before about the TM800 HD around £130 and got good info on it. As its a dying scene I looked into alternatives. I am still drawn to the TM800 but I seen DM800's going for around £130 (im assuming clones though could be wrong) and wondered if that would be better. The last box im considering is the Vu Duo clone at around £170 with which I would replace the fan with a recommended one the fractal silent series.

I want the box to have PVR function (I know the TM800 doesnt have timeshift but thats not toooo big a deal for me)
I also want a few day EPG which I believe all these boxes can do

I would love your opinion and experiences with any of the above boxes and what images/plugins etc you prefer as well, and where to buy.


Thanks in advance

 

[shabbaranks]

The best piece of advice I can give you from experience is do not buy a clone. Fair enough people have bought them and they do the job, but its a gamble and its not a few quid gamble its £100+ also if people stop buying these clones then hopefully they'll stop making them (although I doubt it)... I keep getting swayed towards the VU+ Duo but I havent broken yet

 

[gsmtech]

I would disagree on the clones comment above..i've owned lots over the last few years..with very little issues from DM500C in the cable days, DM500S, DM600, DM800HD, Currently I still own DM500S V8, DM800SE and VU DUO v2 Clones, also have an Openbox S10.

There do seem to be some hit and miss issues with the VU DUO clones however this is probbaly due to the team behind them Ferarri Team has historically been associated with poor support and hardware which is inferior to some other clone teams. Having said that I have had no issues with my VU DUO V2 clone other than slightly loud fan, which I have now swapped for a Fractal Fan. Most people with issues on the DUO clones seem to have power supply issues, more so if you have a motorised dish or a 3.5" hard disk. If yuo have a fixed dish and 2.5" SATA drive you put less draw on the PSU.

It really comes down to 2 things, single tuner or dual tuner ? If you want single tuner go with the DM800SE SIM 2.1 clones at around £150 they are best supported of the clones. For dual tuner VU DUO clone just be aware of the potential PSU issues.

As with any clones, or any other reciever do your research and reading before hand undertand the pros/cons and any risks involved before you purchase. Just because I generally have had good experinces with clones doesnt gaurantee that you will !

But put it this way, I would still take any of the mentioned clones DM800HD PRO, DM800SE, VU SOLO etc etc..over any TM Linux reciever without thinking twice...TM linux recievers are that bad...

 

[elmoemo]

I would disagree on the clones comment above..i've owned lots over the last few years..with very little issues from DM500C in the cable days, DM500S, DM600, DM800HD, Currently I still own DM500S V8, DM800SE and VU DUO v2 Clones, also have an Openbox S10.

There do seem to be some hit and miss issues with the VU DUO clones however this is probbaly due to the team behind them Ferarri Team has historically been associated with poor support and hardware which is inferior to some other clone teams. Having said that I have had no issues with my VU DUO V2 clone other than slightly loud fan, which I have now swapped for a Fractal Fan. Most people with issues on the DUO clones seem to have power supply issues, more so if you have a motorised dish or a 3.5" hard disk. If yuo have a fixed dish and 2.5" SATA drive you put less draw on the PSU.

It really comes down to 2 things, single tuner or dual tuner ? If you want single tuner go with the DM800SE SIM 2.1 clones at around £150 they are best supported of the clones. For dual tuner VU DUO clone just be aware of the potential PSU issues.

As with any clones, or any other reciever do your research and reading before hand undertand the pros/cons and any risks involved before you purchase. Just because I generally have had good experinces with clones doesnt gaurantee that you will !

But put it this way, I would still take any of the mentioned clones DM800HD PRO, DM800SE, VU SOLO etc etc..over any TM Linux reciever without thinking twice...TM linux recievers are that bad...

The DM800SE would that be the sunray or is it one that says dreambox that i would be looking for? What images does it support? I would love a dual tuner but i could always just buy another openbox for 50 quid to record with anyway. Does the DM800 do timeshift? I will do some research when i find out which box is the best to go with ie sunray etc? FTP etc wont be a problem or anything either pretty quick picking up on these things

 

[gsmtech]

The 800SE Sunray and the Dreambox badged units are exactly the same. The Sunray branding is used to get through customs easier i/e: not labelled as a counterfit dreambox.. Other than the labelling and packaging theres no physical difference.
Yes timeshift works fine with internal SATA hard disk, or if you have a fast SDHC card you can use that in a USB adaptor. FTP etc all works fine. But yeah if your buying new you want the DM800SE SIM2.1 Version, not the older DM800HD PRO.
Theres lots of images to choose from.. PLI, Nemesis, OOzoon, Merlin, DreamElite, PeterPan, BlackHole, DBUK, DW, Powerboard etc etc..Also lots of custom images from SIM 2 team RamiMaher, MFaraj etc..
The only point of note is, clones need to have specific patched images and drivers, all the latest original images cannot be used. This is true of all clones VU, DM etc..

 

[IAmATeaf]

I'm not a clone fan boy but I've had clone dm 800hd pro, dm 800 se and a vu+ duo clone.

It all boils down to single tuner or dual.

If single then get the dm800 se clone, it's a fantastic box, just does what it says on the tin and does it really well.

If you want a dual tuner box then get a vu+ duo, whether you want to take the risk on getting a clone, well only you can decide. The clone duo does have some foibles, the PSU being the biggest reported issue. There is a lot of info or even mis-information but the current view is that the boxes that have the PSU issues are clones of clones, no idea if this is even true to be honest. The box also also suffers from a tune failed problem where the box will randomly display this error message if rapidly changing channels. For me it happens like 1 or 2 times a fortnight.

What would be the best box? For me the best box would be a clone dm800 se with a dual tuner, there were rumours that a dual tuner was going to released but nothing really came of it.

 

[elmoemo]

I'm not a clone fan boy but I've had clone dm 800hd pro, dm 800 se and a vu+ duo clone.

It all boils down to single tuner or dual.

If single then get the dm800 se clone, it's a fantastic box, just does what it says on the tin and does it really well.

If you want a dual tuner box then get a vu+ duo, whether you want to take the risk on getting a clone, well only you can decide. The clone duo does have some foibles, the PSU being the biggest reported issue. There is a lot of info or even mis-information but the current view is that the boxes that have the PSU issues are clones of clones, no idea if this is even true to be honest. The box also also suffers from a tune failed problem where the box will randomly display this error message if rapidly changing channels. For me it happens like 1 or 2 times a fortnight.

What would be the best box? For me the best box would be a clone dm800 se with a dual tuner, there were rumours that a dual tuner was going to released but nothing really came of it.

Thanks for all the info guys, thinking i might go for the clone dm800 se, and maybe grab an openbox so can record 1 and watch 1 as well lol. Will do a bit more research on them before i buy. If anyone can give me a reputable place to buy preferably that accepts paypal lol

 

[digi247]

Thanks for all the info guys, thinking i might go for the clone dm800 se, and maybe grab an openbox so can record 1 and watch 1 as well lol. Will do a bit more research on them before i buy. If anyone can give me a reputable place to buy preferably that accepts paypal lol

If you look around and you want a twin tuner then the Duo can be had for about £16 more than the 800se have a look at nextbay

 

[gsmtech]

If theres only 16 quid difference between a DUO clone and 800SE clone... it makes more sense to go with the DUO if you have a dual feed the benefits of dual tuner are a no brainer.
The only downside I can see come down to personal preference i,e: The DUO's a larger unit if your tight on space i.e: bedroom etc...you might want a smaller physical unit. Or if your that worried about the recent PSU issues and build quality/quality control issues on VU Clones (LCD screen ) etc..
Otherwise it's a no brainer..definitely worth the extra 16 quid for the twin tuner capibility.
As far as reliable suppliers go, you'll ultimately end up taking a risk..it's all well and good people telling you who they use (in PM of course) but it doesnt mean you will get the same service ! Such is the risk of clones, can be hassle trying to get sellers to sort your warranty issues...

 

[IAmATeaf]

nextbay is supposed to be one the more reliable suppliers, I don't say that as I've had experience or have used them, just what I've read. When I got my clone I took a gamble and ordered off an unknown guy fron AliExpress but I had a chat and exchanged a few emails before parting with my cash.

Also a Duo original can be had for around £270 if you order from Germany, say amazon.de.

 

[elmoemo]

If theres only 16 quid difference between a DUO clone and 800SE clone... it makes more sense to go with the DUO if you have a dual feed the benefits of dual tuner are a no brainer.
The only downside I can see come down to personal preference i,e: The DUO's a larger unit if your tight on space i.e: bedroom etc...you might want a smaller physical unit. Or if your that worried about the recent PSU issues and build quality/quality control issues on VU Clones (LCD screen ) etc..
Otherwise it's a no brainer..definitely worth the extra 16 quid for the twin tuner capibility.
As far as reliable suppliers go, you'll ultimately end up taking a risk..it's all well and good people telling you who they use (in PM of course) but it doesnt mean you will get the same service ! Such is the risk of clones, can be hassle trying to get sellers to sort your warranty issues...

everyone put me off the vu duo clones until this comment lol Im pretty handy when it comes to computers etc so if anything needs fixed Im pretty sure i could do it. The PSU issues arent as bad unless you use a 3.5 hdd and something else i cant remember right now. If the PSU goes is it easy fixed ie do i just need to re do the thermal compound like xbox or is it more complex than that. I would be changing the fan when i get it so would be opened anyway

 

[shabbaranks]

As I understand it - its not as simple as that. If you had one with a faulty PSU you would need to buy another PSU, I had somone look at my PSU (they have an eletronics background ie thats thier job) and we tested the voltages across the board etc and thier professional opinion was it would cost more (if they could get hold of the parts as I think it was one of the transformers as my PSU had 2, 1 I think for the 12v and the other for the 3v or something like that anyway) than it would to but a new PSU. So thats another £30-£50 for a new PSU which takes the total cost up to £200ih quid. Then if you have the problem like mine with the lcd - I'll take a picture to show you what condition it came in. I would need to source and replace one - which I have tried and so far failed, again at a cost. It was a simple "bend the pins back" as people have stated on here and elsewhere. If the connection is fubar'd then you are too as there is nothing to solder to.

So as its been stated here - if your lucky and you come up trumps ideal you have a working clone for £180'ish quid if your not lucky and you have to replace the PSU at cost then again cheaper than a real one but still - how long will that device last and at £50ish cheaper, is it worth it???

Just from my experience - which doesnt count for much I wouldnt want someone else to go through the mess to get thier money back.

 

[leemoo]

My first clone PSU blew sent that back which cost ME £50 and the next one i can't get the hard drive to work - think its something to do with the SATA port on the m/board.
Also factor in a fiver for a fan as the clone one is noisy as hell.
In the long run I wish I had got an orginal but its the chance you take....

 

[elmoemo]

still need a little help lmao think vu duo looks like best option as not much dearer than the 800hd se so for extra tuner looks better for me, psu seems easy fixed and parts less than 20 so not too fussed bout that, and 5 for fan. Think im going for that box unless someone knows of a non clone box for no more than 100 quid that is enigma 2 i would go for it instead but i cant see one :/ any help would be greatly appreciated, help so far has been great and has been taken on board/ I know the issues of vu duo clone but still attracted to it lol was wondering what latest image is for it vix 2.4.xx and BH 1.7.3? are there other images for the box?

thanks

 

[gsmtech]

There are also openpli images for the duo, just use patched versions or versions with the older drivers. I still use a vix 2.3 image. It's stable and everything works so I have no need to change. If your aware of the possible risks go for the duo 16 quid difference it's almost a no brainer. Consider even the dm800se clones can run the latest images due to anti clone..unless you have the ap82 SIM, which will eventually get clocked as well..It's just the duo psu and quality control issues that are a risk. My duo clone has been fine and stable since I've had it.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[IAmATeaf]

For £16 it is a no brainer as others have said. I too have had no problems, touch wood, with my clone.

I don't know how true this is but I've heard things like clone of clone etc and the suggestion that these are the boxes that have a weak PSU. So it might be worth doing some homework, looking at some pictures of an actual clone and clone of a clone and then getting the supplier to confirm which version they have.