Ferguson Ariva 250

gerkildare

Thanks for the suggestions folks...

Ok,
Nowso - I was unfamiliar with a linux box - did a quick scan about just now, it looks interesting but I need something unfussy and 'everybody-friendly' ! [But I'm sorta intrigued when you say it might be best to move onto a linux box - can you explain to me why?]

Avns1s - I tried the working box in the 'faulty box' location - it performed fine, no problems at all, So I reckon that rules out LNB/cable issues

Tony - Doing the factory reset was a pain as there's no tv screen to see where I'm navigating to , but going to and fro from the room with the working box and then back to the faulty one I was able to find the right place thru the led display.
Having said all that, nothing happened when I hit the Ok button to run the reset!

So - looks like a new box - yes?

Any suggestions as to what's the diff between the 153 and the 253 [more to the point, which is closest to the 250?]
OR - should I look at another brand/make entirely?

Thanks again for the help folks.

Avns1s

gerkildare wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions folks...

Ok,
Nowso - I was unfamiliar with a linux box - did a quick scan about just now, it looks interesting but I need something unfussy and 'everybody-friendly' ! [But I'm sorta intrigued when you say it might be best to move onto a linux box - can you explain to me why?]

Avns1s - I tried the working box in the 'faulty box' location - it performed fine, no problems at all, So I reckon that rules out LNB/cable issues

Tony - Doing the factory reset was a pain as there's no tv screen to see where I'm navigating to , but going to and fro from the room with the working box and then back to the faulty one I was able to find the right place thru the led display.
Having said all that, nothing happened when I hit the Ok button to run the reset!

So - looks like a new box - yes?

Any suggestions as to what's the diff between the 153 and the 253 [more to the point, which is closest to the 250?]
OR - should I look at another brand/make entirely?

Thanks again for the help folks.

Just to check one thing....

Is the "no signal" coming from the tv or the ariva box?

i.e. I wonder is it the ariva 250 actually getting no feed from the sat dish and showing this message... OR... is it your tv getting no signal on the HDMI / Scart cable from your box?

While it's not completely clear, I suspect it's the latter.

I still think it's worth trying to restart it using the "box to box" method seeing as you have 2 Ariva 250's.


If you're going to replace it, the 153 will do the job, just displays the channel number as opposed to the name on the LED display. The Ariva 250 was replaced by the 252 and more recently by the 253 though there seems to be plenty 252's to be had still.

Nowso

the 153 seems the main one for sale atm

linux you can get easier set up and more complicated installation on the same box , . i have both

fergusons are the easiet to work in general and if your hapy with them , stay with them

Tony

Try a scart lead and see if the box is outputting the menu display to the tv's scart input. It sounds like the TV is generating the "no signal" box and not the ariva

gerkildare wrote: »

Tony - Doing the factory reset was a pain as there's no tv screen to see where I'm navigating to ,

STB.

@ gerkildare. I'd go with Tony's suggestion. If the scart does get rid of this issue (make sure the hdmi is not connected also), the you just need to reflash with the latest firmware as the original firmware has become corrupt.

One other thing occurs to me to try before you try the scart. Press the STB button on the remote (top right) and then press menu. Can you see the menu ?

gerkildare

Thanks for the suggestions folks.
Ok, I removed the hdmi & tried the scart and it seems to have solved the immediate issue, i.e. I rescanned and I now have tv & radio again.
So, should I update the firmware now? If yes, then how do I do that? (sorry but I haven't followed this thread intimately so if it's here already I wouldn't know where!)

Also, does the scart 'fix' mean that the hdmi port and cable are unusable?

Thanks for the assistance folks, very much appreciated!

glineli

Is there any way to hide a channel. I want to try to map the sky numbers to the ariva channel list, make it easier for everyone, but need to hide channels in order to do that.

thanks

Tony

No,next I would check the HDMI output setting to make sure that its compatible with your TV ie 720 or 1080i then reconnect the HDMI and select the correct input on the TV ie HDMI 1,2 etc

gerkildare wrote: »

So, should I update the firmware now?

Citizenpain

Have you tried using a different HDMI cable? - The first HDMI i had stopped passing audio - i assumed it was a box issue for months and just used a scart

When I replaced the HDMI recently it works !

gerkildare

Thanks for the suggestions once again.

Ok, I tried the hdmi cable that works with the 'working' box on the scart box AND checked the output settings, but this returned the box to being a 'faulty' box.
Also I notice that after my reply above, I powered off the box at the wall socket; when I powered up and went back in just now the clock settings had been lost, it reset to an incorrect time.

Hmmm, one step forward...!

;-) G

Avns1s

Why don't you try the following....

1.Go to your working Ariva 250, put in a USB key (preferably just formatted in FAT 32).
2. Press MENU, >> TOOLS >> Upgrade by USB, press OK.
3. Click < to find "Dump" Scroll down to start and wait till finished.

Now take your USB to the dodgy box
1. Put in the USB key which will now have a file called "backup.abs" on it.
2. Press MENU, >> TOOLS >> Upgrade by USB, press OK.
3. Click < or > to find "Allcode & bootloader" Scroll down to start and wait till finished.
4. Reboot your box using the power switch at the back.

If the upgrade has been successful, your "dodgy" box will now be a clone of your working box and all settings should be identical so should work in exactly the same way presuming it doesn't have hardware faults.


Note.... I am working from memory on the above steps as not in front of the box at the min.

Citizenpain

gerkildare wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions once again.

Ok, I tried the hdmi cable that works with the 'working' box on the scart box AND checked the output settings, but this returned the box to being a 'faulty' box.
Also I notice that after my reply above, I powered off the box at the wall socket; when I powered up and went back in just now the clock settings had been lost, it reset to an incorrect time.

Hmmm, one step forward...!

;-) G

Oh crap . Sorry

pudzy

evening guys... im wondering.. as we can update software tru the menu via === ftp://ftp2.ferguson.pl/ferguson/
but im think can i setup a web hosting site or something similiar.... i got 150 ferguson and 250 at home...
if i was to load my channel lists and keep them updated on the website. people could log details in to there box and d/load channel list for either box... can this be done..

Nowso

You can update that way but if you want to use the patched software you will need to flash it via usb

you can host them via dropbox and share a link but these boxs can crash easily when channel lists are loaded

Thargor

Why do people bother updating their software? Has anything changed that much in the last couple of years?

pudzy

Nowso wrote: »

You can update that way but if you want to use the patched software you will need to flash it via usb

you can host them via dropbox and share a link but these boxs can crash easily when channel lists are loaded

thanks for your reply m8... yes im using patch firmware... i find 1.27b is steady.
so i need to input link into the network upgrade,, this is the part im getting wrong .. and could do with help ..
so far this is link for 150 box.
[url]http://???????/150.abs[/url] but when i put it in box i get connection failed yet if i pop it in google 150 channel list downloads...

Avns1s

pudzy wrote: »

thanks for your reply m8... yes im using patch firmware... i find 1.27b is steady.
so i need to input link into the network upgrade,, this is the part im getting wrong .. and could do with help ..
so far this is link for 150 box. but when i put it in box i get connection failed yet if i pop it in google 150 channel list downloads...

You do realise that if you allow others to access and use your "backup.abs" file in this fashion that you are sharing ALL of the contents of your patched firmware?

pudzy

ya sorry m8.. can you edit ur post and change please thanks for tip

Avns1s

pudzy wrote: »

ya sorry m8.. can you edit ur post and change please thanks for tip

What part?

Ahh, I see now!

Nowso

if your sending it out id be using the latest firmware version

Nowso

Avns1s wrote: »

You do realise that if you allow others to access and use your "backup.abs" file in this fashion that you are sharing ALL of the contents of your patched firmware?

thats the one downside of the patch version if your on fixed ip, it may allow others to view and edit them details remotely

pudzy

Nowso wrote: »

thats the one downside of the patch version if your on fixed ip, it may allow others to view and edit them details remotely

no im pretty sure its only channel list thats uploaded to box... i just factory reset box and it worked. but when i put the link into box it dont workconnection failed i get,, must be doing something wrong

Nowso

if you want the patched software download it to usb and flash it , if you download on the box server you wont get the patched version

Thargor

Can someone point me to a portable hdd in the 320-750 gb range that they can confirm is working on the 250 please?

Thargor

Also can you please tell me if you have managed to get enough power from the one usb port on the back or have you had to supply an external power source to the hdd? Thanks.

Avns1s

I can't help with your query directly but I can confirm that I have an old 2.5" IDE laptop drive 250GB inserted into caddy (about €7 from ebay) and connected via a USB cable and it works perfectly. I presume a larger drive would work equally well.

I have a similar SATA drive in a caddy also working perfectly but this got diverted to an alternative application!!

Just format the drive to FAT or NTFS and it should work ok.

Just saw your second post - no alternative power supply, just the USB!

Thargor

Avns1s wrote: »

I can't help with your query directly but I can confirm that I have an old 2.5" IDE laptop drive 250GB inserted into caddy (about €7 from ebay) and connected via a USB cable and it works perfectly. I presume a larger drive would work equally well.

I have a similar SATA drive in a caddy also working perfectly but this got diverted to an alternative application!!

Just format the drive to FAT or NTFS and it should work ok.

Perfect, thanks a million for that.

Interested to hear from anyone else aswell but I think Ill chance the caddy and SATA laptop drive.

Nowso

ive used seagate hdd drive formatted to ntfs on the 250 before and it worked fine

Thargor

Would a 2.5" 120gb ssd in a caddy be okay for use with the Ariva do you think? I assume it would draw less power than IDE?

Nowso

that worked for me

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1427187/Trail/searchtext%3ESEAGATE.htm

you could use use the 500mb version

formated to ntfs you can defrag it in your laptop if u wish

Thargor

No way is that a 1TB ssd for €50 though, that'll be IDE in there, is it spinning all the time the 250 box is on or does it power up and power down when not in use?

Nowso

the Light stays active when the box is on when using the different box i have it on now

had mine a few years

Thargor

Thanks, sorry for all the questions:

-Does it make a lot of noise? Can you hear it powering up and powering down all the time or is there a whine out of it?

-Does it run off one USB port nothing else?

Nowso

no noise unless you had your ear up against it i suppose , just runs off the usb port alone

Thargor

Hmmm, this seems perfect then, is it slow to come on when you press record or any other disadvantage like that you can think of?

Nowso

nothing it works well , ifs it loaded up with files it will slow as will nay drive but a 250 wont push it that much anyway as its only doing 1 function at a time

Nowso

all your recording of non encrypted channels can then easily be played on your laptop via vlc media player

Thargor

Great stuff so thanks.

Thargor

Nowso wrote: »

that worked for me

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1427187/Trail/searchtext%3ESEAGATE.htm

you could use use the 500mb version

formated to ntfs you can defrag it in your laptop if u wish

That couldnt have worked out better btw, thanks for that, about 20 full series like Sopranos and Fargo and loads of films and documentaries, moved a load of recordings from the existing memory and still 500GB free for recording, zero difference in speed or behavior to a USB stick either.

Nowso

thats good . there suites well to sat boxes

Thargor

The 250 is hooked up to an ancient 40 inch plasma but watching 720p True Detective on it you'd think you were watching a 2016 4K OLED monster, it is a seriously good media player even by current standards, better than my Smart Samsung even though its a few years older.

Thargor

Any way to "Press the Red Button" on the Ariva 250? For the times when things like the snooker is coming to an end and they say press the red button to keep watching?

Tony

No but if you scan the active transponder (tuning guide may have this info) you can bring up the channel

STB.

If someone tells me the latest patched version that is stable on the Ariva 250's I'll do up a channel list with the various fav categories including a red button (given the frequencies are known for the 7) one.

Users can then just add their Irish channels to the top of the channel list.

iba

STB. wrote: »

If someone tells me the latest patched version that is stable on the Ariva 250's I'll do up a channel list with the various fav categories including a red button (given the frequencies are known for the 7) one.

Users can then just add their Irish channels to the top of the channel list.

Is that the STB I know?

Thargor

So theres 7 red button channels I could just tune in and they'll be there in the channel list?

STB.

Thargor wrote: »

So theres 7 red button channels I could just tune in and they'll be there in the channel list?

BBC RB1 10773 H 22000 DVB-S

BBC RB 2-7 12422 H 23000 DVB-S named 6802 - 6806 and 6811.

You can always rename them to bbc rb 2 etc.

These are the ones for the Euros/Wimbledon/Olympics.

Thargor

Thats good to know thanks.

Galego

Hi,
Sorry to resurrect this.....but was wondering has the patch for CCCAM and/or NEWCAMS!?

By the way, updating the firm with the patch loses you all channels?

Thanks.

greendragon3

evening all , ive recently had my 250 combo go into ASH mode following a useless channel update that i got online , anyway i managed to resurrect it today using the null cable and its now back to life , only thing is i cant find an up to date patch firmware download to get her back on track so to speak !!!! anyone have anything recent and while im on the subject anyone got any new channel list to save me having to do everything by hand ?? the ariva boxes are mighty but a massive pain in the arse to update channels ...

cheers terry .