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Tiviar Alpha Plus Combo STB

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    #212
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    Gerry Wicklow wrote: »
    If you are running openATV make sure to use the BLUE button to backup your settings. It only takes a few seconds but can save hours of hassle if you manage to mess things up.

    Running openvix, must remember to do a backup when I get home. Thanks for the reminder.


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    #213
    P.C
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭P.C


    Hello stem

    Is the picture of good quality in openvix.
    I was thinking of changing over to openatv.


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    #214
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    P.C wrote: »
    Hello stem

    Is the picture of good quality in openvix.
    I was thinking of changing over to openatv.

    It's been fine for me. I have a Sony Android TV with built in sat tuner so I run a cable from the box to the TV and have compared the picture from the two sources. The picture from the TV tuner does seem a bit better to my eye but nothing incredible. My wife doesn’t notice any difference between the two.

    Does the image you are using on the box effect the picture quality?


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    #215
    P.C
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭P.C


    SteM wrote: »
    It's been fine for me. I have a Sony Android TV with built in sat tuner so I run a cable from the box to the TV and have compared the picture from the two sources. The picture from the TV tuner does seem a bit better to my eye but nothing incredible. My wife doesn’t notice any difference between the two.

    Does the image you are using on the box effect the picture quality?

    I have a Sony 32 smart TV, like you with sat tuner. Also I find the picture that bit sharper on the Sony compared to the box. Thanks for the comments.


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    #216
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    Forgot to mention that the Movie Organisor (sic) plugin is well worth installing on this box. It scans your hard drive at a user-defined time and puts all of your shows that have multiple recordings into their own folders.

    So if your kid records Postman Pat on series link it will put all of the episodes into their own folder. Very handy, stops the drive from getting clogged up with one big list of shows.


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    #217
    P.C
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭P.C


    Hi SteM

    May be I will try a different image
    Thanks.


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    #218
    greasepalm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,354 ✭✭✭greasepalm


    I will through something else into the mix quality of hdmi cable and they are not all the same as i have found out.


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    #219
    P.C
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭P.C


    greasepalm wrote: »
    I will through something else into the mix quality of hdmi cable and they are not all the same as i have found out.

    Yes I tried that too did not see any difference
    Good call through.
    This emgima stuff takes some getting used to but interesting. Just takes a time to set it all up.


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    #220
    Zardoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,787 ✭✭✭Zardoz


    SteM wrote: »

    Does the image you are using on the box effect the picture quality?

    I find Openvix default picture settings are inferior to Openatv.
    The contrast and brightness levels are too high. Gamma settings are way too low as well. The whites are crushed.

    The Tiviar is a Mips based receiver, so it's never going to have very good picture quality, like an Sh4 receiver.
    You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.


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    #221
    funkey_monkey
    Registered Users Posts: 8,245 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    Hi. I'm going to pull the trigger in this today.

    Only need the internal drive. Not getting the WiFi option as I have a network point available - only one though. Can the smart tv access Internet through the STB? If not, should I get the WiFi option?

    Is Openatv the best option for the OS?


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    #222
    vincent17
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭vincent17


    Hello.
    I have had the box for nearly 2 days and i am still getting to grips with it but it is a great box.
    Doeas anybody know how to set the front lcd display to show just the time only and not the channel name.
    The box is in a study/man cave/spare bedroom and there is no clock in there and i use to have a Zgemma and that use to show the time which was handy.

    Thanks.


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    #223
    JB81
    Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭JB81


    Cancelled Sky yesterday.
    Box being delivered today.
    I might be busy on here for the next few days trying to get all set up.
    Apologies in advance for all the questions

    JB


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    #224
    Gerry Wicklow
    Registered Users Posts: 4,549 ✭✭✭Gerry Wicklow


    vincent17 wrote: »
    Hello.
    I have had the box for nearly 2 days and i am still getting to grips with it but it is a great box.
    Doeas anybody know how to set the front lcd display to show just the time only and not the channel name.
    The box is in a study/man cave/spare bedroom and there is no clock in there and i use to have a Zgemma and that use to show the time which was handy.

    Thanks.

    Try MENU>SETUP>USAGE+GUI>SKIN


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    #225
    Dr_Colossus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,153 ✭✭✭Dr_Colossus


    Zardoz wrote: »
    I find Openvix default picture settings are inferior to Openatv.
    The contrast and brightness levels are too high. Gamma settings are way too low as well. The whites are crushed.

    The Tiviar is a Mips based receiver, so it's never going to have very good picture quality, like an Sh4 receiver.
    You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

    Was close to pulling the trigger on this given all the positive feedback here. Have an unused dish which was on the long finger to connect but had been using Virgin's analogue service in the interim. Virgin are pulling all analogue service next week so the long finger has maxed out.

    To add, recently bought an OLED TV which I've yet to install but looking to get the most out of it in terms of picture quality so are there better boxes out there than the Tiviar Alpha Plus. New TV does have a satellite tuner but no recording functionality which could be useful plus ideally want to use box for older tv in the interm and as a future second TV.

    Don't watch much TV personally so not interested in Sky and yet more monthly subscriptions so the free to air list is sufficient. Recent reviews of the Ariva 4k Combo seem to be giving trouble so anything else that should be considered?


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    #226
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    funkey_monkey wrote: »
    Hi. I'm going to pull the trigger in this today.

    Only need the internal drive. Not getting the WiFi option as I have a network point available - only one though. Can the smart tv access Internet through the STB? If not, should I get the WiFi option?

    Is Openatv the best option for the OS?

    You could get a router and plug it into your network point, then cables from that into the Tiviar and into the Smart TV.

    Not sure why you need to connect the Tiviar to the internet unless you're using it for IPTV to be honest. It's not needed for normal satellite use.


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    #227
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,396 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    SteM wrote: »
    You could get a router and plug it into your network point, then cables from that into the Tiviar and into the Smart TV.

    Not sure why you need to connect the Tiviar to the internet unless you're using it for IPTV to be honest. It's not needed for normal satellite use.

    it is required for CrossEPG though


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    #228
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    SteM wrote: »
    Not sure why you need to connect the Tiviar to the internet unless you're using it for IPTV to be honest. It's not needed for normal satellite use.

    To set timers, view Epg and stream live TV and recordings to any laptop, smartphone, tablet or Android/Apple TV box in your house. Open up your network firewall and you can do this from anywhere in the world.


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    #229
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    lawred2 wrote: »
    it is required for CrossEPG though

    If you use opentv in CrossEpg it decodes the sky epg from the satellite


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    #230
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    lawred2 wrote: »
    it is required for CrossEPG though

    Not from what I've been told in the past.


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    #231
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,729 ✭✭✭SteM


    The high horse brigade wrote: »
    To set timers, view Epg and stream live TV and recordings to any laptop, smartphone, tablet or Android/Apple TV box in your house. Open up your network firewall and you can do this from anywhere in the world.

    But not fit normal satellite use, which is what I said.


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    #232
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,396 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    The high horse brigade wrote: »
    If you use opentv in CrossEpg it decodes the sky epg from the satellite

    interesting

    is that not possible with OpenVix?

    because CrossEPG is the only reason that I connect it to my home network


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    #233
    Zardoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,787 ✭✭✭Zardoz


    Dr_Colossus wrote: »
    To add, recently bought an OLED TV which I've yet to install but looking to get the most out of it in terms of picture quality so are there better boxes out there than the Tiviar Alpha Plus. New TV does have a satellite tuner but no recording functionality which could be useful plus ideally want to use box for older tv in the interm and as a future second TV.

    A receiver with an Arm cpu will give a better picture than the Tiviar .
    I have a Mutant HD51 receiver ,its an Arm chipset and gives a slightly better picture quality than a Mips receiver.
    I use the Bt 709 color profile for Satellite tv ,this is not available on the Tiviar or other Mips receivers I have used,at least I could not get it to work.

    A SH4 cpu ,like in the Alien 2 will give the best picture but they are an old receiver now and run a ported version of Enigma 2 so they don't run as smoothly as a Mips/Arm receiver.
    Picture wise though ,especially in the native Spark mode they cannot be beaten ,but they are too old and slow so I would not recommend one.

    I've tried most of the receivers on the market to get one with a picture quality I am happy with.
    The Mutant is currently the best I have found ,running Openatv .
    Its a holy grail for me to get one as good as an SH4 .


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    #234
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    lawred2 wrote: »
    interesting

    is that not possible with OpenVix?

    because CrossEPG is the only reason that I connect it to my home network

    CrossEpg is the same on every image. You must have it configured to import XMLs. Set the source to opentv which pulls down the sky epg from the satellite.


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    #235
    funkey_monkey
    Registered Users Posts: 8,245 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    Zardoz wrote: »
    A receiver with an Arm cpu will give a better picture than the Tiviar .
    I have a Mutant HD51 receiver ,its an Arm chipset and gives a slightly better picture quality than a Mips receiver.

    I've tried most of the receivers on the market to get one with a picture quality I am happy with.
    The Mutant is currently the best I have found ,running Openatv .
    Its a holy grail for me to get one as good as an SH4 .

    Is there much difference in the picture quality?
    Is that the only adv between the mutant and the Tiviar?


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    #236
    JB81
    Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭JB81


    Just plugged in the box, and was wondering if anyone else was having this problem. The two cables coming from my satelite dish ( which would have originally went into my sky box ) do not fit the threads on the two tuners on the Tiviar. Anyone any suggestions.
    Could I leave them in the old sky box and connect it to the Tiviar?

    Regards
    JB


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    #237
    greasepalm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,354 ✭✭✭greasepalm


    F connectors are standard on any sat box or cable but sometimes fiddly with big hands.


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    #238
    JB81
    Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭JB81


    Ive been at them for an hour and they just wont go on, I really think the they are too small for the ones on the triviar.
    Will keep trying.

    So basically what I am connecting is the 2 satelite cables to tuner 1 and 2. the aerial cable to tuner 3. The HDMI from box to TV. Wifi dongle in. And usb ( with updates downloaded from further up this thread )in as well.
    I assume this is all I need.

    Where do i go, or how do i manage to get the updates from the USB to the box?


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    #239
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    It's a standard f connector. If the cable is thin shotgun cable then the connector will be to suit that cable but the important other end that connects to the satellite box will be a standard size. Make sure the protruding centre conductor core goes into the female connector socket on the satellite box connector.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_connector

    To add the usb key you'll need to use the box to initialise it which will wipe it and format the usb to a Linux only compatible format. Then you add the update image and picons over your network using a software called FileZilla.


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    #240
    JB81
    Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭JB81


    The high horse brigade wrote: »
    I've updated my backup once again, this image is now set to 720p.

    Hi Highhorse.

    Just a quick question. My box came from WOS with OpenATV.

    Do I still need to follow your flashing guide for Openvix?
    In the Picon pack, it states pick an image? What does this mean and where do i pick it from?
    Also when setting all this up, do I just do this all on my laptop and put it all onto a USB stick and plug it into the box and it should upload automatically or do I need to have my laptop connected to the box? Or does it be done wirelessly?

    Do you know anywhere I could get a step by step guide to doing all this. I am mostly good with these type of things, but a lot of the terminology and phrases in this thread is going way over my head. Im not sure if I will be able to follow all here.

    I really am sorry for all the questions, and tell me to F off if you want.

    Genuine Thanks
    JB


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    #241
    The high horse brigade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭The high horse brigade


    The guide to flash the box is there. My backup is also Openatv but it is fully configured with most things to get you up and running as quick as possible. Get it flashed and then come back here for further guidance.

    The picon pack is a zip, you extract and copy it to the box storage after you've flashed the image. To do this you copy it across the network with your laptop using a software called FileZilla. Come back here for advise when you get to this stage


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