Just Sharing This Gtmedia or free sat v7 hd satellite tv receiver

jeallen01

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Well, the V8S "version" finally arrived today (2 full days late on the RM "48 hr delivery service", and it's obviously not a lot like the V7S - for a start, it's a lot bigger (230mm x 135mmx 30mm) and here's the illustration from the seller's ad:

upload_2017-2-13_14-4-56.png
Also, even at first reading. the instruction book, in the "Feature SPEC" section, contains misleading statements to the effect that the A/V outputs include "Left/Right analog audio output (RCA) phono" and "Digital audio output (SPDIF with coaxial or fiber)" - but none of these connectors are fitted (not that I would want to use them, even if they had been), and there were no AAA batteries for the remote.

Goodness knows what else I will find.

Seller's ad states that a fully up-to-date free sat channel list is installed before despatch but the unit was fully shrink-wrapped and so that did not appear to have been done - however, the seller then claimed that this had been done by "their seller" and then the unit was re-shrink-wrapped.

Edited:
Now installed and running (using the Vu+ 12V PSU as that's already in place!) in the office.

Only FTA (of course!) ATM, but appears to give quite a good HD picture; USALS appears to work, and it has successfully swung the dish from 28E to 39E (& blind-scanned) and then 42E (now blind-scanning). Will try to swing it to one of the far West Sat's in a few mins.

Most disconcerting things so far is that
- having blind-scanned 39E, I took it out of searching mode and it immediately swung the dish back to the last 28E channel viewed - so, having scanned a sat, it would appear that you have to then select a channel on that to stop it going off somewhere else
- didn't seem to want to open some 28E channels that I thought would be FTA (or is that a "Freesat" issue?
 
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scopus

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Isn't that an 'Openbox' not a Freesat box?
 

scopus

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Isn't that an 'Openbox' not a Freesat box?
Just lifted this off the Freesat forum

Openbox got V8 and Freesat also got V8 but these 2 are totally different company, their firmware/software are not interchangeable. Openbox company has no official forum like Freesat,.
 

jeallen01

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Just lifted this off the Freesat forum

Openbox got V8 and Freesat also got V8 but these 2 are totally different company, their firmware/software are not interchangeable. Openbox company has no official forum like Freesat,.

Many Thanks - hadn't spotted that, and looks like a bit of an "OOPS" on my part then!

Might just take a look at it, as I am doing ATM, and then send it back - so far not too bad, USALS certainly does work (unlike, apparently, the Free Sat boxes), sensitivity does not seem great, but the upscaling appears to work quite well (pics proabaly a little better than the TM connected to the same BENQ monitor).

Edited: having now looked a bit further - and at the Chinese Freesat site - it looks like the Freesat V8 Super is kinda the "equivalent" of the Openbox unit I've currently got.

As I said earlier, I don't need/want DTV and the loop-through on these "V8" boxes could be useful - but the "funny" thing is that both of them have SCART as well as HDMI connectors - Do you think that that would that be because they are inherently older designs? (but I'm not worried about the larger physical size of those boxes, compared with the V7)
 
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jeallen01

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Using the Freesat V8 Super with spectacular results here in North America, the land of c band and the big dish. Autoroll on this stb has been great and in excess of 1k here on this side of the pond.
Which s/w version are you using?
I ask this because, on the Chinese forum, there appear to be lots of problems with the audio being reported for the latest versions
 

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Which s/w version are you using?
I ask this because, on the Chinese forum, there appear to be lots of problems with the audio being reported for the latest versions

Software version V4.0.85.347 from August 18th of last year. I haven't had any audio issues at all and one of the reasons why I haven't upgraded it.
 

blademedia

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Software version V4.0.85.347 from August 18th of last year. I haven't had any audio issues at all and one of the reasons why I haven't upgraded it.

Same here with the V7, running software from last year that came on the box, its running fine so left it on.
 

jeallen01

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Moral is thus clear - check the s/w version, and if it's that 2016 version then don't upgrade until the reports on the Chinese forum website show that the audio problems (and others?) have been fixed.
PS: just ordered a Freesat V8 Super - to arrive on Thursday or Friday? - and will compare with the Opensat version before I send one back!
 

jeallen01

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Something funny has happened in this thread in the last hour or so - several posts from skomedal, lazarus and myself seem to have disappeared:(.

Could one of the Admins please explain?
 

Lazarus

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I'm a Moderator, not an Admin, but the Thread had been dragged way off Topic and I have removed several Posts.

I shall clean up further shortly.
 

jeallen01

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I'm a Moderator, not an Admin, but the Thread had been dragged way off Topic and I have removed several Posts.

I shall clean up further shortly.
Thanks for the explanation - and it needed doing.
 

Analoguesat

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Generally speaking we do try to only have a light touch on the editing / pruning of threads here but we will have a tidy up if things get too wayward. or in odd cases where threads are deliberately getting dragged off topic..
 

Lazarus

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Right.
Thanks.
Carry on .... :)
 

blademedia

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If you do a lot of scanning like I do the transponder list soon gets full, instead of doing a factory reset you can clear transponders like this,
press menu>satellite installation>press recall>press yellow>press blue>press exit<move across to yes>exit
IMG_3644.JPG IMG_3646.JPG IMG_3647.JPG IMG_3648.JPG IMG_3649.JPG
 

scopus

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If you do a lot of scanning like I do the transponder list soon gets full, instead of doing a factory reset you can clear transponders like this,
press menu>satellite installation>press recall>press yellow>press blue>press exit<move across to yes>exit
View attachment 103737 View attachment 103738 View attachment 103739 View attachment 103740 View attachment 103741

That's how I do it to Blade, always do this before a blind scan, saves filling you box up with unused transponders..
 

blademedia

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I don't know if you've noticed scopus, but it scans in transponders near to lock that wont lock, tuner is very very good :), another three will be with me this week :)
 

scopus

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I don't know if you've noticed scopus, but it scans in transponders near to lock that wont lock, tuner is very very good :), another three will be with me this week :)
Yes, I have noticed this too. Also the AFC is good on Ka (19E) three feeds up this morn at only 4Mhz apart and it locked all three. Most of my other receivers will pick the strongest siggy and cancel out the others, so then I only have one feed over the three frequencies. My spare on order!
 

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"Might just take a look at it, as I am doing ATM, and then send it back - so far not too bad, USALS certainly does work (unlike, apparently, the Free Sat boxes), sensitivity does not seem great, but the upscaling appears to work quite well (pics proabaly a l0ittle better than the TM connected to the same BENQ monitor)."
OpenSat V8S - some more comments:

Edited: actually, the sensitivity does not seem so bad because it is locking up Qatar TV HD & Oman TV HD channels and a lot of other channels on Eutelsat 7A @7W , and also quite a few on 22W amongst others, but the blindscan is not finding as many channels on that as the S952 in the X275 - and I think the default installed channel lists are pretty out of date.

One definite problem I have found is that, often, when you try to display the Transponder lists then the unit crashes and reboots - does that happen with the FreeSat boxes?0

One or more of those problems could be because the default s/w version is pretty old - 10-08-2015!

Edited 2: Tried to enter a new sat not in the database, 31.5W, but although I could enter most of the details, it would not be enter the LNB frequency parameters for a Universal LNB:mad:
 
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blademedia

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OpenSat V8S - some more comments:

Edited: actually, the sensitivity does not seem so bad because it is locking up Qatar TV HD & Oman TV HD channels and a lot of other channels on Eutelsat 7A @7W , and also quite a few on 22W amongst others, but the blindscan is not finding as many channels on that as the S952 in the X275 - and I think the default installed channel lists are pretty out of date.

One definite problem I have found is that, often, when you try to display the Transponder lists then the unit crashes and reboots - does that happen with the FreeSat boxes?0

One or more of those problems could be because the default s/w version is pretty old - 10-08-2015!

Sounds much the same as Williams combo
Just Sharing This - Freesat V8 Golden combo Testing
 

jeallen01

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This isn't a combo m/c but, certainly, a lot of the menus and options look very similar in deed, and even the secret code to enter the hidden menus is the same number for the Opensat as for the Freesat - however, I think the "killer" point will probably be that the Freesat m/cs appear to have more up-t0-date s/w available.
 
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