VU+ Duo, Quick review.

[paxrax]

so far i have had a dm500s,dm600s ,dm800s, qbox mini hd and a vu+ duo.

apart from the qbox which was very poor, i still have all of the others.

by far the best of any so far has been the vu+, £315 del from ebay and worth every penny

 

[A nonymous]

Had mine from World of Sat, and i have to say its the dogs danglies

Running Blackhole on mine and i love it to bits.

My DM7020 has gone up in smoke so i may well be replacing that with a Vu+ Solo as its only for the bedroom. The other alternative will be a DM800 Clone, yes i said it, a clone.

I'm sorry but i think DMM have has their own way for too long. Their boxes are far to expensive for what they are and now there is a real alternative in the Vu+ Duo & Solo

The support is very good for the Vu+ receiver. The way support is going it could very well soon be a Dreambox killer.



Be afraid Dream Multimedia, Be very afraid

 

[sonnetpete]

Nanochickin, what is the tuner like in terms of sensitivity? Are you pulling in T/P's that you couldn't with the Dreambox for example? I am thinking of a VU+ Solo but I'm put off by Linux, as I'm not very computer savvy. Does the VU+ work straight out of the box or am I looking at lots of setting up and twiddling??

 

[paxrax]

Nanochickin, what is the tuner like in terms of sensitivity? Are you pulling in T/P's that you couldn't with the Dreambox for example? I am thinking of a VU+ Solo but I'm put off by Linux, as I'm not very computer savvy. Does the VU+ work straight out of the box or am I looking at lots of setting up and twiddling??

even though both are linux based, id say you need to know a little more about sat than linux to set one up.

both use the same setup wizard as theyre both enigma 2 based and really are easy to get working.

i heard all the noise about the vu but didnt beleive it till i bought one, they are just soooo nice to use!

 

[A nonymous]

I used to get Bit error rate readings on 16e with the DM7020 and very rarely saw anything on the German beam on 23.5e.

On the same dish the Vu+ i can get more of the stuff on the German beam and it shows no BER readings on 16e and a power reading which i would say it is acurate as its near enough the same as what my Rover ST4 meter is saying.

The channel change is faster than the DM.

I found it if anything easier to use than the DM7020 once i'd got my head round it.

Theres enough users here that will be able to help you if you decide to buy one.

Nano

 

[Huevos]

I am thinking of a VU+ Solo but I'm put off by Linux, as I'm not very computer savvy. Does the VU+ work straight out of the box or am I looking at lots of setting up and twiddling??

Get a Duo. It's does cost much more and the second tuner is so handy. Also with the Duo the hard drive fits inside; with the Solo it must be external. Don't worry about the Linux, that just lets you customise the box, but otherwise it works pretty much like any satellite receiver. Once set up the the Vu is such a pleasure to use. My missus loves it, and my 5-year-old has no trouble working it. I've got a WinTV Nova-T USB stick (5€ s/h off eBay) which plugs in the Vu and is for watching and recording terrestrial (does that make it a Vu+ Trio?). With that and the Vu you can record channels from 2 different satellites, and terrestrial and watch a pre-recorded movie all at the same time.

On the Linux/Enigma/images/flashing/skins/bouquets/etc it all sounds a bit daunting when you don't know what everyone is talking about, but it's just jargon and once you get hands on it's all pretty straight forward.

One last thing, to get the most out of it the receiver needs to be plugged in to an internet connection.

The only thing missing is blind search.

 

[sonnetpete]

Huevos, thanks for the insight. Thing is, I never record anything, maybe unusual I guess but I really don't. (Unless I'm missing another advantage of having two tuners?)

It's good that the VU will work straight out of the box so to speak and I could learn about Linux as I go. The internet connection I can look into as I'd really need it to link into the Livebox wirelessly.

When you say 'missing blind search', do you mean it has a software search rather than hardware? The Vantage only has a software blind search but it's incredibly slow.

 

[Huevos]

Huevos, thanks for the insight. Thing is, I never record anything, maybe unusual I guess but I really don't. (Unless I'm missing another advantage of having two tuners?)

I didn't record much either even though I had a hard drive recorder but with the Duo it is so easy. Say you are going through the EPG for next Monday and you see a program you fancy you just highlight it and press the ok button a couple of times. It saves staying up into the small hours to watch "The Sky At Night". Well it would if it were still on. The Duo lets you timeshift too, but then again so does the Solo.

It's good that the VU will work straight out of the box so to speak and I could learn about Linux as I go.

It will work out of the box with the stock image but I would change that from scratch.

The internet connection I can look into as I'd really need it to link into the Livebox wirelessly.

Hard wired network would be better but if you are not going to stream HD channels wireless will do. You would just need a wireless Ethernet bridge.

When you say 'missing blind search', do you mean it has a software search rather than hardware? The Vantage only has a software blind search but it's incredibly slow.

No blind search at all (software or hardware). The box has a file loaded (which you can easily edit) with all known transponders. There are lots of places where you can download an up to date one. Or if there is something in particular you want to search you just add the details manually using the remote. What I was really getting at though is this is not a box for feed hunting. Once you find feeds using a blindscan receiver you can use this box to view them, or stream them to a computer if they are 4:2:2 so you can watch them with VLC.

 

[sonnetpete]

Thanks for such a comprehensive reply Huevos. I can record via a usb key on the Vantage, but I find that there's little that I would like to record and if I did it's a problem finding the time to watch what I've recorded. I can see the advantage of the Duo, however for me it isn't worth the extra £100 or so.

What image would you suggest changing to from the one that comes with the VU+?

I was thinking that I could stream movies from my laptop to the VU+ wirelessly. The actual browsing experience provided by the receiver isn't as attractive because I only have 1mb broadband. I've found this _http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/hdd-receiver-hdtv-vu/vu-wireless-usb-adapter-150-mbps.html

I'm assuming it plugs into the receiver USB port to allow wireless connectivity with my livebox. Will it or should I look at a 'homeplug' solution? I'm also assuming the any software updates and images can be loaded onto the VU+ via the home wireless network?

I'm not a feed hunter, so the lack of blind search doesn't bother me. I'm still interested to know if you think the VU+ tuner is more sensitive than your Vantage, as I'm really interested in fringe reception.

Sorry for the additional questions!!

 

[Huevos]

I would completely avoid a USB solution. It takes drivers, RAM, and processing power and wastes a valuable USB socket. Ethernet is better, more reliable and a hardware solution.

Vantage versus Vu+, tuner is better in the Vu+, testing with Astra 2D and and 2A/B north beams. North beams is especially a problem for the Vantage where you are trying to receive a tiny peak with a Mt. Everest on either side.

I guess my situation with recording is different from yours. My missus records a lot, especially at night when I want to fiddle around with my stuff. Recording on a Duo means my box isn't completely tied up. In fact you wouldn't even know it had started a recording except it pop a message up.

I'm using the VIX image. The EPG is really nice and it doesn't seem to crash all the time like a lot of other images.

I wouldn't conside using the Vu+ for accessing websites like Youtube. I've got my laptop for that.

 

[sonnetpete]

Great advice again Huevos. Looks like a 'Homeplug' solution might be the neatest.

Pleased to hear about the tuner and yes, I guess your recording needs are different to mine, living on your own there's no one else to influence your viewing choice or moan about missing a soap while you're trying to find a fringe channel.

I wasn't going to access the web via the VU+, like you I have my laptop. I was just thinking of streaming movies already on my laptop hard drive to the tv via the VU+. However it's a just an idea and not a requirement.

 

[Huevos]

I wasn't going to access the web via the VU+, like you I have my laptop. I was just thinking of streaming movies already on my laptop hard drive to the tv via the VU+. However it's a just an idea and not a requirement.

Or store all your movies on a NAS... saves having the laptop tied up.

 

[sonnetpete]

Well, it's either me on the laptop or me watching tv or a movie so tying up the laptop doesn't seem to matter too much (unless I can watch a movie and surf but being male I'm incapable of multitasking!!)

Anyway, I've taken the plunge and ordered a VU+ Solo from HM-Sat this afternoon. With delivery by UPS for €284 (about £245 using a credit card exchange rate which is usually poor, though still cheaper than the quote earlier in this thread). When I get it, I'll have a play around, compare it to my Vantage performance and report back!!

 

[Huevos]

203€ plus VAT (18%) here and the Duo 290€.

 

[sonnetpete]

Yes, that's about €240 plus delivery. It's a shame that I couldn't find a stockist in France, as it seems that the delivery charges increase a fair bit if the goods have to 'cross a border' (despite it being the EU). HM-Sat was €259 (incl VAT) plus delivery. They may not be the very cheapest but I know they're reliable and efficient. I've already had two emails (in German and English), the second one giving me the UPS tracking number!

 

[Lazarus]

UPS eh, Pete?

Aren't they the crew who claimed your address did not exist?

 

[sonnetpete]

UPS eh, Pete?

Aren't they the crew who claimed your address did not exist?

Oh Gawd yes, I'd forgotten that!! :-Nooo

However, that wasn't HM-Sat and I've subsequently had my new motor from them, with the same courier since the 'lost in transit' incident. So, I'm reasonably confident..........

........crosses fingers, knocks on wood (or metal if you're Italian), and salutes a passing magpie....just in case.

 

[Huevos]

Yes, that's about €240 plus delivery. It's a shame that I couldn't find a stockist in France, as it seems that the delivery charges increase a fair bit if the goods have to 'cross a border' (despite it being the EU). HM-Sat was €259 (incl VAT) plus delivery. They may not be the very cheapest but I know they're reliable and efficient. I've already had two emails (in German and English), the second one giving me the UPS tracking number!

German VAT is higher than here. The VAT thing is a funny issue in Europe. If the person buying is VAT registered they don't pay VAT in the source country. That means if you buy an item from another EU country and keep it in stock indefinitely you will never pay VAT on it.

 

[sonnetpete]

The VAT thing is a funny issue in Europe. If the person buying is VAT registered they don't pay VAT in the source country. That means if you buy an item from another EU country and keep it in stock indefinitely you will never pay VAT on it.

Surely if you are VAT registered and the item is for your stock, it will have to go on your return as an input, won't it? If you kept it 'in stock' it would benefit you to declare it as an input item to reduce your output VAT total (and therefore the 'hidden' tax you pay on your profit) Mind you, it's nearly 30 years since I had anything to do with VAT returns and perhaps it's altered now or has differing rules within EU member states.......

......Will now have to seek solace in a glass of whisky after recalling doing VAT returns!!!

 

[Lazarus]

......Will now have to seek solace in a glass of whisky after recalling doing VAT returns!!!

A dram or three of VAT 69 would fit the bill ..................