Enigma2, OSCam & IPTV Glossary — Every Term, Explained Simply

New to satellite or IPTV boxes? This is a plain-English glossary of the terms you'll see across the forum — what each one means, in a line or two. Use the jump menu below to find a term fast; several entries link to a full how-to guide.

Legitimate-use note: LinuxSat supports lawful use — your own subscriptions and cards, free-to-air channels, and devices you own. These entries explain what terms mean; they are not instructions for bypassing anything.

Jump to: Receivers & Boxes · Images, Firmware & Flashing · Plugins, Channels & EPG · Conditional Access · IPTV & Streaming · Satellite Hardware & Signal · Networking & Privacy

Receivers & Boxes

Enigma2

Also: E2. The Linux-based operating system that runs most modern satellite/IPTV set-top boxes; highly flexible and plugin-friendly. See also: Image, Set-Top Box.

Set-Top Box

Also: STB, receiver. The hardware unit that receives and decodes TV (satellite, cable, terrestrial or IPTV) for your screen. See also: Enigma2, Android TV box.

Vu+

Popular brand of Enigma2 Linux receivers (e.g. Vu+ Duo, Zero, Uno, Ultimo). See also: Enigma2.

Dreambox

Long-running Enigma2 receiver brand; newer models run DreamOS rather than classic Enigma2. See also: DreamOS.

DreamOS

Dreambox's own Debian-based OS used on recent models; similar look to Enigma2 but a different code base, so plugins/images aren't always interchangeable. See also: Dreambox, Image.

Zgemma

Budget-friendly Enigma2 receiver brand, widely used by hobbyists. See also: Enigma2.

Octagon

Enigma2 receiver brand (e.g. SF8008) known for good value 4K boxes. See also: Enigma2.

GigaBlue

Enigma2 receiver brand. See also: Enigma2.

Edision

Enigma2 receiver brand. See also: Enigma2.

Formuler

Brand best known for Android/Linux hybrid IPTV boxes (e.g. Z-series) running the MYTVOnline player. See also: Android TV box, IPTV player.

Android TV box

Also: Android box. A streaming device running Android/Google TV (or a Fire Stick); used for IPTV apps and Kodi rather than satellite tuning. See also: Kodi, IPTV player.

Combo receiver

A box with more than one tuner type (e.g. satellite + terrestrial/cable) in one unit. See also: Tuner, FBC tuner.

Images, Firmware & Flashing

Image

Also: firmware. The complete Enigma2 software you install onto a box; community images add features over the stock firmware. See also: Flashing, OpenATV.

Flashing

Installing or updating a box's image, via USB stick or online. See also: Image, Backup.

OpenATV

One of the most popular community Enigma2 images; frequent updates and a large plugin feed. See also: Image, Feed.

OpenPLi

A stable, long-established community Enigma2 image. See also: Image.

VTi

Also: VU+ Team Image. An Enigma2 image popular on Vu+ hardware. See also: Image, Vu+.

OpenViX

A widely used community Enigma2 image. See also: Image.

Egami

A community Enigma2 image. See also: Image.

PurE2

A community Enigma2 image. See also: Image.

Feed

The online software repository an image pulls plugins/updates from. See also: IPK, Plugin.

IPK

Also: ipk package. The package file format for Enigma2 plugins (installed from a feed or manually). See also: Plugin, Feed.

Backup

Also: image backup. A saved copy of your box's image and settings so you can restore after a flash or failure. See also: Flashing, Settings.

Settings

Also: channel settings. A ready-made satellite/channel configuration you import instead of tuning everything by hand. See also: Bouquet, AutoBouquetsMaker.

AutoBouquetsMaker

Also: ABM. A plugin that builds your channel bouquets automatically from a provider's data. See also: Settings, Bouquet.

EPGImport

Also: CrossEPG. Plugins that download a full EPG (TV guide) into your box. See also: EPG, XMLTV.

Plugins, Channels & EPG

Plugin

Add-on software for Enigma2 that extends the box (media players, EPG tools, skins, etc.). See also: IPK, Feed.

Skin

A plugin/theme that changes the on-screen look of the Enigma2 interface. See also: Plugin.

Bouquet

Your channel list / favourites grouping on an Enigma2 box. See also: Settings, Channel list.

Channel list

The full list of tuned channels on the box, organised into bouquets. See also: Bouquet.

EPG

Also: Electronic Programme Guide, TV guide. The on-screen "now & next" / weekly TV guide. "EPG not updating" is a common support topic. See also: XMLTV, EPGImport.

XMLTV

A standard data format for EPG (TV guide) information. See also: EPG, EPGImport.

Picon

Also: picons. The small channel logo shown beside a channel name; cosmetic, but makes lists far easier to read. See also: Channel list, Bouquet.

Now/Next

The minimal EPG showing only the current and next programme on a channel. See also: EPG.

Timeshift

Pausing/rewinding live TV using the box's storage. See also: PVR.

PVR

Also: recording. Personal Video Recorder; recording live TV to a connected drive. See also: Timeshift.

Conditional Access

Conditional Access

Also: CA. The broad term for the systems broadcasters use to control who can view a channel. Used legitimately with your own subscription. See also: CAM, Softcam.

Free-To-Air

Also: FTA. Channels broadcast unencrypted that anyone with the right equipment can watch legally. See also: Conditional Access.

CAM

Also: Conditional Access Module. The hardware module that holds/reads a subscription card, slotted into a receiver or TV. See also: CI, Smartcard.

CI / CI+

Also: Common Interface. The slot/standard a CAM plugs into; CI+ adds content-protection. See also: CAM.

Smartcard

The physical subscription card issued by a broadcaster/operator for your service. See also: CAM.

Softcam

Software that performs the conditional-access role in place of a hardware card-reader, used with your own valid card/subscription. See also: OSCam, CCcam.

OSCam

Also: OSCam-EMU. The most common open-source softcam on Enigma2; configurable and widely supported on the forum. See also: Softcam, CCcam, EMU.

CCcam

An older softcam, predating OSCam's popularity. See also: Softcam, OSCam.

EMU

Also: emulator. Refers to softcam builds that include conditional-access support directly ("emulator"). See also: OSCam, Softcam.

ECM / EMM

Technical messages within a broadcast stream that conditional-access systems use to manage entitlements; you'll see the terms in softcam logs. (Reference only.) See also: Conditional Access.

Biss

A conditional-access/key system sometimes used on certain feeds; listed so you recognise the term. See also: PowerVU, FTA.

PowerVU

Another conditional-access system seen on some feeds; listed for recognition only. See also: Biss.

Scrambling / Encryption

The general process of protecting a channel so only entitled viewers can watch. See also: Conditional Access.

IPTV & Streaming

IPTV

Also: Internet Protocol TV. Watching TV/video delivered over the internet rather than over satellite or aerial. See also: M3U, IPTV player.

M3U / M3U8

Also: m3u playlist. The playlist file format listing IPTV channels/streams; you load it into a player or plugin. See also: Xtream Codes, EPG.

Xtream Codes

Also: Xtream API. A common way IPTV services deliver a playlist + EPG via a login and server URL instead of a raw M3U file. See also: M3U, IPTV player.

Portal

Also: Stalker, MAC portal. A type of IPTV middleware where the service is tied to a device MAC address and a portal URL. (Reference only.) See also: IPTV.

IPTV player

An app that plays your playlist/portal. See also: TiviMate, OTT Navigator, XCIPTV.

TiviMate

A popular IPTV player app for Android TV / Fire Stick. See also: IPTV player.

OTT Navigator

A feature-rich IPTV player app for Android. See also: IPTV player.

XCIPTV

An IPTV player app supporting Xtream/M3U/portal logins. See also: IPTV player, Xtream Codes.

IPTV Smarters

A widely used IPTV player app. See also: IPTV player.

VOD

Also: Video on Demand. On-demand films/series in an IPTV service, as opposed to live channels. See also: IPTV.

Catch-up

Also: timeshift TV, archive. Watching programmes that aired in the past few days via the IPTV service. See also: VOD.

EPG (IPTV)

The TV guide for IPTV channels, usually supplied as an XMLTV URL alongside the playlist. See also: XMLTV, M3U.

Buffering

Playback stalling while the stream loads; usually a bandwidth, server, or device issue. See also: Bandwidth, Transcoding.

Transcoding

Converting a stream to a different format/bitrate, e.g. for a weaker device or connection. See also: Buffering, HLS.

HLS

Also: m3u8 stream. HTTP Live Streaming; a common protocol for delivering internet video in segments. See also: M3U.

Kodi

Open-source media-centre software; runs add-ons and players on Android boxes, PCs and more. See also: Android TV box, IPTV player.

Multicast vs Unicast

Delivery methods: multicast sends one stream to many viewers (often ISP-level), unicast a separate stream per viewer (typical internet IPTV). See also: IPTV.

Satellite Hardware & Signal

Dish

Also: satellite dish. The reflector that collects the satellite signal and focuses it onto the LNB. See also: LNB.

LNB

Also: Low-Noise Block. The unit on the dish arm that receives the signal and converts it for the receiver. See also: Universal LNB, Quattro LNB.

Universal LNB

The standard single-output LNB covering the common Ku-band ranges. See also: LNB.

Quad / Quattro LNB

Multi-output LNBs: a Quad feeds up to four tuners directly; a Quattro feeds a multiswitch. See also: Multiswitch, FBC tuner.

Unicable

Also: SCR, JESS. A single-cable distribution system letting multiple tuners share one coax run. See also: Multiswitch.

Multiswitch

A device that distributes satellite signals from a Quattro LNB to many receivers/rooms. See also: Quattro LNB.

DiSEqC

The control protocol a receiver uses to switch between LNBs/satellites or drive a motor. See also: Motor, Multiswitch.

Motor

Also: USALS. A dish motor that rotates to different satellites; USALS is the system that aims it automatically by location. See also: DiSEqC.

DVB-S / S2 / S2X

Digital satellite broadcast standards; S2X is the newest and supports features like multistream. See also: Multistream, Transponder.

DVB-T / T2

Digital terrestrial (aerial) broadcast standards. See also: Tuner.

DVB-C

Digital cable broadcast standard. See also: Tuner.

Multistream

A satellite transmission method carrying several streams on one frequency; needs a DVB-S2X / multistream-capable tuner. See also: DVB-S/S2/S2X, PLS.

PLS

Also: Physical Layer Scrambling. A parameter (gold code/number) sometimes needed to tune multistream transponders. See also: Multistream.

Transponder

A single satellite frequency/channel carrying one or more TV streams. See also: Frequency, Symbol rate.

Frequency

The transponder's broadcast frequency, entered when tuning manually. See also: Transponder.

Symbol rate

Also: SR. The data rate of a transponder, needed alongside frequency and polarisation to tune. See also: Transponder, Polarisation.

Polarisation

The signal orientation (Horizontal/Vertical or Left/Right circular) selected when tuning. See also: Transponder.

Blind scan

A tuner feature that searches a satellite for channels without a pre-loaded frequency list. See also: Transponder.

Signal quality vs strength

Also: SNR, AGC. Quality (SNR) is how clean the signal is and matters most for a lock; strength (AGC) is how much signal is present. See also: LNB, Dish.

Tuner

The part of a receiver that locks onto a broadcast; boxes may have satellite, terrestrial and/or cable tuners. See also: FBC tuner, Combo receiver.

FBC tuner

Also: Full Band Capture. A tuner type that captures a whole band, providing many virtual tuners from fewer cables. See also: Tuner, Unicable.

Networking & Privacy

IP address

The numeric address identifying your box/device on a network. See also: Static vs dynamic IP, Router.

Router

The device connecting your home network to the internet; handles WiFi, NAT and port forwarding. See also: Port forwarding, NAT.

Port forwarding

A router setting that lets an outside connection reach a specific device/service on your LAN. See also: Router, NAT.

NAT

Also: Network Address Translation. How a router shares one public IP among many devices; relevant to port forwarding and reachability. See also: Port forwarding.

DNS

The system that turns names (e.g. a server hostname) into IP addresses; changing DNS can help with reliability/speed. See also: IP address.

DDNS

Also: Dynamic DNS. A service giving your changing home IP a fixed hostname, so a device stays reachable. See also: Static vs dynamic IP.

Static vs dynamic IP

A static IP never changes; a dynamic one is reassigned by your ISP periodically. See also: DDNS.

VPN

Also: Virtual Private Network. Encrypts your internet traffic through a remote server; used for privacy and to avoid certain network restrictions. See also: ISP throttling.

ISP throttling

When your provider deliberately slows certain traffic; can cause streaming buffering. See also: VPN, Bandwidth.

Bandwidth

Also: Mbps, speed. How much data your connection can carry per second; too little causes buffering. See also: Buffering, Latency.

Latency

Also: ping. The delay on your connection; high latency affects responsiveness more than raw speed. See also: Bandwidth.

Ethernet vs WiFi

Wired (Ethernet) is more stable for streaming boxes; WiFi is convenient but more prone to drops. See also: Router, Buffering.

Related Guides

• Image / Flashing / OpenATV — see the enigma2 flashing guides on the board for your receiver brand.
• Picon — see the Enigma2 Picon Plugins board for install guides.
• M3U / IPTV player / Xtream Codes — see the IPTV & Streaming board.
• OSCam — see the OSCam board.

Can't find a term, or want one explained? Ask in the community and someone will help. New to a box itself? See Getting Started on LinuxSat-Support for the full set of beginner guides.