Posts by ekkostar

    Guys,


    If you have pre-ordered then start contacting your individual retailers with regards your orders this week. I would imagine UK Authorised retailers should now (or at least by tomorrow) have been informed of the Duo2 activity of this coming week.



    If you have not pre-ordered already I would suggest that you do so as soon as possible. The demand for this machine is unprecedented across the whole of the EU and it is the only sensible way of securing a machine and avoiding disappointment in future batches.



    The VU+ Duo2 is the flagship of the VU range. It really is a high quality receiver and one I am sure not only will you really enjoy but feel privileged to own as well.



    In the meantime thanks for all your patience guys.



    ES

    Update: Mon 15th July, EU countries were advised to await a further announcement on the 19th July


    Update: Friday 19th July, UK release being confirmed as next week. Delivery date Tues 23rd/ Weds 24th July


    The demand is unprecedented. 1st batches will be limited and in order to avoid disappointment please liaise with your Authorised local retailer. Authorised outlets will be issued stock exclusively through the VU+ Official UK Distributor channel.


    Thanks for your patience guys

    I'm afraid you'll have to take that up with your retailer.


    Please understand everyone is working very hard. It's a phenomenal machine which no doubt you will be hugely impressed with.

    It would be good to know what exactly this issue is??


    Is the only difference between the European stock and the Official Uk stock going to be that the Uk stock will have the new remote in the box instead of a voucher to claim it? Because if that's all it is I would rather have the Duo2 with the old style remote sitting in my house now along with the voucher to claim the new style when it is available rather than sitting with nothing. Plus side of the remote voucher is that you will eventually end up with two remotes. Bonus! lol


    Delay is only a relative. The level of interest in the Duo2 is unprecedented.


    As already explained bringing a product to market involves many things beyond merely building the machine. As explained in the opening original post some development machines were finding their way into 3rd party hands. The launch of the machine was expedited. The remote was simply one issue, where quite simply the new remotes were still in production.


    All the VU+ machines are products of extensive research and development and the concept of developers. In the meantime it is of course nonsense for anyone to suggest or be suggesting that VU+ have gone wrong or otherwise.

    Unfortunately an issue has arisen/discovered and pushed back the main launch date of the 17th. The situation is dynamic at present.


    There is a possibility that machines and stock assigned to the UK will be distributed this week on 19th Friday. Alternatively, the matter may roll into next week but no later than 26th Friday.

    Main stock should now be distributed on the 15th. The main German dealers will probably get their hands on it first whilst the shipments to the UK will be en route.


    In the meantime virtually all the third party images are out (inc some new ones) with one or two still still being finalised.

    Have been informed the official UK launch date is confirmed and expected as no later than the 17th July.



    The machine itself is ready to be distributed however the delays are being caused by the supply of the new remote. Everything is being done by VU+ to expedite supply of the remotes at the moment. All countries are in the same position and if there is any movement to that date all efforts will of course be to bring it forward.



    You can also now find the original image for download on the official site. Third party images such as BH Hyperspace 2.0.4 should also become available from today.


    Clearly, a lot of enthusiasts are excited about the launch of this machine.



    The finalised 'Consumer' hardware release of the Duo2 is now in full production.



    For those that understand logistics, you will appreciate that the route to market is quite complex and is not merely about a factory producing the unit.



    As for the Duo2 itself there should be some more information available to share regards public release dates tomorrow.



    In the meantime to clear some confusion that's floating around there are of course some sample, pre-production units. These are not the finalised consumer spec nor fully functional as the remote control supplied are old ones and some on-board hardware features will not be working entirely correctly i.e. wifi etc etc



    I stress that they are pre-production units only and not the finalised consumer spec units. Third party images are also not yet fully finalised.



    Furthermore if you are pre-ordering please only do so from Authorised dealers such as the forum sponsor. This will ensure your machine is officially sourced through Official UK Distribution.



    For those that simply cannot wait.......



    VU+ listened to feedback on the Qwerty style Ultimo remote. That was not the most most ergonomic remote and most comfortable to use.



    Here is the new actual Duo2 remote and as you can see it is a departure from the old tried and trusted design. The new remote is superb, having very tactile soft touch buttons and feels absolutely premium in hand.





    The consumer machine comes boxed in a premium style box. Once again a slight departure from before and a little bit more up market.





    Rear socketry is plentiful and the casing has a slightly matt finish as opposed to the glossy fingerprint magnet of the Ultimo. This is just as well because the Duo2 is very much a hands on machine.





    Once the 'final' consumer spec machine is 'permitted' available (which will be fully functional) the full review will be published accordingly.





    In the meantime this is the final spec :



    Features:



    2 x Plug & Play tuner slots suitable for DVB-S2 / DVB-C / T / DVB-S2 Dual tuners
    Transcoding function
    Airplay function
    Opera browser
    HbbTV
    HDMI 1.4 connection
    HD PIP
    Gigabit Lan
    Plug and Play support for 2.5 "SATA - Hard Drives
    2 x display (VFD and LCD)
    WOL
    Technical highlights VU+ Duo2:



    1300 MHz dual-core MIPS processor
    1GB Flash
    2GB DDR3 DRAM
    Gigabit Lan
    2 x DVB Common Interface slot
    2 x Smartcard-Reader (Xcrypt)
    3 x USB (1 x front, 2 x back)
    SPDIF audio output optical (digital)
    1 x HDMI 1.4 video / audio output (digital)
    1 x Scart (TV)
    1 x RCA video output
    2 x audio output (L / R) RCA (analog)
    Plug and Play support for 2.5 and 3.5 "SATA - Hard Drives
    unlimited channel lists for TV / Radio
    EPG (electronic program guide) support
    Support of Bouquet lists
    OSD in many languages and skin-support
    automatic / manual channel search
    DiSEqC 1.0/1.1/1.2, USALS
    Power switch
    Specifications VU+ Duo2 DVB-S2 and DVB-S2 Dual Tuner:
    Input Frequency Range 950 .. 2150 MHz
    QPSK Demodulation EN 302 307
    Signal Level - 65 dBm ... - 25 dBm
    Noise Level 12 dB max.
    DBS-Tuner Input Connector F-Type female
    Input impedance 75 ohms
    AFC capture range + / - 3 MHz
    Demodulation Shaped QPSK and 8PSK
    Viterbi and Reed-Solomon FEC
    Viterbi rates 1/4, 1/3, 2/5, 1/2, 3/5, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9
    Roll-off Factor 35%
    DVB-C/T- hybrid tuner:



    VHF channels: 2-12 (49 .. 230 MHz)
    UHF channels: 21-69 (470 .. 861 MHz)
    DVB-C HDTV compatible
    Input frequency range: 51 .. 858 MHz
    Symbol rate: 1 ... 7 Mbaud / s
    Input Impedance: 75 ohms
    Tuner In / Out connector: IEC
    DVB-C / DVB-T can be selected via software
    Common Interface:



    2x Common Interface Power Consumption max. 0.35 A/5V
    Video decoder:



    Video Compression MPEG-2 / H.264 and MPEG-1 compatible
    Video Standard PAL G / 25 Hz, NTSC
    Video Formats 4:3 / 16:9
    Letterbox for 4:3 TV-Device
    Output digital:



    Output Level 0,5 Vss on 75 Ohm
    Sampling frequencies 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz
    S / PDIF-Output optical, coaxial (AC3)
    Audio decoder
    Audio compression MPEG-1 & MPEG-2 Layer I and II, MP3
    Audio Mode Dual (main / sub), Stereo
    Sampling frequencies 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 16 kHz, 22:05 kHz, 24 kHz
    Output analog:



    Output Level L / R 0,5 Vss on 600 Ohm
    THD> 60 dB (1 kHz)
    Crosstalk <-65 dB
    Video parameter:



    Input Level FBAS 1 Vss + / - 0.25 dB on 75 Ohm



    TV-Scart:



    Output: FBAS, RGB, over OSD selectable



    Ethernet:



    1000/100/10 MBit compatible interface



    USB:



    USB 2.0 connector (3x)



    LNB power and DVB-S2 tuner:



    LNB Current 400mA max. , Short-circuit proof
    LNB Voltage horizontal "no load 19.5V" 17,6 V at 400mA
    LNB Voltage vertical "no load 14.5V" 11,8 V at 400mA
    LNB is switched off in standby mode
    Control of the satellite position:



    DiSEqC 1.0/1.1/1.2 and USALS - Rotor Control
    Power consumption:



    <15W (in operation, with LNB)
    <13W (in operation, without LNB)
    <0.5 W (Deep-Standby-Mode)
    Input voltage:



    230V / 50 Hz alternating current + / - 15%
    110V / 60 Hz alternating current + / - 15%
    General:



    Ambient Temperature +15 ° C. .. +35 ° C
    Humidity <80%
    Dimensions (W x D x H): 380 mm x 290 mm x 60 mm
    Weight: 3,0 kg without HDD


    Please find the Duo2 pdf attached.

    Every once in while something comes along in the world of electronics and promises to be a game changer.


    You've had miniature marvels that turn things upside down and inside out and have their competitors running in fear. Sony once did it with the Walkman, Apple did it with an iPod (and then later again with the iPhone).... and so it now comes to the world of satellite.


    VU+ gives you the Solo2


    For those already familiar with VU+ models, this is their latest and new shrunk to size powerhouse of a receiver.


    The packaging is pretty much the same as always. A friendly recyclable cardboard box with a commitment emblazoned upon it to make a donation from their profits to children's welfare institutions.



    You will notice the sticker that the outer box wears. It's a 'badge of pride'. The receiver unashamedly professes to be the fastest twin pvr satellite receiver on Earth. The package may appear deceptively diminutive on the outside but that claim certainly alludes to what lies within.



    As you can see everything comes very neatly and professionally packaged.


    It's a handsome receiver. Beauty is not just skin deep though as this is undoubtedly a wolf in sheep's clothing.



    Profile view makes a style statement.... like a smiling assassin



    The rear of the box harbours all the AV connections. You'll notice the all important twin tuners, Ethernet, HDMI, USB socketry. The Solo2 also heralds a first for the VU+ range which is an external PSU socket.


    The departure from an internal PSU has it's pro's and cons. Internal means everything is housed in a singular package. An external PSU has many upsides though. There is no unnecessary heat build up within the machine and should your PSU ever fail on you, it's a far simpler job getting an external replacement for sure.


    The Solo2 draws 3.5A on 12V.



    Onto the accessories, here you get an external PSU, HDMI & SATA cable, remote control and some batteries thrown in for good measure. You will also notice a small pack of HDD mounting screws. The Solo2 has the ability to mount an internal 2.5" HDD, something it's predecessor could not do. This really makes the Solo2 a very competent PVR proposal for satellite enthusiasts.



    The receiver retains much of the Solo's original footprint. For those not familiar with it's sizing here is how it ranks alongside a genuine Dreambox DM800HDSE



    Another size comparison for you to marvel at. The best of technology harnessed in the smallest of packages



    The VU+ remote is the same as the programmable type supplied with the Solo and Duo. This is no bad thing. It is perfectly sized and very tactile. If you thought the Solo, Duo or Ultimo were responsive (and they are) you've got another thing coming here for sure. In short the VU+ remote and the Solo2 are very responsive indeed.


    The only other tactile remote that I personally favour is the Dreambox Omikron, that however is of course for Dreamboxes only.



    Whilst there are two USB2 ports at the rear of the machine, you will find another one behind the front drop down flap. You can for example attach an external HDD on the rear USB's. The front USB is especially handy when you plan to upgrade the firmware and images. In time you will come to appreciate this accessibility. There is of course a twin card reader built into the Solo2.


    The front flap is held in place magnetically. It feels robust and is in pretty much the same ilk as that found on the Ultimo.



    There are 3 screws on the rear panel and a screw on either side panel. If my maths is correct, that makes 5 to remove in total ?



    et Voila...Pandora's box reveals all. It's as beautifully clean on the inside as it's lines on the outside suggest



    As you can see very efficient and clean. You can see the HDD mounting tray. This is seated by 3 holding screws. Unlike many other receivers such as the Dreamboxes the HDD tray in the VU's always feels more solid and workmanlike. This is no exception. Just above the heatsink you will see the SATA port to connect your HDD to. To the left of it are four Nanya chips (presumably the 1Gb DDR) surface mounted to the main board. Under the heatsink you will find the dual core 1.3Ghz Broadcom processor. Size makes for nothing without speed and agility. This is the real powerhouse at the heart of this receiver and this processor takes this tiny box to gargantuan heights. Satellite enthusiasts will soon come to appreciate the watershed that this marks. We are entering a whole new era of power and performance.


    Believe me we are talking the stuff that legends are made of....



    Removing the tray makes it a simple task to install a 2.5" HDD. Choose yourself a decently sized 5400RPM HDD and install carefully. It's worth getting a decent reliable brand. After all much of your media within the machine will reside here and it's best to go with something that is reliable from the outset.



    From the flick of the power switch, the time taken to cycle to boot up to the splash set up screen was a mere 34 secs (pre-installed image). This thing is like Usain Bolt on a mission....


    Other than a blinking LED the Original Solo was a 'blind' machine. Thankfully, the Solo2 has a rather more informative 12-digit VFD display. It's not in the league of the Ultimo but it's a welcome addition nonetheless.



    HDD installation and mounting is a breeze. As you place the HDD tray back there are raised guides on the mount points....nice touch VU+. It is here you'll begin to appreciate the finer qualities and attention to detail of the Solo2.


    Plug the HDD power connector into the socket on the board behind the power switch (it is also guided to prevent foolproof installation). Plug the SATA connector onto the main board and the connector assembly into the HDD itself....everything goes in with a re-assuring click and has the feel of a quality product throughout.


    Placing the lid back on the receiver you'll feel the guides on the sides of the chassis. The side panels ease over the lip and the lid then slides gently back into place.


    Those of you who may have built PC's before will appreciate the well thought out chassis and pay a homage to those clever chaps at VU+. This is a receiver built with some deep know how. We are talking real attention to detail. The build quality is superb.



    Whilst the pre-loaded VU experimental image will get you up and running, the more adventurous amongst you will head for Blackhole and the like to reach all that an E2 Linux box like this can offer.


    Transfer your chosen image file to USB, plug in and hard reboot the receiver. The box asks you to confirm so by tapping the touch sensitive standby button. It then goes on to do it's thing and reboots itself into life once the flash procedure is done.



    I was able to load the very latest BH 1.7.9 v3 via USB from boot to update to reboot in about 1 minute. To put that into perspective that's a chunky 103Mb fully loaded HbbTv image booted and loaded into flash, ready to go in around a minute. That's pretty impressive.


    Thankfully you are not shortchanged in the performance stakes. It runs at a blistering 1.305 Ghz and 869.37 BogoMIPS.



    Barely having time to get my breath back I find BH are already using updated drivers. The support for the machine is flying almost as fast as the machine itself and although it's early days transcoding on the fly is already enabled. This bodes well for the future for those looking to stream to external devices on the fly.


    Simply log on to Webif via browser on your device and you can choose a host of options to stream HDD recording or view 'on the fly' transcoded material.



    Whilst this function is still in beta stages the receiver did not lock up whilst multi-tasking and transcoding HD material. The transcode is approx 5 seconds behind the actual broadcast.



    A quick gander at some of the ARD HD channels on 19.2E also confirms that HbbTv is working fine. HbbTv can be a resource strain and only 28% of memory appeared being utilised at the time. The Solo2 just laps it all up in it's stride. It also plays 1080p MKV's very smoothly. It runs a Gigabit LAN adaptor and on my network I was able to transfer an 8gb file to the machine in around 10mins.



    The combination of price, support and hardware is very likely to become a marriage made in heaven...probably irresistible to many. New features and further stability is pretty much assured. Furthermore if VU's recent track record is anything to go by then this is simply going on to become a phenomenal machine.



    It is labelled as the 'Multi-Talented Twin HD PVR' and the 'Fastest Twin Tuner PVR on Earth'...to be honest both are a bit of a mouthful and I'll sum up the box a little more succinctly...it's a Game Changer


    A very well done must also go to the BH team. They are truly on it. They've got HbbTv working off the bat and in as many days VU have released them updated drivers and the much vaunted transcoding feature has been enabled. That's pretty good going by all accounts.


    Hopefully my brief review has been useful and whetted the appetite for one of the most eagerly sought after satellite receivers there has been for a long, long while.


    ES