Posts by Countermeasure

Well I'm in canada and canadian OTA channels are utter garbage, no point to spend any effort on them.

The point is that the ability to timeshift makes a massive difference in TV watching experience. Anyone who's had good timeshift knows that. You just can't go back. The reason for recording is to get more or less the same thing. Ability to watch on your time and ability to FF/RW.

We've had cable TV boxes for the last 15 years, and since the PVR and timeshift capabilities were added some 6-7 years ago, I don't think I've watched a single commercial. So watching straight IPTV is just something I can't sit through, nor do I have the time. I can't see how others can stomach watching live television nowadays! I sure can't.

The recording on Tivimate and IMplayer is simply garbage and a total fail, and neither have timeshift. I haven't tried other software on android yet, but I feel they wouldn't fare better and most of them are paid, and I don't wanna pay again for another fail. To me that makes them non options. MOL2 on the other hand seems to do both those things pretty reliably. if it can do well 95% of time I call that reliable enough, and from people's accounts, it seems to be so.

See its all about software. A good software can record even a choppy stream. It will record the choppiness too, and that's the mark of a good software. Problem is the software out there is not very good at all. Well, MOL2 seems to be the only exception. I'm getting one soon, its on the way.

Oh I also do have catchup on my service but IMplayer did such a terrible job of playback that it was a hellish experience.

If I had a software that downloaded catchup would have been great, but I don't have a way to do that. If anyone here knows one please let me know (other than E2 box).

I just want to report back, after 6 months from this discussion.

I decided to buy an Nvidia shield Pro to have the absolute best hardware. My options for software were either tivimate or Implayer. I bought IMplayer and used it as well as free version of tivimate, and I can report that IMplayer is a piece of garbage and I wouldn't use even for free now. It fails at eveything! IMplayer I found after buying, doens't even have timeshift. And the recording is garbage. Tivimate isn't better either for those 2 things. Both of them are ok for just watching IPTV, and Tivimate is better. I am SO dissapointed with IMplayer and that I paid for it.

So in conclusion I want to report that my experience with the shield and various software has been a failure. if you want to record IPTV and have timeshift the BEST solution is probably Formuler and MOL2 like COMPO said. The second best experience might be E2. But since I don't yet have either one of those 2 boxes I cant say for sure.

I am now looking into buying a formuler box.

I think I might also buy an e2 box just soI can put this question to rest. But at this point my general view is that its gonna be likely exactly as COMPO said, and the formuler experience is just gonna be robust and E2 expeirence will just not satisfy.

I was thinking of getting an E2 box as an extra recorder, but then aagin if its not very reliable, and if I HAVE TO get a formuler box regardless, then an E2 box becomes kind of pointless and maybe its better to just use nextPVR for extra recordings since the recordings are gonna be separate from the main device anyway. I don't know.

When I have more feed back I will share again. Thanks guys.

Thanks very much guys. Your feedback was all very helpful. Much appreciated.

I got it Compo. Sorry I can get a wordy with my posts.

I have asked my friend for his setup. I'll update when I know.

Thanks again for your help.

Quote from Compo

And what do you mean by the Formulers only do one thing it is an android box it will do whatever any android device will do.

Well, its not ATV, its regular android 7, its outdated, over priced, subpar in specs compared to a mecool. Cant run certain apps (ex netflix, disney, etc) So its kind of a 1 function box, at least for me, I don't really have any other uses for it.

Quote from Compo

Ive missed 1 recording in 15 months of owning one. I guess some peoples IPTV suppliers are not up to it.

I have in total 4 E2 boxes and 2 other sat boxes the E2 boxes im very knowledgeable with and trust me E2 will let you down time and time again recording IPTV.

Wow, thats good to know. Thanks for sharing that. I definitely want to more.

Quote from Compo

E2 Box can recording Multiple streams that makes me laugh seriously it wont on IPTV.

That's really interesting that you say that. This other person I'm calling friend is an online acquaintance, a really nice person and has been helping me figure this out, and he has a VU zero 4k, an H7S, and a sf8008, and has owned a bunch of other ones and owns 2 formulers and a shield. He said he has recorded 7 streams simultaneously just to test to see if it can do it on E2 box and he said it did fine. Although I might add, recording on a daily basis is different from a short term test. It's the long term use that really tells the tale not one time tests. He does admit he doesn't record much. He just wants to help.

I guess only people with real experience who have actually relied on recording would know best. Seems to me you've (Compo) actually relied upon recording (iptv) with E2 boxes and formuler and have seen first hand clear side by side difference. Do I have the right impression? And you're saying the formuler is definitely better? Please give me some more detail if you don't mind, I'd love to hear your experience with recording iptv and which direction you think I should go.

I know your point about the shield but if I have to get an And Box, I've already decided its the shield, because of the other benefits. Also as I mentioned before, I'd prefer to spend more than spend less and regret it. I want to make the right investment so I dont end up double doing.

And also, number of connection is not an issue for me. I will have 3 to 5 connections.

The reason I thought I should go for an E2 box is cause I thought it would give me a solid timeshift, a reasonably well 2 stream recording, and a good FF/RW experience with the remote. Those things are important to me (though within reason). Do you have a different suggestion?

Thanks again guys.

urie

That's a very interesting point you mention, very important, but I didn't quite fully understand you. Can you explain this in more detail to me? It seems quite important.

Compo.

Are you saying the recording on those 2 apps doesn't come close to formuler, or are you saying the whole experience? Could you tell me more about why you find the formuler better, and what it is about the other 2 that you find less satisfactory compared to formuler/mol2?

Let me ask a few specific questions.

1. Do you guys find the WATCHING and TIMESHIFT experience to be better on E2 systems or on the MOL2?

2. What is the more ROBUST system for recording? Nvidia shield + "IPTV-software" ...OR... E2 box ...OR... formuler/Mol2?

See, my options are:

1. Formuler box. 200$ CDN.

• Good interface
• Good Timeshift
• Great remote
• Con: it records only 1 channel (I would have been happy with formuler if it recorded more than 1)
• Con: It does nothing other than IPTV
• Con: people say the same thing about its recording, Usually good, but not reliable.

2. E2 box. 220$ CDN.

• Good interface
• Great Timeshift
• Great remote
• Can do sattelite
• Records unlimited streams
• Con: You say recording is not good?
• Con: has stream TYPE problems????

3. Nvidia shield + software + extra remote. 290$ + 25-50$ + 25$ = 340-365$ CDN.

• 3 to 4 times the CPU power of the above 2.
• Has great image upsampling.
• Full ATV box with the related benefits
• Good interface
• Good Timeshift
• Records unlimited streams (software)
• Recording reconnects
• Con: people say recording not reliable.
• Con: Crappy remote, has to be replaced.
• Con: Replacement remotes don't work as good as formuler / E2
• Con: Can't wake up to record. has to be on all the time.

I understand that streams can generally fail no matter the platform. I currently have cablebox I pay 110$ a month for and 1 recording per month fails (not recorded properly, recorded blank, or doesn't playback).

Given the limitations, just trying to figure which system still records better than the others. MOL 2 is my last option because of the limit of 1 recordring.

I'm hoping not to have to resort to buying all 3 systems and test for myself. That's the worst.

Thank you kindly.

That's funny, cause I was told the opposite by my friend. heh.

I came here as a result of researching quite a bit on reddit and talking about what the best platform for IPTV watching and recording would be. Formuler fit the bill but my gripe was that it only allows watching 1 channel while recording another. Information on whether it tries to reconnect after losing the signal was limited and contradictory.

My second option was a proper ATV box running full ATV (Nvidia shield, mecool MK6), and using PVRLive or IMplayer, both of which are said to allow multiple concurrent recordings and they do try to reconnect if signal is disrupted, but again, people said its not that reliable. Other problems with ATV box systems are that the box has to be ON all the time and can't wake itself up when scheduled to record, and, the original remote is useless and aftermarket ones' buttons cant be mapped that well and don't function as nicely as a formuler or an E2 box.

I was then recommended E2 systems as my best bet. This was with the hope that the E2 systems can reconnect when signal is disrupted temporarily. And ofcourse it can record multiple streams which my friend told me they do, and the remotes work properly. His point was that overall the E2 boxes are still better and give the closest experience to a normal CableTV box.

Now I believe you and appreciate your feedback. Could you enlighten me a little bit more what your experience has been?

Software that instantly give up as soon as the signal is momentarily disrupted are a no no for recording, they will just have too many failures. TiviMate on ATV is like that. Are you certain that E2 boxes are this way? And in your opinion how well does this plugin mitigate that?

Thank you.

What a predicament I find myself in! :redface:

Hello.

A friend recommended that I should look into enigma sat boxes instead of ATV boxes for my IPTV uses. He recommended that I come here and ask for help.

I want to get a sat box to use strictly for IPTV. I am in Canada and Sat signal is not useful to me.

I want it to be:

- able to record 3 streams while watching a fourth one or at least record 2 while watching a third.

- reliable and performant.

- have timeshift on the current channel, that works well.

- enough CPU and ram power to handle 3-4 simultaneous streams (iptv).

- be 4K capable, even though most IPTV channels are not 4K.

- Internal or External SSD capable, for the recordings. Internal caddy not a must, but preferred.

- fast and snappy and not sluggish with the menus. quick channel change.

Problem I have with ATV boxes:

- remotes generally are not well integrated with the software, buttons dont work right.

- recording ability is limited, not very good.

- Scheduling recordings on EPG is clunky and iffy, box has to be on all the time. No self on, record, self off features.

Mind you I'm a newbe to this, so if I mention things that are not important or stupid, forgive me.

Would appreciate your help very much.

I'm not looking to get the cheapest option available, I would rather buy a solid equipment that I can be sure I won't have any problems with. I don't wanna cheap out and regret it. I also don't want to needlessly overspend when it makes no difference.

My friend recommended the SF8008. I'm wondering what other options I may have and if paying for anything more expensive will give any benefits above the SF8008. I'm not sure if I should have any CPU concerns with the SF8008 (multiple concurrent iptv streams) and not sure if more expensive products would have any benefits in that regard. Please advice me.

Thank you kindly.