Posts by sparksy01

  • SPARK Amiko: Dual tuner question

    Quote from nano

    I only use OSCam under Enigma2, I despise Spark with a passion.


    As for setting up OSCam it all depends on the card/s you have. Each card has its own setting, it also depends on whether or not you are only running as a client a server or both. I have OSCam running fine on my Alien SHD-8900, although its primarily used as a client box, even though it does have a card in it.


    Nano


    Thanks very much - I've configured OScam and that has sorted it out. recording off two and watching on the third!

  • My Amiko Experience - Month 1

    Guys,


    I posted this on the official Spark Forum. The forum moderator contact me and advised that they are working on improving the Portal / WebTV, but they need to identify feeds to be able to configure a stable app, but they are continuing. They understand the problems I'm having with a poor EPG and are going to provide further CrossEPG fixes apparently .61 does now work, but not on HDD. The issue over the triple tuner is a bug, they have had this reported and are testing solutions now.


    I wasn't given dates, so I've idea when things will be released, but at least they had the decency to reply - so less wait and see.

  • E2 Recovery


    So I have now fixed my box...I have E2 working. The way I go it to work is as follows, from the beginning...


    Boot into Spark - Load Spark version .51.E2
    Reboot the STB
    Copy the required E2 build on to my USB stick
    Place this into the back of the STB
    Go to Plugins, turn on the E2Upgrade.s plugin, by selecting 'OK'
    Press the Red Button on the remote to launch the upgrade module
    Press the Red Button again to confirm upgrading to E2 - let the update happen (note if it fails at this point with a Kernel error you have copied the files into the wrong location)
    You don't get a message to say success - update just kind of stops.
    Exit the plugins
    Go into System
    Select 'Basic setting'
    Select in the right hand options 'Default Settings'
    Within that the bottom setting is 'Boot to E2'


    Sit back and enjoy....

  • My Amiko Experience - Month 1

    I've had my Amiko Alien2, plugging away with the Spark system for just about a month now and I thought I would post a message and let you know my findings of how I am getting on with the system and what I have found...or not. A lot of people have been on here asking people for a review of the system, without much detail.


    I have also posted the below on the Official Spark forum for their information. If you have answers to my list of dislikes / improvements, or in fact you know of a solution which can remedy them then please do let me know.


    Likes

    • Spark OS. This is very reliable, I think in the time I have used it, is has crashed perhaps 3 times. These have tended to be when I am asking the Box to do two things - so, Record and view the the EPG Schedule.


    • Install process was pretty easy and straight-forward - straight in and working.


    • Quality of the tuner. S2 is perfect, HD is beautiful. DVB-T, picture quality is greatly improved on my other STB, that surprised me.


    • Updating. Updating the Spark system is a breeze, gives me confidence when an update is available.


    • Recording TV shows to a NAS - this does work very well and the folders are named pretty well so I can then watch them on different tools, e.g. Phone, laptop, Smart TV


    • Playing content back off the NAS AVI files stream perfectly, MKV's.....not so much!


    • TV Wall. that is pretty good and the ability to group and search for channels


    • Plugins. Automated functionality of picking up a plugins when I put my memory stick in the back of the box is very nice indeed - E2 is not so user friendly at all


    • Portal function is a good idea, love the button on the remote.


    • YouTube. Like this, works well.



    Dislikes / areas for Improvement

    • Opera Browser. The inbuilt bookmarks are helpful, but you cannot bookmark pages, so I have to use the in-built keyboard all the time.


    • Opera Browser. it doesn't seem to have flash-player on the browser either, so it will not play content off BBC website (I've tried the browser because I cannot get WebTV or Portal to work!) I am trying to create shortcuts to the UK free-to-air On-Demand services, but nothing seems to work


    • Recording. If I am recording one thing I cannot watch another channel, whether it is DVB-S2 second tuner or the DVB-T. In my mind, what is the point of having the triple tuner is I cannot do this basic function.


    • Recording. There is no 'series link' option, and with the inability to view a TV schedule over a period of days makes it hard to record at all to be honest!


    • EPG. The interface is extremely poor, even the EPG on my 6 year old LG TV is much better. CrossEPG isn't working, so no data is listed every time I turn the box on.


    • EPG. The channels listing is in a complete mess, there is no way to import a bouquet to order them (my wife is massively breaking my ball over this one, she cannot find what she want - hahaha!). The interface on the box is cumbersome to say the least and because you need to do a channel update almost weekly it is a thankless task trying to order them manually, I'm going to pull a Favourite's list for her this weekend


    • EPG. Only allows Now and Next - no schedule view. This is probably because CrossEPG doesn't work. Also within the 'Schedule' view it would be greatly improved if it showed more than one channel at a time, so you could see what was on this evening.


    • Portal. While it is a good idea, and has the potential to be mighty, it lacks basic functionality which render it almost useless for me right now. I cannot add my own portal pages (by the way, why not?), I want to add all the UK free to air on-demand services to it, so that it is easily accessible.


    • WebTV. No real instructions as to what this is, what is can be used for or how to get it work. How does it differ from the Portal?? I think it might work for me, I've read that I can edit / create an XML file for website, but there is no detail as to what I need to point it too. Can it be a website, RSS feed??


    I think in summary it is a decent box. For £150 it does a good job excellent picture quality for even standard definition over *** TV and BT Vision boxes, but has lacks in two very big ways which stop the system being a massive hit (EPG and Online services - Portal or Browser). At the moment it probably isn't good enough to be my main STB, it isn't giving me what I want and I've no information as to when it potentially will (when will the EPG be fixed and when will the browser work and stream content).

  • SPARK Amiko: Dual tuner question

    Thanks Nano,


    I really don't know what I am doing as far as OSCam is concerned. I can find the 4 files on the STB, but I'm not totally sure which files I need to configure, I'm not sure what information I need include (and not include) in the files that need configuring.


    Is there a helpful guide / idiots guide / tutorial for people like myself who I describe as half-techie!!

  • E2 Recovery

    Quote from ben361

    mayby this is helpful.
    read here : http://linuxsat-support.com/am…o-alien-2-stuck-boot.html
    and here : http://linuxsat-support.com/am…63-alien-2-wont-boot.html


    Hi ben361,


    I have followed your tutorial on how to boot to E2 using USB and I have found that I follow the instructions through to the part
    right button for 'Fact' then press ok - then you should see U LD. I do see this but it is U LD and the 'LD' is flashing but the 'U' is not...what can I do?


    Thanks


    Thomas

  • SPARK Amiko: Dual tuner question

    I have tuned both my DVB-S2 inputs into the same frequency, I am using CCCam and it works for Tuner - 1, however when I switch it over to Tuner - 2 the CCCam will not work. This come back to another problem I have, I can record one channel however when I record something I cannot watch another channel.


    Any suggestions?

  • Change permissions, How???


    123skb,


    use FileZilla and connect to your STB
    locate the file that you are looking the change the permissions of
    right click on the and select 'file permissions...' at the bottom window
    within 'Numeric Value' enter the desired code

  • E2 Recovery

    I have got my box stuck....Spark is working perfectly (except the bugs!) but E2 will not boot at all...I installed a Nebula version using FORCE boot, but I couldn't find a CCCam plugin, I then tried "HDMU_1470_E2_spark7162_211_git_5082_nodebug_nolcd _Diff0_ffm_Flash", with FORCE boot which did NOT work and wouldn't boot up the problems began, I have since (using the GUI driven plugin in Spark) tried to use the SatStation version, which already has CrossEPG working. But the system will no longer boot into E2.


    Before booting into E2 I have upgraded Spark to .60 - I then downgraded to 51.E2 before attempting any booting into E2.


    Any help gratefully welcome. Is there a way to recover?

  • DVB-T channels not found :(

    Peterr, I had something similar and found that within the configuration you need to set it up to correct reciever, is it set to your local receiver? I don't mean UK, I mean regional. I know it says Australia, France...etc, but when you get to the UK you can select a region - could help.

  • Amiko Alien 2 Spark: OSCAM config problems

    Hi Gazi,


    thanks for the information. I think I've setup the Oscam.server file, it reads (with edits!!)...


    [reader]
    label = home123.dyndns.org
    enable = 1
    protocol = cccam
    device = home123.dyndns.org,65353
    user = xxx123xxx
    password = xxx123xxx
    cccversion = 2.1.3
    group = 1
    inactivitytimeout = 1
    reconnecttimeout = 30
    lb_weight = 100
    cccmaxhops = 10
    ccckeepalive = 1
    cccwantemu = 0
    boxid = xxx123xxx


    The Oscam.conf is as follows


    [global]
    nice = 1
    WaitForCards = 0
    saveinithistory = 1
    pidfile = /var/run/oscam.pid
    logfile = stdout




    [dvbapi]
    enabled = 1
    user = user1
    pwd = password1
    group = 1
    demux = /dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0
    ca = /dev/dvb/adapter0/ca0
    socket = /tmp/pmt.tmp


    Any suggestions?? Which plugin should I be using??

  • Amiko Alien 2 Spark: OSCAM config problems

    Quote from bigalan

    here you go a program to convert your c: or n: line to oscam this is whot I used and worked a treet

    Thanks I have used the converter tool and it didn't work!


    I have used this, it generated a file oscam.server, but a blank oscam.user file (is that normal), I upload file location root/plugin/var/tuxbox/config (is that the correct location for a Oscam user?). i290975 your IPs are internal IPs, I have an external DNS to point at should I be putting this where you've put your internal IP?

  • Amiko Alien 2 Spark: OSCAM config problems

    Evening all,


    I'm using Spark, over the past few days I've become frustrated with the CCCam plugin that run on spark (freezes and continually drops connection), so I am trying to use OSCAM, I've installed the plugin, I found the file location root/plugin/var/tuxbox/config and in it are 4 files....my problem is that I do not know how to configure them :beated: I have CCCam file.


    I've tried the converter tool on this site and that didn't seem to work properly!


    Any advise gratefully welcome!

  • Audio problem in channel recording - Spark Image

    Hi Marcopualo69,


    I have a similar problem with my Spark image. I have found a work around! I do get audio when I watch the recording on a Laptop or Phone. Additionally, I have the sound coming out of the HDMI and it is during this configuration that I get no sound. I have a surround sound system which uses the audio left / right output, when I playback using the Amiko box with the surround sound for some reason it works!

  • CrossEpg For Spark

    I have updated my Spark (Amiko Alien2 box) to the latest version and it has the CrossEPG built in, but it isn't clear how to set it up. Do you have to input the data manually, if so what is the data for 28.2?