Fun and games (not) with a new V2

[sddawson]

Just purchased a V2 to replace a U4 that developed a faulty HDMI output after a lightning strike. I can't say I'm all that impressed so far. I've had a few strange problems over the course of implementing and customising it...

I've tried 3 different USB drives. A bus powered Toshiba drive never spins down, a WD desktop drive worked OK to start with, then failed to be recognised at all. A simple channel change got the spinning wheel forever, and the HDD wasn't there at all after reboot. A Seagate desktop drive has worked OK so fare, although it takes WAY longer than 5 minutes to spin down once the V2 is in standby.

I had an instance where the V2 hung trying to shut it down (when using the USB powered HDD).

I've had an instance where the USB disc didn't come back after standby. Rebooting the V2 and the disc didn't fix it - only completely switching off the V2.

Often, when I try to rewind through the timeshift buffer, it will get stuck repeating about one second of video, until I press Stop. When this happens, I can use left/right to navigate through the video just fine.

Fast forward/rewind through recordings or timeshift is way more choppy than on the T or U series machines. Is this just down to the USB interface?

I use a Harmony Elite remote. For the T and U series, I disable the button setting "enable remote control short power button" so I can use discrete power commands on the Harmony. Power Toggle will always power on, Power Suspend will go into standby. The same button option exists on the V2, but the Harmony codes for the V2 only have Power Toggle. I therefore have no discrete power commands, and have to re-enable the button setting.

I'm using the Beyonwiz Mini USB tuner from the U4. Does this supply one or two tuners? When used in the V2, I can only use 3 tuners, and was expecting to see 4.

I usually enable auto resolution so I can get frame rate matching playing network files. If resolution is left at 2160, a channel change results in my Sony TV doing a blank screen resync. If I manually change the resolution to 1080 in the auto resolution settings, this doesn't happen. I don't understand this. Changing channels should result in a consistent 2160/50 signal. It looks like the box is outputting something other then 2160/50 momentarily before switching back to it. But, as I said, this doesn't happen if I force 1080/50. I hadn't tested this with the U4.

I wanted to install the series2folder plugin. I put it on a USB stick. I unplugged the USB tuner, plugged in the USB stick, and the picture froze. V2 needed a reboot. Worked OK the next time.

It's a shame the V2 doesn't support alternate IR codesets. It's usually easy to swap boxes when using a Harmony remote. You can either tell the Harmony to use a different codeset for your Beyonwiz device, or tell the Beyonwiz box to use a codeset that your Harmony is using. But with the V2, , I had to add a new device, and set up a whole new activity, customising buttons and screen options, and starting all my channel favourites afresh. Not the end of the world, of course, but it takes a fair amount of time.

Has there been much work around these sorts of areas with the current beta firmware? Wondering whether it's worth a try.

Sorry for the long list!

[MrQuade]

Often, when I try to rewind through the timeshift buffer, it will get stuck repeating about one second of video, until I press Stop. When this happens, I can use left/right to navigate through the video just fine.

Fast forward/rewind through recordings or timeshift is way more choppy than on the T or U series machines. Is this just down to the USB interface?

FF and REW do not work as well as the T and U series, and even those weren't all that flash.


It's all down to the hardware capabilities and drivers for the SoC in the V2 and not much can be done with it. It's not related to the USB interface.

Basically, stick to using skips.

I use a Harmony Elite remote. For the T and U series, I disable the button setting "enable remote control short power button" so I can use discrete power commands on the Harmony. Power Toggle will always power on, Power Suspend will go into standby. The same button option exists on the V2, but the Harmony codes for the V2 only have Power Toggle. I therefore have no discrete power commands, and have to re-enable the button setting.

The V2 doesn't support discrete per commands.

The appropriate drivers are not open source and there is no way to make the changes required ATM.

Same reason you don't have alternate code sets.

I usually enable auto resolution so I can get frame rate matching playing network files. If resolution is left at 2160, a channel change results in my Sony TV doing a blank screen resync. If I manually change the resolution to 1080 in the auto resolution settings, this doesn't happen. I don't understand this. Changing channels should result in a consistent 2160/50 signal. It looks like the box is outputting something other then 2160/50 momentarily before switching back to it. But, as I said, this doesn't happen if I force 1080/50. I hadn't tested this with the U4.

I have personally found this happens when switching to 1080i50 HD channels. This is because when switching to this channel, the Wiz will switch to the "default" video mode (the mode thats configured when Auto resolution is turned off). Set the default mode to 2160p50 and you shouldn't see that switch any more.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

I'm using the Beyonwiz Mini USB tuner from the U4. Does this supply one or two tuners? When used in the V2, I can only use 3 tuners, and was expecting to see 4.

Nup, it's a single tuner dongle. The Beyonwiz shop lists single and dual USB tuner dongles.
You could buy another "MINI" single-tuner (here's one on Gumtree for $18.50 in Killcare Heights if you want to take a drive).
You'd need to also get an antenna splitter to feed its input, unless you already have one, and also a USB hub since there's only 2 USB ports on the V2.
... or just buy the dual-tuner from the Beyonwiz shop.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

I unplugged the USB tuner, plugged in the USB stick, and the picture froze. V2 needed a reboot. Worked OK the next time.

I'm not surprised, the USB tuner isn't hot swappable.
Get a USB hub, or copy to/from the V2 via the network.

[sddawson]

FF and REW do not work as well as the T and U series, and even those weren't all that flash.

It's all down to the hardware capabilities and drivers for the SoC in the V2 and not much can be done with it. It's not related to the USB interface.

Basically, stick to using skips.

OK, thanks for verifying.

The V2 doesn't support discrete per commands.

The appropriate drivers are not open source and there is no way to make the changes required ATM.

Same reason you don't have alternate code sets.

OK. This box is definitely one step forward (in speed at least) and two steps back!

I have personally found this happens when switching to 1080i50 HD channels. This is because when switching to this channel, the Wiz will switch to the "default" video mode (the mode thats configured when Auto resolution is turned off). Set the default mode to 2160p50 and you shouldn't see that switch any more.

I reverted all the resolutions to 2160 and changed the non-auto resolution to 2160/50 too. But when I change channels, I'm still seeing a sync on the TV. At the moment, I'm using 1080 default and have changed all the resolutions to 1080, which works fine, and since I don't have any 4K content to play doesn't affect me. But it doesn't seem right to me still.

Nup, it's a single tuner dongle. The Beyonwiz shop lists single and dual USB tuner dongles.
You could buy another "MINI" single-tuner (here's one on Gumtree for $18.50 in Killcare Heights if you want to take a drive).
You'd need to also get an antenna splitter to feed its input, unless you already have one, and also a USB hub since there's only 2 USB ports on the V2.
... or just buy the dual-tuner from the Beyonwiz shop.

Thanks for verifying. So the U4 had 3 internal tuners? Since there are only two antenna loop sockets I assumed it must have had only 2 internal.

I'm not surprised, the USB tuner isn't hot swappable.
Get a USB hub, or copy to/from the V2 via the network.

Yeh, a bit too much to ask I guess. But unplugging the tuner causing a complete freeze up seems a bit extreme. No biggie though.

I have one more question re the tuners on the V2. The top signal strength indicator line shows 50%-odd for the two internal tuners, the bottom line shows nothing at all. The USB tuner shows a more normal 80%-100% for both lines. Is the indicator somehow different for the V2 internal tuners?

Thanks guys for all the help...

[MrQuade]

I reverted all the resolutions to 2160 and changed the non-auto resolution to 2160/50 too. But when I change channels, I'm still seeing a sync on the TV. At the moment, I'm using 1080 default and have changed all the resolutions to 1080, which works fine, and since I don't have any 4K content to play doesn't affect me. But it doesn't seem right to me still.

Not sure about that then. If all your resolutions are set to 2160p50 (not just 2160p), then the re-sync shouldn't be happening. Maybe enable the resolution display popup, and check to see if the output resolution is actually being changed by the V2.

Thanks for verifying. So the U4 had 3 internal tuners? Since there are only two antenna loop sockets I assumed it must have had only 2 internal.

One of the internal tuners is a dual-tuner board.

Yeh, a bit too much to ask I guess. But unplugging the tuner causing a complete freeze up seems a bit extreme. No biggie though.

The enigma2 software just isn't made to handle that. It was the same with all the T and U series boxes.

I have one more question re the tuners on the V2. The top signal strength indicator line shows 50%-odd for the two internal tuners, the bottom line shows nothing at all. The USB tuner shows a more normal 80%-100% for both lines. Is the indicator somehow different for the V2 internal tuners?

Drivers again . The lower "signal quality" value is broken at the moment.

[sddawson]

Not sure about that then. If all your resolutions are set to 2160p50 (not just 2160p), then the re-sync shouldn't be happening. Maybe enable the resolution display popup, and check to see if the output resolution is actually being changed by the V2.

I just noticed that flipping between 7/9/10 HD channels results in syncing even with everything set to 1080. Resolution popup shows 1080p50 in all cases, but the occasional sync is still happening. Something weird going on there. Turning off auto resolution makes it work.

Drivers again . The lower "signal quality" value is broken at the moment.

Make that 3 steps back

But there's still the issue that the internal tuners both show 58% on the top line, but the USB tuner shows 100%/100% (as do my T4's and T3). I've not seen any pixelation, but it does make me wonder whether my tuners are working properly. Unless that readout is broken too.

Thanks again!

[MrQuade]

But there's still the issue that the internal tuners both show 58% on the top line, but the USB tuner shows 100%/100% (as do my T4's and T3). I've not seen any pixelation, but it does make me wonder whether my tuners are working properly. Unless that readout is broken too.

The readings aren't absolute measures of anything really. Just a measure of moment to moment strength on the one tuner.
One tuner's measurement of signal bares little significance and no comparison to another tuner's signal measurement.

The quality value on the USB tuners works properly, its just the internal tuner drivers at the moment.

[prl]

Thanks for verifying. So the U4 had 3 internal tuners? Since there are only two antenna loop sockets I assumed it must have had only 2 internal.

One of the internal tuners is a dual-tuner board.

Both of the U4 tuners are dual tuners, but it can only use 3 of the 4 available tuners.

[sddawson]

The readings aren't absolute measures of anything really. Just a measure of moment to moment strength on the one tuner.
One tuner's measurement of signal bares little significance and no comparison to another tuner's signal measurement.

The quality value on the USB tuners works properly, its just the internal tuner drivers at the moment.

So it would be normal for both the internal tuners to show as low as 58%, when I know the signal strength is way up there?

Both of the U4 tuners are dual tuners, but it can only use 3 of the 4 available tuners.

OK, thank you.

[MrQuade]

So it would be normal for both the internal tuners to show as low as 58%, when I know the signal strength is way up there?

Yep.