Difference between Linux, Android and other receivers

[zawngek]

Not an expert here, so asking this question which is on my mind for a long time.

1. What is the difference between Linux (costliest), Android (cheaper) and other (cheapest) receivers?
2. Why should I go for the costliest?
3. Why should I stick with the cheapest receivers (which I have now)?
4. Is there even a better category than the one I listed above?

Background: I'm not interested in the media player/multimedia capabilities. Not interested even in IPTV currently. Wanted to watch satellite channels only. Location is India/Asia.

Cheers,
zawngek

[abcd4321]

Just thoughts, currently have at least one of all the receivers you mentioned. The enigma 2 receivers for the most part are open source and therefore have many plugins. This is biggest advantage. But they have many irritations: Channel changing is never simple button press, most have auto scanning software now in most images. The scanning is no better than any stb(set top box) and the lists are stored in several files, (satellites.xml-at least two locations, lamedb, and lamedb5) so the only way to clean start the system is to reload the image. and example of problems would be radio channels if you try to delete them it would adversely affect the system. Most all e2 machines are the same does not matter the brand, (only real difference is broadcom or hisilicon cpu and tuner). The images are for the most part the same also menu locations etc are different but the same. These are currently the top of the line for tos. The oscam can be changed daily, (ie updated for hash etc) without firmware update. The iptv portion is similar to what xbmc/kodi used to be. Some people say the broadcom chip systems have better picture but i couldn't tell the difference. My current system is hisilicon based system but i don't use it much, too much trouble.

The android boxes GTS, GTC are almost exclusively hisilicon cpus. There are several brands, some allow for oscam type decoding some do not. They all scan transponders quite well and are fairly easy to operate, hard to brick. Some have proprietary software, most allow apks to be installed have bluetooth to run external speakers. The biggest plus most are 4K.

The last category is STBs many to choose from, so updates most important (who keeps updating?? only one). Scan and scan. Easy to maintain and easy to use.

Most all have weaknesses some very irritating some not so much your choice as to what you want out of the system you choose.

Its tv.

[zawngek]

Just thoughts, currently have at least one of all the receivers you mentioned. The enigma 2 receivers for the most part are open source and therefore have many plugins. This is biggest advantage. But they have many irritations: Channel changing is never simple button press, most have auto scanning software now in most images. The scanning is no better than any stb(set top box) and the lists are stored in several files, (satellites.xml-at least two locations, lamedb, and lamedb5) so the only way to clean start the system is to reload the image. and example of problems would be radio channels if you try to delete them it would adversely affect the system. Most all e2 machines are the same does not matter the brand, (only real difference is broadcom or hisilicon cpu and tuner). The images are for the most part the same also menu locations etc are different but the same. These are currently the top of the line for tos. The oscam can be changed daily, (ie updated for hash etc) without firmware update. The iptv portion is similar to what xbmc/kodi used to be. Some people say the broadcom chip systems have better picture but i couldn't tell the difference. My current system is hisilicon based system but i don't use it much, too much trouble.

The android boxes GTS, GTC are almost exclusively hisilicon cpus. There are several brands, some allow for oscam type decoding some do not. They all scan transponders quite well and are fairly easy to operate, hard to brick. Some have proprietary software, most allow apks to be installed have bluetooth to run external speakers. The biggest plus most are 4K.

The last category is STBs many to choose from, so updates most important (who keeps updating?? only one). Scan and scan. Easy to maintain and easy to use.

Most all have weaknesses some very irritating some not so much your choice as to what you want out of the system you choose.

Its tv.

Thank you for your kind response. Questions about Enigma2:

1. What are plugins for? Are they all free?
2. If I were to buy, which chip is better?

[abcd4321]

Plugins, are (examples): weather, e2player, tv adjustment, oscam, mediaplayer, etc, there are many many more.
I have not seen any that you pay for.
The different images, (vix, openspa, openatv, Sgr, and others) provide access to different plugins, (most are the same programs) the programs are opkg or deb packages. But binaries can be directly loaded through ftp, telnet, webtv. But have to go to the right locations or time to reimage.
The best place to learn about e2 machines is linuxsat, but they have information about most of the machines you mentioned, including the Gtmedia.
I have no affiliation with any of these companies. The best machine i have owned are the azboxs, they had quirks also, and are no longer produced.
I will tell you that Gtmedia does maintain the firmware and i do have two v8 oranges of which i currently run one, and two v8 finders. Some stbs aren't maintained at all, and i have a couple of those also. Nothing does everything they claim to do. Best to have box that allows adjustment of the picture, (contrast, brightness, etc) output, as gtmedia and others.

The best chip is in the eye of the beholder:
Ali chips: Best picture, used in stbs only and not many around
Broadcom: Has no strong points i can think of, others may have different opinions
Hisilicon: Some of the fastest chips

Between the hisilicon and broadcom chips really no difference. Both add a fuzzyness to picture but can be adjusted somewhat.

Have been doing this hobby for 35 plus years and have seen many improvements and some not so much. E2 started out about 50 megs in size and now is over 600 megs and does nothing more than it did at 50 megs.
Just have fun and enjoy the one you choose and remember none are going to meet all your wants.

[zawngek]

Plugins, are (examples): weather, e2player, tv adjustment, oscam, mediaplayer, etc, there are many many more.
I have not seen any that you pay for.
The different images, (vix, openspa, openatv, Sgr, and others) provide access to different plugins, (most are the same programs) the programs are opkg or deb packages. But binaries can be directly loaded through ftp, telnet, webtv. But have to go to the right locations or time to reimage.
The best place to learn about e2 machines is linuxsat, but they have information about most of the machines you mentioned, including the Gtmedia.
I have no affiliation with any of these companies. The best machine i have owned are the azboxs, they had quirks also, and are no longer produced.
I will tell you that Gtmedia does maintain the firmware and i do have two v8 oranges of which i currently run one, and two v8 finders. Some stbs aren't maintained at all, and i have a couple of those also. Nothing does everything they claim to do. Best to have box that allows adjustment of the picture, (contrast, brightness, etc) output, as gtmedia and others.

The best chip is in the eye of the beholder:
Ali chips: Best picture, used in stbs only and not many around
Broadcom: Has no strong points i can think of, others may have different opinions
Hisilicon: Some of the fastest chips

Between the hisilicon and broadcom chips really no difference. Both add a fuzzyness to picture but can be adjusted somewhat.

Have been doing this hobby for 35 plus years and have seen many improvements and some not so much. E2 started out about 50 megs in size and now is over 600 megs and does nothing more than it did at 50 megs.
Just have fun and enjoy the one you choose and remember none are going to meet all your wants.

Wow thanks a ton. Let me digest what you have written a bit and see if I have any more questions hehe