Linkbox 9000i Local Review

[Dells]

Here is a review on the 9000i Local, Linkbox receiver.

This box has a great layout in the menu, is user friendly, and also has some familiar Linkbox qualities. The menu lays out well with Tools, Installation, TV channels and APPS.

Installation:

Has the same features for setting up and scanning your sats as the other Linkbox models. Using the satellite list, select the satellites you want to scan. Once that is done, exit out and proceed to the antennae set up and input your settings and scan the satellite

TV Channels:

Has options to view an M3U file that is user made. Select by picking the location (USB) and upload the list of links. Once done you can select the link and your stream will roll in. It also allows for users to do the same with music and playlists.

APPS:

Inside apps there are some great things going on. The menu allows you to select from IPTV, XBMC TV and a few other sources, non US. In the IPTV menu there is also a way to manually add a stream that is open if you choose, use the following functions: The receiver user can get unblocked IPTV channels by using the below function, go into menu then proceed with the following

Execute the following: Apps + IPTV + User Video (Blue Key) + Add (Green Key) + type URL address.

There are quite a few channels available in the IPTV section. Some work and some do not. I was hoping to see a way to add a portal or server in this menu so users could manually control, so if they wanted to add other IPTV then they could. Maybe this is something they can improve on?

Redtubes famous app is also in the this menu. For those with a love for.......well.....love, this app has it all.

The XBMC tv was one I was excited to see. I was hoping to see a list of addons, however it just had a list of some channels available via some add ons in XBMC. They have a good start here and I would love to see a way to be able to install or update addons. That way users can install or select some of the content they want to access.

After I got some sats scanned in and some channels operational the pic quality really stood out. This receiver may have the best picture quality of the receivers I own. I really like the guide layout. It's soft, neat and clean and easy to read. The best part was that when I hit load guide it took about 4 minutes and when it was done, any channel that had a 7 day guide had one. Some only had 5. The guide also has remained as it originally was. Finally someone got it right.

Tools:

The tools menu remains much the same as the other Linkbox receivers, highlight the tools icon and hit the 8282 to access your networks settings.


I hit record on a show to see how the recording capabilities were. As the other Linkboxes, the recording worked like it's suppose to and playback was perfect. I have not tried the timer yet.

I have also not had time to set up the ATSC tuner with my antennae yet, but my expectations for it are the same as the local, and I'm sure I can expect the same great performance as I have with my other Linkbox Local.

This is easily my new favorite receiver! I can always find something to watch in a few different ways, but I'm also hoping this will pave the way for the future of receivers here in North America. The receiver is very much a combo of the 300A and Local , with a few more bells and whistles.

If your in the market for new receiver, in my opinion this is the way to go! Great job Linkbox!

[sunnysat]

I just got my box and it comes with the latest factory settings, v.060. Icannot get the network settings by "highlight the tools icon and hit the 8282", what should I do? Thanks.

[Actv8]

you need the third party file for it. I do not see any files here

[torpainter]

both the 9000i and the 9000i local files have been uploaded
Local file is here
http://www.satfix.net/showthread.php?185552-Net90-Local_15May2015_V720-Update-SW

[weezer]

has there been any update as to more addons for xbmc or a way to add them or the iptv part can you put in a server for that

[bluejay682]

I'm assuming this has the youtube app like the 8000 series, is it working?

[kkumar]

Where can we provide feedback about the bugs in the latest private file (734 I think)?

- The INFO button, when pressed needs to toggle. Instead one needs to press the RED button to collapse the INFO screen. This is
totally lame.
- The INFO button when pressed in EPG context has description about the program displayed. The programmers seem to have
not initialized the memory or are overwriting the memory. I see a lot of garbage ASCII characters trailing the description.

- When one is in the Apps-> You Tube, there is a lot of garbage characters for video stream titles. This needs to be fixed.
- One cannot go into the EPG and select OK to the make the channel go large screen. it just plays inside the little preview box.
- One cannot enter the channel number while in EPG to switch the tuning to the desired channel.

- In the PVR play back function, one cannot see the EPG information for the recorded program.
- The PVR fast forward speed is poor, even though it says x24. The sonicview Elite was eons better at this.
- Recording programs is a pain. One needs to be sitting around for the program to start and then press the recording button
with an optional duration. Instead, this should be possible by selecting from the EPG.
- For the PVR Hard disk, Add a menu item to manage the content - Add/Remove/Rename files
- For the PVR hard disk, at the time of listing the playback streams, please show the file size and duration of the video stream
It would even be better if, as we sift through the video stream with the Up/down button, the EPG/description appears on a
box right next to the stream. So one can decide what to watch.

- The placement of the buttons on the remote is not intuitive. The sonicview elite had a very logical placement. I am sure this
is something one will get used to, but it is not the best ergonomics.

- The hidden menu for the servers should keep the userid and password open. It is already inside a hidden menu.
- The clock needs to be made persistent. It loses time once the box is powered off and back on.
- The network settings are lost as well. Thankfully DHCP works. Would have been a pain for static IP
- Please make sure parental controls are in place for X-rated channels(4 digit codes). I think they are wide open now.
- Need to assign a button, so the USB memory stick and be ready for unplugging.
- Need to assign a button so that the HARd disk can be prepared for unplugging.
- Channel names should not have the $ signed pre-pended before them.
- Ability to record programs by a scheduler, where one can get in, set the channel number, date, time and duration for the recording along with a filename.

These are some observations. More to come.

Please please use the sonicview Elite as the benchmark and just build upon it.

Thank you

[weezer]

has there been any update as to more addons for xbmc or a way to add them or the iptv part can you put in a server for that

i guess no one owns one of these boxes..... . ok

[wderbi]

Where can we provide feedback about the bugs in the latest private file (734 I think)?

- The INFO button, when pressed needs to toggle. Instead one needs to press the RED button to collapse the INFO screen. This is
totally lame.
- The INFO button when pressed in EPG context has description about the program displayed. The programmers seem to have
not initialized the memory or are overwriting the memory. I see a lot of garbage ASCII characters trailing the description.

- When one is in the Apps-> You Tube, there is a lot of garbage characters for video stream titles. This needs to be fixed.
- One cannot go into the EPG and select OK to the make the channel go large screen. it just plays inside the little preview box.
- One cannot enter the channel number while in EPG to switch the tuning to the desired channel.

- In the PVR play back function, one cannot see the EPG information for the recorded program.
- The PVR fast forward speed is poor, even though it says x24. The sonicview Elite was eons better at this.
- Recording programs is a pain. One needs to be sitting around for the program to start and then press the recording button
with an optional duration. Instead, this should be possible by selecting from the EPG.
- For the PVR Hard disk, Add a menu item to manage the content - Add/Remove/Rename files
- For the PVR hard disk, at the time of listing the playback streams, please show the file size and duration of the video stream
It would even be better if, as we sift through the video stream with the Up/down button, the EPG/description appears on a
box right next to the stream. So one can decide what to watch.

- The placement of the buttons on the remote is not intuitive. The sonicview elite had a very logical placement. I am sure this
is something one will get used to, but it is not the best ergonomics.

- The hidden menu for the servers should keep the userid and password open. It is already inside a hidden menu.
- The clock needs to be made persistent. It loses time once the box is powered off and back on.
- The network settings are lost as well. Thankfully DHCP works. Would have been a pain for static IP
- Please make sure parental controls are in place for X-rated channels(4 digit codes). I think they are wide open now.
- Need to assign a button, so the USB memory stick and be ready for unplugging.
- Need to assign a button so that the HARd disk can be prepared for unplugging.
- Channel names should not have the $ signed pre-pended before them.
- Ability to record programs by a scheduler, where one can get in, set the channel number, date, time and duration for the recording along with a filename.

These are some observations. More to come.

Please please use the sonicview Elite as the benchmark and just build upon it.

Thank you

I hope you don't mind, but I posted your feedback on a different site that was actually requesting feedback for this latest SW update. I did NOT attach your name to it though...

[kkumar]

I hope you don't mind, but I posted your feedback on a different site that was actually requesting feedback for this latest SW update. I did NOT attach your name to it though...

Hi wderbi,
Not a problem so long as the feedback will help them expedite and fix the bugs.
This is a huge setback in performance moving from the very well built Sonicview elite. I even hope someone will
come up with an aftermarket hardware mod to install 8psk module on the sonicview elite. It is a very well built
box(2009, but shines to this day) and no wonder the goons went after them.

Here is some more feedback.

1) When the time is set to have GMT disabled, the EPG is allowed to scroll past current time. This is not necessary. Please lock this shifting (using the Left button on the remote). Moreover, the EPG that is populated
does not show for the present time, but a few hours later. So the EPG will show blanks, but if one scrolls horizontal
into the future for a few hours, the EPG is populated. The EPG is populated alright for local terrestrial channels.

2) EPG is populated from the highest channel number down I believe. Instead it should be populated in ascending
order. No one cares about channel 9999 EPG.

3) Please use a text file for the PVR program Info, just like the Sonicview Elite has. Please do not use binary
file or any Microsoft standard like .dvr file. A plain text file is something people can edit by sticking in the USB
drive on the computer, making changes and then installing the USB drive on the Linkbox receiver.
There should only be 2 files. One for the video stream and the second for the EPG details in plain text form.
Doing so will help the owners convert the media to another format or they can bring in media they already own
from Sonic view and play it on the Linkbox. Please do what ever is good for the customer here. So long as
portability tools are available on the internet, the customer wins.

4) I think the clock algorithm has a bug and if you cannot fix the algorithm, atleast allow a NTP server config to
be provided in the menu and a timer to sync to the network time. This should be a good bandaid.

5) Disconnecting connection to the server. From time to time, the server disconnects and my hope is, with two
paid $servers in the setting, the video stream should continue to be displayed without any lockups. However, the
back end thread/process should continue to try to reconnect every N seconds.

6) Please pay attention to some memory corruption or something that is going on. You may need to run a static
analysis tool on the code base. The video frame will just freeze. When one turns the receiver off and on right away
with the remote, the video comes back with no issues. I understand that this could be because of a thermal issue
with the linkbox, but if it is a thermal issue, turning it off for 3 second and back on should cause it to stay frozen.
But that is not the case. So there is definitely a memory issue of some sort that needs to be addressed.

7) EPG population takes way too long. This should be simple and is extremely important to get this right for a
media receiver. The sonic view would populate EPG in say 3 minutes after turn on and would be spot on from a
time standpoint.


In my opinion, if some of these day-1 issues are addressed, this can be a fantastic platform, but given the history
where I hear that linkbox file updates are slow, I am not holding my breath.

cheers

[wderbi]

Cool! You seem to be very thorough in your detailed feedback...it deserved to be put where more in-tuned eyes could see it!:thumbsup: The sonicview 8000HD was probably the most polished and capable HD FTA box outside of the CW3000/4000 and other Linux-based FTAs made for mostly European markets. You are correct in expecting newer receivers to perform at least as well as "older" receivers based on older technology, but clearly you can tell that development budgets are all time lows since many of the newer boxes can never seem to match the quality and polish of those older Sonicviews.

PS> I added your new feedback to the list!

[redemption]

been testing the 8000 hd then local units since they came out and yes their quality after they first were introduced slipped to point were they where not able to function with DPP lnbs. Then comes the 9000i or 9000 plus or Net90 as they call it. Immediately I hooked it up to the worse dpp lnb dish which is hands down the 1000.2 western arc and I got signal on all three satellites! I even tried it on the new dp500plus and the dp1000plus and they worked too. Afterwards I took the receiver and hooked it to the meter I could see output doesn't bounce around like it does on the old 8000 local and 8000 local. Thank goodness they fixed the signal issue for ass it was before not even a dpp44 power inserter helped these boxes they just lost signal when they got hot or never got signal in the first place