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An alternative to the Humax Aura

G

grahamlthompson

Well-Known Member
I have one of these alongside my Aura. Only had it a couple of days. Black Friday deal

XLV Family | VBox Communications

vboxcomm.com vboxcomm.com


In comparison to the Aura - In common with all Android TV devices you cannot upload content to the HDD. It records to a usb 3.0 drive. which it formats as a recording device. I have a 2TB drive attached. It does however have HDMI out to a local TV and remote control

Big difference is it can stream HD recordings in full-HD in to a myriad of mobile devices including laptops (no down conversion is required. The quality is superb on my phone which can pass on the stream to other devices (including) a Xbox one.

It has four tuners.

I had issues on first setting it up, Customer support was brilliant. Within a couple of hours was given a firmware update that worked. Now can stream live TV and recordings on Windows 10 PC and android Phone using the Vbox Live TV app. You can even access these remotely given a decent upload speed.

It has one off and series recordings from the epg and a informative web Console interface accessed via the box IP address.

Not had any chance to play with what apps are available but note Disney+ is in the add apps option.

Early days but looks very promising. Already recorded 4 programmes at once. Not had chance to check if it can do more than 4 from the PSB3 mux.
 
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A few reviews I've found so far
www.overtheairdigitaltv.com

VBox Android TV Gateway Over The Air DVR - Over The Air Digital TV

The VBox Android TV Gateway is an Andriod based DVR that will record over the air antenna signals and stream the content to multiple wireless devices on your network.
www.overtheairdigitaltv.com www.overtheairdigitaltv.com
www.techhive.com

VBox TV Gateway review: An intriguing over-the-air DVR with way too many problems

The VBox Android TV gateway is an offline-friendly over-the-air DVR that's frustratingly hard to use.
www.techhive.com www.techhive.com
American version so details may differ a bit
 
Do we know if it uses accurate recording for recordings ?
No netflix
but looking more promising than the Aura and cheaper
 
Maybe the "DIY PVR Building" section needs expanding to "and Alternatives", or we need a separate "Alternatives to Humax" section. It certainly doesn't feel right in the 'Arms.
 
MymsMan said:
Do we know if it uses accurate recording for recordings ?
No netflix
but looking more promising than the Aura and cheaper
Click to expand...

I have it set to no padding. So far no issues. Only recording from HD channels

No Netflix. It does have Disney+ and plex and VLC. Disney + appears to be only 5.1. Not an issue I have Disney+ on a 4K firestick which has 4K and Dolby Atmos.

It also has Kodi available
 
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I've found trying to set series record on Peppa Pig on one of the 5 channels is a good test to see how well a unit copes with series link and accurate record, especially when I set same schedule for the HDR to compare.
 
One point I forgot to mention. It can't read the encoded HD channel epg data. It gets over this by using the epg data from the equivalent SD channel. This works OK except for local news etc.

I will try and grab a few photos of the UI.
 
grahamlthompson said:
I have it set to no padding. So far no issues. Only recording from HD channels

No Netflix. It does have Disney+ and plex and VLC. Disney + appears to be only 5.1. Not an issue I have Disney+ on a 4K firestick which has 4K and Dolby Atmos.

It also has Kodi available
Click to expand...
I have taken the plunge and placed an order, pity the headline price doesn't include VAT but luckily they are offering Black Friday discount
 
Photos of my laptop screen. I need to reduce the transparency - background live TV is too bright
 

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grahamlthompson said:
One point I forgot to mention. It can't read the encoded HD channel epg data. It gets over this by using the epg data from the equivalent SD channel. This works OK except for local news etc.

I will try and grab a few photos of the UI.
Click to expand...
If you are currently testing this box how about give us the login details so we can test the streaming capabilities on the app . I presume the most you'd be risking is some deleted test recordings?
 
sine24 said:
how much did you pay?
Click to expand...

DescriptionUnit priceQtyAmount
VBox Android TV Gateway for Aerial/Antenna
Item No 4144_dvb_t_t2		£159.00 GBP1£159.00 GBP
Discount-£39.75 GBP


Subtotal£119.25 GBP
Tax£25.04 GBP
Total£144.29 GBP
Payment£144.29 GBP
I am hoping there are no hidden surprises such as customs duties with it coming from Israel
 
grahamlthompson said:
I have one of these alongside my Aura. Only had it a couple of days. Black Friday deal
Click to expand...
What delivery option did you choose and how long it took you to receive the box?

Also
MymsMan said:

DescriptionUnit priceQtyAmount
VBox Android TV Gateway for Aerial/Antenna
Item No 4144_dvb_t_t2		£159.00 GBP1£159.00 GBP
Discount-£39.75 GBP


Subtotal£119.25 GBP
Tax£25.04 GBP
Total£144.29 GBP
Payment£144.29 GBP
I am hoping there are no hidden surprises such as customs duties with it coming from Israel
Click to expand...
I see the same numbers on the website but the currency is euros
 
sine24 said:
I see the same numbers on the website but the currency is euros
Click to expand...
Yes you probably could save a bit paying in euros with a zero loading credit card (silly me)
I have tracking number but shipper hasn't picked it up yet, Shows as delivery via Royal Mail 48
 
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