Walmart US Digital STB Questions - Page 14

The firmware update is SWEET. Yackman & Jafir are THE BEST!

Glad you guys were finally able to get updated. These units work quite well once the new software is installed. No more audio dropouts or other weird behavior.

I sometimes forget how good they are until I try using my old SIR T451, which crashed HARD today for over a minute just because I tried to use the program guide. I won't make that mistake again.

I hope the new models that US Digital says they will release this year are as good as the old ones, but I'll stick with my DB 2010 for now.

Did you ever get a chance to ask them this question after your last e-mail exchange? It would be very interesting to find this out.

Yes, and also, maybe you could ask USDTV for a link to the Hisense Support webpage for the DB 2010, if one exists.

I've been looking for these firmware files forever and I think I finally found them!!!! I already run linux so the bootable usb will be no problem for me if I can get a copy of the files pls. thanks in advance! I'm also willing to host the files if needed and if USDigital doesn't get too mad. Thanks again!!!
my e-mail is matt (at) halenka (dot) com
sorry about the funky e-mail format, but it says I need 5 posts to post a web link. I figured this is ok since I'm not spamming a website or anything.

Great success!

Could someone send me the update files also? Send to spawnmanatyahoodotcom

Thanks

I'm also looking for these files. Any help would be great!

marcum (dot) joe @ gmail (dot) com

Thanks!

Not Yet-I'll give it a shot I need to find the email address again to send to the same person that gave me the response. Hopefully they will respond as quickly as they did originally

If someone still has these files send me a PM for my email address.

Thanks!

Wow, you go away for a while...come back and look at all the activity. I got the files and following the instructions here I got my unit updated.....

Unfortunately...it didn't fix the only problem I've had with the unit. I have one channel local to me (97% signal) that will not work. A scan hangs on this channel 30 (26.1 & 26.2) and if I try to manually add them it just sits there showing me a nice strong signal, but never adds the channels. I do have another adjacent channel 31 (12.1, 12.2 & 12.3) that works fine as well as a couple others.

What could be causing this and does anyone have any ideas about how to overcome this snag now that I have the new firmware?

Oh...by the way...look what I "found" ;-)

http://rapidshare.com/files/13263623...grade.zip.html

Anyone needing these, help yourself.

I could never get WAGT-DT (26.x) to lock in with this unit, either, even on the infrequent occasions that I can get a strong signal. I can occasionally get it at night on the two receivers that I'm using now (Samsung DTB-H260F and Sony DHG-HDD500), along with WRDW-DT (12.x) and WJBF-DT (6.x).

After 4 days I finally upgraded my box. The interface is great BUT if you open the TV guide the audio is cut also there are a lot more channel dropouts other than that its a wonderful upgrade.

Since the upgrade is linux and if the upgrade files are open source we could modify the files and add our own upgrades.

Does anyone have a step by step tutorial for transfering the upgrade files to a usb stick for the db-2010?

thanks

Starting here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post9436126

I think posts 388-390 in this thread do a pretty good job of that. If the instructions there don't tell you enough to get the job done, find yourself a teenaged computer geek and let them read those posts.

Good luck with that one. Hahahahahaha!

Not that is isn't possible though, I've seen someone capture boot messages from the device by connecting to a serial port in the device. Boots like a pretty normal linux machine as far as those messages looked. Have you looked at the upgrade files though? They're not in a very helpful format for modding purposes. They might even need to be signed by some key that we have no hope of getting, therefore no hope of making our own mods. I'm also guessing they aren't completely open-source. Prolly some proprietary bios, etc... If you're an experienced hardware hacker, good luck to you. If you're a kid with a screwdriver, a linux live cd, and a brand new t-shirt with the numbers "1337" on it, oh hell I've made my point.

"Does anyone have a step by step tutorial for transferring the upgrade files to a usb stick for the db-2010?"

"I think posts 388-390 in this thread do a pretty good job of that. If the instructions there don't tell you enough to get the job done, find yourself a teenaged computer geek and let them read those posts."

I re-read those posts, I got to tell you, it may as well be in sanskrit.

I just got two of these units at my Walmart yesterday. They have been setting there on the shelf for 2 years on clearance for 129.00. A clerk happened to be in the aisle working and I told her thats how long they have been there on clearance and and they would be setting there another 2 years at that price. I told her if she talked to the manager and he/she could help with the price I would buy them. He called back with a deal of 75.00ea, so I bought them. One was unopened and one I could tell was a return.

Here's my details.
Both have firmware 2.5.41(2.4.18-7)

I have a Pent IV w/ Windows 2000Pro

I downloaded the file to save on my computer in my documents.It is still a zipped file. I opened the file to look at it. Its on notepad, more sanskrit. Do I need Linux to get this to work?

Do I need a usb drive? could I just run a usb cable from my computer to the box?
The file is zipped, do I just copy the zipped file to a usb drive?

Could someone please do a detailed step by step, beginning with the download on the website posted above to actually ending up with an updated box?

If I am stuck as unable with my computer to install the latest firmware I would be willing to mail a usb drive to someone to install it on the drive.
I'm not as computer illiterate as I sound, I can follow directions, I just want to get it right.

Thanks,

Step 1:

Find somebody who has a PC running Linux, or take the dive and install it on your computer yourself. The steps outlined have to be done while running Linux.

Step 2:

Print out the instructions and give them to your friend, along with a blank USB Flash drive. Anyone who has several months experience running Linux should be able to figure the directions out.

Step 3:

Insert the USB Flash drive into the unit and power up. If everything was done correctly, the unit should update itself automatically. If not, at least you still have second unit (just kidding!)

Ok,

I have a spare computer lying around with no OS on it. If I make this slax download and insert the disk into the spare computer it will boot up with this slax disk correct? Then I can either download the upgrade files to this computer or transfer the file from my main computer. Am I off base with this?

I always wanted to install Linux on this spare computer, is there a good site to create a linux os system to boot from via download? Sorry for asking, I have in the past tried this route without success. There a many versions with different names available.....

Now as far as the usb drive, could I substitute a USB card reader with an SD card with the download on it, or do I need to get a usb stick drive? ( I know, they are cheap.) ( I inserted the USB card reader to the US Digital Box and the Card reader indicator lights lit up an it was getting power).

Don't know anyone nearby running Linux.

Thanks,au revoir for your response

Have not received any responses back from usdtv on new set top box coming out probably only for usdtv subscription service areas.

It's really odd to me that a lot of posts at several different forums and reviews on different brands of set tops during the last few years you keep reading that the db-2010's aspect ratio and tuning ability was better than some of the new at the time sammy units.

From my experience with the db-2010 the channel changes are faster the menus are easier to get to

It's too bad you can't trust ebay sellers to sell you a real fta unit instead of the old subscription units that you could upgrade yourself.....

Makes you wonder why Hisense doesn't restart making and selling their own set top boxes again. The only real addition they would need would be to have the dvi port...

I have been playing around with Linux on and off for about 5 years. If all you want to do is upgrade your USDTV receiver, then the amount of time and effort required to get Linux up and running is definitely NOT worth it.

However, if you wanted to learn to run Linux anyway, this is as good an excuse as any to jump in and start eroding some of Microsoft's market share. Below is a link to download Nubuntu Linux. This version is said to be the most new-user-friendly.

http://nubuntu.org/downloads.php

I don't have a high speed connection, so I had to buy my copy at Best Buy. I'm using Suse 10.1, which cost me around $60. I can find you a link to legitimately download the latest version of Suse for free if you are interested. I think you may have to do some research on how to make what you download and burn to a disc "bootable" but never having gone this route I don't know.

Newer versions of Linux are very good at recognizing your hardware, especially older hardware. So it's to your advantage that you will be installing on an older computer.

Just remember that in Linux nearly everything will work different than Windows. So knowing too much about Windows and expecting everything to work in exactly the same way is something to be avoided at all costs.

There are plenty of forums specific to whichever version you decide to go with that can answer your questions (you'll have plenty). I hope you have lots of patience, because you'll need that in spades. And also a spare Windows computer to get on the net to do research and find various downloads.

All that said, I'm surfing the net right now as I type in Suse Linux, so it is doable. Once you get on the internet, it gets much much easier. Good luck!

PS: Your card reader SHOULD work for the firmware flash, provided that it has only one card slot. If it's the universal type that accepts several different types of card, I don't think it will work. Flash drives are only around $15, and will pay for themselves quickly in not having to waste CD-R's to transfer files. I would just invest in one anyway, they are quite handy.

This thread has been a great source of information, I've actually read the whole thing but I'm looking for confirmation on a couple of things.

Background: I recently acquired a used 32" Zenith HD television with no ATSC tuner, so I am looking for inexpensive ways to get HD programming OTA. I live in Salt Lake City, UT. The DB-2010 set top box sounds ideal, but as you're no doubt aware, unscrupulous people have sold the subscription version on ebay. I understand that what I want is the free OTA non-subscription version.

It sounds like it's hard to differentiate between the versions, example post #58 in an archived thread (can't post the URL, sorry):


Post #59 in that same thread says,


Can someone with the free OTA non-subscription versions verify that this is a sure way to tell the difference? I have an opportunity to buy a DB-2010 from someone locally (former employee of USDTV apparently, their corporate is just miles from my workplace) and he's going to email me the S/N. He has generously offered to refund my money if it doesn't work for free OTA signals but I'd rather not waste his time or mine if it can be ruled out via the S/N.

Thanks in advance!

c/n Looking for a surefire way to determine subscription / non-subscription box w/o actually buying it, hauling it home, hooking up TV, antenna, etc.

au revoir,

Thanks again for the info.

The weather in the northeast has been bad. I think everyone was out of school and off work, surfing the internet Tues and Wed. It wasn't even worth trying to download anything. I did try to download a version called Linux freespire I believe, with bit torrent. It was taking forever, so I just cancelled it.

Ebay has a lot of versions of Linux for under 10$ shipped, so I am perusing these options.

By the way I have a One for All 8910 remote and I called them and they played me a file to play through my speakers, to update my remote. Its slick, and now my URC basically just works like the US digital remote, I don't like using learning keys, I run out of learning keys too quickly.

I just wanted to pass that along since some are buying this box on ebay and they dont always have the remote with it and its basically a boat anchor without the remote. This is a very cheap way to have get a remote if you have an upgradeable One for All.

So you say the upgrade is not all that, OK I'm in no hurry to upgrade it. I'll do it as I get my old PC installed with Linux. I like learning new things, and working with PC's so it'll be a hobby type thing.

I do think and I'm not imaging this, but the US digital to me has a smoother more film like picture on my Hitachi RPTV than the Samsung Sir-T151 that I have. I couldn't get the Samsung to look the same playing with the Hitachi's pictures user controls. This is using component for both. I had both boxes hooked up to two component ins and was flipping back and forth.

Not nUbuntu, Ubuntu. Nubuntu is a special distribution for security testing.
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/GetUbuntu

Sorry for the bad link.

And thanks for the good link, madlobster! I just ordered an Ubuntu DVD from Amazon for $9.99 using the link you provided. It's supposed to ship today. I've always wanted to try that distribution, and would have sooner if I knew it was so cheap to just order the disc.

As a follow up to yesterday's post, the SN on the DB2010 I was looking at begins with "000" and is eight digits long, sounds like it's a subscription-only one. I called USDTV and they said the only way to get a subscription STB to work is to sign up for a year of service. They can't convert it. So it sounds like that one won't work for me.

Still wondering if the SN is a reliable way of verifying whether one has a subscription only or FTA version.

I don't think it's reliable I have one of the fta units and one of the subscription units. They both have serial numbers that are 8 digits long and start with 3 zeroes

I also tried to correlate the logos on the front panel I don't think that's reliable either My fta unit has usdigital hdtv receiver on the right hand side of the faceplate and the subscription unit has usdtv hdtv receiver on the right hand side of the faceplate

Wonder if anyone else on this thread can verify the faceplate logos?

Wish Hisense would start building these units again...

My fta unit is the same on the right side. On the far left hand side there is a logo

"US
DTV
Ready"

And just to the right of that:

"High Definition Television
HDTV
Tuner"

As you guys have already confirmed USDTV's customer service is useless. At least they were polite to me...but absolutely refused to help out with the firmware update. They simply state that the 2010 is no longer supported by their company (yeah, B.S.) Hisense is a Chinese company whose customer service to English speaking consumers is non-existent.

Anyway I betcha that my unit has the oldest firmware. It has 2.5.41 !!!

Real old, that firmware is from early 2004...ancient and unstable.

If anyone needs this receiver updated, it's me. This thing is so buggy it's ridiculous. Needs a power cycle every couple days due to lock-ups.

I hope the new firmware improves video scaling as well. 1080i introduces horizontal artifacting, while 480p and 720p instigates image flicker. 480i via component is actually the most stable setting, although sacrificing HD resolution is not worth it.