22.12.2017
data is hidden
GradePros: Simplicity and ease of management
Streaming video quality
Intuitive interface (even for parents)
You can watch videos from services (ex.ua, megago.net, youtube.com)
Watching video from removable media(2 usb ports)
Cons: Sometimes buggy when working via wi-fi
Movies 1080 are not normally watched, hang
You can’t watch your playlists (but a fixable drawback is through https://playlister.online)
Restarting the set-top box only by disconnecting the power wire
Review: Solid 4 in terms of features, quality and convenience
22.12.2017
poor people Vitaly
GradePros: Great plugin. In my opinion, everything is simple and convenient. The internal portal (from the infoworld) works flawlessly. Works on Linux (not Android). Programmable remote control (5 programmable buttons) - very convenient.
Cons: Did not find any during use (several flaws in the provider's portal).
Review: I use 2 set-top boxes with a short purchase interval for more than a year. I bought one from the provider, the other in the online store and stitched it myself. All declared characteristics correspond. Attachments work flawlessly. Sometimes it slows down in the provider's portal (it may freeze when exiting the YouTube client, some channels disappear, although the same playlist in the internal portal works all and other minor flaws - well, these are already questions for the provider's programmers, and not for the set-top box manufacturer). The internal portal works flawlessly.
22.12.2017
Silensky Egor
GradePros: Good IPTV set-top box. Very easy to use and set up
Cons: Constantly freezes and takes a long time to load
22.12.2017
Rabidinov Marat
GradePros: Excellent prefix, we use it in the IPTV project. Price quality
Cons: you can not install additional software
Review: Remote control for Android for the MAG 250 set-top box.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.humansoftware.irremotemag250trial
An infrared port (IRDA) is required.
22.12.2017
Vladimirovich Roman
GradePros: inexpensive, performs its functions, does not compress the image and sound, good remote control
Cons: everything works fine for me, no cons
Review: I bought a prefix somewhere in April of this year, until I regretted it. A good thing for those who like to watch movies in good quality. The expenses for the family budget are almost imperceptible, and we enjoy watching movies every day. In general, the purchase is satisfied. I easily figured out the settings and connection myself - everything is simple there. Fortunately, the model is popular, it is often discussed on the forums. There were no deviations such as non-switchable channels or pixelated images. I took a remote that can still be configured to control the TV (that is, one remote for both the set-top box and the TV) - so that 100,500 remotes do not lie around the whole apartment. Very comfortably. Thank you.
To watch IPTV on a regular TV, a special set-top box (set-top box - STB) is used. One of the set-top boxes we recommend is the MAG250 Micro. This unit supports channels broadcast in HD format ( high definition). The set-top box provides the ability to access services on the Internet, such as YouTube, Picasa, as well as some additional features. The prefix is equipped USB ports to connect peripherals that expand the basic functionality of the device (Wi-Fi adapters for connecting the set-top box to a wireless router or for organizing additional communication channels with mobile devices at home wireless network, flash drives or external hard drives to play audio and video files or photos, mouse, keyboard, etc.).
1, 2 - universal USB-port
3 - RC connector for connecting an external IR receiver (not present in all models)
4 - 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port for connecting the set-top box to the network
5 - HDMI connector - digital audio / video output for connecting the set-top box to a high-definition (HD) TV. HDMI cable sold separately
6 - S / PDIF port - optical digital audio output for connection to a home theater system (not present on all models)
7 - AV connector - composite analog audio/video output. The set-top box includes a cable with RCA connectors (“tulips”), yellow - video, red and white - audio
8 - connector for connecting the power supply.
Attention! All switching must be performed in the off state to avoid equipment failure.
To connect the set-top box to the TV, a composite or HDMI output is used. Any modern TV is equipped with a composite signal input, however, if the TV has a digital HDMI input, then it is better to connect the set-top box to it, this will provide the best sound and image quality (the quality of HD channels when using the composite output is reduced to standard quality).
We are considering connecting the set-top box to the network through a router (router). Using a patch cord (network cable), connect the LAN port of the router to the LAN connector of the set-top box.
Connect the power supply to the set-top box. Turn on the TV and select the signal source using the TV remote control (depending on the TV brand, the button may be called SOURCE, INPUT, HDMI, TV / AV, see the instructions for the TV).
When the device is finished loading, you will see main screen internal portal.
Navigation in the interface of the set-top box is carried out using the arrow buttons, selecting a menu item or control element with the OK button, returning back with the BACK button, and exiting with the EXIT button.
Press the SET (SETUP) button on the remote controller to open the system
settings.
Select Advanced settings.
Select Russian language and press the OK button on the screen.
Consider the network settings when connecting through a router.
Select Network Configuration.
Select Wired (Ethernet)
Select Auto (DHCP).
Click OK.
To check the connection status, select Network INFO.
Select Wired (Ethernet).
Make sure the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS servers are obtained. These addresses depend on the settings of your router, so they may not match the example. To exit, press the EXIT button on the remote control.
Select Servers.
To enter characters, use the on-screen keyboard, which can be called up by pressing the button with the image of the keyboard (KV) on the console of the set-top box. Pressing this button again will close the keyboard.
In the NTP server field, enter pool.ntp.org
Press the OK button on the screen.
Select Video Settings (Video).
In the "Video output mode" line, select the mode that your TV supports:
- PAL (default), graphic resolution 720×576 - for TVs with composite (tulips) AV input;
- 720p-50, graphic resolution 1280×720 - for TVs with HDMI input that support 720p (HD ready);
- 1080p-50, graphic resolution 1280×720 or higher - for TVs with HDMI input that support 1080p mode (Full HD, HD ready 1080p), etc.
You can check the modes that your TV supports in the instructions for it.
Press the OK button on the screen
Attention! If the video output mode has not been set correctly, there will be no picture or a message will be displayed to switch to SD mode.
To reconfigure the video output, turn off the power of the set-top box, press and hold the MENU button on the remote control and turn on the set-top box.
Change the values of TV System and Graphic Res. according to the capabilities of your TV (options can only be switched with the right arrow).
After the reboot, the main screen will reappear. This time you need to select the item IPTV channels (IPTV Channels).
Press the MENU button on the remote control and select the menu item Group - Load playlist (Group -
download).
In the URL field, enter the playlist address http://website/files/play140.m3u and click OK
on the screen.
As a result, you should see a list of channels.
If a message appears stating that it was not possible to get the list of channels, then you should check:
- correct connection of the set-top box to the network
- the correctness of the entered address of the playlist
Please note that the channel list is not updated automatically, and if for some reason it changes, you will need to re-download it.
Press the EXIT button on the remote control. Answer yes to the question about saving the changes made to the list of channels.
- The procedure for connecting the set-top box
- Specification
- Portal for viewing Teleprom.TV
- Setting wireless connection WiFi
- Installation software with Teleprom.TV settings
Connection
To watch Teleprom.TV channels on a regular TV, a special Set top Box (STB) is used, which decodes video data and displays the decoded video on the TV screen. One of the recommended set-top boxes for viewing is the MAG 250.
Appearance of the MAG 250 attachment
Fig.1 Front view
Fig.2 Rear view
USB port - universal USB port for connecting a USB flash drive with movies, photos.
USB port - universal USB port for connecting a USB flash drive with movies, photos.
RC port * - connector for connecting an external IrDA receiver. Specify the availability of the port at the time of purchase.
Ethernet port - port network connection 10/100 Mbps. Use this connector to connect the set-top box to the Internet.
HDMI port - digital audio / video output for connecting a set-top box to an HD high-definition TV. Also transmits digital sound signal. HDMI cable sold separately.
S/PDIF port * - optical digital audio output for connection to a home theater system in DOLBY 5.1/7.1, DTS format. Specify the availability of the port at the time of purchase.
* — only in some models!
TRRS port is a connector for transmitting an audio / video signal in analog format via an RCA cable. Composite video (yellow "tulip") and stereo (red and white "tulips"). An RCA cable is included in the package.
Power - connector for connecting the power supply.
Specification
Processor: STi7105
RAM: 256 MB
Flash Memory: 256 MB
Operating system: linux 2.6.23
External interfaces:
Optical S/PDIF audio output, HDMI 1.3a (rear), USB 2.0 (1 front and 1 rear), composite + stereo A/V output (rear mini jack), Ethernet port 100Mbps (rear panel), 5V power supply connector (rear panel), LED indicator (front panel)
Sources of media content:
USB devices ( external hard disk, USB flash drive, USB card reader, etc.), PC and NAS in local network(SMB, NFS, UPnP, HTTP), other Internet and local TV networks (HTTP, UDP / RTP unicast/multicast), video streaming services are fully supported
Web engine: WebKit
DRM option: Verimatrix, Secure Media
Video modes: 1080i, 1080p, 720p, 576p, 480p, PAL, NTSC
Video codecs: MPEG1/2 [email protected], H.264 [email protected] 4.1, MPEG4 part 2 (ASP), WMV-9 (optional), VC1 video, XviD; support for high-bitrate video (up to 40 Mbps and above)
Video formats: MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, ASF, QT, WMV (optional)
Audio codecs: MPEG-1 layer I/II, MPEG-2 layer II, MPEG-2 layer III (mp3), MPEG-2 AAC (optional), MPEG-4 AAC LC 2-ch/5.1ch (optional), MPEG -4 AAC+SBR 2-h/5.1ch(optional), Dolby Digital
Audio formats: MP3, MPA, M4A, WMA (optional), Ogg, WAV, AC3, AAC
Image formats: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF,RAW
Subtitles: DVB,SRT (Support Coming Soon), Embedded Text
Playlist formats: M3U
File systems: FAT16/32, NTFS (read), NFS, Ext2, Ext3
Ethernet: 10/100 Mbps
Wi-Fi: Optional USB module (not included), a list of modules that have been tested and work can be viewed at the link
Stream media protocols: RTSP, RTP, UDP, IGMP, HTTP
Software: Fully compatible with MAG-100, MAG-200, MAG-250(P) (API JS, API C)
built-in media portal with IPTV functionality
HTTP 1.1, HTML 4.01 XHTML 1.0/1.1
DOM 1, 2, 3, CSS 1, 2, 3
XML 1.0, XSLT 1.0, XPath 1.0
SOAP 1.1
JavaScript ECMA-262, revision 5
Media JavaScript API
C layer SDK
Dimensions (w/d/h), mm: 125/86/28
Console weight, g: 156 (with packaging: 620)
Complete set: Prefix MAG-250 Micro, user manual, cable mini jack to RCA (A/V); power adapter 5V 1.5A, remote control, AA batteries — 2 pcs, package.
Warranty: 2 years
The procedure for connecting the set-top box
To connect to the MAG 250 TV, use the component TV signal output (3 RCA connectors of the "tulip" type) - (Fig. 2 - 7) and the HDMI connector - (Fig. 2 - 5). To any modern TV set-top box can be connected to the component output. If the TV has an HDMI input, then it is better to connect through it for more High Quality Images.
Connect the cable Ethernet networks from the network switch to the Ethernet input of your set-top box (Fig. 2 - 4)
Insert the power supply connector into the socket (Fig. 2 - 8) on the body of the set-top box.
Enabling and configuring a connection
Plug the power supply into an outlet. The blue indicator on the front panel of the set-top box lights up.
Switch your TV to HDMI or Composite mode, depending on which cable is connected to the set-top box - HDMI or 3xRCA.
2. Press Setup again on the remote control of the set-top box and select the Advanced Settings item: (Advanced Settings):
3. Select Language: Russian, Time zone: GMT +02.00 Jerusalem, then press OK:
4. Go to the Network Configuration menu:
5. Select Wired(Ethernet):
6. Select Auto (DHCP) and then press the EXIT button on the set-top box remote control:
7. Go to the Servers menu:
8. Fill in the fields in accordance with the figure below and click OK. To enter characters, we use the on-screen keyboard, which can be displayed by pressing the KV button on the set-top box remote control:
9. Select the Reboot menu and wait for the console to reboot:
Configuring the MAG-250 set-top box to connect via Wi-Fi
1. During the loading of the set-top box, the following will appear on the TV screen in turn: Loading, Loading the portal ..., when the message Loading the portal ... appears, press and hold the SETUP button on the set-top box remote control, release it when the message Loading the internal portal ... appears, we get into the internal portal:
2. Go to the Network Configuration menu:
3. Select the item Wireless (Wi-Fi):
4. Select the item Auto (DHCP):
5. Click the Scan button:
6. In the list of found networks, select your wireless network and press OK on the console of the set-top box:
7. In the Password field, enter the key for your wireless network and click the OK button. To enter characters, we use the on-screen keyboard, which can be displayed by pressing the KV button on the set-top box remote control:
On this WiFi setup network is over
Software installation
1. To install the software configured to view the Teleprom.TV service, you need to download plugins for Infomir / MAG 250 / AURA HD, download the archive and unzip it to external media(USB Stick or flash drive formatted with FAT32).
2. The “” folder should appear on the flash drive, and there are 2 firmware files in it:
imageupdate
Bootstrap
3. Insert the flash drive into rear USB connector set-top box and turn it on while holding the " menu" on the remote until the blue bootloader menu appears.
4. Select " Def.Settings” and click the arrow “ right”, confirm.
Next select " Save & Exit».
5. The set-top box will reboot, again hold the button " MENU” on the remote until the blue bootloader menu appears.
Select " UPGRADE TOOLS” and press the arrow “ right» , select « USB Bootstrap” and click the arrow “ right" And " OK”, the device will update and reboot.
After the first download, an auto-update window will appear in the portal - it needs to be updated ( F4).
Despite the fact that the device, which will be discussed in this article, is already quite old, it deserves to be special attention. Since, today, this is one of the most popular models of IPTV set-top boxes, throughout the post-Soviet space, and not only.
As you probably already understood, we will talk about an IPTV set-top box - manufactured by the Ukrainian company Infomir. And in this article, we will get acquainted with its hardware, appearance and delivery. And right away I want to say a special thank you to the ASP24 company for providing a test sample.
Contents of delivery
Let's start our review, as usual, with the packaging and delivery.
MAG250 comes in a bright and beautiful box with color printing. On different sides of which, both the set-top box itself and various logos of supported services and standards are depicted. Also, there is a factory sticker with barcodes, serial number and MAC address of the Ethernet interface.
Inside the package, in special compartments, the device itself is located, as well as everything that comes with it. Everything is neatly packed in such a way that during transportation, the possibility of damage is minimized.
MAG250 delivery set includes:
— STB MAG250
- Remote controller remote control
- Power unit
- AA batteries, for the remote control
— A/V cable
- Manual
In fact, this kit is self-sufficient. However, the absence HDMI cable, depressing. Because, to use the set-top box with modern TVs, it is simply necessary. But given the not very high cost of these cables in this moment, you can close your eyes to this.
Appearance and interfaces
The trend towards miniaturization of modern electronic devices is especially noticeable in the case of the MAG250 Micro. Immediately, what catches your eye is the “modest”, so to speak, dimensions of the console. It has dimensions, only 125x86x28mm (WxDxH), and its weight does not exceed 156 grams.
The case of the console has a classic rectangular appearance and is made of very high quality black plastic, in some places it is glossy, and in other places it is matte. At the same time, the build quality is very high. There are no defects, nothing creaks, there are no flaws or gaps.
On the front of the device, there is one USB connector and hidden under translucent plastic led indicator and IR remote control receiver.
On the upper side of the case, against a matte background, there is a glossy inscription MAG250. And on the bottom, in addition to standard legs and holes for mounting on a vertical surface, you can see ventilation slots and a label indicating the model, serial number and MAC address specific device. In the same place, you can see a small but rather curious inscription Made in Ukraine and a holographic warranty sticker covering one of the screws.
Well, as usual, all the most interesting is on the rear panel of the MAG250. Here, from left to right, we see: another USB port, a connector for an external IR receiver, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, an HDMI connector, an optical S/PDIF connector, an A/V output (Jack) and a power connector.
Generally, appearance set-top box MAG250, quite eye-catching. And its miniature size allows you to simply hide it behind the TV, without flaunting it. Although it is not a shame to show it.
Remote control
If we talk about the remote control, IPTV set-top boxes MAG-250, then it can be safely called convenient and thoughtful. And despite the absence of any ergonomic frills and a completely square shape, it fits comfortably in the hand.
In addition, the location of the buttons on the remote control is familiar to most set-top boxes, media players and receivers. Therefore, getting used to the remote control is not difficult. Literally after an hour of communication with MAG250, you begin to control the device without looking at the remote control.
Another feature of this remote control is the possibility of learning. In the upper right corner, there is a block of buttons designed to control the TV. These buttons can be trained with the original remote control. And despite the fact that they are basically labeled as volume (+/-), mute (Mute), power and TV / AV, they can be taught any commands to control your TV or even an audio system.
There are also buttons on the top. virtual keyboard, settings, mute on the set-top box and a row of colored buttons.
In the central part of the remote, according to the already established tradition, there are menu control buttons, with OK in the center, as well as service buttons Menu, Back, Exit and Info. Even lower, there are three rows of buttons for controlling the media player, channel list and volume level. And finally, the standard block of digital buttons.
All buttons are pressed clearly, with a characteristic "click", while, in the upper part of the remote control, green indicators (for MAG250) or red (when controlling TV) light up.
The remote control is powered by two AA batteries that are included.
Specifications
And of course, the most important thing in any electronic device, it is his specifications. And in the case of the MAG250 IPTV set-top box, the hardware specification is as follows:
| CPU | STi7105 |
| RAM | 256 MB |
| Flash memory | 256 MB |
| HDMI | 1.3 |
| USB | x2 (on the back and on the front panels) |
| A/V output | composite + stereo A/V output |
| ethernet | RJ-45 10/100Mbit/s Fast Ethernet port |
| WiFi | Optional via USB adapter |
| Additionally | Optical S/PDIF audio output, 5V power supply connector, external IR receiver connector |
And despite not the most outstanding characteristics, this configuration is quite enough to provide normal operation all currently existing web and online services and even playback of any video formats.
Video modes — 1080i, 1080p, 720p, 576p, 480p, PAL, NTSC
Video codecs - MPEG1/2 [email protected], H.264 [email protected] 4.1, MPEG4 part 2(ASP) .WMV-9(optional) , VC1 video, XviD; high bitrate video support(up to 40 Mbps and above)
Video formats — MKV,MPEG-TS,MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, ASF, QT, WMV(optional) Audio codecs — MPEG-1 layer I/II, MPEG-2 layer II, MPEG-2 layer III(mp3) , MPEG-2 AAC(optional) MPEG-4 AAC LC 2-ch/5.1ch(optional ), MPEG-4 AAC+SBR 2-h/5.1ch(optional) Dolby Digital
Audio formats -MP3, MPA, M4A, WMA(optional) Ogg, WAV, AC3, AAC
Image formats — JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, RAW
Subtitles — DVB,SRT(support coming soon) embedded text
Playlist formats — M3U
In short, MAG250 fully meets all modern requirements for devices of this kind.
Software and some features
The basis for the MAG250 software is linux 2.6.23. It is on this core that all the “firmware” for this set-top box are built. Both official and alternative. Moreover, everyone, with certain knowledge, can collect their own image. On the manufacturer's website, you can find not only everything you need, but also detailed instructions. It is this feature that attracts many enthusiasts and enables IPTV providers to create their own platforms and entire services.
The official software (firmware) MAG250 is available for download or updating the set-top box itself via the Internet. Developers quite often release new versions with changes, improvements and fixes.
You can install almost any official or non-official software in several ways - from a USB disk (flash drive) through the appropriate menu or through the BIOS. With the help of Multicast, through the network and in several other ways. Also, both automatic updating and manual updating are available.
A main feature allIPTV set-top boxesMAG250, is that almost all the functionality depends not so much on the set-top box or firmware itself, but on the content provider. The more "chips" the operator has and the more diverse they are, the more extensive are the various options for using the set-top box.
It is for this reason that we have moved the consideration of the features of the software and operation of the MAG250 into a separate article. Where we will introduce you to them, on concrete examples some IPTV operators and user portals.
But in general, MAG250 is able to receive content from such sources as: USB storage devices (USB HDD, USB Flash drive, USB Card-Reader, etc.), PC and NAS in a local network using SMB, NFS, UPnP protocols or HTTP, as well as from local networks and the Internet by broadcasting over HTTP, UDP / RTP Unicast / Multicast protocols. And it fully supports such Stream media protocols as RTSP, RTP, UDP and IGMP.
In addition, the set-top box is compatible with the following Middleware systems: Stalker, OFT-Media, Netup, SmartLabs, Netris, ZTE. That gives rather extensive opportunities for operators and providers.
Initial setup
Any MAG 250 IPTV set-top box, whether it's an operator or "clean" set-top box, has a fairly extensive settings menu. Which is called by the SET button on the remote control.
Here you can make video output settings, sound settings, get information about the device, including hardware and software version, update software, and much more.
There is also a Services section. With the help of which, you can set the addresses of the portals from which you will receive the main content. It can be like third-party portals created by enthusiasts. For example, a very popular portal is ModMenu. So you can use the addresses of paid services or IPTV providers, such as Divan.tv, Bonus-TV, Planeta TV and many others.
In the same section, you can specify the sources of software updates.
Network setting
Since IPTV means receiving content from the Internet, of course, MAG250 has a number of network settings. The set-top box can be connected to the network using a wired or wireless interfaces. Moreover, the second one is optional, and requires an additional USB WiFi adapter. Wireless adapter, can be purchased together with the prefix, for a fee. Or, use a third-party adapter, on a meringue chip - Ralink RT3070 or Ralink RT5370. Here is a list of supported models:
- DLink DWA-125 (not all H/W versions are supported)
- ASUS USB-N13 (not all H/W versions are supported)
— Edimax EW-7711UAN
— Tenda W311MI
- TPLINK TL-WN727N
— Dune HD Air
It is also possible to use other models, for example, I used the GI Wi-Fi 11N adapter (WL0224) from Galaxy-Innovations, on the Ralink RT3070 chip.
Also, it is possible to raise a connection via the PPPoE protocol, for a direct connection to the provider's network.
Moreover, it is possible to choose various options establishing a connection on each of the interfaces. Can be used as manual settings, and automatic receipt of settings from the DHCP server.
In the case of setting up a wireless connection, you must specify or select from the list the SSID of your access point and specify the encryption settings.
But one way or another, setting up the network in the MAG 250 does not take much time at all. And after doing a few simple steps, the set-top box gets access to the network, after which, you can start using it.
In a word, setting up the MAG250 is quite simple and should not cause any difficulties, even for people with low knowledge of network technologies.
conclusions
Summarizing, this review IPTV set-top boxes MAG250, we can draw a number of conclusions and highlight a few pros and cons. But in any case, it is safe to say that this device not without reason found not a small popularity.
First of all, this, of course, is due to a fairly extensive functionality that can be expanded by each specific provider or content provider. Then you can highlight the possibility of self-creation, both internal software and external (portals). And all this subject to a rich choice. network protocols and compatibility with different systems.
In addition, an attractive appearance, a convenient remote control and ease of setup and control add points to the piggy bank of the console.
But, nevertheless, it is impossible not to pay attention to not the most powerful hardware, which in some cases can become a bottleneck. For example, I would like to have a little more memory and a gigabit Ethernet port.
But in general - MAG250 leaves only positive impressions when used. Especially given the rich selection of possible content providers. Which we will cover in our next article. In the same place, we will touch upon the issue of playing multimedia from external sources, image quality and other aspects of device operation.
You can discuss this article and IPTV set-top box MAG250 on our forum -
The prefix MAG-245/250 is one of the most successful in the line of the Ukrainian company Infomir and one of the best, if not the best in its price segment. Therefore, it has gained well-deserved popularity among the Russian consumer.
There are a huge number of different instructions on the Internet for setting up this set-top box, but often they are all limited by the settings of a particular provider. As a result, the instructions will turn out to be far from complete and not at all revealing the wide possibilities of the device.
Today we will discuss various and complete ways to use this set-top box with any IPTV traffic content provider.
Set-top box operating modes
In this article, we will not consider the capabilities of this set-top box to play content from USB drives and from a local media server, as well as from network SMB shares, although such functions are very useful - a separate article will be devoted to this. We will focus on setting up the set-top box to play streaming content from external IPTV Internet providers.
The MAG-250 set-top box allows you to play content from both your Internet provider and third-party providers at the same time. In any case, you are using your ISP's server or a third party server located somewhere on the Internet. In both cases, a working Internet with a bandwidth of at least 10 Mbps is required.
The set-top box itself has a built-in IPTV portal and allows you to configure several additional external portals. Most often, if you buy an IPTV service from your Internet provider, he will provide you with a server name and a URL that you need to specify in the settings of the set-top box to connect to the portal. The URL is specific to different models set-top boxes, so the MAG-245/250 set-top box must use its own address, which will not work for other set-top boxes, and vice versa. By specifying such an external portal, the prefix will prompt you to choose where to log in - to the built-in portal or use an external one.
If you have chosen to enter an external portal provided by your provider, then when you enter it, you will be asked to enter your login and password associated with the billing. After entering the credentials, a list of channels and video streams available for your tariff will be loaded. It is noteworthy that if you move the set-top box to another location, for example, connect it to another Internet channel, then the external IPTV portal will continue to work through any other Internet connection (provided that it is paid).
The third option is to flash the set-top box with custom firmware from your provider, which will immediately load the desired portal upon loading. In this mode, the set-top box will work only in the local network of your provider. In principle, then it can be reflashed with the default firmware from Infomir with USB drive, but this can cause some difficulties. This option, for example, is used by the Interzet provider (DOM.RU). They rent these set-top boxes already with their firmware installed, but in principle, you can use yours by flashing it with the provider's firmware (technical support provides it on request).
Using the built-in portal of the set-top box
The built-in portal is empty by default: it does not contain any channels. You need to add the channel list there manually. The list of channels must be located either at any address available for download on the Internet or on a local network. The channel list URL must point to a file in m3u or m3u8 format. The file must contain links to the list of streams (channels). You can easily download such a finished file on the Internet or create it yourself by editing it in notepad or any other text editor.
You can read about editing the channel list in a separate article. After uploading the list of channels, you can edit it directly in the set-top box using the remote control: move channels, create groups, edit their URLs and delete them. When you exit the channel menu with the Exit button, the STB will offer to save the changes.
The convenience of this approach lies in the fact that you can add any channels to the list of channels, both from your provider, and any others - paid and free, found on the Internet. The downside is that the functionality of the set-top box does not support viewing channels from the archive of TV programs - you cannot rewind the broadcast to the desired date and time.
I will give an example of such an option for using the prefix by me. My provider smart home provides access to the list pay channels to view through a content provider MOOVI(to view paid channels and get an extended playlist, you need to subscribe). MOOVI provides its own pre-configured player, in the settings of which there is a link to the playlist. Of course, the channels from this playlist will only be played on the Smarthome network. I download the player from the provider's link, go to its settings and copy the link to the playlist from there. List free channels presented as an m3u file. The same list can be obtained from the player of any other providers:
Along with this, I subscribed to paid service IPTV edem.tv, which provides access to hundreds of channels, including high quality HD for only $1 per month. This service also provides its own playlist for access to all channels at once. The playlist can either be downloaded or opened in any video player that supports streaming content, such as the most popular VLC. I download this file too, open both in Notepad++, edit line by line, merging the lists and leaving only the channels I need. For each channel, this file contains 3 lines: the group to which the channel belongs (optional line), the URL link to the stream, and the name of the channel.
M3u sheet from the inside looks something like this:
#EXTINF:1 Match! TV
http://persik.by/stream/3903/293564/276.m3u8
#EXTINF:1 Match! Arena
http://persik.by/stream/3903/293564/261.m3u8
#EXTINF:1 Match! Planet
http://persik.by/stream/3903/293564/10269.m3u8
#EXTINF:1 Match! A game
http://persik.by/stream/3903/293564/10270.m3u8
#EXTINF:1 Match! Our sport
http://persik.by/stream/3903/293564/10271.m3u8
After editing and merging lists, I save my file with m3u extension. Then this file must be placed somewhere on your local network (on a file server in network folder and give access via a UNC path like \\server\folder\file.m3u), on any web server or the Internet, so that the file can be accessed via a link like http://server/path/file.m3u . Then the small thing is to add a link to the settings of the internal port of the set-top box so that the channels are loaded into its memory.
There is also an option to simply specify a direct http link to place the playlist on the edem.tv servers - in case you have only one of this playlist and you do not plan to edit it. If you want to use the edem.tv playlist, but edit it online (for example, change the order of the channels and their grouping), then you can place it on free service Ottplayer. This service allows you to host third-party playlists on it and view channels through this service with the ability to access the TV program guide and program archive.
To add a new m3u playlist:
- In the main menu, select IPTV channels, enter the list of portal channels
- Press the Menu button, the menu on the right will appear
- Select "Add IPTV List"
- With remote control and on-screen keyboard(language translation - F4) enter the URL of the list, click OK
- The channel list will be added on the left. If what channels you already had in the list, then new ones will be added to the end of the list.
- If you want to organize channels into groups, then select the necessary channels with the F2 button, press Menu, select the "Add to group" option.
- Click Exit, save the channel list when you exit.
Using external portals for MAG-245
Our prefix allows you to specify in the settings the download of content from external portals. There are a lot of such portals, for each supported model of set-top boxes they make their own access link.
In particular, the portal Smotryoshka(smotreshka.tv) provides access to IPTV for various tariff plans for both Internet providers and private clients. Smotryoshka supports many different platforms for viewing, in particular, the Infomir set-top box.
Adding new portals is as follows:
- select Settings from the main menu
- click System Preferences > Servers > Portals
- using the remote control and the on-screen keyboard (language translation - F4), enter the portal URL and an arbitrary name.
To configure the loading of such a portal in the MAG-245 set-top box, you need to specify the URL in the portal address settings, and then enter it by selecting it from the list. Address for prefix MAG: http://mag.somteshka.tv
Of course, you will need internet access to download the portal. Portal Smotryoshka when loading for the first time requires you to specify data account to enter. You can enter them using the on-screen keyboard and remote control from the set-top box. After login, you will see a list of channels available to you according to your tariff plan.
There are also free portals for MAG-245/250. Such a portal provides all the same service Ottplayer, which was discussed above. I remind you that Ottplayer itself is not an IPTV service provider, it provides a platform for hosting your playlists and playing them through their player or set-top boxes with a web portal.
To add Ottplayer to the MAG prefix, enter the address widget.ottplayer.es.
The Ottplayer portal is convenient in that it supports as many playlists as you have added on the service website. You can easily switch between them at the bottom of the portal. As you understand, playlists are not tied to providers in any way - within the framework of the portal, you can play any content, as long as the Internet works. Also supported is the archive of programs, scrolling back and forth, TV program guide (provided that you have registered a link to it in the m3u file).
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