TV set-top box iptv set top box. Set top box - comfortable viewing of IPTV. IPTV RT STB HD Standard: connecting to a video network

Despite the fact that the device discussed in this article is no longer quite new, it deserves special attention in any case. 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, produced by the Ukrainian company Infomir. And in this article, we will get acquainted with its hardware, appearance and delivery package. And I would like to immediately say a special thank you to ASP24 for providing the test sample.

Scope of delivery

Let's start our review, as usual, with packaging and delivery.

MAG250 is supplied in a bright and beautiful box with color printing. On different sides of which both the console itself and various logos of supported services and standards are depicted. There is also 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.

The MAG250 package includes:

— STB MAG250
— Remote control
- Power unit
— AA batteries for remote control
— A/V cable
— Operating manual

In fact, this kit is self-sufficient. However, the lack of an HDMI cable is 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 at the 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. What immediately catches your eye is the “modest”, so to speak, size of the console. It has dimensions of only 125x86x28mm (WxDxH), and its weight does not exceed 156 grams.

The body 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 others it is matte. At the same time, the build quality is very high. There are no defects, nothing creaks, no flaws or gaps.

On the front panel of the device, there is one USB connector and an LED indicator and an IR receiver for the remote control hidden under translucent plastic.

On the upper side of the case, on a matte background, there is a glossy MAG250 inscription. 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 of a specific device. There you can also see a small but rather interesting inscription Made in Ukraine and a holographic warranty sticker covering one of the screws.

Well, as usual, all the most interesting things are on the back 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.

In general, the appearance of the MAG250 console is quite attractive. And its miniature size allows you to simply hide it behind the TV without showing it off. Although there is no shame in showing it.

Remote control

If we talk about the remote control, IPTV set-top box MAG-250, then it can be safely called convenient and thoughtful. And despite the absence of any ergonomic refinements and its completely square shape, it fits comfortably in the hand.

In addition, the layout 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 does not present any difficulties. 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 ability to learn. 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 mainly labeled as volume (+/-), mute (Mute), power and TV/AV, they can be taught any commands to control your TV or even audio system.

At the top, there are also buttons for the virtual keyboard, settings, muting the sound on the console and a number of colored buttons.

In the central part of the remote control, according to an 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, a standard block of number buttons.

All buttons are pressed clearly, with a characteristic “click”, while at the top of the remote control, green indicators (for MAG250) or red (when controlling TV) light up.

The remote control is powered by two AA batteries, which are included in the kit.

Specifications

And of course, the most important thing in any electronic device is its technical characteristics. And in the case of the MAG250 IPTV set-top box, the hardware specification is as follows:

And despite not the most outstanding characteristics, this configuration is quite sufficient to ensure the normal operation of 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 MP@HL, H.264 HP@level 4.1, MPEG4 part 2(ASP) ,WMV-9(optional) , VC1 video, XviD; support for high bitrate video(up to 40 Mbit/s 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 a word, MAG250 fully meets all modern requirements for devices of this kind.

Software and some features

The MAG250 software is based on Linux 2.6.23. It is on this core that all the “firmware” for this set-top box is built. Both official and alternative. Moreover, everyone, if they have certain knowledge, can create 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 gives IPTV providers the opportunity to create their own platforms and entire services.

The official software (firmware) of MAG250 is available for downloading 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 drive (flash drive) through the appropriate menu or through the BIOS. Using Multicast, via the network and several other ways. Also, both automatic and manual updates are available.

And the main feature of allIPTV set-top boxesMAG250, is that almost all 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 included a discussion of the features of the software and operation of the MAG250 in a separate article. Where we will introduce you to them, using specific examples of some IPTV operators and user portals.

In general, MAG250 is capable of receiving content from such sources as: USB storage devices (USB HDD, USB Flash drive, USB Card-Reader, etc.), PC and NAS on the local network via SMB, NFS, UPnP protocols or HTTP, as well as from local networks and the Internet via broadcasting via HTTP, UDP / RTP Unicast/Multicast protocols. And it fully supports the following Stream media protocols - 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. This provides quite extensive opportunities for operators and providers.

Initial setup

Any MAG 250 IPTV set-top box, whether operator or “pure”, has a fairly extensive menu of settings. Which is called by the SET button on the remote control.

Here you can make video output settings, audio settings, get information about the device, including hardware and software version, update software, and much more.

There is also a Services section here. With which you can set the addresses of the portals from which you will receive the main content. These could be third-party portals created by enthusiasts. For example, a very popular portal is ModMenu. This is how 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 software update sources.

Network settings

Since IPTV involves receiving content from the Internet, it goes without saying that the MAG250 has a number of network settings. The set-top box can be connected to the network using wired or wireless interfaces. Moreover, the second one is optional and requires an additional USB Wi-Fi adapter. A wireless adapter can be purchased together with the set-top box for an additional fee. Or, use a third-party adapter based on the chip - Ralink RT3070 or Ralink RT5370. Here is the 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, based on the Ralink RT3070 chip.

It is also possible to raise a connection using the PPPoE protocol for direct connection to the provider’s network.

Moreover, it is possible to select different options for establishing a connection for each of the interfaces. You can use both 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 parameters.

But one way or another, setting up a network in the MAG 250 does not take much time. And after completing a few simple steps, the set-top box gains 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 limited knowledge of network technologies.

Conclusions

To summarize this review of the MAG250 IPTV set-top box, we can draw a number of conclusions and highlight several pros and cons. But in any case, we can say with confidence that this device has found considerable popularity for a reason.

First of all, this is, of course, thanks to the fairly extensive functionality that can be expanded by each specific provider or content provider. Then you can highlight the possibility of independently creating both internal software and external software (portals). And all this is subject to a wide selection of network protocols and compatibility with various systems.

In addition, the attractive appearance, convenient remote control and ease of setup and control add points to the console’s treasury.

But, nevertheless, one cannot help but 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 considering the wide selection of possible content providers. Which we will talk about in our next article. There, we will also touch on the issue of multimedia playback from external sources, image quality and other aspects of device operation.

You can discuss this article and the MAG250 IPTV set-top box on our forum -

The Infomir company has been developing and producing Set-Top Box (STB) devices under the MAG brand, as well as software for them since 2007. MAG set-top boxes are a universal solution with which you can organize a business providing interactive television services. All MAG series consoles are distinguished by their reliability and affordable price, which allows you to launch an effective and quickly payback project in the shortest possible time.

Basic IPTV/OTT set-top boxes

Depending on the specialization of your company, technical capabilities and the availability of video content, using IPTV/OTT set-top boxes from Infomir you can offer your clients services such as IPTV, video on demand (VoD), as well as access to services provided by paid and free Internet - resources (OTT). IPTV/OTT STB MAG has proven itself in 150 countries around the world as the optimal solution for Internet providers, cable operators and content aggregators.

Android consoles

A new generation of set-top boxes based on Android OS. An easily integrated solution for your IPTV/OTT service. It has a familiar interface for both the operator and the end user. The device is already pre-installed with a package of applications developed by us. The set-top box works great with 4K content, and HEVC support will reduce the load on your network.

Formula for success Infomir

Multiscreen TV platform Ministra

Ministra software will simplify the process of launching interactive services in optimal time.

Fast delivery

Thanks to well-thought-out and streamlined logistics, we deliver to anywhere in the world in the shortest possible time.

Satellite or regular television using television towers, antennas and special receivers, despite high demand, does not meet consumer expectations. The video signal supplied using such technologies leaves much to be desired, and not all channels can be configured well.

The development of electronic networks, the global Internet, has radically changed the situation. The video signal can now be transmitted via IP protocol directly from a web resource without image and sound distortion in high-quality HD format using a special device - an IPTV set-top box or your personal computer.

Digital television capabilities

Before moving directly to a detailed study of IPTV set-top boxes, photos of which can be seen in any online store that sells modern electronics, let’s look at the architecture of the complex itself, which allows you to view wide-screen videos with excellent resolution and high-quality sound.

The main components that make up any modern digital video system operating over the IP protocol are:

• "IPTV Middleware". Software that helps manage and control a variety of services, resources and applications;
• Module for receiving and processing transmitted digital data;
• Complex for protecting all data received and sent over the network;
• System of interaction with web resources and servers;
• Devices that directly monitor the equipment, signal quality on the consumer side, not the service provider.

After connecting and configuring the IPTV set-top box, the following options appear:

• Make a request to view any video that is open for viewing. Or get this access for a fee.
• Coordinate, group your current and future views, create your own personal TV program.
• Pause, rewind your favorite movie or video channel.
• Do delayed scheduled viewing,
• Save a list of TV programs in a specific place (folder, directory).
• View photos and videos from external media.

In a word, you have direct access to manage the content you want to watch, which is virtually impossible to do on a regular TV!

How to set up and connect

We will need a high-speed WiFi router and the IPTV device itself.

Typically, the kit includes many components necessary for a full connection, the number of which depends on the manufacturer. Some may not be available, and you will have to purchase them yourself.

Before directly connecting the IPTV set-top box, let’s look at what we have to deal with:

• Front and rear USB ports located on the walls of the device;
• RC connector. May be missing. An infrared receiver is connected to it.
• Ethernet connector (LAN) for connecting to the provider's cable network (100 Mb/s).
• Socket for connecting the set-top box directly to the TV (HDMI connector)
• HDMI cable. Usually it is not included. Sold separately.
• AV connector for connecting an audio and video system (cable with three pins). Designed exclusively for older TVs. The quality is much worse. Modern TVs are connected via an HDMI connector.
• Socket (input) for power supply.

Only one connector is located at the front, all the others are at the back, on the body of the set-top box.

The device is connected to video resources either using a local cable via a LAN connector or through a high-speed router (router) with the same input.

After connecting the IPTV set-top box to the TV, connect the power supply and plug the device into the socket. Navigation is carried out across the screen by pressing buttons on the control panel.

By going to the menu and following various links, we customize the software for ourselves. After saving all changes, reboot the console. When connected correctly, everything will work perfectly!

Features of choice

Interactive television is gaining more and more popularity every year. However, the important question is “Which is the best IPTV set-top box to choose in 2018?” more relevant than ever.

The main thing is to choose what you need, save as much as possible, and do not buy unnecessary components that were not provided in advance by the manufacturer.

It is important that the purchased IPTV set-top box is compatible with the TV and has a full-fledged browser. A rewind button is also needed.

The Internet provider can provide a connection kit, which can immediately include a router, all the necessary cords, cables and software. It may even be cheaper than buying everything yourself, understanding the instructions and setting it up.

The IPTV set-top box STB MAG-250 is considered the best. It has a number of advantages that distinguish it from other devices. Plus, the provider’s specialists themselves can configure it and connect it for an appropriate, usually not too high fee.

The IPTV set-top box Tiger i250 deserves attention, and Rostelecom also released its brainchild - IPTV HD mini, manufactured by the Ufa Promsvyaz plant.

A serious drawback of the latest device is that the firmware is designed exclusively for its own operator. Not only Rostelecom is guilty of this point.

Many operators also try, in the fight against competitors, to monopolize their product and limit their service to licensed use, without all kinds of pirate thefts.

Ultimately, it is now possible to connect to digital television from any Internet provider. Having weighed your financial capabilities, you can enjoy excellent television with excellent sound and image, forget about antennas and all sorts of problems with finding your favorite channels and TV shows.

Photos of IPTV set-top boxes

IPTV RT STB Standart set-top boxes from Rostelecom are capable of reproducing high-resolution images due to high-quality components. In addition, Rostelecom took care of its subscribers and installed optimized software on the equipment in advance. Thanks to this, the user can immediately start watching their favorite TV shows without making any changes to the device configuration.

• Operating principle and setting up IPTV on STB set-top boxes
• IPTV equipment capabilities
• Connecting to a TV
• Device contents
• Main connectors and indicators
• Cable connection diagram

Operating principle and setting up IPTV on Rostelecom STB set-top boxes

Scientific and technological progress does not stand still, and the development of new technologies in the field of television broadcasting keeps pace with the times. The most modern and technologically advanced method of broadcasting at the moment is IPTV.

Rostelecom STB set-top boxes are capable of reproducing images through this technology, which is a combination of hardware, protocols, software and infrastructure. Video streams are broadcast to a device that supports IPTV over an Internet channel.

IPTV equipment capabilities

The IPTV service has several advantages. One of the main functions of IPTV is direct, which allows subscribers to watch broadcast TV shows with minimal latency. Another useful and quite popular feature is video on demand (VOD, Video On Demand). This is a network service that provides subscribers with the opportunity to watch the desired videos (movies, video clips, TV shows, news releases, etc.) at any time. The subscriber can start watching the movie from any moment, slow it down, speed it up or pause it. This is possible due to the fact that the video file is downloaded to the device itself, while the subscriber does not need to use additional external media (flash cards, disk, etc.), a high-speed connection is sufficient for this. This function works using unicast transmission, that is, individually for each consumer. In addition, with IPTV, users can watch already completed broadcasts of TV shows. For this, the subscriber does not need special digital video recorders (DVR), since the recording system is installed by the provider.

For high-quality operation of all IPTV functions, high network bandwidth is required. This is necessary for fast transfer of video streams to the user’s device. If the network is overloaded, there may be delays and stutters in the streaming video.

Connecting the set-top box to the TV

To connect an STB set-top box from Rostelecom, you first need to decide on the choice of method of communication with the service provider. Devices with a built-in Wi-Fi module can be connected via a wireless network. If the set-top box model (for example, Zyxel STB 1001S) does not provide a wireless connection, you will need to use an Ethernet cable, connecting it to the appropriate port, or PLC adapters that are capable of transmitting the Internet over an electrical network.

In any case, no matter what connection method you choose, for the IPTV set-top box to work normally, you will need to make changes to the router settings. To do this, log into your router's web management interface and enable multicast routing. Setting up the IPTV RT STB HD Standart set-top box itself does not require numerous manipulations; the user only needs to connect the necessary cables.

Device contents

The configuration of STB set-top boxes from Zyxel for Rostelecom is quite modest. The kit includes:

• prefix;
• power unit;
• cable for connecting to TV (composite or HDMI)
• remote control.

Main connectors and indicators

The front panel of devices, as a rule, does not have connectors; it contains LED indicators. For example, on the STB 1001S set-top box there are indicators:

• nutrition;
• Ethernet networks;
• remote control activity.

Some models of such devices may have a different set of indicators, the presence or absence of which does not affect the operation of the set-top box.

The rear panel of most models of Zyxel STB set-top boxes is equipped with the following connectors:

• power connector (Power);
• USB port for external storage media;
• LAN port (Ethernet);
• audio/video output S/PDIF and composite.

More modern set-top boxes are equipped with an HDMI input instead of an analog composite connector

TV set-top box cable connection diagram

For the set-top box to work correctly, it is recommended to install it on a television shelf, with at least 30 cm of free space above it. This is necessary for normal ventilation of the device. In addition, to avoid overheating of the set-top box, do not install it near other devices that may heat up, and also do not expose IPTV equipment to direct sunlight.

To connect the device, you must complete the following steps:

• connect the power supply to the corresponding connector on the rear panel of the set-top box, and then plug it into a power outlet;
• Now you need to connect the set-top box to your TV. To do this, you need to select a connection method. The best option for displaying images on a TV screen is an HDMI connection. Therefore, if your device and TV have HDMI connectors, connect the appropriate cable to these connectors. If it is not possible to use this type of connection, connect using a composite cable.
• connect the Ethernet cable.

After completing these simple steps, you can start using your attachment for its intended purpose. Turning on the device, as well as further controlling it, is carried out using.

Upon initial launch, the software of the Rostelecom STB set-top box will automatically begin updating to the latest released version. This will take a few minutes, after which you can enjoy watching high-quality digital television and using other useful functions.

Purchasing a STB set-top box from Zyxel will be the optimal solution for those who want to fully use for a low fee.

IPTV RT STB HD Standard: connecting to a video network