More recently, digital television was perceived as something new and incomprehensible, but now every TV shows images in high quality, without interference, with excellent sound.
In order for the TV to show digital channels, you need a set-top box. In addition to broadcasting channels, it has wide functionality and capabilities.
With its help, you can stop TV broadcasting, rewind to the desired moment, record your favorite program and much more. In order for all functions to become available, you will need to update the device or, as they say, update the firmware.
How to flash a TV set-top box and improve its performance will be discussed in this article.
Why do you need firmware?
In the domestic market, the most popular devices are from Rostelecom and Cadena. They pick up all free Russian television channels.
Receiving a good quality digital TV signal results in excellent picture and sound. Channels can be caught automatically or searched manually. For those who upgraded the Rostelecom TV set-top box, it became possible to watch TV channels from the playlist, regardless of tariff restrictions. In addition, after updating the firmware, the set-top box turned into a convenient media service with WiFi and DLNA connections.
Negative factors include the lack of some services. The device itself is a modified foreign set-top box, and unnecessary functionality has been removed.
For domestic consumers, the interface is made in Russian. The Cadena console regularly receives updates, which are published on the official website. They mainly affect the interface and menu design. The receiver provides a TV program for the week ahead, support for subtitles and teletext, parental controls and many other useful functions.
For those who like to record certain broadcasts, this function is provided. To do this, you need the appropriate firmware version and a memory card with enough capacity to record video.
In the future, the recorded material can be played back using the media player built into the console.
Connection diagram to a TV using the example of Cadena CDT-100 and 1711SB
For clarity, we specifically took the 2 most popular models of Cadena set-top boxes and will try to understand the procedure for connecting them to any TV.
First, we need a general connection diagram for a digital set-top box for receiving over-the-air broadcasts through a conventional external or indoor antenna. As you can see, the antenna cable output must always pass through the set-top box.
The point here is that the digital signal is transmitted in encrypted form. To put it simply, it’s just a set of ones and zeros. To decrypt it and provide it to the user, a decryptor is needed. In modern TV models it is already built-in. However, in older ones you have to pass this signal through additional converters, which are set-top boxes.
Connecting models like Cadena CDT-100
As a first example, let's take the CDT-100 . This set-top box has only 1 output through which it can be connected to a TV. This is HDMI. This is an interface that allows you to view images in high definition.
If your TV has one, you will need to purchase a wire from the store to connect the set-top box via this interface. Its cost is not high and starts from 100 rubles. It's better to pay a little more so that the cable lasts longer.
However, not all TVs that do not have the ability to independently receive digital numbers have an HDMI input. Usually this is RSA or SCART. If this is your case, then for a Cadena set-top box with connectors like the CDT-100, you can purchase a signal converter for RSA.
In our stores, this can cost a decent amount, around 700-1200 rubles. Here you will have to think several times whether it is worth it.
Connection options for 1711SB
Cadena set-top boxes of this type are more preferable, because they can be connected to almost any TV. At least you will have at least 3 options that can configure digital broadcasting 90% of the time.
- HDMI. If the TV is capable of directly (without a converter) receiving a signal via hdmi, you should choose it first, as it provides the best image.
- RSA. Tulips should be connected by color. In this case, 2 colored wires will be responsible for the sound, and 3 for displaying the image on the screen.
- SCART. It occurs very rarely and in quite old TV models. If this input is available, you must additionally purchase a special adapter with RSA cables.
Preparation
If the image on your TV has deteriorated or doubts creep in that digital TV is not working as it should, you should think about updating the software.
It is necessary to prepare for this process. To do this, you will need to download the necessary files and have a computer or laptop.
Firmware for a TV set-top box from Rostelecom is done using a computer with a free Ethernet input.
The set-top box will be connected to it. In addition, you will need a network cable that will connect the set-top box and the computer.
The software you will need is mcast.exe and dualserver (or its equivalent). You need to download the latest firmware files from the company's website. They will be called " bootstrap " and " imageupdate ".
It is not recommended to flash the device using third-party tools if at least one official update has not been installed.
Cadena devices will require a USB flash drive with a capacity of up to 8GB formatted in FAT32. The firmware downloaded from the site will be recorded on it.
Hard RESET (parameter reset)
The set-top box contains firmware in which the settings are set. These settings must be reset, that is, brought to factory values. To do this, use the RESET or DEFAULT button on the back of the console. It is slightly recessed so as not to accidentally reset the settings. This button must be pressed and held for several seconds. If such a reset does not work (this happens very rarely), then you can reset the settings through the standard menu in Default settings. After confirming the selection of this item, the set-top box will reboot with clean parameters (factory settings).
How to flash a TV set-top box (Step-by-step instructions)
Let us analyze in detail the process of flashing the firmware of the Rostelecom set-top box model MAG-250.
- Create a folder on your computer and place the previously downloaded server and program in it: mcast.exe and dhcp. In addition, you need to place two files bootstrap and imageupdate.
- Call the command line by pressing the Win+R keys. You need to enter the ncpa.cpl command in it. A network connections window will open, select the one we will use and right-click on it. By clicking on “Properties”, select the component (TCP/IPv4). In the window that opens, you will need to manually enter the IP address 192.168.1.1 and the mask 255.255.255.0.
- Connect one end of the network cable to the computer and the other to the set-top box.
- Turn on the set-top box and quickly press the “Menu” button, after which the device’s BIOS should open.
- Enable the dhcp server installed in a folder on the computer. To do this, in the command line, specify the path to the folder with the file, for example: C:\Rostelecom\dualserver.exe, and press the Enter key
- Run the mcast.exe program and specify IP 192.168.1.1, then click on the “Select” button. In the menu that appears, you will need to specify the broadcast addresses Steam1: 224.50.0.70:9000 and Steam2: 224.50.0.51:9001. Then, next to each stream you will need to press the “Start” key.
In the BIOS you should follow this path: Upgrade Tools – MC Upgrade .
During the loading process the following messages will appear sequentially:
Bootstrap message: Reception of an image is started! Bootstrap message: Writing image to flash. Writing image to flash successfull!
Then the device will reboot and start with the new firmware version.
FAQ
Anyone can reflash the Rostelecom set-top box at home, the main thing is to know the principle of the sequence of work.
If you have any questions, you can always seek help from specialists.
How to activate after flashing
Many subscribers of a digital television provider have a question about how to activate the receiver after flashing it. Often, this is not necessary. If the work is done correctly and step by step, the device will be ready to work. The consumer will only need to restart the equipment and configure the channels.
Which consoles can be reflashed
Not every console can be reflashed. The program can be downloaded for the following models of Rostelecom receivers: IPTV RT-STB-HD Standart, MAG-200, MAG-250. Each case requires an individual approach.
An alternative way to flash the MAG-250 console
The best option for an alternative device update is DNA firmware.
Thanks to it, functions such as:
- TV program from Yandex;
- recording broadcasts to disk;
- autostart of iptv broadcasts from Rostelecom;
- Recovery after the update occurs automatically.
It is important to install the original version before installing alternative firmware. Otherwise, problems often arise with updating the device.
The DNA firmware process itself occurs without the use of a network cable. To work, you will need a flash drive with a capacity of up to 8 GB, formatted in FAT32.
Then, on the USB drive you should create a folder with the name of the device and install the firmware files there: “ Bootstrap ” and “ imageupdate ”. In the future, there are two options for updating the device:
- from the internal portal;
- from BIOS.
In the first case, you need to go into the settings and go to the service menu by pressing the “ SETUP ” button. Selecting “ Update software ”, select the option “ via USB ” and click “ Start update ”. Before starting the process, you will need to click the “ Check ” button.
The program will check for the presence of the necessary files on the flash drive. If all requirements are met, the “ Start ” button will light up.
A common error: “Invalid file header.” In this case, it is recommended to reformat the USB drive to FAT32. In addition, you should check the name of the folder on the flash drive. It must be without spaces, for example, MAG250. If this does not help, then you should use the firmware option from the BIOS.
After connecting a USB drive with files, you need to reboot the device. In this case, you should hold down the “ Menu ” button. After the menu appears, select “ Upgrade Tools ”, then go to “ USB Bootstrap ”.
If everything is in order with the information on the flash drive, the process of updating the software version will begin. The successful completion of the installation will be indicated by the message: “ Writing image to flash successfull ”.
Then, the device will reboot and will start with the new firmware.
Updating DVB T2 set-top box
The process of flashing such set-top boxes is similar to the devices from Rostelecom described above. After downloading all the necessary files and installation manual from the official website, you need to place a file with the extension .ssu .
Having gone to the set-top box menu, select the “ System ” tab and select the “ Update and save ” item. Then, you should reboot the device and disconnect the power from the network.
After turning on, the set-top box will have a new firmware version. All that remains is to configure dvb t2 to automatically or manually search for channels.
