Xoro 3500 Satellite Receiver

INDEX

• Overview
• How to install a Xoro 3500 Satellite Receiver
• How to Find Satellite Channels with Autoscan
• How To Manually Tune in a Satellite Channel
• How to Move & Delete Channels
• How to 'Flash Programme' a box with a USB Stick
• Using the PVR features
• Using the Media player
• EPG and Info Buttons
• Subtitles
  

Overview

This is a complete  users guide for the Xoro 3500 Free To Air Satellite Receiver compiled by the TVTrade.ie team.
It compromises of both written and video instructions on a range of topics & covers all the main features of the receiver

 How to Install a Xoro 3500 Satellite Receiver

• Unpack the box
  • Xoro 3500 standard definition Satellite Receiver
  • Remote control & Batteries (2 x AAA)
  • User's Manual in English
• Screw the lead from the satellite dish into the 'RF IN' connection
• Connect scart lead from TV to 'TV' out connection on box
• Plug in the power lead
• Turn on the power switch on the front of the box
• After 5-6 seconds the box will come on and should automatically switch TV to AV channel

How to Find Satellite Channels with Autoscan

• Press menu button
• Select installation menu
• Arrow across the satellite list
• Arrow down to Astra 28.2
• Press ok and then exit
• Select Single satellite search from list
• FTA only = Yes
• Scan Channel = Tv + Radio
• Scan Mode - Auto Scan
• Arrow down to search and press ok button
• Scan will take a few minutes
• Once complete, press exit x2 to return to normal TV 

How To Manually Tune in a Satellite Channel

• Press the menu button
• Select Installation menu
• Select TP list
• Pick out the trannsponder you want to scan
• Press green button to add desired frequency, symbol rate and polarity
• Press blue button to seach particular transponder
• FTA only = Yes
• Scan Channel = TV + Radio
• Network Search = No
• Scroll to OK and press ok button
• Takes only a few seconds
• Once complete, you will have added the channels you wanted.

How to Sort & Delete Channels

TO MOVE A CHANNEL

• Press the 'Menu' Button
• Select 'Edit Channel menu' (1st by default)
• Arrow right to Tv Channel List & press ok
• Press yellow button to move channels
• Press ok on the channel you want to move
• Scroll to position you want to move to and press ok to complete move
• Press menu button to exit
• Do you want to save changes Yes/No - Select Yes.

TO DELETE A CHANNEL

• Press the 'Menu' Button
• Select 'Edit Channel menu' (1st by default)
• Arrow right to Tv Channel List & press ok
• pRESS BLUE (edit) button
• Press blue button again to delete channels
• Scroll to channel to be deleted and press ok.
• Press menu to exit, saving changes when it asks.

How to 'Flash Programme' a box with a USB Stick

TO SAVE CHANNELS TO USB

• Press the 'Menu' button
• Scrool to 'Tools' menu (4th in list)
• Arrow right to Upgrade by USB
• Upgrade mode: DUMP
• Arrow down to stsrt and press ok
• Takes less than 10 seconds

TO LOAD CHANNELS FROM USB

• Press the 'Menu' button
• Scrool to 'Tools' menu (4th in list)
• Arrow right to Upgrade by USB
• Upgrade mode: Allcode + bootloader
• Arrow down to start and press ok.
• The box will perobably reboot itself when completed.

 How to Use the PVR recording Facilities

Pause Live TV

• To pause live TV , just press the pause button
• To resume playback, press the play button
• To exit pause mode, press the stop button

Rewind live TV

An exciting feature on the xoro 3500is it's ability to rewind live TV. It's the first Free to air satellite receiver that we have tested that has this unique feature.

• To rewind live TV, simply press the rewind button
• Press play from where you want to watch.
• Press stop to exit rewind mode and return to normal TV

Recording TV programmes

• Press the red record button
• Arrow to PS and press ok
• To stop recoding, press the stop button and answer YES

Viewing recorded programmes

• With your external hard drive plugged in
• Press the media button
• Select from the list and press ok

Recording via the EPG

• Press the EPG button
• Arrow to the programme you wish to record
• Press the green button
• Set once or daily depending on your wishes
• Scroll to the save button and press ok.
• Press exit to get back to normal TV

How to Use the Media Player on the Xoro 3500 

Plug in the USB Memory stick or the External Hard Drive and give it around 30 seconds to initialise.

• Press the USB button on the remote control
• Select your drive from the list and press ok
• Scroll to wahtever you want to wath or listen to and press play
• Plays AVI files in SD (XVID etc), MP3s & JPEGs
• Press menu button twice to go back to normal TV

make sure to power down the satellite receiver correctly (standby and them power off) before removing the drive otherwise you risk corruption of your data.

EPG, Info Buttons & Subtitles

Both the info and EPG buttons give access to now and next programming

Pressing the info button twice gives access to additional info including signal strength

Subtitles

• Press the subtitles button
• Select ENG (T) or off depending on your need.

Index

• 1. How to assemble a sky/freesat satellite dish 
• 2. How to mount a sky/freesat satellite dish
• 3. How to align a sky/freesat satellite dish
• 4. Running the cables & attaching connectors
• 5. Installing the satellite receiver 

1.  How to Assemble a Sky / Freesat Satellite Dish

List of sky dish components

• Sky satellite dish
• Wall bracket
• Wall tube (arm)
• Elevation Bracket
• Dish Bracket
• Fixing Kit
• Feed arm
• LNB (plastic insert)

Tools needed to assemble sky dish

• 10mm, 13mm socket and ratchet
• Philips screwdriver

Steps to assemble the satellite dish

• Open fixing kit and select U-bolts (qty: 2), nuts (qty: 4)
• Insert the U bolts through the wall bracket
• Thread on the nuts
• Insert the arm and tighten the nuts using 10mm socket and ratchet.
• The wall bracket & arm assembly is complete
• Next insert U-bolts (qty: 2) through the elevation bracket
• Loosely tighten nuts
• Attach the Elevation bracket to the dish bracket
• using bolts and washers (qty: 4) and tighten with 13mm socket and ratchet
• Use the bolts and nuts (qty:4) and the philips screw driver to attach the dish bracket to the dish.
• Use the long threaded bolt and small nut to attach the Feed arm to the back base of the dish bracket so the arm protrudes in front of the dish
• Finally insert the LNB (and plastic insert) into the end of the arm and secure with a tie wrap.

2. How to Mount a Satellite Dish

Equipment needed to mount a satellite dish on a wall

• Sky satellite dish, complete with wall bracket and arm
• Coach bolt M8 x 50mm & 10mm plastic plugs (qty: 4)

Tools needed to mount on a wall

• Cordless drill - ideally a 24-36v SDS Drill
• 8mm, 10mm drill bits
• 10mm, 13mm socket and rachet
• Satellite meter

Criteria on where to mount the satellite dish?

• Dish must face South East (141 degrees i.e. direction of sun 11am BST).
• Wall must be a solid surface capable of carrying weight of satellite dish
• Signal must not be blocked by houses or trees (signal is coming in at 21 degrees to the horizontal)
• Place at back or gable end of house to minimise visual intrusion
• Place as close at possible to room / wire box to which the satellite cables are to connect so as to minimise cable run

Steps

1. Place the wall bracket and arm in the correct location
2. Use the cordless drill and 8mm drill bit to drill 4 guide holes
3. Use 10mm drill bit to drill holes to a depth of 60mm
4. Insert the 4 plastic plugs in the holes and mount the wall bracket using the 4 Coach bolts.
5. Tighten the coach bolts using the 13mm socket and rachet.
6. Attach the satellite dish to the arm of the wall plate
7. Use 10mm socket to lightly tighten the dish 'U'-bolts so they are fixed to arm but the dish can still rotated
8. Follow steps in the How to Align a satellite dish guide above 

3. How to Align a Sky / Freesat Satellite Dish

1. Having already mounted the satellite dish on
2. Attach your satellite meter to the dish LNB
3. Align the dish so that it is (1) perfectly vertical, (2) pointing South East (141 degrees).
4. Rotate the dish slowly over and back.
5. Repeat adjusting the tilt angle by 1 or 2 degrees to until a signal is found.
6. Tightend the U-bolts and side bolts using the 10mm & 13mm sockets.
7. Disconnect the satellite meter
8. Connect a cable with an 'F-type' connector from the Dish to the satellite box
9. Check that the signal is working.

4. How to Run the Cabling & Attach Connectors

The next step is to run satellite cable to the satellite receiver.

Tools Needed

• Hammer
• Snips
• Drill
• SDS Drill Bit 10X450

Equipment

• Satellite Installation Kit 

Prior to Begining you must decide

• Decide how to run cable
  • connect into existing cables in the attic
    • Normally neater but requires additional connectors
    • May need a multi-meter to be able to identify the correct cable
    • May result in longer cable runs
  • Run a cable directly from the satellite dish to the satellite receiver
    • Fastest and eastiest way to run a cable
    • Cable runs are normally shorter
    • Requires the drill of a hole through a wall
    

STEPS

1. If the satellite reciever is to be located next to the external wall of a room
   • use a drill and an SDS Drill Bit 10X450 to drill a hole through the wall
   • ensuring to drill from the inside out.
2. To conceal broken plaster use either:
   • Hole tidy (insert inside and out before the cable is run)
   • Cable Cover  nailed onto the outside wall after the cable has been run
3. Feed the end of the satellite cable through the wall leaving enough cable to reach the front of the satellite box.
4. Now start tacking the cable using 7mm clips and a Hammer
   1. Ensuring that the cable runs down from the hole that been drilled in the wall
   2. This will stop water following the cable into the house.
5. Continue tacking the cable
   • Run cable vertically or horizontally but NEVER diagonally
   • If possible hide cable under the plint or behind drain pipes (using 300mm cable ties)
6. Cut the cable leaving enough lenght to reach the LNB of the dish
7. Put on an F Connector on the each end of the satellite cable
8. Screw the F connector on the LNB
9. Seal the connection using Insulation tape or ideally waterproof Self Amalgamating tape 
10. Secure the cable to the dish feed arm using either 300mm cable ties or Insulation tape
11. Final Step is to put on an F Connector on the satellite cable next to the satellite receiver

How to put on an F-Connector

5. How to Install your Satellite Receiver

• Unpack the box
  • Satellite Receiver
  • Remote control
• Screw the lead from the satellite dish into the LNB in connection
• Connect scart lead from TV to 'TV' out connection on bo
• Plug in the power lead
• Turn on the power switch on the back on the box
• After 5-6 seconds the box will come on and should automatically switch TV to AV channel 
• You may need to switch AV channel on TV if it does not automatically switch over

OVERVIEW

The 3 terms widely (and often incorrectly) used to describe a 

receiver to get the free satellite channels are:

• Free to Air:  Generic Satellite receiver
• Freesat:  ITV/BBC patented range
• Freeview: NOT a Satellite receiver - its a Terrestrial Digital receiver

Below we give full details of the differences

Free to Air (FTA)

• This is a Satellite Digital receiver and is used with a satellite dish
• It is Free to Air meaning it is used to pick up free satellite channels
• but can come with a card slot to allow it to be used for subscription services
• It is capable of working with any satellite (so long as the dish is large enough)
• Manufactured by a range of up to about 120 different companies
• Boxes can come in the following formats
  • Standard definition receivers: No hard drive
  • High Definition Receivers: Option to add on external hard drive
  • HD+ Receiver: Twin feeds to allow you to record one channel & look at another
  • HD Satellite & Combo receiver: a satellite feed & a Digital terrestrial feed
• Good Points ?
  • It is non subscription
  • It is very versatile in terms of channel line up and satellite
  • huge range of different boxes
  • generally cheaper than freesat
• Drawback
  • Unlike freesat it does not automatically updates if their is a frequency change
  •  or a new channels becomes available
  • getting spare remotes etc can be a problem
• Main channels include (on astra 2, but totally flexible):
  • BBC 1,2,3,4,
  • UTV, ITV 2,3,4,
  • Channel 4, E4, More 4,
  • 6 News Channels, 7 Childrens, 8 Movie channels.
• TVTRADE.IE stock these in our free to air satellite receiver section

FREESAT

Main points

• This is a Satellite Digital receiver
  • Works a Satellite dish
• It meets the Freesat standards set out by ITV/BBC to work
• It will work anywhere in Ireland from a 60cm satellite dish
• It comes in range of types (and about 5 manufactures):
  • Freesat SD: SD with no hard drive
  • Freesat HD: HD with no hard drive
  • Freesat+:   twin feed, with hard drive, series link etc
• What makes Freesat special ?
  • It is non subscription
  • It has a standard channel line up (programme with a UK Post code)
  • it automatically updates if their is a frequency change
  • or a new channels becomes available
  • easy to get spare remotes etc (there is 10 million freesat boxes out there)
• Drawbacks
  • It is generally more expensive that free to air boxes
  • It is not as flexible - i.e. you can't decide the order of the channels in freesat mode
  • Only works off the Astra 2 (28 degrees E) satellite.
• Main channels include:
  • BBC 1,2,3,4,
  • UTV, ITV 2,3,4,
  • Channel 4, E4, More 4,
  • 6 News Channels, 7 Childrens, 8 Movie channels.
• TVTRADE.IE stock these in our Freesat Satellite Receivers section

Freeview

Main points

• This is a terrestrial Digital receiver (NOT a satellite receiver)
  • Works with UHF Aerial rather than a Satellite dish
• It meets the Freeview standards set out by ITV/BBC
• It does not generally work in Ireland (Except along border and East coast)
• It is not stocked by TVTrade.ie
• What people generally mean when they say Freeview is that they are looking for either:
  • Free To Air Receiver
  • Freesat Receiver