How to Duplicate SV-HD8000 Setups

[arboristman]

c/p
While the SV-HD8000 is new enough that most folks won't need to worry about cloning for a while, I own three SV-HD8000s, all equipped with 8PSK adapters. My setup is fairly complex, with 8 LNBs, including a motorized 1M dish, plus four DPP44 switches, another DiSEqC switch, and multiple SW21s. I wasn't looking forward to spending the time setting up all three boxes manually, so I was anxious to learn how to clone the settings from my first SV-HD8000 to the other two boxes. It turns out to be simplicity itself!

To prepare for cloning, just copy the latest ROM file to a USB key (HD8000_v0099.ROM, for instance), along with the latest KEY file (such as SV_Softkey.key, as generated by SVSoftkey.exe, available on this site). Next, insert the USB key into the "master" SV-HD8000 where you've done all the setup work (such as Dish Settings, Channel Lists, etc) that you want to clone, and fire up that box. Press the Blue key to bring up the USB menu, and double-check to see that the key is recognized properly - you'll see the ROM file and the KEY file if so.

At this point, press the Red key to Upload the Channel list. You'll be asked to enter a filename to save the Channel file. Enter an appropriate filename, then select OK. The SV-HD8000 will then save all of the dish setup information (LNB and switching setups, USALS and motor control info, etc.), as well as all scanned channels onto your USB key, into the channel file that you've specified. Once that process is complete, remove the USB key and turn off the master box via the rear panel power switch - this will prevent the master box from responding to the remote control keys that you'll be sending to the new SV-HD8000.

Next, insert the USB key into the new SV-HD8000, and power on the box. Once it boots up, press the Blue menu key to bring up the USB menu. Load up the ROM file by selecting it and pressing OK. The SV-HD8000 will load the ROM file, and will then ask to be rebooted. Select Yes, then once the reboot is completed, press the Blue key once more. Now, select the channel file that you saved above, press OK to load it, and the SV-HD8000 will load up all of that setup information that you worked so hard to create on the original box. After that's done, you'll proceed through another reboot cycle. Once the box comes back up, press the Blue key a final time, select the KEY file and press OK, and the SV-HD8000 will quickly load the latest key information.

Note that this simple process takes only a few minutes for each new box, and creates a nearly perfect clone of one SV-HD8000 setup to another box. To complete the cloning process, exit the USB Menu by pressing the Exit key, then press the Menu key and the right cursor key. You'll then setup your favorite preferences under User Settings and User Options, which only takes about 30 seconds. Once that's complete, you're finished, with a new box that's perfectly setup for your environment.

I've tested this multiple times, cloning my master box onto two other SV-HD8000s. In all cases, it took less than five minutes to complete, and it's always worked flawlessly! Many thanks to SonicView for such a fast and convenient method of duplicating box setups, which otherwise could be a very time-consuming process for folks with complex system configurations. SonicView rocks!

Cheers!