Replacing a new IPTV set-top box is not just a matter of plugging it in. I will go through the account, 4K, and remote control one by one.

The set-top box provided by China Telecom in my home has been in use for the fifth year. It has become more and more difficult to change channels. Last month, I finally made up my mind to call 10,000 to apply for a replacement. The master came to my door and pretended to be new in ten minutes before leaving. As a result, there was a picture on the TV, but no channel number, and the live broadcast on demand was all gray. In this article, I will write down the things that need to be done before and after replacing a new box in order, so that people who are replacing it for the first time will have a clear idea.

Think about it first: The box is rented, and there is no cost to replace it with a new one.

Many people don’t know this level, so let’s make it clear first. The set-top box provided by China Telecom is the operator's property just like the optical modem. The line of small letters on the fuselage says "China Telecom". If it's worn out and reported damaged, the master will come and replace it for free, so there's no need to pay for a new one. I had used my TV for five years. I changed it to the point where I couldn't see it anymore. I went through the troubleshooting channel and didn't spend a penny. I did this calculation before when I was helping my mother-in-law’s family dispose of old boxes (the process is written in The article about disassembling and returning equipment ), boxes, optical modems and other equipment included in the package must be returned when they are off-grid. Purchasing boxes by yourself is a waste of money and trouble.

The preparations before the master comes to the door are different.: Make sure the person is home and take a photo of the string on the back of the old box. That photo of mine later saved my life - when I put the new box back in, I had to figure out which port to plug into the IPTV port and which to plug into the HDMI port. Just follow the photo and you don't need to read the instructions. Don't bother me, the master will leave as soon as you finish pretending, and it will be all your own business after that.

first hurdle: When the new box is plugged in, there is no station number, because the account is not bound.

After the master left, I turned on the phone. When the progress bar ran out, there was only the startup screen on the TV, the live channel list was empty, and the on-demand column was all gray. The first reaction was that the cable was plugged in wrongly. I checked over and over again and found that both the fiber optic port and the network port were correct. Only later did I realize what the problem was.: The new box leaves the factory in a white box state and needs to be re-binded to your broadband account. The binding instructions are from the operator's side and it has not yet taken effect after the installation is completed. I waited until after 8 o'clock in the evening, the box restarted itself, and all the station numbers came out with a bang. I had to wait four hours from the time I called until it started working.

I learned three lessons from this night. First, give it half an hour to a few hours after turning on the new box. Don’t rush to fix the problem. The binding will take effect faster or slower. The second is to plug in the network cable correctly while waiting.: The cable coming out of the IPTV port is connected to the network port on the back of the box. Do not connect it to the router and then separate it. If you go to the router one more layer, it is easy for multicast problems to occur. This was discussed before Capture packets and read the article on multicast I broke it off and said it. Third, if the station number is not available after midnight, call 10000 again to report that "the new box service has not been activated" and let the backend check whether your business account is linked to the box MAC.

There is another situation that needs to be discussed separately: Some people buy their own boxes and replace them, but that's not a matter of waiting, but it won't work at all. The business account is tied to the MAC of the box registered by the operator. The MAC of the box you bought does not match, and the authentication will not pass. It is normal for there to be pictures but no programs. I advise you not to take the road of self-purchasing boxes. I have calculated the specific accounts before and will not repeat them here.

The second hurdle: Whether you can enter the 4K zone or not, permissions are another matter.

One of the motivations for changing to a new box is to watch 4K. The old box does not have 4K hard decoding. When changing channels, the screen will occasionally freeze. This is due to The article about measuring the meter and changing the channel Calculate it. When I got the new box, the chip came with a 4K hard-coded solution. I rushed into the 4K section excitedly, but the channel list was grayed out and said "Please activate." Then I remembered that there are two doors to 4K.: The box is one door, and the permissions are another. If you don’t have the permissions, no matter how good the box is, you won’t be able to enter the 4K area.

Permissions depend on the package level. After calling 10000 to check, I found out that the 129 fusion package in my house does not include the 4K ultra-high definition package, and it costs 10 yuan a month to watch it. Friends in the next city are given the same package package, but the policies in this province are different, so you have to call your home to ask. Customer service can directly check whether your package is included. If it is included, you can activate it on the spot. If it is not included, you can add it or upgrade it to see if it is cost-effective for you. My judgment is: My TV at home is a 55-inch 1080P TV, and I can watch 4K sources at a low pressure. I don’t suffer much in terms of definition, so I didn’t pay the extra 10 bucks. The TV has a really 4K screen and if you love watching documentaries, it’s worth the money.

It’s not over yet after the permissions are opened, there are still hidden details: 4K channels have high bit rate requirements, ranging from 12 to 13 Mbit/s. After entering the 4K console, it will be blurry for a few seconds. Don’t scold the box first. It’s a matter of line margin. Checking the number of lines is the same as mosaic ( Evening Mosaic There is a complete troubleshooting sequence). The new box only eliminates the "decoding failure" layer, and it can't control things on the line.

The third hurdle: Re-match the remote control to the TV

The new box comes with a new remote control, but the TV on the other end is still the old TV. The old problem of two remote controls has returned.: Press one to change channels and one for volume. Fortunately, the new remote control has a learning function. You can learn the volume keys and power on/off keys of the TV remote control, and one remote control can control two TVs. Follow the instructions for pairing, there is only one pitfall worth remembering.: When I was studying, the two remote controls were facing each other, and the distance should not exceed three centimeters. The first time I tried to match them even though they were half a meter apart, they failed, and I thought the remote control was broken.

Not everything will be fine once the matching is completed. The learning code is to "pair two devices at a time", but if you change the battery or drop it on the ground, you may lose the learned keys. My simple method is to record a video of the learning process on my mobile phone and save it, and then re-record it if I lose it. The complete number of ways to troubleshoot the remote control (battery, contacts, learning keys) has been written in a separate article before, so I will not expand on it here ( The remote control doesn't respond ).

By the way, let me tell you a little surprise after changing to a new box.: The new remote control has an additional voice button. Press and hold the channel name to jump directly to the channel. Elderly people at home do not need to remember the channel number when changing channels. For senior citizen channels, opera channels, etc., just say "opera" and go there, which is easier than pressing the direction keys dozens of times. The level of box support for this function varies from province to province. If available, teach the elderly to use it.

Check your seats before and after replacement: One table is over

Let’s go through the matter of replacing a new box in chronological order.:

The line "output resolution" in the table, if you put it alone, is an inconspicuous place that really affects the image quality.: Some new boxes have a default output of 720P when shipped from the factory. When connected to a 4K TV, the output will be compressed to 720P. People may be confused by this and think it is a 4K channel. Go to Settings-Display-Resolution and select the highest one that matches your TV (1080P or 4K). The complete troubleshooting of problems such as blurry picture quality and stretched characters is here The picture quality setting article , adjust the three settings at once.

ending: Is it worth it to get a new box? My account

Back to the replacement motivation. The old box was five years old, but the channel was changed, and I couldn’t watch it in 4K. After replacing it with a new one: Changing channels takes just one or two seconds, and is as smooth as standard definition or high definition 4K, with voice remote control. No money was spent. I waited four hours for binding and ten minutes for the remote control. It was worth it. What I am dissatisfied with is that the package does not include 4K permissions. You need to pay 10 yuan to watch it. This is for each company.

Don't throw away the old box you replaced. The master will take it away. It is a registered asset just like the optical modem. I really can't bear to part with the TV series cached on it. Just clear the favorites before returning it. The account information in the box will be gone as soon as it is restored to factory settings, so there is no need to worry about privacy.