How to Recover/Revive Dead TigerStar & SunPlus Receivers Via USB or PC

This post was last updated on September 10th, 2020 at 04:51 pm

Well, come to yet another insightful tutorial with some amazing and easy do-it-yourself application. Today, I shall be illustrating with the aid of diagrams how you can wake/recover dead tigerstar and sunplus receivers either with a USB flash drive or via the PC loader. For clarification, this post will be divided into two major segments. The first section will address how you can revive a soft-brick sunplus or tiger star receiver via USB. And the other segment would be dedicated to reviving a dead tigerstar decoder or sunplus decoder via pc loader.

Suffice to say that in rare cases, the USB revival trick might not work. In such instances, you may need to use the pc loader. You can only use pc loader too when you have the requirements such as a windows pc, rs232 cable, and so on. However, you only need your USB for the USB revival.

Which Decoders come with the Sunplus Chip/Board?

Within the context of this tutorial, I shall be defining sunplus decoders as any satellite receiver that is manufactured with the sunplus logic board/panel/chip. Presently, we have four popular sunplus chips namely: Sunplus 1506TV, 1506 FV, 1506t, 1506G, 1506F, 1506C, and 1506. e.g version of sunplus chips has its own special features. Newer is better and 1506T is the newest of the pack.

Many popular receivers are currently running on the sunplus chips. Let me give you a few names: 3D Tech, star track series, GX 3235, 3d ultra, onsat 3, and so on.

To identify a receiver that is manufactured with the sunplus chip, you need to look at the device’s specification sheet. Alternatively, ask the seller. Sunplus decoders are becoming more popular because they are subject to advanced software modification and customization. OEM can easily release new software that will add new features to a sunplus decoder compared to others.

Irrespective of your decoder’s name or the sunplus hardware on it, this tutorial will be useful for you when you are trying to revive your dead sunplus decoder.

About TigerStar Decoders

TigerStar is the brand name of an Asia based manufacturer of satellite receivers, IPTV set-top boxes among other gadgets. Although their IPTV and satellite tv receivers are often been accused of being used for broadcast piracy, that is not why we are here. We are here to solve software problems that is preventing either sunplus or tiger decoder from powering on.

Tiger receivers have a wide array of models that are grouped under the following alphabetical series. Therefore, if you own any decoder with the brand name “Tigerstar” before the model number, it is most likely a tiger decoder and this post is also for you.

 

• A Series
• E Series
• F Series
• G Series
• I Series
• K Series
• M Series
• They also have other Series
• Red Series
• T Series
• V Series
• X Series
• Z Series

What is a Dead/Fried/Soft-brick Satellite Receiver?

A satellite receiver can be dead by two means. The first cause is hardware while the second cause of a decoder’s death is software related.

Causes of a Dead Decoder

• Wrong or incompatible software upload
• Corrupt software upload
• Trying to upload firmware to your decoder with a corrupt USB storage device.
• Power interruption in the process of upgrading your decoders software.
• Finally, buggy software from the manufacturer.

Characteristics of a Dead/Soft-brick Receiver

You will notice the following signs and symptoms once your decoder is having serious software problems or when it is dead as a result of a software issue.

• Bootloop: This is wehn your decoder keeps rebooting endlessly and refuses to power up.
• The decoder is stuck on Redlight/standby lights: Call this a situation where you decoder refuses to boot because it stays on standby without pressing the standby button.
• Strange character display on the LCD or tv of your decoder. If your decoder is on but instead of taking you to the menu/setup, it displays some strange characters.

One this is very common when your decoder is facing a software problem and that is, the decoder in question must power on even if nothing is displayed on your tv screen. if your decoder has no sign of life when plugged in into a power source, then, you may be having a power pack problem(which is a hardware issue).

 

How to Easily Recover Dead tigerstar and Sunplus Receivers Via USB

We are now definitely towards the business end of this article. In the section, I will be describing how you can wake your dead tiger decoder or sunplus decoder via USB. First off, let’s look at the requirements to making this process a successful one.

Prerequisites for Reviving a Dead Sunplus(1506XX) or Any Tiger Decoder Via USB

• Firstly, and most importantly your sunplus or tiger decoder must not be fake. If you possess a fake tiger or sunplus decoder, this process will end in futility.
• Secondly, Get a USB Pendrive/flash drive that you can format. Don’t use one that has other files in it. It must be empty.
• You need a relatively good internet connection with which you will download the software for the receiver you are trying to revive.
• Your knowledge of file extensions and how to rename files is essentials. Don’t you worry, you can read up my post?
• In addition, since must STB firmware comes compressed, you need to know how to extract/decompress the software in case it is compressed.
• Lastly and no lest important, you need an uninterrupted power supply for the duration of the upload process. Make provision for at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted power.

Steps to Recover Dead Tigerstar and Sunplus Receivers Via USB

This process is no different from that of qsat, cobox, nusky or speed hd decoders. You need to download the original firmware of the dead decoder, extract it, rename it and copy to flash. See the easy steps below:

• Step 1, download the decoders latest software from our link here or from sadl  if it is available
• Step 2: Check if the software is compressed. if it is, then you need to decompress it. Our guide here will help you do so.
• Now, make sure you format your USB flash drive.
• The next steps is to rename the file. Now, this aspect is very critical and you must get it rights. If you are trying to wake up/recover a sunplus decoder, you need to rename the entire file name into either “rom.bin” or “rom” (without the quotation marks) depending on the version of the sunplus. Once you have done this, it is time to copy the file into your formatted flash drive.
• Similarly, if you are trying to revive a dead tigerstar decoder via USB, rename the file to any of the followings in order of priority: “rom“, “rom.bin“, “flash” or “flash.bin“. Make sure you start with “rom” if you are using a new tigerstar decoder. Tiger t3000 series(android) hardly ever have software problems. But once they do, I will advise you to revive them via a pc as against via a USB rom file.
• The next step is for you to copy the renamed firmware into your formatted USB flash drive. Then, power off your receiver disconnecting it from the mains supply or with the off and on switch on the decoder.
• After switching off your decoder, you can now insert the USB driver to the USB port of your decoder then power on the receiver.
• At this point, all you need to do is to relax and watch as the device picks up the rom file and start uploading it to your decoder. once it gets to a 100% a notification will be displayed on your tv thus ” Upgrade Sucess, Please reset the system“. See image below:
• By “reset system” it means you need to now power off your decoder and remove the flash drive that contains the flash file. Once you have done this, switch on your decoder normally and your decoder will power on as before and boot up successfully. You can now set up your decoder and start scanning for channels.
• Congratulations, you have successfully restore/recover your dead tiger decoder and sunplus decoder via USB.

Steps to Recover Dead Tigerstar and Sunplus Receivers Via PC Using rs232 Cable

If your tigerstar decoder or sunplus decoder is dead and you cannot wake it via USB, then, your last resort is revival through PC loader. Pc loader would usually solve all software related problems of any tiger or sunplus(chipset) decoder. If the PC loader fails to solve your decoder’s issue, then, there is an underlying hardware problem somewhere. Just like the USB method, the pc upgrade has some basic requirements.

Requirements

• First off and unavoidable, you need a computer. I will recommend a windows computer here. If you have a desktop, you only need the rs232 cable. However, if you have a laptop, you sure need both an rs232 cable as well as a serial to USB adapter.
• Just like the USB method, you need a stable power supply for the duration of the process.
• Also, you may need to decompress your downloaded files where applicable.

The Steps

• First off, get your rs232 cable ready.
• Secondly, you need to download the pc loader for your sunplus decoder or for your tigerstar decoder. Download Sunplus Loader v1.5.0.1 here, and v1.5.0.8 here. Similarly, you can download the pc loader for any tigerstar decoders from this link.
• Thirdly, download the latest available firmware for your tiger decoder or sunplus decoder then copy it to your desktop. I repeat you may need to extract the content if it is compressed.
• Next, connect one end of your rs232 cable to your computer and the other end to the compatible port on your STB
• It is now time to install your pc loader and launch it.
• The next step is for you to carefully select some options such as; the COm port, the upgrade type. see image below.
• Now, select the firmware through the loaders menu and press that “Start” button on the loader.
• Watch as the upgrade progress kick into life. do not interrupt this for whatever reason.
• Once it is completed(gets to 100%) it will display a success message as shown below. You can now disconnect your receiver and connect it to your tv.
• Congratulations, you have revived your tigerstar and sunplus decoder via PC.

Final Thought

There is just a minute difference among all these decoders. A method that works for decoder a will most likely work for B. In other words, if you have a dead decoder that is not qsat, strong, tiger, hellobox, Gsky, Freesat, or sunplus, you can still try my methods above as it will work for you. The most important this is that you must have the software for your decoder.

In a related development, I will advise that you revive any dead android receiver like tiger t3000 via pc instead of USB. Luckily, it is rare before an android receiver dies as a result of a software bug.

 

https://www.satdl.com/