Plugins

Enigma2 features can be extended by various plugins.

Some plugins offers specific features of smart TVs, like

• Electronic program guide (EPG)
• Display tuned channel and their switching
• Digital video recorder and Time shifting
• Playback of video and audio recordings
• Teletext
• Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV
• KODI multimedia centre
• Logical channel number list creation (AutoBouquetsMaker, and others)

Some plugins appear in the Plugins menu and can be customised from there while others blend seamlessly into the graphical user interface in such a way that it is not always clear what is a plugin and what is a built in feature. And, depending on the distro, some plugins are built into the base distribution, for example, Graphical EPG and AutoTimer recordings.

Disk

To use an Enigma2 box as a Digital video recorder, or for time shifting or other features like system backup and setup it is possible to connect an external hard disk or USB flash drive. Some receivers contains a builtin disk or have a pull-out drawer to install an internal hard disk drive. Also use of network-attached storage or a shared disk from a computer is possible.

Network interface

For Internet access, access to network disk storages or to shared folders on computer, stream programs to a computer, mobile phone or other receiver and to control the receiver from a computer using web browser, or other purposes most receivers have builtin interface Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi, or it is possible to connect an external WiFi module. The receiver uses DHCP for dynamic assignment of IP address, but when the user wants to control receiver using web browser, file transfer protocols File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or SFTP or to login interactively to the receiver using telnet or SSH, it is better to configure the receiver to use a fixed IP address.

Decryption card interfaces

Enigma 2 boxes are equipped with interfaces for popular conditional access cards like Common Interface slot and/or smart card reader to allow reception of encrypted content which may be stored or streamed after decryption.

Controlling using a web client

Most of the enigma2 features can be controlled by web browser using interface OpenWebif. It contains a virtual remote control offering the same features as remote control supplied with the receiver. Use of this interface must be enabled in receiver settings and an access password must be generated. Connection to the receiver is usually possible only from within the LAN network as most internet providers assign IP addresses dynamically and do not allow connecting from the public internet to home network.

Video streaming

Enigma2 allows streaming of the received programs as well as multimedia files stored on the disk.

The easiest access to streaming is with OpenWebif. By clicking to the screen icon or mobile phone icon next to the desired program or multimedia file, a *.m3u stream is opened that can be reproduced by VLC or any other application that is compatible with the selected source.

Cheaper receivers with single tuner allow streaming, recording and watching programs from only one multiplex or satellite transponder at a time. Many boxes have multiple tuners which allows streaming, watching or recording programs from more than one multiplex or satellite transponder simultaneously. The latest boxes rather that having multiple tuners have a newer type of tuner module known as Full Band Capture which allow up to 8 multiplexes to be tuned simultaneously, per tuner module. When there are not enough tuners for the current demand, recordings take priority, so while recording a program on single-tuner box it is not possible to switch to channels on other multiplexes or transponders and even while watching a program the receiver may automatically switch to another program when a programmed recording starts.

Feeds

Each distro has its own feeds available from the internet via the network adaptor. The feeds contain a wide array of plugins and other addons that can be downloaded and installed at the click of a button. Package management and versioning is handled by opkg.

Software upgrade

Software update is an extension of the feeds. When a new version or build is available an icon is displayed in the graphical user interface to alert the user. It is recommended to make system backup before the upgrade, to allow reinstating the previous working system version in case of any problem. Some distros, such as OpenViX do this automatically. Upgrades to new builds are normally limited to the same version, and to change version a complete reflash is required.

System backup and setup

Enigma2 allows backing up the system to an attached disk or network-attached storage. It is possible to make a backup of settings only (configuration files, their initial list can be modified), or of the whole system (internal volume, or more exactly one partition of it called a slot), on Multiboot systems also a multiboot loader.

Images

Image is complete disk image. As a record of standard film has gigabyte size, the usual software installation method to a set-top box with enigma2 is installation of a complete disk image, which has usually size of around one hundred megabytes.

Multiboot

Some receivers allow installing on the internal volume a number of different system images (usually max. 4, each to separate space called a slot) and determining before a system restart which slot should be used to boot the system. This feature is useful to evaluate different disk images, either different versions or from different teams, and in case of problems with the receiver (allows distinguishing between hardware and software problems). The receiver can also be reflashed to a different operating system or system version using USB disk or SD/SDHC card.

Skins

The look of the enigma2 application in most distributions is widely configurable. Skin in this context means complete description of the look, that is placement of the menu, its contents, colors, fonts, graphics and icons in individual menu levels, as well as information displayed on information screens etc. Some skins are pre-installed in the base image and others can be downloaded from the feeds. Selecting the skin is done from the menu and after a GUI restart the new skin is displayed.

File transfer

Pro File transfer between receiver and computer in home network is possible using protocols FTP, SFTP or shared directory trees in receiver using protocols Samba or Network File System (NFS). Downloading multimedia files from receiver to a computer can be performed using OpenWebif interface as well.

Picons

Picons (PLi icons) are graphical icons with the logo of individual TV/radio stations. They make visual navigation through channel lists easier and faster.

Command line environment

It is possible to connect to the enigma2 box using terminal emulator protocol telnet or SSH. A password must be generated either using the GUI or SSH. After login the user gets to the Linux Command-line interface, and therefore some knowledge this environment and some specialties of E2 Linux systems is necessary. This access is rather a supplement that is allowed by using system Linux, as greater part of necessary features is realized using the enigma2 GUI application or by plugins.