Conaxsat Trio Initial Review

[Anole]

Satin -

Great reporting.
Very interesting that the company is keeping up the improvements to the unit.

I do wonder though, at least for the Duo, the features are about equal to the Visionsat IV200... which can be had in the $140..150 range.
Seems the Conaxsat needs to keep competitive.

Just today, Iceberg updated the IV200 review with new firmware improvements.
You might want to contrast the features with that unit.
Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[SatinKzo]

Yeah, I was reading that. I also think the Duo is a bit pricey compared to the competition. I can understand the Trio price with the second processor for divx and the divx HD upconversion.

Also, I guess there is a V-1 trade in program with some dealers who want to dump their V-1 and get a duo/trio or the new mini they came out with. I don't believe the mini has any PVR capabilities though. Edit: The trade up info is on the website, on the dealers/support page.

It does seem that the conaxsat company is very gung-ho (for now anyways) on keeping the system updated and improved. What I like alot is I know many FTA boxes seem to have the grey-market ( I say grey cause I think most are employed by the manuacturers themselves for the illegal use of the system) programmers who introduce features and stuff that never make it to factory bins or come out long after(coolsat 8000 being the latest one in my memory). Conaxsat seems to have a keen interest in the hobbyist. (yes, I realize there are non-authorized bins out there for this receiver also)

I also read that there is talk of a codec updates for the divx side to handle HD-format rips, so essentially, you would get a second HD player that already outputs at 1080i.

Alas, I think 4:2:2 will never be a function of this box, nor any FTA HD (it was never claimed to do that either)

I tell you what though, now that I can rip my kids movies to a HD and plug it into the divx port on the trio, I don't waste DVD's making backups and the 3 year old no longer ruins the originals.

 

[Bill Blasky]

So do you folks think the Duo is worth the extra $50 over the Visionsat IV200?

 

[SatinKzo]

Honestly, until the Conaxsats get the buffer setup I wouldn't pay it and even then, I don't think it's worth it. The Trio has the divx, so I think that is worth it alone. I have gotten a ton of use from the divx feature.

 

[Bill Blasky]

Honestly, until the Conaxsats get the buffer setup I wouldn't pay it and even then, I don't think it's worth it. The Trio has the divx, so I think that is worth it alone. I have gotten a ton of use from the divx feature.

I really don't need the DivX features and I'd lean more towards a Duo. So are you saying the Visionsat IV 200 would be the way to go? I really wish I could see a picture of the Conaxsats EPG. I've seen the Visionsat's and liked it but the guide is always a deal breaker for me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[digiblur]

I really don't need the DivX features and I'd lean more towards a Duo. So are you saying the Visionsat IV 200 would be the way to go? I really wish I could see a picture of the Conaxsats EPG. I've seen the Visionsat's and liked it but the guide is always a deal breaker for me.

Thanks in advance.

Why is the guide a deal breaker? It doesn't get used here in the US.

 

[Bill Blasky]

Why is the guide a deal breaker? It doesn't get used here in the US.

You can't use the EPG? How do you know what programs are playing?

 

[Mr Tony]

well since 99% of the channels beamed up FTA are not intended for us, its a crap shoot. Some you can put the channel info into TitanTV and see it that way. Or go tot he comapny's web site. Sometimes they have a list of what is on.

 

[Bill Blasky]

Now with the Visionsat IV 300 on the way out the door, my decision has gotten that much more complicated. They did say it won't be out until October and no price range has been determined yet.

 

[SatinKzo]

Bill, I could post a pic of a blank EPG on the Trio I have if you really wanna see some blue and greyish grid. I have never found a station that has EPG data. I'm sure some exist, but I never found one.

I bought the Trio for 2 reasons,
The Divx feature has saved the wear and tear on my kids DVD's now that I can rip them to a drive and watch them that way ( I firmely believe I should be able to back up my movies but I will not discuss that here). Plus the Divx player will upconvert everything to 1080i over component.

I wanted to try something new and I got the Trio at a decent price, not the $250 they are going for today.

It works every bit as well now with version 5 of the software as any FTA receiver I have tried. Blind scan and motor control work very well IMO.

Biggest downside is it has an annoying blue light on the front that in a darker room, is very distracting. Little electical tape fixes that though.

 

[voomvoom]

You can't use the EPG? How do you know what programs are playing?

The only EPG, I can think of, is BJ Sat (Bob Jones University), it's usually scrambled, but in the fall they seem to be clear, I guess to get it working for the new students.

Al

 

[anthony5712]

Bill, I could post a pic of a blank EPG on the Trio I have if you really wanna see some blue and greyish grid. I have never found a station that has EPG data. I'm sure some exist, but I never found one.

I bought the Trio for 2 reasons,
The Divx feature has saved the wear and tear on my kids DVD's now that I can rip them to a drive and watch them that way ( I firmely believe I should be able to back up my movies but I will not discuss that here). Plus the Divx player will upconvert everything to 1080i over component.

I wanted to try something new and I got the Trio at a decent price, not the $250 they are going for today.

It works every bit as well now with version 5 of the software as any FTA receiver I have tried. Blind scan and motor control work very well IMO.

Biggest downside is it has an annoying blue light on the front that in a darker room, is very distracting. Little electical tape fixes that though.

You can turn the blue light off in the menu/options/control panel/front led set to off instead of normal. Hope this helps the dark room annoyance instead of the tape.

 

[SatinKzo]

laff, thanks. I rarely mess aorund in the options area. I just noticed it.

 

[Strlegal]

Hi, I'm new here, and found this review doing a google search.

One question I have, can the trio record something from the antanna port, rather then the dish?

Thanks.

 

[SatinKzo]

I never hooked it up, but based on the manul, i think it outputs over that port, not an input.

Also, based on nothing in the menus about scanning in OTA channels further makes me believe it's an output.

I am hoping that the real tivo like time-shift comes soon. It's been talked about the next big feature in the next software upgrade. Buffer to the attached HD and you can pick your buffer times.

 

[Strlegal]

I never hooked it up, but based on the manul, i think it outputs over that port, not an input.

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure the antanna port is an input, for like rabbit ears, or cable, at least thats how my other boxs are. Its nice to use so you can still watch tv if the dish loses signal. I also sub to direct tv and have the dvr, but it will only record from the dish. None of its dvr functions will record the antanna input. Which I wish the direct tv box would, so that I could still use the box to record with and use the buffer, if I was to cancel my sub.

Thanks

 

[SatinKzo]

Well if it is an input, I don't know where in the menu's you access it or make it scan.. I'll play with it and see if I can figure something out.

 

[SatinKzo]

Latest factory file finally implements true timeshift to attached USB drive.

 

[Anole]

Well, I've been slightly confused by the Visionsat IV-200 and it's capabilities.
Does this bring the Conaxsat ahead on features?

 

[SatinKzo]

I think it does a bit. It buffers to the attached HD like a tivo or dish dvr now. You can set the buffer size and turn it on/off.