Diamond 9000HD PVR Review

[mrweather]

Received my 9000HD today and hooked everything up (36" KU and OTA). Boy, the picture quality is FANTASTIC using HDMI to my 32" Sharp Aquos!

HD OTA looks amazing. PBS HD on 87w is equally good. I like how I no longer need to run the audio through my home theatre receiver to hear AC3 audio. The receiver passes it through to my tv and the audio comes from there.

I find the menu structure and functionality very similar to my Coolsat 5000. Made the learning curve less steep.

Next step is trying out the PVR functionality. I picked up a 160 GB external USB drive and FAT32 formatted it. We'll see how that goes.

 

[i4tas]

Update on Recording Stuff

Since my car audio system can play MP3s that are on a usb stick I figured out a way to convert recordings into mp3 files:

Let the diamond record a radio station for one hour at night, then copy the .TRP file to PC. First rename "song.trp" to "song.ts", then use "PVAStrumento" to convert it to a MPA, and then use another program to convert it to an MP3. It still sounds good. It is possible to split it into smaller mp3s.

I also have been recording Seinfeld’s every night and move them to my PC collection; Media Player Classic does a great job of playing them... no conversion needed. I have a ton of them!

Hint: I you are going to record a SD show... try to find it on a 480i channel rather than the pillar-boxed local ATSC channel that is in 720 or 1080.... Much smaller file.



Cool Scan Feature
It has a feature to scan multiple satellites... you can tell it to do just a scan (TP scan) of your favorite 7 birds in a row... so you don't have to scan one at a time. You need switches for it to work... have not tried USALS (maybe it will move it and wait... I am not sure)

 

[tha19]

Help can't get any quality on diamond HD

I'm new to fta and recently purchased the Daimond HD9000. I hooked it up to a single c-band dish that is tuned to anolog channels. I can't get the receiver to pick up any channels. How do you set the receiver? I've tried all the LNB settings

 

[i4tas]

upload this channel list, try c-band satellite 99 first, scan the sat and you should get channels. That channel list has every sat and lots of TPs for each sat. Make sure your switch it setup right... and that you have signal / quality.

How you been able to scan a ATSC channel yet?

 

[tha19]

Thank You

 

[Anole]

what mode ?

I hooked it up to a single c-band dish that is tuned to anolog channels.
I can't get the receiver to pick up any channels.

It's a Hi Def receiver... I can't imagine that it will receive anything analog.

 

[stogie5150]

It's a Hi Def receiver... I can't imagine that it will receive anything analog.

It won't.

 

[tha19]

Why analog

If you think about it, all sats have dig bands and a few have analog still. Locating a signal on the old analog receiver locked me into a satellite. Once I got the new sat list I was able to set the frequency and get the diamond to work> I'm sure most of are aware of this but the previous replies don't show it.

 

[mrweather]

Another thing I noticed about my 9000HD is how the loop out functions.

I have it going to my Coolsat 5000 (for blindscanning) and I notice the Coolsat won't receive a signal unless the 9000HD is on. This makes things a little annoying because I can only scan TP's that have the same polarity as what the 9000HD is tuned to.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[i4tas]

If you think about it, all sats have dig bands and a few have analog still. Locating a signal on the old analog receiver locked me into a satellite. Once I got the new sat list I was able to set the frequency and get the diamond to work> I'm sure most of are aware of this but the previous replies don't show it.

yea... I understood. U use the analog channels to find Sig and then scan that sat. That is a good way too do it!

Never tried loop out... I you ask me the entire loop out idea sucks. If you want two tv on FTA you need two lines... I just use many dishes.

 

[stogie5150]

Be aware, I have not been able to get my Diamond 9000 HD to lock on ANY DVB-S2. Just FYI. It DOES work on h.264 signals though.
I do not have mine hooked to a hard drive yet, so I cannot comment on that.

I now have it hooked to an external hard drive, and the Diamond will not play back any recordings! It records fine, but when you go back to play the file it plays ONE SECOND of the file then stops.

Good thing I wasn't counting on the PVR on the Diamond.

 

[i4tas]

the PVR works great! Did you fat32 format it? Can you play the recordings on PC? (media player classic can plat the .trp files) I also lock up my receiver alot and then I have to run a check disc via windows to get it back to normal quite often.


i love my diamond as PVR, timeshift, record something and watch another recding @ same time. Maybe try different drive. I also suggest you pc fat32 format then do the diamond format so it reads "hobby label"

 

[stogie5150]

the PVR works great! Did you fat32 format it? Can you play the recordings on PC? (media player classic can plat the .trp files) I also lock up my receiver alot and then I have to run a check disc via windows to get it back to normal quite often.


i love my diamond as PVR, timeshift, record something and watch another recding @ same time. Maybe try different drive. I also suggest you pc fat32 format then do the diamond format so it reads "hobby label"

I did format it Fat32...then formatted on the Diamond....the Diamond says its formatted, but it won't work correctly...it also says hobby label...

Its a WD drive In a Venus enclosure. Like I said I didn't have my heart set on it.

 

[i4tas]

Plug it into your PC and do a Check Disk. That will fix it.

 

[i4tas]

It can't handle more than 10 or so audio tracks, once it notices that a channel has tons of audio tracks it locks up. My fix is using channel editor and then make a channel for each radio station. You can turn a radio station into a tv station if you want to.

 

[Lak7]

I now have it hooked to an external hard drive, and the Diamond will not play back any recordings! It records fine, but when you go back to play the file it plays ONE SECOND of the file then stops.

Good thing I wasn't counting on the PVR on the Diamond.

Did you update the Firmware? Ver 1.04 is latest from Factory.

also, here is a sort of "trick" for adding DVB-S2 TPs via Remote
=============
Create two satellites via channel editor. The satellites need to be next to each other. Add only two transponders to each of them. Make each transponder a 8psk pilot on tp, they can be fake numbers... Upload the channel list. Go menu --> channel search --> move over to a one of the 8psk satellites that you added --> manual scan --> then change the satellite to the other 8psk satellite you created and you should be in manual scan mode and see all the good stuff. You can now go to any satellite and edit the dvb-s2 tps. Stay in manual or pid mode, if you go to auto you will have to repeat the trick.

It says pilot is on for qspk tps, and the code rate might be incorrect for some, but if you change the code rate via remote or turn pilot on / off it will react to it. You can also add a dvb-s2 tp but only to satellite that have transponders, otherwise it will default to qspk. It still has no way to specify a "dvb-s2 qspk" from "dvb-s2 8psk".
============

I have yet to try.

 

[Anole]

warming to this box

At $500, I pay no attention.
At $400, it's just one of many, and I don't care.
At $300, it'd better be really good and have all its functions, because I'm starting to pay attention.
Down in the $200+ range, ya usually have a laundry list of things that just don't work, on many of these boxes.

Now, someone is asking about the Diamond 9000hd and saying he's found it for $150
The previous list of missing features still left me discriminating against the Diamond, 'till I remembered that I was interested in a $150-range box that'd just record local OTA hi def...
...and preferably without a proprietary file format.
I might like to time shift a few network programs in HD, which I cannot do now.
HD source material will make dandy DVDs, too...

So, I've re-read this review, word for word.
I see a number of our fine members have them (well, if they didn't flush 'em on eBay).
Is there any good news on this pig?
Are we all getting dvb-s2 signals on it?
Has anyone taken seriously the blind scan issue?
I'm thinking 4:2:2 is probably a hardware limitation, but has there been any movement there?

And lastly, even if it sucks as a DVB receiver, for $150 I might get it as an ATSC OTA recorder...
... but I just did a search of eBay, and best I found was in the $289 range.
So, I'm not impressed.
I'm sure I've overlooked something, so please, please, point it out to me.
I'm dying to spend money! - :up - -

 

[stogie5150]

You have mail, O Green One.

 

[babcea]

At $500, I pay no attention.
At $400, it's just one of many, and I don't care.
At $300, it'd better be really good and have all its functions, because I'm starting to pay attention.
Down in the $200+ range, ya usually have a laundry list of things that just don't work, on many of these boxes.

Now, someone is asking about the Diamond 9000hd and saying he's found it for $150
The previous list of missing features still left me discriminating against the Diamond, 'till I remembered that I was interested in a $150-range box that'd just record local OTA hi def...
...and preferably without a proprietary file format.
I might like to time shift a few network programs in HD, which I cannot do now.
HD source material will make dandy DVDs, too...

So, I've re-read this review, word for word.
I see a number of our fine members have them (well, if they didn't flush 'em on eBay).
Is there any good news on this pig?
Are we all getting dvb-s2 signals on it?
Has anyone taken seriously the blind scan issue?
I'm thinking 4:2:2 is probably a hardware limitation, but has there been any movement there?

And lastly, even if it sucks as a DVB receiver, for $150 I might get it as an ATSC OTA recorder...
... but I just did a search of eBay, and best I found was in the $289 range.
So, I'm not impressed.
I'm sure I've overlooked something, so please, please, point it out to me.
I'm dying to spend money! - :up - -

just search hd fta,the buy it now suck's,there is one now the bid is at 135 with 9 hours left.I have been watching these auctions for a week,most have been ending around 150 to 180.All the other auctions have been starting at 189,By reading the feedback some have been getting them in the 150 to 200 range.

 

[Anole]

I just read over the manual.

Some questions for anyone who has the PVR functions going, and hi def Off The Air, too.

- can you have 1080i feeding out the HDMI or Component connectors and regular video on the S-video or RCA composite connector at the same time?
Or, does the mode of the receiver dictate which outputs are live?

- if the STB is playing a channel, and you decide to record it, can you backup the documented 30 minutes and begin the recording from there?
In my Dish PVR, you can. In the Visionsat FTA PVR, you cannot.

- since the manual was published, has there been a change to the 30 minute buffer?
In another PVR I have, that length defaults to 2 hrs, and is user-settable.

- for OTA, the ATSC stations broadcast an EPG.
It's at least a week long, and may be two weeks (I'm not sure).
Does the 9000hd display the EPG?

- if the EPG is displayed, can you scroll through it and mark a show to record?
Can you set weekly timers? (capture all my episodes of NCIS, for instance?)

- how does that OTA EPG update? Overnight while the unit is turned off?
Or, do you have to do something special to get it to populate?

- when recording OTA ATSC, is just the selected sub-channel recorded?
I think this is a "yes", if I remember the review correctly.

My thanks to anyone who can cast any light on any of these questions.

And thanks for the numerous emails and PMs received.
I'm still in a fact-collection mode, and will get back to you soon.
Feel free to PM or email me more if you like, or post here in this thread as appropriate.