Most recommended HD FTA Receivers

[bklee]

I am interested in getting an HD FTA receiver, and it seems that some stores have recommended the Sonicview SV8000. What HD FTA receivers do you all recommend?

Sonicview SV8000? Pansat 9200? Viewsat HD? Coolsat HD? Neusat HD? Captiveworks 3000?

THanks.

 

[Mr Tony]

From my personal experience

Sonicview...never used
Pansat 9200...my personal fav of the ones I've used. Has blind scan and OTA tuner (ASTC). Very easy to use
Viewsat..never used
Coolsat 8000...does HD flawlessly and has OTA tuner (ASTC) but no blind scan and some quicks. Manual entry
Neusat 9000...used it. Didnt personally like it. Claims blind scan but doesn't. Very clean picture but you have to manually enter everything
Captiveworks..never used

My fav of the bunch is the Pansat 9200. One of the easiest boxes I've used

 

[goaliebob99]

I love the 9200 also, I'm just waiting on S2 for it or fortecs new box.

 

[GreatFTA]

I am interested in the Diamond 9000 HD that suppose to do the DSB-S2. Anyone have this receiver? It sells for $289 on Ebay. Having a hard time deciding on it...

 

[Lak7]

Don't pay that much! I have the Diamond 9000 HD, watch ebay and catch the one's that start at $.99, you should be able to get it anywhere between $70 - $120 plus $37shipping.(no switch / no cable)
No Blind Scan! DVB-S2 TPs have to be entered with Channel Editor and Uploaded via USB Stick / Straight Cable. DVB-S TPs can be entered with remote.
PVR works for both Sat and ATSC! (Glitches on High Bit Rate DVB-S HD like ABC, perfect on DVB-S2 HD like HotPass)
Dolby Decoder!, If you don't have Surround Sound.
If your not a "Scanner", and can handle the DVB-S2 entry, the price is hard to beat.

Edit: Does the Pansat 9200 do DVB-S2?

 

[SatinKzo]

Personally, I prefer my Pansat 9200 over them all. Just wish it had DVB-S2, but information points to that feature coming finally from Pansat (not just third parties).

I have recently aquired a viewsat 9000, it's ok, but it's lacking the blind scan, but does seem to handle dvb-s2 out of the box.

For a long time, I was tempted to try a Sonicview 8000 as everything I read was similar to the pansat 9200 and it had a PVR feature, but I held out long enough and the 9200 came out.

check out the equipment review section. I know there are Coolsat 8000, Pansat 9200, Diamond 9000 and a Viewsat 9000 in there.

 

[shultz]

Don't pay that much! I have the Diamond 9000 HD, watch ebay and catch the one's that start at $.99, you should be able to get it anywhere between $70 - $120 plus $37shipping.(no switch / no cable)
No Blind Scan! DVB-S2 TPs have to be entered with Channel Editor and Uploaded via USB Stick / Straight Cable. DVB-S TPs can be entered with remote.
PVR works for both Sat and ATSC! (Glitches on High Bit Rate DVB-S HD like ABC, perfect on DVB-S2 HD like HotPass)
Dolby Decoder!, If you don't have Surround Sound.
If your not a "Scanner", and can handle the DVB-S2 entry, the price is hard to beat.

I got the Diamond 9000hd off ebay from a store in Canada for 112.01 including the shipping. I was leery about it at first, but figured i've paid more for other door stops! But this receiver is working out pretty good. Just wish it had the blind scan!

 

[i4tas]

I got the Diamond 9000hd off ebay from a store in Canada for 112.01 including the shipping. I was leery about it at first, but figured i've paid more for other door stops! But this receiver is working out pretty good. Just wish it had the blind scan!

Don't we all.... With the low prices i think more sateguys here have it than hackers. Maybe they could add a blind scan and dvb-s2 "add TP option by remote".

 

[Acelon]

Don't we all.... With the low prices i think more sateguys here have it than hackers. Maybe they could add a blind scan and dvb-s2 "add TP option by remote".

Why would the hackers not like it because of the low price? I would assume us true FTAers would be more likely to spend more on our hobby than those trying to avoid paying for subscription services would.

I was looking at the Captiveworks 3000 because from what I understand, it is essentially just a Linux platform that I can use for more than just a receiver.

 

[SatinKzo]

I'm thinking he meant that the low price indicates it is not popular with the hacker crowd.

 

[i4tas]

the diamond doesn't work for hackers... I have no idea why Diamond mades a great receiver but markets it towards no one. Hackers don't want it and the missing features for FTA made it a pain for true FTA.

 

[jsattv]

Does anyone know if the Pansat 9200 has any capability for an external Hard Drive - ie PVR Capability like my Bell 9200 PVR (subscription) Receiver?? If not is it in any future planning upgrades?

 

[Mr Tony]

future upgrade

 

[corey006]

No problems with my SV 8000. It has external PVR capabilities and blind scan, USALs works perfectly. A good box.

The only negative is remote is a little buggy.

 

[GreatFTA]

Thank you, Lak7. I knew it lacks the blind scan. I ain't in a hurry to get one. I will keep my eyes on Ebay. Don't see much of diamond hd receivers on Ebay. Captain HD and other brands. Ruled out Captain 9000 HD.

 

[wildboys]

No problems with my SV 8000. It has external PVR capabilities and blind scan, USALs works perfectly. A good box.

The only negative is remote is a little buggy.

The Sonicview 8000Hd
will not record a high bitrate ITC HD feed which makes it a piece of
junk in my opinion.In fact I do not know any FTA HD settop box that can record a
high bitrate HD feed.

 

[Anole]

Not all USB hard drives are created equal in the speed department.
It might be worth exploring high performance drives to see if that helps.
Or, as suggested, it might be junk.

 

[stogie5150]

My Diamond won't either. We're gonna have to face facts fellas. All these receivers are made to steal programming and thus are built to THAT standard. And with the complaints of the E* subscribers stating how bad the HD PQ looks (low bitrate, thus less info for an illegally hacked FTA receiver to handle), is it any surprise it works for them and doesn't work for US?

I have resigned myself to the fact that NONE of the receivers we use are DESIGNED and BUILT for US. ANYTHING we use is GOING to be a compromise. The perfect FTA receiver does not exist for us. We are a very very very very very tiny segment of the market, sadly. And we will NEVER be listened to OR catered to.

So, IMO, if you're waiting for the perfect receiver, you're in for a long wait. Like never. It will NEVER happen. Well maybe not NEVER, but IMO you WILL be significantly older IF it happens.

So pick a couple boxes, buy them cheaply as possible, and enjoy them for what they WILL do, not for what they WON'T do.

 

[Lak7]

Regarding the Diamond 9000 recording issue, does anyone know why it records the HD NASCAR HotPass DVB-S2 just fine vs. something like the HD DVB-S ABC.

 

[wildboys]

Regarding the Diamond 9000 recording issue, does anyone know why it records the HD NASCAR HotPass DVB-S2 just fine vs. something like the HD DVB-S ABC.

The HD NASCAR HotPass DVB-S2 is a low bitrate feed probably between 12 and 18 MBPS or less.Most live HD feeds or 30 MBPS or more.A 50.00 pci card can record these feeds but a 400.00 HD PVR cannot go figure.