MVidea FS4000 receiver all over eBay - anyone have one?

[Desert Tripper]

Hello, DISH Network subscriber since 1996. Love it, but am getting tired of standard "cable" fare. Since I heard about this FTA phenomenon recently at a local computer fleamarket, it's really piqued my interest. I remember years ago watching TV at the house of a BUD owner, and the fascination I had watching some of the wild news feeds is still fresh in my memory. Knowing I can now have a similar experience with a 1 meter dish is exciting! Plus my wife is South American and I'm sure she'd love the Latin American FTA feeds that are available.

I have been looking at both component and PC-card receivers. The PC ones are nice because of the ability to buikd a cheap PVR box, but from what I gather there is no blind scanning ability on any of those as of yet. Of the component units, I like the features of the Pansat 3500 the best. However, I notice on eBay a whole slew of offerings of a box by Mvidea (FS4000), claiming that it is faster than Pansat (133 vs 80 MHz processor) and has more features. Do any of you own this box or have had a chance to review it? Very little info on the box pops up on Google.

I imagine as far as choosing dish, LNB and motor, they are all pretty good? The "SG2100" motor seems to be the most popular. I just need something that will stand up to the 60-70 mph Santa Ana winds we get in southern California. I'll probably get a 12' or so pole, drive it into the ground (or cement it) and bolt it to the roof eave near the top to stabilize it. Should be enough to keep a meter dish snug and secure!

Thanks for any info!

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

E-Bay is great, but I would also have a look at our GOLD sponsors here at they top of the page. Support the guys that support us!

I can vouch for the SG2100 motor, its great value and I have had the same one for over two years without a problem, most of out gold sponsors have em!

 

[Mr Tony]

welcome

a lot of the boxes on Ebay (especially the oddball names) are clones of legit boxes.

Do they work? Yes
Will you have issues? Probably

I would stick with a name that is out there (Coolsat, Pansat, Fortec)

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

The top 3 receivers right now are probably the Coolsat 5000, Pansat 3500, and the Fortec Lifetime Classic. I prefer Coolsat (although I have the Older 4000) but others differ. SG2100 is good-holding up so far in severe WNY winter.
Good Luck

 

[Mr Tony]

My SG2100 works great here in the frozen Minnesota...2 winters under its belt and startign the third

-10 this morning and running like a champ

 

[stardust1]

MVIDEA FS4000 - No blind scan or ac3 unless I''m missing something.

 

[Mr Tony]

no blind scan...no sale

 

[drhydro]

no ac-3 = no sale also in my opinion

 

[Desert Tripper]

Thanks for the info! I will definitely go for one of the major brands, and will see what the Gold Sponsor dealers have to offer before slogging into eBay territory again. I imagine a dealer will give me a better deal on a complete package (box + dish + motor) than buying them all separately, anyway!

Yes, I imagine that if the SG2100 can survive multiple Minnesota winters, it'll do fine here in "40 degrees = BRRR! FREEZING!!" Southern California!

 

[sidekick]

My motor's surviving these brutal 70 degree December California days as well....

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

You have to rub that in don't you?

We had 18 inches of snow last night and 20 a few days ago. Low tonight of 7.

 

[sidekick]

Actually, I miss snow...lol I recently bought 5 acres of fully treed property up in Washington State. Hopefully I'll be visiting some snow over the holidays. However, 18" is a bit much for me

 

[pro96]

My motor's surviving these brutal 70 degree December California days as well....

Ohhh Yeah.. :

I Still remember when it was in the mid to upper 80's right before Thanksgiving (2 weeks ago) in Woodland Hills, CA.

Thursday's forecast not as hot, only in the 70's Hint Hint

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

Actually, I miss snow...lol I recently bought 5 acres of fully treed property up in Washington State. Hopefully I'll be visiting some snow over the holidays. However, 18" is a bit much for me

I love Washington-I lived on Whidbey Island for a short time. You can see all that snow up on the mountains and for the most part that is wher it stays.

 

[Mr Tony]

70?

hmmm...maybe we'll see that again in May or so

not much snow here but cold....motor works good even in -20

 

[Tron]

Minus 20!?

I feel chilly and it's only 40 outside now. Coldest winter I've been in was a visit to Virginia one January. It was -5 outside, and I went out in my PJ's just to say I'd done it

Needless to say, I didn't stay outside very long....

 

[sidekick]

I love Washington-I lived on Whidbey Island for a short time. You can see all that snow up on the mountains and for the most part that is wher it stays.

Whidbey Island is nice! My property's in Port Angeles. I can look across the Straits of Juan de Fuca and see Victoria B.C.

 

[Mr Tony]

Minus 20!?

-12 the other morning

and to think...I use to ghetto move (hand move) my dish from G10 to G3 for hockey games in the dead of winter.....what the hell was I thinking??

 

[bigOleB]

I'm willing to bet it is a Chinese cloned Coolsat and we all know how well the Chinese make electronics.

 

[shagnastey]

I set up an Mvidea last weekend. Took about 3 hours from dish install to watching tv. Works great.