The Sonicview 8000 HD

Today I want to talk about an FTA receiver, that many people consider the best FTA HD receiver currently available on the market.

The Sonicview 8000 HD is the most popular and best selling product in the FTA HD category of many internet shops. But is it the best FTA HD receiver? In any case it has received good reviews by satisfied customers.

The picture quality is really amazing when connected through an HDMI cable and the receiver will display standard and high definition channels, depending on what channel and satellite you are on.

The Sonicview also comes with an OTA (over the air) antenna input tuner. With this OTA – which is also referred to as the terrestrial antenna – and an HD antenna you can both get your local channels as well as some major networks in HD.

More Features:

• Video output to 1080i for high quality pictures
• Dolby digital output
• USB port to enable updating software or to connect with a UBS PVR / DVR hard drive

Manufacturer:

• Sonicview USA, Inc.

Warranty:

• 2 Year warranty

Technical Specs:

• Free To Air Channel Reception from Satellite Broadcasting
• QPSK Tuner (Sharp NIM)
• HDMI Output Connector
• RS232C, 3 RCA Output for CVBS Video, Audio L/R, 3 RCA Output for Composite
• ( Y,Pb,Pr), S-VHS Output, SPDIF Digital Audio AC3 Bitstream Output, HDTV Output
• Fully Comply with ATSC HDTV (VSB) & DVB-S MPEG 2
• Decodes All ATSC HDTV Standard Video Formats Including 576i / 576p / 720p / 1080i
• Downconverts HDTV to SDTV
• Selectable Output Video Format : 1080i / 720p / 480p / 480i
• 2 Tuners : ATSC Tuner (Sharp,NIM Type) & QPSK (Samsung, NIM Type)
• USB 2.0 PVR Function Supported : 1 Channel Record & Play with an external HDD
• EPG Supported, Channel Naming Supported
• Full Color & User Friendly GUI for Easy Control
• Highly Speedy Channel Changing Time : Less than 1 Sec.
• 6,000 Channels Memory Capacity for TV & Radio Programs
• 8 Favorite Channel List Group Programmable
• Channel Sorting by FTA, CAS, Satellite, Alphabetic Order & Network
• Zoom In-Out Function for Watching Screen
• Various Aspect Ratio with 4:3, Letter Box, Full Screen & 16:9
• Background Graphic Display for Radio Program Channels
• Parental Lock Function using Master PIN Code
• Automatic NTSC / PAL Detection and Simple Video Converter (NTSC <-> PAL)
• Blue VFD Display : 9 Character 1 Line
• Real Time Clock
• Low Power Consumption Supported : Less Than 5 W in Stand-By Mode
• DiSEqC 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 & USALS / 22KHz Switching Control Supported
• S/PDIF for Digital Audio AC-3 Bitstream Output
• S-VHS Output Connector
• Component Output with 3 RCA Jacks : Y, Pb, Pr
• 3 RCA Jacks for CVBS Video & Audio L/R Output
• RS232C 9-PIN Connector : Twisted Cable
• PC to Set S/W Downloading using Window based Specific Program
• Set to Set S/W Downloading (Main Program & Channel List Data File)
• Useful Luminous Universal Remote Control

If you want, check out the Sonicview 8000 HD, the receiver that many people call the best FTA HD receiver at the moment.

Technorati Tags: Best FTA HD Receiver, FTA HD Receiver, FTA Satellite Receiver, FTA Satellite TV, HD Satellite Receiver, Sonicview, Sonicview 8000 HD

Recently I wondered why even bother with setting up a FTA satellite receiver. When you’re just starting out it looks like a lot of work and the money you need is also a nice sum.

So, why bother?

I think it comes down to personal taste. I found that most of what’s on TV doesn’t appeal to me that much anymore. I prefer to read a book or something to better myself instead. There are only a few things on TV that I still enjoy. Sports events for example.

So I made the decision that I’m not going to pay a monthly fee for TV anymore. I’m happy with what I get via my FTA satellite receiver.

Also, if you really do the math, you see that the initial investment isn’t really all that much.

Within ten to eleven months the equipment will have paid for itself.

My reasons might not resonate with you. You might have different reasons. You might not like FTA at all and prefer to stay with something like DirectTV.

That’s fine. I’m not trying to prove either right or wrong.

What’s your opinion? Let’s discuss.

Technorati Tags: free to air, FTA HD Receiver, FTA Satellite Receiver, FTA Satellite TV, HD Satellite Receiver

When looking to buy a FTA HD receiver there are many things you have to take into consideration, depending on what you are looking for.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you buy the right FTA HD receiver:

· Does the receiver have an electronic program guide?

· Is the receiver “Internet-ready”, in case you want to watch satellite TV on your computer?

· Does the receiver have a built-in personal video recorder?

· How about dual tuners?

· A PIG/PIP Interface?

· An S-Video Output?

· An on-screen display you are comfortable with?

This is not a complete checklist, but it lists the most sought-after features you should check when comparing different models.

Technorati Tags: free to air, FTA HD Receiver, FTA Satellite Receiver, FTA Satellite TV, HD Satellite Receiver, high definition