Satman Reviews the Sonvicview 360 Elite

The Sonicview 360 Elite represents another leap forward in FTA receiver design technology because it offers 3 usb ports and two tuners.

Out of the Box

The packaging is a bit more conservative than the bright green and reds used on the SV4000. Only English is used no French or Spanish is on the packaging. Likewise the manual is in English only. However inside the machine 10 languages can be found.

The Package is English Only Inside the machine choose from 10 Languages

The most striking feature may not be noticed until the hook-up process has begun. NO 3/4 modulator. This is a growing trend that is bound to continue. Satman has interviewed design engineers from several FTA receiver companies in March/April 2008. These engineers stated that it very hard to obtain reliable modules from quality supplies. While this product could be obtained it does not guarantee that the same product with the same spec will be available on the next run. Given this problem many companies are option not to include a 3/4 modulator.

The remote looks like the remote used on the SV 8000 HD however the command structure is different and no interference occurs . For peace of mind and a bit of added safety Satman would recommend turning off the SV 8000 HD when using the 30 Elite.

Setup Sequence

First we need to check the version info and update as required.

V1.01 New software found at Sonicview site Software loaded to USB inserted to Front Slot on 360

UpGrade Complete

Next Adjust typical User Settings

Language and Screen Settings Time

Channel Scan

The unit has two tuners . Satman likes to follow a format when doing these reports. We give c-band, ku band , motor control , and comparison chart in all reports. We hooked the c-band to tuner 1 and the 1.2m motorized dish to tuner 2 . The person buying this machine will have another configuration in mind. Satman used c/ku format to follow the established test plan. By using the same format every time our readers can easily compare one product with another. Satman would anticipate that most users will use the unit to:

1. Two fixed dishes with single lnb on each

2. One dish single dual lnb. This allows two programs to be tuned and recorded as desired.

3. Two dual fixed dishes switched with DiSEqC switch as required. This will give each tuner access to two satellites.

The channel list in the unit is reasonably up to date. A few improvements were needed but most are minor in nature. The biggest error Satman noticed was that Satmex 6 was labled Satmex 6 twice . AMC 18 which as an active c-band component was not on the list.

Doing an edit on satellite name Making a List Correction Adding AMC 18

Set up to scan channels by checking the transponder list. Cross check with a known list such as is found found on SatcoDX . Alternatively the Blue Button can be hit to do a blind scan. Thats what Satman did 4 minutes 17 seconds later we were done. Any channel the blind search finds will be added to your channel list. Blind search was judged to be satisfactory no double hits were noted scanning is done in 12mhz steps.

Check Transponder List Blind Scan Complete

An interesting feature sorting the channels using the FTA/CAS red button. The FTA and CAS channels are sorted. Then the CAS channels can be quickly be deleted.

Hit the Green Delete to clear CAS channels

C and Ku Band Performance

The performance on both C-Band and Ku band good. One thing that satman noted is that the quality scale may be low on the weak transponder of T5(G25) 11874 H 22000 but the picture comes in clean and with good quality. This means good sensitive tuner.

T5(G25) 11874 H 22000 Weak Quality 13 Picture is well in acceptable range

RTP on Intelsat 805 C-Band Demetri Medvedev sworn in as Russian President Peru TV locks well on a very low SR of 1447

Motor Control Software

Sonicview Motor Control is consistently one of the easiest to program and most repeatable motor control software on the market.

To find your center position go todishpointer.com .This site will give you a Google Earth based on your location. It will zoom to your city and then if you type in your street address it will zoom to your house. Tell the program you need to find the satellite at your longitude--that's the south or center for the motorized set up.

You can find your best signal by simply using the motor control to obtain the highest S (voltage going to LNB ) and Q (voltage coming from LNB ). Start with a step value of 3 then for final tune go to 1 and hit the red button to store. Finding satellites at different positions in the arc-- say T-5 ku and G10R ku is best accomplished by using the USAL mode. You will be taken to the satellite directly. Then use motor control method above to fine tune and store.

Fine Tuning with Motor Control

Recording

If you are seriously considering purchasing the Sonicview 360 Elite you want to RECORD .

Set Up Recording Format Drive Recording Finished

Watch

This is only the beginning. You can use both tuners and record two programs on 2 different drive.You have standard buttons such as fast forward and rewind. You will have fun with this machine. Most PVR units tend to work best with various kinds of drives or hard drives. Consult user groups for feedback on what others are finding.

Here's another thing that two tuners can do Picture in Picture

One tuner is on Intelsat 805 C-Band the other on the popular G10r Ku satellite

Things Satman would like to see on the Sonicview Elite 360

This project was probably put on the drawing board 6 to 9 months prior to actual release in mid April. Trends within the industry are moving toard the addition of a 10/100 Ethernet port . Today's marketplace is demanding that units be able to directly access the internet.

A few FTA stations especially the Equity groups of locals on G3 C-band and G10r Ku band are making a transition to MPEG 4. Equity engineers state that MPEG 4 allows them to pack more signals into a single transponder. These signals will be MPEG 4 but remain unencrypted--that is unscrambled. Every receiver coming on to the market should have some kind of provision for MPEG 4 .

Purchase Recommendations

Satman can highly recommend this unit for immediate purchase and use. Some concern does exist over the unit not being MPEG 4 capable . The lack of MPEG 4 capability may shorten the products useful lifespan--as technology changes rapidly 18 months is considered a good life span. After 18 months the product will function however many of the features will seem out of date . Sonicview offers a 2 year Hassle Free Warranty .

Most FTA users are happy to try new products and experiment. With this in mind the Sonicview 360 Elite will serve users well.

No comparison chart was constructed because no other unit has 2 tuners.

Test Notes:

C band Tests conducted with 12' Odem dish andDMS BSC-621-2 feed . Ku band tests done with Fortec 1.2 meter dish motorized with Stab H-120 motor using anI nvacom QPH-031 dual linear/circular feed.

SatmanCanada does not test ANY 3rd party software.

SatmanCanada welcomes questions and comments about any products we review