SatmanCanada Reviews the Viewsat MAX HD 

Written October 4,2008

Satman's Introduction for Review of Viewsat MAX HD

In doing our reviews Satman feels it is important to run a consistent series of tests on all products . By putting all units through the same series of tests Satman hopes that the reader will be able to get a true picture of which receiver is best for their needs. Satman does every review so that the customer will end up getting good value for the money spent.

Satman evaluates units on the basics ...How does it handle a signal? How well does the dish move?? Blind Scan?? After the basics we may look at he features Satman believes that if it can't handle a weak signal all the cool features will be of no benefit.

Normally Satman lets the unit speak for itself ...Just take it out of the box and run through a series of tests. For this test however Satman did something different but far from being a bad practice--we did a review of the literature. Satman read the review of the 9000 HD plus reviewed  various user groups regarding performance of the Viewsat 9000 HD. Consideration was given to customer feed back and direct field experience with the Viewsat 9000 HD.

In this report Satman is trying to answer
 

1.Does the Max HD represent a significant improvement over the 9000HD or is it just a downsized 9000 HD ?

2. Will consumers get good value from this product??

3.Just do a solid product review. Many readers of this article will not have the 9000D available for a basis of comparison.

Out of the Box

The Max HD comes with a set of standard accessories...a DiSEqC switch ,RCA cables. No RS 232 cable is included and no USB stick is included also no HDMI cable. The R232 cable is generally out dated as updates are done via USB. The USB stick and HDMI cable would be nice..Some companies offer these in their basic kits but most do not.

The Remote offered is a big easy to use unit.

No bi-lingual packaging or manual exists.

No 3/4 Modulator ,No ATSC Tuner ,No Fan

One also immediately notices that no 3/4 modulator is in this unit. No ATSC tuner is present .No Fan. The lack of these features contributed to lowering the production costs of this unit.

The Viewsat 9000 HD lacked a 3/4 modulator . This is indicative of a trend that most FTA manufactures are going to .Several Sonicview products have no modulators . Even Traxis 3500 marketed by DMS International has no modulator.

No ATSC Tuner is a practical step that will have cost benefits for the consumer. Let's take a minute to examine the "why" of this. ATSC is digital off air broadcasting. Every US local station is under FCC mandate to provide information about the switch to digital happening 19 Feb,2009 in the US. In the US many consumers are opting to upgrade their TVs to digital HD. The US government is offering $40 for simple converter boxes. Therefore the ATSC tuner in a satellite receiver is not a marketable feature. People will buy a new TV or get a government coupon for a converter box.

The ATSC situation in Canada shows the Canadian broadcast industry's inability to lead and innovate. During the summer of 2008 CBC and Global completed off air HD facilities in Vancouver. No HD facilities exist in Winnipeg, Calgary or any other Western Canadian city. The switch date here in Canada has been established at 31 August 2011.

Off air reception in Toronto is proving popular with over 20 stations available. However here in Winnipeg ATSC is something of no value to the consumer. Viewsat has done the Western Canadian customer a favor by discontinuing the ATSC and lowering the unit price.

No heat no Fan. The Max HD lacks several components found in the Viewsat 9000 HD therefore we have less heat producing components and no need for a fan.

Setting the Unit Up

A flick of the switch and one sees the New GUI appear. As Viewsat fans will know the new GUI was introduced for the Viewsat 9000 HD during the summer 2008. User groups questioned why new GUI was being worked on when Viewsat 9000 functional issues existed.

Viewsat places strong emphasis on their "look" and how their look compares with well known computer software. Viewsat's goal was to develop and test the new look prior to the actual release on the new Max HD box.

                     Check Software Version Ours Had 1.02 the Latest Release                                                                                                           Set Basic Functions including Language and Screen Display                       

     Looking for T5 LNB Standard 10750 Running Motor to get hottest signal in User Mode                                                                                                         After a scan a Channel List is constructed

The Viewsat Max HD is easy to set up and operate. It is always important to know the LNB Type, LNB  Freq is usually 10750 or 11250 

Motor Control Software

We tested for motor control software repeatability--that is to say does it actually go back to the same spot each time.  Satman got good repeatability between T5 and G10r and G3. This area is an improvement .Viewsat products have been acceptable in this area but have been more difficult to use than Sonicview. One should remember that on Viewsat products installer is a fast rough adjustment while user is a fine adjustment.

Blind Scan

Viewsat products never have been outstanding in the area of true blind scan. Most users rely on a pre-loaded channel list.  Satman tells every customer who purchases a Viewsat to use Auto Scan or perhaps Channel Scan if you are an advanced user. In Most of our tests we simply checked the list in the MAX HD against SATCO DX manually edited the list then scanned using Auto Scan or Channel Scan.

The Viewsat website hasHD Channel Editor v0.6 .This will allow you to quickly edit and add channels from SATCO DX .

AMC 21-Max HD shows Versatility

The AMC 21 all Ku band satellite was designed to replace or at least mirror AMC-3 . The AMC-3 satellite is used by PBS to deliver their signal to stations throughout the US. Several feed schedules exits.

Looking at the AMC-3 EIRP data one can see a 43 reading as opposed to AMC 21 rating of 47 here in Winnipeg. That means a hotter signal and a smaller dish is required.

AMC 21 just started running signals on 3 October,2008  the first day of our tests. We put the Max HD to the test and here is what we got.

Because the feed was just coming up Satman located the feed from a specialized feed hunters group  where accurate on the spot information was obtained.

Then the information was manually entered and scanned

                                                                                          12180,12145,12140 Entered and Scanned

                                    HD Feed 12140 V 30000                                                                                           Montana PBS is found at 12145 H 4340

In all 12 PBS channels were found. Most of these channels run A3 audio and passed them. A note should be added about picture quality here. The picture quality was found to be the same using an HDMI cable or a set of composite video cables.

This should dispel any skepticism about the Max HD doing things well.

Special Note: In writing this reportGalaxy 19 (to replace the old T5 ) was in the initial stages of coming up. Therefore no signal  tests were done on T5 . Once the new satellite is in place we will update .

C-Band Operation

When Satman wrote about the VS 9000 HD almost a year ago in November 07 little content in HD was available. An abundance of content exists today due in large part to the US date for a total switch to digital is only 6 months away on Feburary 19,09. Saturday afternoon for US College football and Sunday for NFL feeds are one's best opportunity for feed hunting.

A 12 foot C-Band dish can give superior results on HD. If you still have a C-band dish you can plug-n-play thr Viewsat Max HD otherwise it may be an incentative for you to find an unwanted C-band dish and give it a good home.

Saturday Afternoon G-28

                                  Florida State/ Miami                                                                                                                                 USC/Oregon

Short Photo Essay Nebraska Football

If you have never lived in Nebraska you can not appreciate what a Saturday afternoon pilgrimage to Memorial Stadium means. The Huskers are working hard to rebuild . This effort ended in a 52-18 Cornhusker defeat to the Missouri Tigers .

Satman's Evaluation of Viewsat Max HD

To be sure this Max HD is a downsized VS 9000 HD . However this this a totally positive statement . In a world of changing technology the ATSC Tuner, 3/4 modulator, or fan is no longer needed. By eliminating these parts they have done what downsizing is supposed to do--eliminate the fat and produce an efficient product.

A complete set up and scan of AMC 21 a new satellite showed that the Max HD can perform a complex operation with good results. The strong point of this this test was picture quality was found to be excellent in HDMI and component mode, the unit passed AC3 audio, found a new satellite through the use of motor control and could repeat when moving to other satellites.

Satman's  first review of the VS 9000 HD (Nov 07) showed AC3 audio and picture quality to be less than acceptable. these problems were solved by Viewsat over the course of 1 year.

Many user groups have reported problems with DiSEqC 4x1 switches. Satman has never found this to be an issue as we have always recommended theAxing 4x1 switch.  We have never found issues using this switch a test with the Axing found to be 4x1 switching satisfactory.

Viewsat Max HD Position in the HD marketplace

Customers ask us which brand is the best ? The features the machine has will determine it is right for a particular customer.

Viewsat HD Max--no ATSC , no 3/4 modulator , no fan . Blind scan needs work . Otherwise GREAT MACHINE

Pansat 9200-- ATSC , 3/4 modulator . Great Blind scan . GREAT MACHINE.

Sonicview 8000--ATSC,3/4 modulator, fan, Blind scan works. This unit may be near showing its age.

nFusion HD--ATSC. fan , no blind scan. New machine appears to be refining early problems.

To most consumers in an increasingly world of economic uncertainty  its all about cost.

Pansat 9200 HD does it all and does it best but has a higher price point . Many consumers are not interested in the blind search features this machine offers. True hardcore Pansat users love the brand they know and trust .

nFusion is a work in progress and provides a high level of uncertainty to the consumer looking for long term value.

The Sonicview 8000 is a great machine--true. Sonicview has made a decision not to introduce a new HD unit in the near future. Therein is the problem. Viewsat took what it learned from the 9000 HD and produced the MAX HD. Sonicview says it is ahead on the learning curve however what value is a learning curve based on older technology. Viewsat has moved to the next generation . For this alone Viewsat has established leadership.

Satman believes that  as economic conditions worsen during 2008-2009 consumers will look for good value and choose Viewsat. The switch to digital will force many consumers to upgrade their TV. Viewsat Max HD will represent a low price pint with good value.

Things Satman Would like to See on the Max HD

Satman would like to see a few things on this machine. Satman realizes that the things he would like would only drive up the cost of this unit.

A DVB-S2 tuner. With the switch to DVB-S2 (H264) starting this would be a nice feature. Also the capacity to do 4:2:2 video format. Satman feels that improving the blind search is an item that could be done within budget however few Viewsat customers are interested in this feature.

An immediate fix could be done in the area of screen menu font size ...it is too small . The VS Max HD is really a computer it should be easy to allow customers to enlarge the font size.

The big blue power on indicator looks cool but one expects it to have a "magic eye" function of a signal indicator found in Grunding and other European radios in the 50's and 60's. A few cents could be saved by eliminating this feature.

Final Thoughts....Satman says

HD content is increasing. The switch will take place in the US on 19 Feb 2009 so content can only increase.

The economic slowdown will lead more people to stay at home for entertainment .The Viewsat Max HD will serve as a low cost device to provide that entertainment. A consumer will get good value for the money with the Viewsat Max HD.

Test Notes:

C band Tests conducted with 12' Odem dish andDMS BSC-621-2 feed . Ku band tests done with KTI 1 meter dish motorized withSG2100 motor using an Invacom QPH-031 dual linear/circular feed.

PVR NOTE: Due to the level of performance reported by users using various hard drives Satman has chosen NOT TO TEST PVR functionality on this unit. In order for the test to be fair and valid ONE hard drive must be used on all brands of receivers.

We capture pictures with a Adaptec GameBridge unit . The font on the main menu of the Max HD is very small .We used 540 x 360 images to make the font readable normally we use 300 x 200 images.

SatmanCanada does not test ANY 3rd party software.

SatmanCanada welcomes questions and comments about any products we have reviewed.