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MANHATTAN PROJECT
INTRO
Multi-satellite receivers needn't look like
Joderell Bank in miniature, the
Manhattan 9000 takes the sting out of the technology with the simple to use,
black-box approach
COPY
The huge number of satellite transmission
systems now in use makes it practically impossible to encompass all the
necessary tuning and decoding technology in one box, so inevitably any
multi-satellite receiver is going to have to be a compromise. The Manhattan
9000 is a compromise but it's a class act and the designers have pitched it at
the upper end of the market, where performance, looks and ease of use carry as
much, if not more weight than knobs, buttons and gadgets.
Starting with the price, which is listed
around the £640 mark for the receiver on its own (though expect to pay less on
the street); this immediately sets it apart from the crowd. It's not one of
those exotic multi-standard, all-singing, all-dancing type receivers but you
get a very fair assortment of useful features for your money. The design is
deliberately understated, even to the extent of having a discrete backlit LCD
front-panel display, much more refined than those garish LED beacons, don't you
think? Multi-satellite reception means having some way of steering the dish,
the 9000 has a built-in positioner that associates dish direction with a
particular satellite and channel, so selecting Sky 1, for example, will
automatically track the dish from wherever it happens to be, to 19.2 degrees,
and select the correct frequency and polarity.
The receiver's 350-channel memory has been
factory-programmed with channel data for 30 satellites, though be warned that
you will need the appropriate external decoders for many of the stored
channels. All that remains is for the installer, (or user, of they're feeling
brave), to do, is to carry out a once-only positional alignment for the
satellite co-ordinates, by manually tracking the dish. Once set the receiver
will measure signal strength and auto-focus the antenna whenever a new
satellite position is selected.
User-oriented features include a
9-event/1-week VCR timer, password-operated parental lock, favourite-channel
memory, dual LNB inputs, and good provision for external decoders. The
manufacturers thoughtfully supply a set of leads, one SCART to SCART for AV
interconnections, the other, SCART to D-Sub connector, for a decoder.
Additionally the 9000 has a SCART
socket for a MAC decoder, a second SCART for normal AV interconnections, and a
separate composite video and stereo audio outputs, for connection to a VCR or
TV.
Connection to the positioner and voltage or
pulse-controlled polarisers are via banks of spring-loaded terminals. The 9000
also has 7-pin DIN socket on the back panel; this is for transferring or
copying the contents of its memory to other slave receivers in multi-user
installations.
During setup the 9000 is controlled by a
two-layer, menu-driven on-screen display system, (it sounds worse than it
is...) with selected data for any given channel position repeated on the LCD
display. There's minimal front-panel controls; all major operations are
directed from the IR remote handset, so don't loose it! Options include the
normal video and audio frequency adjustments, audio mode and de-emphasis, which
can be selected or changed using a pair of up/down buttons, or -- in the case
of frequencies -- entered directly, using the handset's numerical keypad.
The adjustments cater for the variations in
the vast majority of satellite transmissions, though the manufacturers may have
decided that too many controls might be a bad thing, die-hard dabblers may find
themselves yearning for a few more things to fiddle with. Incidentally, the
instruction book is a sorry thing, it
could do with a few more illustrations, or some graphics, to make it a little
more approachable.
Generally speaking performance is good, and
the very positive and accurate actuator control system deserves a special pat
on the back. Noise levels are well below average, and the receiver always seems
to have plenty of gain in reserve when it comes to signals that are below par.
Audio quality is fine, maybe a little light on the bass, but background noise
levels are low and it sounds quite clean.
This is a competent piece of kit for the STV
devotee who wants more than Astra but doesn't want to get entangled in the
technology of multi-satellite operation. It's well designed, easy to use and
performs reasonably well; maybe not the kind of receiver to get your blood
racing, but there are many who would consider that an advantage...
FACT FILE
Receiver: Manhattan 9000
System price: £639 (receiver)
Address:
Eurosat Distribution
Ltd., 1 Oxgate Centre, Oxgate Lane, Edgware Road, London NW2 7JA. Telephone 081
452 6699
VERDICT
Sound ***
Picture ****
Ease of use ****
Features ***
Value for money ***
Good-looking core-component for those interested in an easy-to-use multi-satellite system
Buying Satellite Rating: 90%
System: PAL multi-satellite receiver and dish
positioner. Features: 350 channel/30 position memory, menu-driven on-screen
display, parental lock, multi-mode video and audio, inverse video, dual LNB inputs, backlit LCD front panel
display, compatible with switched and optocoupler positioners Audio: mono/stereo (50us/J17/DNR). Sockets: RF
bypass, dual LNB input, MAC decoder
(SCART), AV out (SCART, remote control/data transfer, PAL decoder, stereo audio
out, video out, AGC out, polariser, positioner . Dimensions . 420 (w) x 86 (h) x 255 (d)
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(c) R.Maybury 1993 1506
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