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GROUP TEST
SATELLITE TV RECEIVERS
INTRODUCTION
Satellite television has
suffered from an image problem, virtually since day-on. It was mostly
self-inflicted and in the case of early receiving systems, thoroughly well-deserved.
First generation satellite receivers were often badly designed and incapable of
keeping up with the rapid pace of development, rendering many systems obsolete
within a year or two of purchase.
To be honest not a lot has
changed and any receiver brought today is likely to start showing signs of
premature ageing within a couple of years but that’s the nature of the beast.
New satellites are being launched all the time, along with gadgets that enable
owners of fixed dishes to pick up signals from two, three or even four
additional satellites; two years ago a 100-channel receiver would have seemed
extravagant, today it’s barely adequate.
Apart from making sure you
have enough channels to see you through the guarantee period, what else should
you look out for when buying a satellite receiver? Astra 1d compatibility is
important, the new satellite, due to be launched later this year, will be
broadcasting on a different frequency band, below the one already used by
Astras 1a, b and c, not all receivers can cope, and be warned, you might also
need to buy a new dual-band LNB as well to receive the new channels, (look out
for receivers that have control systems able to utilise this feature). Extra
smart-card slots can be useful if you want to subscribe to channels not
included in BSKYB’s packages, and two LNB inputs will save a lot of bother,
should you feel the urge to have a second dish -- and you might when you see
the channel line-up on the new Eutelsat satellite, due to be launched next
year.
Stereo sound is a must,
even if you haven’t got a stereo TV or AV system right now you probably will
have soon. Satellite stereo sound can be quite hissy so look out for receivers
with noise reduction circuits, the Panda 1 system developed by Wegner is still
the most efficient, though manufacturer’s own systems are improving all the
time. Sound quality is more important than ever now with the increase in the
number of programmes and movies with Dolby Surround encoded soundtracks, and
essential if a satellite receiver is to have any credibility as a home cinema
component.
Armed with these basic
facts it’s possible to make a reasonably informed choice, but to help you on
your way we’ve put together a selection of five systems, that highlight the
various differences that exist amongst middle-ranking receivers, designed for those
whose aspirations go beyond what Astra and BSKYB have to offer.
AMSTRAD SRD550 £250
Amstrad had a pivotal role
in the development of satellite TV in this country and their range of
budget-priced receivers have been consistent best sellers. The 550 is a move
upmarket from the rather cheap ‘n cheerful receivers they’re best known for.
It’s one of a growing number of receivers to have two smart-card slots, for
those who subscribe to services other than those operated by BSKYB, though some
effort is still involved as this receiver has manual, rather than automatic or
programmable card selection. It’s a neat looking design, only one visible
control (on/standby), the rest are hidden behind a drop down flap, and less
conveniently, on the underside. Internally it’s a different story, this
Chinese-made receiver is a real mess, a potential servicing nightmare with
great dollops of silicon gel sticking components and cables together,
presumably to cure or prevent instability problems.
Operationally it’s
reasonably easy to live with, the on-screen display shows channels by name and
it permits access to most of the key tuning functions; the receiver is
pre-tuned to existing and most future TV satellites, including Astra 1d,
there’s no favourite channel memory but reorganising channels according to
personal preference is simple enough. The feature list is fairly conservative,
it has a VCR timer and parental lock, but little else besides.
Performance is generally
satisfactory, sensitivity is a little average, and sparklies appear quite
quickly in conditions of reduced signal
strength, particularly on weaker channels, like UK Gold; picture noise levels
and colour fidelity both pass muster. The 550 uses a home-grown audio noise
reduction system, which works reasonably well, though some background hiss is
evident, and treble response a little muted.
VERDICT
Definitely one of Amstrad’s
better efforts but one or two rough edges. Reasonable value and fair to
middling AV performance.
Picture quality ***
Sound quality ***
Build quality **
Features & facilities ***
Ease of use ***
Value for money 83%
Features parental
lock, 8-event/31-day timer, twin smart-card slots
Sockets 3 x
SCART AV, stereo line audio out (phono), 2 x LNB F-connectors, RF in/out
Dimensions 335 x
250 x 62mm
AMSTRAD, Brentwood House, 169 Kings Road, Brentwood,
Essex CM14 3EF. Telephone (0277) 228888
GRUNDIG GRD-250 £230
The GRD-250 is an upgrade
of the earlier 150 receiver, with an extra LNB input and increased channel
capacity. It looks pretty smooth, and there’s no buttons or switches to break
up the curvy lines. In fact there’s only four buttons on the unit, they’re behind
a drop-down flap, along with the single smart-card slot. The flap itself is a
very poor fit and one of the hinges on our sample broke off. A simple 3-digit
LED display shows channel number and operating mode.
The receiver has been
pre-tuned with all Astra channels, up to and including those that will be used
by Astra 1d. All the user has to do is set the clock and decide which stations
they want to store in the favourite channel memory. Grundig have also thoughtfully
pre-programmed all of the stations in the BSKYB Multi-Channel package, they too
can be accessed sequentially using the +/- buttons on the remote handset.
Satellite radio is another strong point, and the 250 has no less than 23 audio
modes, ten of them user-presettable. A menu-driven on-screen display puts up
channel names and covers all day-to-day functions, plus the more advanced
set-up options. The unusually detailed instructions even include a menu
flow-chart, to help users navigate their way around the various functions.
Concerned parents might like to note this receiver has impressive security
arrangements that should frustrate most juvenile hackers.
Sensitivity results were
not good on our sample, in fact it was the lowest in this roundup and sparklies
were present on an unattenuated signal from UK Gold. Picture performance in
general was fairly average, colours were noisy and had a tendency to over
saturation. Audio performance was also unremarkable, the noise reduction system
brought background hiss down to acceptable levels, but it’s not brilliant.
VERDICT
A promising-looking
receiver but let down by careless design and indifferent performance.
Picture quality ***
Sound quality ***
Build quality **
Features & facilities **
Ease of use ***
Value for money 75%
Features favourite
channel memory, Sky Multi-Plus channel selection, radio mode, parental lock,
4-event/28-day timer
Sockets 3 x
SCART AV, stereo line audio out (phono), 2 x LNB F-connectors, RF in/out
Dimensions 400 x
230 x 68
GRUNDIG SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS, Unit 10, Llantrisant
Business Park, Mid Glamorgan CF7 8LS. Telephone (0443) 220220
MASPRO ST8 MK II £250
Although they’re not
exactly a household name in this country Maspro have been building satellite TV
systems longer than almost anyone else, so they should have got the hang of it
by now. The ST8 Mk II is an upgrade of an earlier design, with extra facilities,
including twin LNB inputs, for multi-satellite operation. It looks
unthreatening, and the transparent control panel and smart-card cover is a neat
touch, but the more advanced options
are accessible if you need them. Like most receivers these days the ST8 is
factory tuned so there’s no need to mess around with the receiver’s higher
functions, apart from storing a selection of favourite channels. It has been
programmed to receive most currently available TV satellites, plus Astra 1d.
Convenience features
include a 8-event/28-day timer, parental lock and fully tuneable audio and
video settings, via a menu-driven on-screen display, though unusually there’s
no channel name display. The only other quibbles concerns the somewhat meagre
128 channel memory, cluttered remote
handset and occasionally quirky control systems, which can have even
experienced users reaching for the instruction manual.
The receiver has better
than average sensitivity and sufficient gain in reserve to cope with reduced
signal strength. Colour rendition is generally satisfactory, though noise is
evident in areas of heavy saturation. Sound quality was okay, with a reasonably
flat and even response, background noise levels are not excessive, though it’s
not the cleanest receiver we’ve heard.
VERDICT
The ST8 design is getting
on a bit; this most recent incarnation gives it some breathing space and it’ll
soldier on for another year or two, maybe longer if you don’t try anything too
ambitious.
Picture quality ****
Sound quality ***
Build quality ****
Features & facilities ****
Ease of use ***
Value for money 80%
Features 20
‘favourite’ channels memory, sleep timer, picture mute, 8-event/28-day timer,
parental lock
Sockets 3 x
SCART AV, stereo line audio out (phono), 2 x LNB F-connectors, RF in/out,
polarity switching, mains
Dimensions 360 x
262 x 73mm
MASPRO UK/ELECTROTECH, Unit 6, Drury Way Industrial Estate,
Laxcon Close, Neasden, London NW10 OTG. Telephone 081-451
6766
NOKIA SAT 1700 MK 11 £300
Nokia are another company
with a long history in the satellite TV business, and like Maspro were making
receivers when Astra meant fireworks and rusty Vauxhalls. SAT 1700 oozes
refinement, it’s slick and well presented, the only irritant being a blanked-off
second card slot. One look at the back panel shows it is ready for just about
anything, including some of the more exotic and unusual types of antenna.
There’s also connections for a companion dish positioner, for those who want to
get into heavy-duty multi-satellite TV, with a steerable dish.
Feature-wise Nokia have
struck a sensible balance between utility and gadgetry, it has a VCR timer,
parental lock and favourite program memory, which should be more than enough
for most users. However, for those who want to have a good fiddle, all of the
main tuning adjustments are accessible via the comprehensive on-screen display
system. It’s Astra 1d ready, and is one of the few receivers on the market at
the moment to have both tone and voltage switching facilities, for automatic
band selection on dual-band LNBs. Audio noise reduction is handled by
Panda/Wegner circuitry and there’s an extra socket which dealers can use for
fast programming the channel memory, should it need to be replaced.
On-screen performance is
very good, sparklies only appear during poor signal conditions, even UK Gold
looks clean; colours are sharp and largely free of noise, overall a good
looking picture. It sounds as good as
it looks, noise reduction is very effective with minimal background hiss on
most channels, the response is flat and Dolby Surround information emerges
unscathed.
VERDICT
Top AV performance and very
easy to use, definitely worth considering if you want to stay ahead of the
game.
Picture quality ****
Sound quality ****
Build quality ****
Features & facilities ***
Ease of use ****
Value for money 88%
Features Parental
lock, 8-event/28-day timer, 16 favourite channel memory, 22kHz LNB switching
tone
Sockets 3 x
SCART AV, stereo line audio out (phono), 2 x LNB F-connectors, RF in/out,
magnetic polarity switching, antenna control unit, fast program input, external
LNB control
Dimensions 360 x
268 x 60mm
NOKIA CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, Bridgemead Close, Westmead,
Swindon SN5 7YG. Telephone (0793) 644223
PACE MSS-500 £300
Pace have been at the
forefront of domestic satellite receiver design for some design, and they
badge-engineer for some of the biggest names in the business. The MSS-500 is a
stripped down version of the MSS-1000, (the first satellite receiver with a
built-in Dolby Surround decoder); even without that feature the MSS-500 is
still remarkably well-specified for the money, and equipped to deal with most
foreseeable developments. The headline features include twin smart-card slots,
mounted on an over elaborate sliding drawer mechanism; it has two LNB inputs, a
wideband tuner with LNB tone-switching, tone and volume controls, a smart
menu-driven on-screen and display and informative front-panel display. It has
all the usual gubbins too, including a multi-event VCR timer, sleep timer and
parental lock, plus stereo sound with Panda/Wegner processing.
Front panel controls are
restricted to four push buttons and a very trendy multi-function jog dial which
controls channel selection, adjusts the volume and selects the four ‘sound
shape’ tone presets; tone can also be adjusted manually from the on-screen
display. There’s never any doubt what it’s up to, the large front-panel display
shows status, channel name and number, as well as tuning and mode adjustments.
Picture and sound quality
are both excellent, and with a deliberately weakened signals the picture
degrades far more slowly than most other receivers, remaining watchable longer.
Colours are bright and natural-looking, and with a good signal there’s remarkably
little noise. Stereo sound is unusually crisp, hardly any background hiss
thanks to the very effective noise reduction system. At first glance tone
controls might seem out of place on a satellite receiver, and there’s no doubt
it sounds best with a neutral setting, but it’s a useful bonus for those with
older TVs, or inconveniently located sound systems, and it’s occasionally
helpful to iron out inconsistencies between the various channel’s soundtracks.
VERDICT
Definitely one for the
shortlist. A well-appointed receiver that’s not going to get left behind, it
performs extremely well and it’s great value.
Picture quality *****
Sound quality ****
Build quality ****
Features & facilities ****
Ease of use ****
Value for money 95%
Features twin
smart-card slots, sleep timer, 8-event/28-day timer, parental lock, tone
control/graphic equaliser, ‘favourite’
program memory, 22kHz LNB switching tone
Sockets 4 x
SCART AV, 2 x F-connector, stereo line audio out (phono), RF in/out
Dimensions 360 x
320 x 66mm
PACE, Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley BD18 3LF. Telephone
(0274) 532000
CONCLUSION
In spite of its good looks
the Grundig GRD-250 turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, apart from the
weak flap hinge and comparatively low sensitivity it’s not an especially
friendly design that can take some getting used to. The Amstrad 550 actually
did quite well and should help to move the brand’s image upmarket. It’s good
value with a useful assortment of features; on the debit side the sound was a
bit hissy, and the standard of internal construction leaves something to be
desired. That may or may not be a problem, time and its long-term reliability
record will tell. Fittingly the Maspro ST8 is a safe, middle of the road
design, with performance to match. If it has any weaknesses then it’s the
rather average audio system, limited upgrade options and the lack of a second
card slot. The Nokia SAT 1700 is also deficient in that respect, and they rub
salt into the wound with that crude blanking panel. However, it more than makes
up for that with excellent picture and sound quality plus extensive
future-proofing and scope for upgrading. The Pace MSS300 is our number one
choice, though, it combines the best of all worlds, with outstanding AV
performance, ease of use, upgradablity and a unique assortment of genuinely
useful features.
INSTANT GLOSSARY
ASTRA
A network of medium-power TV broadcasting satellites
co-located in a geostationery orbit at 19.2 degrees East of South. The three
Astra satellites currently in service (1a, 1b and 1c), transmit 16 TV channels
apiece and several dozen sound-only ‘radio’ channels. A fourth Astra satellite
(1d) is planned for launch later this year. The Astra satellites are owned and
operated by the Luxembourg based consortium Societe Europeene des Satellites or
SES.
GEOSTATIONARY or GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT
Back in 1948 Arthur C Clarke, the sci-fi writer had the
bright idea that if a satellite in earth orbit was high enough, and travelled
fast enough it’s centrifugal force would counterbalance the Earth’s
gravitational pull, and from the ground it would appear to remain in a fixed
position in the sky. That’s the basis of all of today’s TV and communication
satellites which orbit the earth, 36,000 km above the equator, at a speed of
11,069 km/hr.
IRD -- integrated receiver-decoder
Satellite receivers with built-in Videocrypt decoder. All
IRDs have one or more slots for ‘smart-cards’, issued by channel operators upon
payment of a subscription.
LNB -- low noise block converter
This is the widget mounted on the end of the arm in front of
a satellite dish. It’s job is to convert the extremely weak and extremely high
frequency signals transmitted by the satellite into a more manageable form. The
LNB amplifies the signal and lowers the frequency, so it can be sent by cable
to the set-top receiver.
SMART CARD
Plastic card containing a microchip programmed with data
necessary to unscramble Videocrypt encoded signals, plus information relating
to the subscriber
SPARLKIES
Name given to the characteristic bright flecks that appear
on a satellite TV picture when the signal is weak or degraded. There are
numerous causes, including dish mis-alignment, heavy rain or a poorly
performing dish or receiver.
VIDEOCRYPT
Encryption system adopted by a number of broadcasters using
the Astra satellites, including the channels which are part of BSKYB
Multi-Channel subscription package. Videocrypt uses a technique known as line
cut and rotate, which jumbles up the way television lines are transmitted. The
system is difficult to crack, though pirate ‘smart cards’ are being sold,
however anti-piracy measures adopted by BSKYB can render them useless.
AT A GLANCE TABLE
MAKE/MODEL ££s Chan LNB Score
Amstrad SRD550 250 199 2 14
Grundig GRD-250 230 250 2 13
Maspro ST8 Mk II 250 128 2 18
Nokia Sat 1700 Mk 11 300 320 2 19
Pace MSS-500 300 250 2 21
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1994 0607
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