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**bel71281** · May 8th, 2008

2 C&P's from different sites.
I didn't see the author to give the credit to.

Full list of features of the Sonicview 360:

The SonicView 360 FTA receiver provides High Definition HD digital free to air satellite reception for the USA, Canadian, and Caribbean markets.

This is SonicView's incredible HDTV FTA Receiver and it is an amazing looking unit!

Dimension : 370(W) x 250(D) x 60(H)mm
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
Fully Comply with ATSC HDTV(VSB) & DVB-S MPEG 2
EPG Supported
Close Caption Supported
9 Characters 1 Line VFD Blue Display
Channel Naming Supported
Full Colors & User Friendly GUI for Easy Control
The Fastest Booting & Scan Speed
Single & Multi-Satellite Auto Scan
Manual Scan Supported
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
Muti-Picture Frame Screen Available
7 Controlling Keys Power On/Off, Channel Up & Down, Volume Up &Down, Menu, OK
F-Connector : TV Antenna-In
1 LNB Input with IF Signal Loop Through Input Frequency 950 – 2150 MHz Tuner Symbol Rate : 1?45 MS/s
Supports SCPC & MCPC from C / Ku-band DiSEqC 1.0 & 1.2 USALS with 500mA Max LNB Power / 22KHz Switching Control Supported
4, 9,16 Flame Screen & Thumbnail View Selectable
Zoom In-Out Function for Watching Screen
Various Aspect Ratio with4:3, 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)
RS232C 9-PIN Connector : Twisted Cable
USB 2.0 Host : For S/W Downloading
PC to Set S/W Downloading using Window based Specific Program
Set to Set S/W Downloading (Main Program & Channel List Data File)
RCA Output for Video, Audio L/R
Composite Video Output( Y,Pb,Pr)
HDTV HDMI Output Connector
S/PDIF for Digital Audio / Dolby AC-3 Bitstream Output
S-VHS Output Connector
Useful Universal Remote Control Unit 95~250 VAC 50/60Hz Universal IR Remote Control
3 Phono RCA Cable, Serial Cable, 2 AAA Batteries for RCU & User’s Manual

c/p:

a tad more info..

At the 2008 CES show in Las Vegas, Sonicview showed off its sleek newline of products, the Sonicview 360 Elite, The Sonicview 360 Premier, and the Sonicview 360 HD. Each 360 Unit is PVR ready and the HD Unit is a Personal Video Recording Dream. Expect this unit to have Sata Drive Capabilities which allow you to capture an almost unlimited amount of progrmming using one hard drive. Each unit has two usb 2.0 ports, one on the front and one on the back for convinience and overall look.
================================================== =========

Sonicview SV-HD8000 Review

Man "O" Man... this is nice. Everything rolled up into one nice neat tidy package! You have OTA, USB PVR & HDTV! The best of ALL worlds. The Sonicview 8000 does deliver an excellent picture along with very simple setup for PVR and FTA functions. May I just say, "you get what you pay for!" This unit IS fabulous and offers soooo much to the end user. As a matter of fact, there are so many features available, you could easily expect this review to continue for some time as we test and deliver results.

One thing we would like to note right away for those that have already been asking questions about the Sonicview 8000. It is important that if you are intending to achieve the best possible video, and we know that's one of the reasons you have this unit, please use the proper setup. Using the HDMI or component out [Y, Pb, Pr] features deliver the excellent picture quality you would expect. Believe me, if it delivered in 780p / 1020i you WILL be amazed at the difference! Using the CVBS Video might not give you the quality expected and widescreen displays using this output, will be less than productive.

There is a feature that I have come to appreciate in the Sonicview HD-8000, the front display changes [nice Blue] as you change channels, showing you where you are and what you are watching with the channel name. Also during menu changes... you are never in the dark with the Sonicview HD-8000! lol

Alright then, shall we begin......

Satellite Setup
Sonicview's HD-8000 as their other models begins with the greeting of the Language selection. [screenshot] From there you will proceed to the menu and Dish settings. One thing we can say for Sonicview is they do keep things simple and basic for setup. Once you have selected the dish setting you will see the following [screenshot] just choose your satellite, adjust your lnb [screenshot] settings and choose your scan type. [screenshot] Now you are on your way to a new experience. What a great display! Yes I know this is an opinion, but don't we all offer them. I rather enjoyed the simple setup and fast scanning. next we will move on to the DTV scan....

OverTheAir DTV Scan
Once again, this is a very simple process. To scan for the OTA signals, select DTV scan. You will be greeted with a window like this one. [screenshot] Once you select your scan mode... [screenshot] wala you are scanning for all of those FREE OTA HD channels. Check out how crisp and clear the picture is!

User Settings
Under user settings there are several options [screenshot] From this menu you can setup your AV settings, time settings, [you'll want to have your time setting ready for the record features. Setting up for reservations etc... we will cover that later on in the review.] Parental control is also set up from this screen as well as multiple user options. Such as TP updates, channel sort after scan and epg mode.

USB options
In the USB options portion of the menu, you have a couple of options. You can select the scan disk or file list. The file list option has actually 2 functions. If you have recorded a program, you can navigate through the folders to find your recordings to play them back. Look at this screen shot... and this screen shot. When the Sonicview records, it places the recording into a folder on your device. When you navigate to the folder and select it, you can browse through all of the recordings and choose which you would like to play back. The other thing that you can do in the file list is update your firmware and or add channel data. If there is a file present on your device that the Sonicview can recognize, you may select it from this menu.
The scan disk option will search the Sonicview USB port to find a drive or USB device. If there is no device present, you will be notified as in this screen shot.

Firmware upgrade
We have included a couple of screen shots [1], [2] for you showing the process of the firmware upgrade. The files for the Sonicview are large, the process does take a couple of minutes.

Recording and Playback
Well this is nice. Your watching your favorite show and you decide you would like to record it... just press the record button and you are off. The file format for the recorded programs is . We will cover play back on your pc later on in the review. Playback of recorded programs from your hard drive or USB devise is also a pretty simple process. Navigate to filelist, browse your folder as explained in the previous USB options and select your recorded program. When the recorded program has completed playback, you will be returned to the file list to either select another recording or return to TV by selecting exit on the remote. Now with Sonicview HD8000, you don't have to enter the menu for the play list. You can press the blue button on your remote to display the play list onscreen. A real time saver. But then Sonicview is noted for all of those fab short cuts onscreen! You can fast forward, rewind, pause and play your recorded programs. The picture quality on recorded programs is very good. No jumps or jitters. You would think you were watching it all live again. Please be sure to visit the gallery for screenshots. It may take some time for all of the images to be linked as we put the review together. The screenshots can be a very helpful resource.

On Screen Options
Sonicview has been noted for all of the great on-screen options. Well the Sonicview HD8000 is no different. You will find all of those features you have come to love in other Sonicview products, available on the HD8000 to! There is a great category function, by pressing the red button on the remote, where you can search the guide. Lest we forget Sonicview's great find feature. Press the find button on your remote [looks like a magnifying glass and paper] and you have this great screen! Enter in the channel name or part of the name and the Sonicview finds everything available with those letters or numbers. I love the search feature, it is one of my favorite options in the Sonicview line.

PC Playback
When you are ready, after you have recorded on the Sonicview 8000HD, we have found a great program for converting, editing and even writing to a DVD. The name of the program is VideoReDo. You can find it at www.videoredo.com They have a fully functional 15 day trial download. The download is just under 11 mb so even for dialup it's not too bad. So... with VideoReDo you can easily cut commercials, edit frames or just about anything. Then view it or save it to write it to a DVD. No Problem. VideeoReDo has a great save as function with a multitude of formats to choose from. For the Sonicview 8000, just direct the program to the file {transport Stream} with in the recorded HDD or USB drive. Use all files when searching the recording, click the file and instantly you are watching on your PC. Really a nice proggy.

May 8th, 2008	#1 (permalink)
bel71281 IM BACK Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,541 Thanks: 366 Thanked 1,712 Times in 761 Posts Rep Power: 168	SV360HD and the SV8000HD comparisons 2 C&P's from different sites. I didn't see the author to give the credit to. Full list of features of the Sonicview 360: The SonicView 360 FTA receiver provides High Definition HD digital free to air satellite reception for the USA, Canadian, and Caribbean markets. This is SonicView's incredible HDTV FTA Receiver and it is an amazing looking unit! Dimension : 370(W) x 250(D) x 60(H)mm 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 Fully Comply with ATSC HDTV(VSB) & DVB-S MPEG 2 EPG Supported Close Caption Supported 9 Characters 1 Line VFD Blue Display Channel Naming Supported Full Colors & User Friendly GUI for Easy Control The Fastest Booting & Scan Speed Single & Multi-Satellite Auto Scan Manual Scan Supported 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 Muti-Picture Frame Screen Available 7 Controlling Keys Power On/Off, Channel Up & Down, Volume Up &Down, Menu, OK F-Connector : TV Antenna-In 1 LNB Input with IF Signal Loop Through Input Frequency 950 – 2150 MHz Tuner Symbol Rate : 1?45 MS/s Supports SCPC & MCPC from C / Ku-band DiSEqC 1.0 & 1.2 USALS with 500mA Max LNB Power / 22KHz Switching Control Supported 4, 9,16 Flame Screen & Thumbnail View Selectable Zoom In-Out Function for Watching Screen Various Aspect Ratio with4:3, 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) RS232C 9-PIN Connector : Twisted Cable USB 2.0 Host : For S/W Downloading PC to Set S/W Downloading using Window based Specific Program Set to Set S/W Downloading (Main Program & Channel List Data File) RCA Output for Video, Audio L/R Composite Video Output( Y,Pb,Pr) HDTV HDMI Output Connector S/PDIF for Digital Audio / Dolby AC-3 Bitstream Output S-VHS Output Connector Useful Universal Remote Control Unit 95~250 VAC 50/60Hz Universal IR Remote Control 3 Phono RCA Cable, Serial Cable, 2 AAA Batteries for RCU & User’s Manual c/p: a tad more info.. At the 2008 CES show in Las Vegas, Sonicview showed off its sleek newline of products, the Sonicview 360 Elite, The Sonicview 360 Premier, and the Sonicview 360 HD. Each 360 Unit is PVR ready and the HD Unit is a Personal Video Recording Dream. Expect this unit to have Sata Drive Capabilities which allow you to capture an almost unlimited amount of progrmming using one hard drive. Each unit has two usb 2.0 ports, one on the front and one on the back for convinience and overall look. ================================================== ========= Sonicview SV-HD8000 Review Man "O" Man... this is nice. Everything rolled up into one nice neat tidy package! You have OTA, USB PVR & HDTV! The best of ALL worlds. The Sonicview 8000 does deliver an excellent picture along with very simple setup for PVR and FTA functions. May I just say, "you get what you pay for!" This unit IS fabulous and offers soooo much to the end user. As a matter of fact, there are so many features available, you could easily expect this review to continue for some time as we test and deliver results. One thing we would like to note right away for those that have already been asking questions about the Sonicview 8000. It is important that if you are intending to achieve the best possible video, and we know that's one of the reasons you have this unit, please use the proper setup. Using the HDMI or component out [Y, Pb, Pr] features deliver the excellent picture quality you would expect. Believe me, if it delivered in 780p / 1020i you WILL be amazed at the difference! Using the CVBS Video might not give you the quality expected and widescreen displays using this output, will be less than productive. There is a feature that I have come to appreciate in the Sonicview HD-8000, the front display changes [nice Blue] as you change channels, showing you where you are and what you are watching with the channel name. Also during menu changes... you are never in the dark with the Sonicview HD-8000! lol Alright then, shall we begin...... Satellite Setup Sonicview's HD-8000 as their other models begins with the greeting of the Language selection. [screenshot] From there you will proceed to the menu and Dish settings. One thing we can say for Sonicview is they do keep things simple and basic for setup. Once you have selected the dish setting you will see the following [screenshot] just choose your satellite, adjust your lnb [screenshot] settings and choose your scan type. [screenshot] Now you are on your way to a new experience. What a great display! Yes I know this is an opinion, but don't we all offer them. I rather enjoyed the simple setup and fast scanning. next we will move on to the DTV scan.... OverTheAir DTV Scan Once again, this is a very simple process. To scan for the OTA signals, select DTV scan. You will be greeted with a window like this one. [screenshot] Once you select your scan mode... [screenshot] wala you are scanning for all of those FREE OTA HD channels. Check out how crisp and clear the picture is! User Settings Under user settings there are several options [screenshot] From this menu you can setup your AV settings, time settings, [you'll want to have your time setting ready for the record features. Setting up for reservations etc... we will cover that later on in the review.] Parental control is also set up from this screen as well as multiple user options. Such as TP updates, channel sort after scan and epg mode. USB options In the USB options portion of the menu, you have a couple of options. You can select the scan disk or file list. The file list option has actually 2 functions. If you have recorded a program, you can navigate through the folders to find your recordings to play them back. Look at this screen shot... and this screen shot. When the Sonicview records, it places the recording into a folder on your device. When you navigate to the folder and select it, you can browse through all of the recordings and choose which you would like to play back. The other thing that you can do in the file list is update your firmware and or add channel data. If there is a file present on your device that the Sonicview can recognize, you may select it from this menu. The scan disk option will search the Sonicview USB port to find a drive or USB device. If there is no device present, you will be notified as in this screen shot. Firmware upgrade We have included a couple of screen shots [1], [2] for you showing the process of the firmware upgrade. The files for the Sonicview are large, the process does take a couple of minutes. Recording and Playback Well this is nice. Your watching your favorite show and you decide you would like to record it... just press the record button and you are off. The file format for the recorded programs is . We will cover play back on your pc later on in the review. Playback of recorded programs from your hard drive or USB devise is also a pretty simple process. Navigate to filelist, browse your folder as explained in the previous USB options and select your recorded program. When the recorded program has completed playback, you will be returned to the file list to either select another recording or return to TV by selecting exit on the remote. Now with Sonicview HD8000, you don't have to enter the menu for the play list. You can press the blue button on your remote to display the play list onscreen. A real time saver. But then Sonicview is noted for all of those fab short cuts onscreen! You can fast forward, rewind, pause and play your recorded programs. The picture quality on recorded programs is very good. No jumps or jitters. You would think you were watching it all live again. Please be sure to visit the gallery for screenshots. It may take some time for all of the images to be linked as we put the review together. The screenshots can be a very helpful resource. On Screen Options Sonicview has been noted for all of the great on-screen options. Well the Sonicview HD8000 is no different. You will find all of those features you have come to love in other Sonicview products, available on the HD8000 to! There is a great category function, by pressing the red button on the remote, where you can search the guide. Lest we forget Sonicview's great find feature. Press the find button on your remote [looks like a magnifying glass and paper] and you have this great screen! Enter in the channel name or part of the name and the Sonicview finds everything available with those letters or numbers. I love the search feature, it is one of my favorite options in the Sonicview line. PC Playback When you are ready, after you have recorded on the Sonicview 8000HD, we have found a great program for converting, editing and even writing to a DVD. The name of the program is VideoReDo. You can find it at www.videoredo.com They have a fully functional 15 day trial download. The download is just under 11 mb so even for dialup it's not too bad. So... with VideoReDo you can easily cut commercials, edit frames or just about anything. Then view it or save it to write it to a DVD. No Problem. VideeoReDo has a great save as function with a multitude of formats to choose from. For the Sonicview 8000, just direct the program to the file {transport Stream} with in the recorded HDD or USB drive. Use all files when searching the recording, click the file and instantly you are watching on your PC. Really a nice proggy.