Sonicview-1000 Review
First of all the EPG feature is one of the most important features of any STB. It makes no since to have all these channels if you have no clue what is showing. The EPG of the SV-1000 is very clean and easy to read. Unlike many other STB’s in which you have to scroll thru 48 to 72 hours in advance, the Sonic View EPG has next day access thru the push on a button. By pushing the read button you can go 6 days ahead to view programming. Just as some other EPG’s out there you have the ability to set a reminder to view programming at a later time. The Sonic View also has a feature to put the reminders in a list. This way you can add programming to a list and view your scheduled reminders. The Sonic View allows the user to alternate between 2 hours and 3 hours display. The EPG updates very quickly. You can update 7 day EPG in less than a minute. The Sonic View EPG also allows you to switch the EPG between single channel and multi channels. I also love the ability to search for a channel name instead of scrolling thru looking for the channel.
Support:
The Sonic View team has consistently shown that there support is second to none. They continually come out with updates quickly and are constantly adding new feature to their units.
RCU:
I always grab my remote first. I like to see its features and how ergonomic the remote is. I was very happy to see the large buttons. The EPG button is my most used button and it is right in thumbs reach. Since it is my most used button I was happy to see how large it was. The remote is a lot larger than the Viewsat, Pansat and Coolsats I own. This is a great feature. The off button is top center and is by itself. There are so many times at night with the lights off that I have to turn on the lights just to find the off button on the other remotes. I wont have that problem again. This is probably the best remote I have ever seen for any type box. There is only one drawback to the remote and it is its range. You cant point this remote anywhere and have it function. You must point it at the unit. I have heard that there is a fix for this, but I never recommend opening a unit that is under warranty.
Audio/Picture Quality:
I don’t have a HD TV so I really cant come picture quality as compared to other receivers. I must say that on the ED TV that I have the Sonic View has the better picture than the other STB’s that I have had before. One feature that I like is that there are different audio settings to choose from via the remote. The only feature that I could not find that may be there is the ability to change the picture quality manually. Sometimes there is a need to change the picture quality per the users discretion. This may be added in a later fix.
Software:
The software for the Sonic View is easy to install and is relatively quickly to do so. The channels scan very quickly as compared to the Coolsat, Pansat and Viewsat STB’s that I currently have. The menu is very user friendly. I can navigate through the screens very easily and the channel search feature is a plus. Setup is wasy and can be done very quickly. You can be up and running in a matter of minutes. You can actually scan a Sat in less than a minute. 30 to 40 seconds to be exact. Again this is one of the fastest units I have found. Upgrading the software is thru the serial port for the SV-1000 but Sonic view has went to the next step on their newer units by allowing upgrades via USB drives. Again Sonic View is ahead of the game when it comes to support. The Sonic View software allows you to set you locals in the menu. Just select your city and you are done. There is no need to re-arrange your channels. Just select your city and state, turn local channel numbering on and you are done. For those who want to use a channels list, Sonic View has not forgotten about you. Just use ChannelMaster to load your personal channel list and arrange your channels. Sonic View also lets you transfer data from one unit to another. You can transfer the main software, Channels, Bootloader or just simply transfer it all. This is a great feature if you just want to transfer the software and send this unit to another location so that the user can just scan their own channels or load their own channel list.
Features/Hardware:
Instant (EPG) 7 Days Full TV Guide (no waiting)
-NEC EMMA 2LL chip-set @160Mhz
-32Mb Flash ROM for Fast Channel Changing
-S-Video Output
-Component output (Y, Pb,
Pr)
-Sharp NIM Tuner
-Brilliant On Screen Graphics
-Small Picture in Graphic with Zoom
-Multi Timer Function
-4:3, 16:9: Pan & Scan Full Screen and Letter Box
-Digital Audio Output
-Parental Lock Function using Master PIN Code
-6000 Channel Programmable
-100 Satellite Programmable
-Background Graphic Display for Radio Program Channels
-Easy-to-use User Interface
-Various Aspect Ratio with4:3, Letter Box, Full Screen & 16:9
-100 Satellite Programmable
-Channel Sorting by FTA, CAS, Satellite, Alphabetic Order & Network
-8 Favorite Channel List Group Programmable
-Highly Speedy Channel Changing Time : Less than 1 Sec.
-Close Caption Supported
-PIG (Picture-In- Graphic) Available
-Muti-Picture Flame Screen Available
-14, 9,16 Flame Screen & Thumbnail View Selectable
-Zoom In-Out Function for Watching Screen
-Automatic NTSC / PAL Detection and Simple Video Converter (NTSC <-> PAL) In On-Screen Display Menu
-Useful RCU Key-Functions for Channel Find, Edit and Signal Strength Display
-1 Year Manufacture Warranty. Made in KOREA
Linear Mode
