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Ultimate Systems 2011 Summer 2011 Want to see more?
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UltimaTe Systems 2011
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Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 3
Ultimate luxury system Our money-is-no-object system picks the choicest kit, not forgetting a massive telly TV
Samsung 55UED8000 n 55in LED beast has Freeview and Freesat HD, USB recording and web apps to spare n £2,300, www.samsung.co.uk
PVR
Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo n ‘Learning’ cable box records three channels at once to its 1TB hard drive n £199 n www.virginmedia.co.uk
PVR
Amstrad Sky+ HD DRX895 n With 1TB of storage this remains our favourite PVR n £250, www.sky.co.uk
Meter
Global Invacom Optiscan n Next gen meter is built for electrical and optical sat installs n £953, www.globalinvacom.com
NETWORKING
Western Digital WDTV Live Hub n Acting as both 1TB NAS drive and media server this caters for all our non-TV viewing needs n £175, www.westerndigital.com
MEDIA SERVER
Devolo dLAN 200 AV Wireless N kit
Also consider
n Piping media and the web around the home is made easy with this powerline kit n £80, www.devolo.co.uk
EchoStar HDS-600RS – Cool-looking Freesat+ HD PVR streams TV around the home or internet to mobiles and PCs. £350, www.myechostar.com 4 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
Samsung SMT-S7800 – The new kid on the Freesat+ HD PVR block has smart apps to set it apart from the crowd. £280, www.samsung.co.uk
Blade BM7000s – The price isn’t luxurious but this PVR-ready HD sat box has plenty of class. Why not buy a few? £150, www.blademedia.tv
UltimaTe Systems 2011 Which dish? Primesat 1.4m What planning permission? This formidable 1.4m aluminium high gain prime focus antenna from Satellite Superstore should pick up feeds from pretty much all Euro satellites. Sitting on a dipped, galvanised stainless steel polar mount it’s motorised using a Jaeger 18in Superjack motor and Technomate V3 box and topped off with an Invacom C120 flange LNB n £530 (£500 without V-Box) www. satellitesuperstore.com
SPEAKERS
KEF T-Series T205 n 5.1 soundtracks including TV will sound even better with this built-to-last KEF offering n £1,500, www.kef.co.uk
amplifier
Onkyo TX-NR5008 n This obscenely well spec’d amp will handle pretty much any audio format n £2,400, www.onkyo.co.uk
PVR
Technomate TM-7102 HD-T2 Super n Twin HD sat tuners, multicam a Freeview HD tuner and 1TB storage this is the ideal premium PVR n £450, www.technomate.com
PVR
Panasonic DMR-BS880 n A great combi with Freesat HD tuners and Blu-ray archiving n £850, www.panasonic.co.uk
VIDEOSENDER
Marmitek Gigaview 820 n This ace wireless videosender is ideal for multiroom HD use n £260, www.keene.co.uk
remote
ThinkFlood RedEye n Control multiple devices using your Apple device with this IR cradle and RedEye app n £200, www.armourhome.co.uk
Also consider
Icecrypt STC600HD PVR – Excels with a choice of two satellite, DTT or cable tuners and Linux flexibility. £570 (2TB HDD), www.turbosat.com
Panasonic TX-42GT30 – Excellent TV also with Freesat HD, Freeview HD and USB recording (see Ultimate IDTV). £1,299, www.panasonic.co.uk
Dreambox DM800 HD SE – Latest in the hugely popular Linux receiver range. With HD satellite and recording. £429, www.dreamboxshop.co.uk Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 5
Ultimate budget sat system Times may be hard but you can still put together a decent satellite system, TV included for relatively little outlay TV
Panasonic L42E30B n Another LED-powered bargain from Panasonic with Freeview HD, Viera Connect apps including iPlayer and networkable media streaming all for around £600 n £600 (approx), www.panasonic.co.uk
Which dish? ISS 80cm mesh offset dish With enough breadth to give you reception of the most popular European satellites without shrinking your wallet in the process, this mesh antenna comes supplied with a 40cm stand-off mount. It’s constructed from rust-resistant 0.6mm phosphated steel and with the addition of a 14in multi LNB holder can take four LNBs for multi-sat use. n £31.82 (trade price), www.alltrade.co.uk
meter
Manhattan DSM-4S n It doesn’t do DVB-S2 but this is still ideal for more involved installations whether you’re an installer or avid multi-satellite viewing punter. n £149, www.horizonhge.com
sat finder
Philex SLX sat finder n A quick way to find the satellites you desire, this cheap-as-microchips Philex gadget has a backlit analogue meter and audible tone n £12, www.philex.com
PVR
Comag PVR 2/100CI HD
Also consider
n Twin-tuner HD satellite PVR with 400GB hard drive, media playback via USB and excellent performance at an unbelievable price n £180, www.rockdale.co.uk
Triax SR110 – If FTA reception is all you require this SD receiver does the business with good performance and blind search. £55, www.triax.co.uk 6 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
Manhattan UPM – SD box with excellent software, programmable multicam, blind search and PVR via USB. £85, www.manhattan-receivers.com
Icecrypt S200C VFD – Has a smart card reader and Conax CAM plus record/play of MP3 and JPEG files from external drives. £70, www.turbosat.com
UltimaTe Systems 2011
TV
Samsung PS50C6900 n This inexpensive 3D 50in plasma has a Freeview HD tuner and USB recording and earns its place in this techy section owing to networking/ web functionality that includes DLNA streaming and apps n £1,300, www.samsung.co.uk
Which dish? Orbital 1m When you’re not busy modding your receiver and fancy watching some TV, this 1m antenna should get you most of what’s on the continent. Built from aluminium with an anthracite grey coating, this pole-mounted antenna is claimed to have a high gain of 40.98dB at 12.75GHz. For motorised users it can be mounted using the Cryptik H-H mount V bracket. n £52.50 (trade price), www.alltrade.co.uk
NAS drive
Western Digital My Book Live n With a whopping 3TB of storage, this network hard drive is ideal for storing recordings and streaming media n £199, www.wdc.com
Receiver
Icecrypt ST6000HD PVR n Add two DVB-S2 tuners, the biggest HDD offered, and you have a moddable penguinpowered PVR to be proud of n £570 (with 2TB drive), www.turbosat.com
Meter
Manhattan DSM-4S n This dinky little meter will help you locate most popular satellites of interest in no time. n £149, www.horizonhge.com
Also consider
Dreambox DM800 HD SE – Successor to the DM800 has many improvements plus external recording. £319, www.dreamboxshop.co.uk
AZ Box Premium HD+ – PVR upgradable with media playback, networking, web-browsing and more. £380, www.azbox.com
Vu+ Duo – Twin-tuner PVR upgradeable receiver with smart card readers and networking too. £339, www.sat-shop.co.uk Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 7
Ultimate UK free-to-air system Won’t give Rupert or Richard your hard-earned? There’s still plenty of gratis homegrown TV to enjoy TV
Toshiba 55WL768 n With Freeview HD and an HD-capable satellite tuner, this 55in LCD TV delivers excellent big-screen performance n £1,800, www.toshiba.co.uk
AV receiver
Sony STR-DH810
Which dish? Triax TD88 We’ve plumped for more than a minidish with this sturdy 88cm Triax effort. Made from galvanised steel, it sports a pre-mounted feedarm and non-sleep mast bracket with trusty U-bolts. It’s easy to set up and shaped to aid reception of up to five satellites at once. n £50 (approx), www.triax.co.uk
n 7.1 output is over-spec’d for TV but this superb-value amp sounds good pumping out 50W per channel and handles copious audio formats n £299, www.sony.co.uk
Speakers
Q Acoustics 2000 n This cute-looking 5.1 system throws up a detailed soundstage and can be expanded to 7.1 if required. n £650, www.qacoustics.co.uk
PVR
EchoStar HDS-600RS n The most advanced Freesat PVR has two tuners, a 500GB HDD and can stream TV to PCs and mobiles n £350, www.myechostar.com
PVR
Humax HDR-FOX T2 n Still the best Freeview HD PVR, now available with 1TB HDD and TV Portal webfunctions including BBC iPlayer n £369 (1TB), www.humaxdigital.com
Networking
Devolo dLAN 200 AV Wireless N kit
Also consider
n £80, www.devolo.co.uk
TVonics DTR-HD500 – A dependable dual-tuner Freeview HD recorder with super-stylish, talking-point looks. £250, www.tvonics.co.uk 8 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
Technika Smartbox 8320HD – This Tesco-brand Freeview+ HD PVR has pay-TV and networked media streaming. £200, www.fetchtv.co.uk
Panasonic DMR-BW880 – This twin-tuner HDD/ Blu-ray burner combi for Freesat HD is in a field of its own. £880, www.panasonic.co.uk
UltimaTe Systems 2011
Ultimate UK pay-TV entertainment system Which dish? Selfsat Sqish0005 Claimed to have reception capabilities of a 60cm dish, this distinctive 45cm antenna can be fitted with a quad LNB – making it ideal for Sky installations. More stylish than a minidish, its flat front can be covered with a matt or gloss finish sticker in order to camouflage it in ‘sensitive’ areas with any image you like (e.g. brickwork). It has a 33.5dB gain, which should further enhance its reception chances. n £199, www.satshop.co.uk
One provider still dominates for our money but the true pay-TV connoisseur gets their kicks from both broadcast and online sources
TV
LG 50PX990 n A formidable 3D-capable 50in plasma, networkable media streaming and apps including YouTube n £1,500, www.lge.co.uk
Speakers
Acoustic Energy Aegis Neo V2 n Lovely wood stylings on a 5.1 speaker setup that includes a sub with 200W of roomshaking sound n £1,000, www.acousticenergy.co.uk
AV receiver
Marantz SR7005 n If Darth Vader owned an amp... 7.1, 125W per channels, comprehensive audio format support and more connectors than you’ll ever need n £1,400, www.marantz.co.uk
PVR
Amstrad Sky+HD 1TB DRX895 n With the biggest range of HD channels, Sky is still the TV service to beat and this is still our favourite pay TV PVR n £250, www.sky.co.uk
Also consider
Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo – Challenging Sky+ is this triple-tuner cable PVR with learning features and apps. £300, www.virginmedia.com
Technika Smartbox 8320HD – Pay-TV including Sky Player is a broadband-delivered extra on this Freeview+ HD PVR. £200, www.fetchtv.co.uk
Triax TD88 – This 88cm antenna is forged from galvanised steel and shaped for multi-satellite reception. £50 (approx), www.triax.co.uk Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 9
Ultimate Digital TV PC system A media PC is the beating heart of our hi-tech satellite and Freeview-friendly system with sat broadband on the side Soundbar
Samsung HW-C450 n A meaty sub makes all the difference on this well specified, high-performing and space-saving TV speaker substitute n £250, www.samsung.co.uk
Media PC
Vivadi MM322 HD Mediamaster
Also consider
n We tasked Vivadi to build us a special TV-minded media PC and it certainly delivered. Our custom-built box comes with with a 2TB hard disc, Blu-ray drive, networking and space for up to two Black Gold tuner cards. We’ve gone for the full fat dual-tuner card option with two Freeview SD/HD and two HD satellite tuners n £2,199, www.vivadi.co.uk
Acer Aspire Revo RL100 – Compact media PC with Blue-ray drive and Windows 7. Add your own TV tuner. £400, www.saveonlaptops.co.uk 10 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
PCTV nanoStick T2 290e – Freeview HD tuner stick. Software enables recording and remote streaming. £100, www.pctvsystems.co.uk
Elgato EyeTV Netstream DTT – Also available in satellite version. Enables network streaming to PCs, Macs and mobile devices. £230, www.elgato.com
UltimaTe Systems 2011 Which dish? Orbital 1m Constructed using robust aluminium and protected by an anthracite grey coating, this 1m antenna should get PC users most satellite channels they desire from the UK and can be pole mounted. It can be motorised using a Cryptik H-H mount, or you can fit a 3-9 degree LNB holder for multi-sat reception. ASTRA2Connect hardware (below) requires its own fixed antenna. n £52.50 (trade price), www.alltrade.co.uk
TV
Sony KDL-40NX713 n With its 2001-esque monolithic design’, this 40in ‘LED-backlit LCD TV has Freeview HD, networking features and 3D compatibility n £1,000, www.sony.co.uk
Sat Internet
ASTRA2Connect n Two-way sat broadband is more affordable and accessible than ever with speeds up to 4Mb/s n £300 hardware plus £25/ month (4MB max value package), www.satelliteinternet.co.uk
NAS drive
Western Digital My Book World Edition n Available with 2TB in a back-up friendly RAID configuration, this is an ideal remote storage solution n £150 (approx), www.wdc.com
Also consider
Devolo dLAN200 AV Wireless N kit – HD-ready Powerline extender kit spreads your multimedia reach around the home. £80, www.devolo.co.uk
Apple iPad 2 – Current king of tablets, with plenty of gadgets and apps available for TV viewing and control. From 399, www.apple.com/uk/ipad
Tooway – New Ka-band offerings make this satinternet service worth considering. £199+£99/ month (3.6Mb/s), www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 11
Ultimate feedhunter system
Which dish?
Going hunting? You can cut through the jungle of TV shows and have something to take away with this feed-friendly setup
TV
LG-47W55T n When you’re not feedhunting this mid-range 47in LED-backlit LCD TV is 3D-ready and has Smart TV apps including YouTube and networked media streaming to entertain you n £1,089, www.lge.co.uk
Primesat Elite To maximise our signal-seeking potential we’ve plumped for another Satellite Superstore exclusive in the shape of this 1m Primesat high gain prime focus dish. Held together with stainless steel bolts, it’s reflector is made from spun aluminium and its driven using Alsat’s Supreme LED Dark Motor, which will slot onto poles of 50mm to 76mm. An Invacom C120 flange LNB should be a more than capable signal collector. n £400, www. satellitesuperstore.com
PVR
Icecrypt ST6000HD PVR n This twin-tuner Linux-based PVR comes with up to 2TB of storage and earns a star place here, thanks to excellent search options including an effective blind search scan n £570 (with 2TB drive), www.turbosat.com
Capture box
AverMedia Dark Crystal HD
Also consider
n If you want to save what you find this external box can capture HD video from pretty much any source, which is ideal for screengrabbing n £170, www.avermedia.com
Comag PVR 2/100CI HD – 400GB PVR with media playback, blind search and great picture and audio performance. £180, www.rockdale.co.uk 12 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
Manhattan Plaza UPM – Also with great searching including ‘blind’, plus multicam, card reader and PVR via USB. £85, www.manhattan-receivers.com
Global Invacom Optiscan – This hi-tech meter can cope with both electrical and optical installs. £953, www.globalinvacom.com
UltimaTe Systems 2011
Ultimate IDTV system We’ve got Freeview and Freesat covered with this fully integrated system augmented by plenty of networking extras
TV
Panasonic TX-P42GT30 n Freeview and Freesat HD tuners, recording via USB and connected TV apps including iPlayer and YouTube and networked streaming make this 42in plasma a bargain n £1,200, www.panasonic.co.uk
Which dish?
PVR
Panasonic DMR-BS880
Hirschmann HIT FESAT 75cm The Panny kit has some provision for finding non-Freesat channels so we’ve paired it with a 75cm offset parabolic antenna whose components can be folded if need be. It’s claimed to have a high gain for weeding out signals from weak transponders. n £61.47 (trade price), www.alltrade.co.uk
n OK, it’s another Panny product but they’re built to complement each other and this Freesat+ HD PVR/Blu-ray combi remains a luxury worth your indulgence n £800, www.panasonic.co.uk
Also consider
Toshiba 55WL768 – With Freeview HD and HD-ready sat tuners, Tosh’s 55in Edge LED backlit TV does 3D too. £1,800, www.toshiba.co.uk
Samsung 55UED8000 – Gorgeous 3D-ready 55in LED TV with Freeview HD, Freesat HD, apps, recording and more. £2,600, www.samsung.co.uk
Triax TD88 – This 88cm antenna can gather signals from up to five satellites at a time with the right LNB setup. £50 (approx), www.triax.co.uk Summer 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 13
Ultimate travel sat system We’re going on a summer holiday but we’re not leaving our receiver at home, oh no
TV
AVTex L185TR n 18.5in of LED backlit LCD screen and DTT recording and timeshifting via USB make this 12V set a touch of class for any caravan or motor home n £330 approx, www.avtex.co.uk
Which dish? Omnisat VuQube We’ve singled out something more advanced than the antenna that comes with the Ross system. Inside the distinctive weather-resistant casing sits a remotely controllable motorised antenna that’s claimed to have the reception capabilities of a 54cm offset dish. The wireless remote has its own LCD screen, which makes it even easier to operate inside your caravan (and out of the rain, perhaps). Pricey, yes, but hard to resist, surely, for frequent caravanners. n £669, www.maxview.co.uk
PVR
Ross 22300 HD-R n You’ll need a power inverter for caravan use, but this all-in-one system offers a 65cm dish, HD reception, recording via USB and extensive media playback n £80, www.ross.co.uk
meter
Manhattan DSM-4S
Also consider
n This handy, easy-to-use sat signal finder will meet the needs of most users when setting up a dish n £149, www.horizonhge.com
Micro MI50 HD – HD reception, compatibility with EasyFind LNBs and PVR via USB on a great ‘traveller’. £158, www.roadpro.co.uk 14 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2011
Comag SL30 HDMI USB – Also sold as part of a dish kit. Has an HDMI output and PVR via USB recording. £50, www.rockdale.co.uk
Selfsat Sqish0005 – If you can find somewhere to mount it you can camouflage this antenna, which will take a quad LNB. £199, www.satshop.co.uk