Thread: Review: Sonicview SV-HD8000

Does your 8000 have the 8psk add on? I've read elsewhere that those can really put a drain on the power supply. My unit had one when I got it, but I decided to take the 8psk module out since it wasn't supported at all by the factory firmware.

Originally Posted by kirara386

Does your 8000 have the 8psk add on? I've read elsewhere that those can really put a drain on the power supply. My unit had one when I got it, but I decided to take the 8psk module out since it wasn't supported at all by the factory firmware.

nope, no 8psk Module installed

This machine is an out of serie but it has a problem of over heating.I put another fan inside and the failure gone.I watch HD channels without any problem since that.

Pd:Excuse me ,my english is quit limited.

I apologize if this is mentioned elsewhere or even in this thread but I've been reading alot and its all starting to blur together.

1) Does ac-3 come out the tv speakers without a decoder box?
2) This will downconvert to play on a SD tv, correct?
3) Does this have a old screw on (rf?, cable ready?) connection to hook to older tv/vcr?

Originally Posted by kirara386

I wasn't able to post in the review section, most likely due to my low post count, so mods feel free to move the post if you want.


I finally feel I've tested my Sonicview 8000 enough to give it a fair review. This is my first receiver so I don't have a lot of experience with FTA boxes. If you see something I haven't touched on that you want to know more about I'll do my best to get the answer for you.

Right off the bat this receiver is not capable of showing DVB-S2 or 4:2:2 (audio only). As it is from the factory it has no 8psk support either. There is an after market card signal pirates like to use for 8psk but it is not supported by factory firmware.

Now that we've got that out of the way onto some of the things this receiver can do...

The SV8000HD has an ATSC tuner. I haven't used this feature in a while, but when I tested it out several months ago it worked as well as the ATSC tuner in my Samsung DLP (no surprise there, the 8000's ATSC tuner is made by Samsung).

Now for satellite viewing. I tested this unit on both C and Ku bands. I haven't had any trouble tuning anything I've tried (I probably haven't been as thorough as some) . I have found that the signal/quality meter to give a low values. For instance RTN on AMC 9 always shows the quality level as being 5-29% yet the channel comes in with no freezing or glitches. Most other FTA comes in at around 45%, also with no picture issues. The unencrypted signals on circular satellites usually come in at 99-100% quality, as do a few of the stronger linear signals. I do have a quad Invacom on my 36" Fortec Star dish and I'm wondering if maybe it's weighing the support arm down slightly, as I've seen other members have had this problem. When I have some free time I'll get out and test this and report back.

I use the 8000 with a USALS motor. It does an excellent job of driving/guiding this motor. I had the USALS part of this working well at one point. I disconnected my HH motor when I was using a GBox for my BUD (pre 4DTV), and I haven't gotten the USALS to work correctly since. I will try to look into this and follow up on it. Since USALS was working well at one point I'm sure I just need to reset something in the receiver or on the motor.

This receiver does blindscan and it does it well. It will even find channels/transponders when you are not dead on the satellite, which helps a lot when you're not exactly sure if you're in the neighborhood of the satellite you're looking for. It is also very easy to tell when it encounters an active transponder, even if it is one it can't decode. This would make the 8000 an excellent companion to a receiver that was unable of blindscanning.

The receiver does have basic PVR functions. Basically set a timer to tune to the channel that you want to record. No pausing live TV or anything fancy like that. You will want to keep the unit hooked up to an aerial antenna to keep the correct time if you want to use the PVR extensively. I find I don't use this feature often.

It does have a couple of quirks. One of course is the signal/quality meter as mentioned above. The other is the remote is touchy. It sometimes registers multiple key presses even when you only press the button once. You do get used to that quirk eventually although it can be annoying when you're trying to fine tune a motor.

My recommendation...If you want an HD receiver and don't need DVB-S2 or 4:2:2 this is a very well rounded receiver. If you do want to be able to receive DVB-S2 or 4:2:2, I would recommend getting a HD receiver that supports them, as the $300 plus price tag of the 8000 without the 8psk board is a bit steep just for blindscanning capabilities.

Edit: Added pictures as requested. I could not find anything bigger for the front and back views at the moment.

Nice review

I got a sonicview last night and am having a blast playing with my new toy. To answer the questions I asked earlier:
1) AC-3 needs no extra hardware. Sound comes out the speakers.
2) Yes, it downconverts for a SD tv.
3) There is no RF, screw on connector.

Here's major news:
I have 10 hours of an OTA program guide!

I was under the impression that this didn't exist in an fta/atsc box. I'm liking this box more all the time.

How about 8psk boards for this receiver:

A-1 SONICVIEW 8PSK MODULE ADAPTER V2 for SonicView 8000 HD

. Anyone bought one of those? Is there a full board specification posted anywhere on the web? Do they support 8psk-Turbo only, or also 8psk? What tuner and demodulator chip models are used?

I have to retract my earlier statement that there is an ota program guide. For some reason it no longer populates well and is inaccurate.

So after some use, how would you guys rate the motor control (does it stay accurate?). Also, is the blindscan really working well?