Is the Coolsat 7100 a good reciever for a newbie?

[NotTy]

Hello everyone.
I'm going through pre 4DTV separation anxiety. Or maybe it's the coffee.Mmm, nope, it's withdraws.
With the exception of an ariel antenna, I have had only the big dish to watch TV with since 1992. I have a 7.5" mesh dish & as unbelievable as it sounds, the original lnb. It's been so long, I forgot what temp it is. The dish is set up for c band & I bought my 920 4d in 2000 then bought a 922 in 2006 after my 920 quit working. I have never had any issues with the lnb & always had a strong signal & a clear picture on any channel I had subscribed to with my 4D unit.
I like the Coolsat 7100 & seems to have fairly good reviews but before I get it, is it fairly newbie friendly? I've also looked at OpenBox S9 which seems to be a higher performing receiver & maybe a little less "newbie" friendly.

Or is there something else that has decent performance & quality aimed more for the newbie?

PVR isn't necessarily a necessity & neither is a double tuner.

Also, what else will I need? I have just the one dish & I am guessing my 4DTV unit will switch vertical/horizontal as well as move the dish.

 

[AcWxRadar]

For the Coolsat family of receivers, I only liked the 5K and the 6K models. Of course they were only SD receivers. But, I think you can do better than the 6100/7100/8100. I have some knowledge of the 6100 through my brother and we did not rate it highly. It's ok, but not great. The 7100 is similar to the 6100 in some respects, but not a great improvement. Not so sure of the 8100, but I have heard some questionable reports.

Shop around a little more. I think there is something better for you.

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

The Coolsat 7000/7100 is kinda like a Visionsat and a few of us have (or had) them...very nice receiver and does allow you to hook up a drive to record

I think the 7000 had a 40 minute buffer internally and the 7100 had an hour...dont quote me on that but the differences are minimal

 

[SatelliteAV]

If you want a good used unit similar to the 7100, buy the Visionsat. The Visionsat had much more hobbyist friendly firmware and features that were not included in the 7100 which was mainly produced for the theft of services market.

If you want new with a warranty, our GEOSATpro DSR200c and DVR1100c units are very fine SD receivers with strong blind scan, reliable operation and excellent feature sets.

 

[olegray]

The CS5000 is a jewel for being friendly and it has blind scan. The CS8100 doesn't do blind scan, but it will do DVB-S2. Both are well software supported here on this forum.

 

[NotTy]

Thanks.
I probably do want the blind scan.
Visionsat has some really good reviews but rather hard to find a new one.

 

[Anole]

I have two Visionsat IV-200 receivers. They've been great.
Reason you don't see any new is 'cause they're out of production.
But that's good: a used one will be less.

How much were you thinking of spending on the 7100?
You might find an S9/Openbox for the same price right about now.
It'll do HD and S2, which should give it a longer useful life. (saw one for $140 incl shipping)

Just remember, no receiver is perfect, nor is there one that does everything (the way you think it should)
So, spending an arm 'n a leg on one isn't wise, if it gets replaced by something else next year.

 

[NotTy]

I just want a solid receiver with a strong name behind it without spending much more than about 140 for now. It'll be connected to the main household Heath/Zenith TV I built back in 1984 so HD is out for now. (divorce)
Although a used unit might work. I might consider it since I did purchase my 922 off CL in '06 & never had any issues with it.
The S9 keeps sticking in my brain too.
Anyway, you guys have been a lot of help & I will continue searching out the models you recommend.
Well, I guess I'll watch Seinfeld one last time.

 

[Anole]

I built a couple of Heathkit color TVs over the years, myself.
First one had tubes (that was a while back).
The later one had transistors (not exactly recent, either) -

Based on your situation , I'd go for a good used Coolsat 5000, or 6000, or maybe a Visionsat IV-200.
The Coolsat should be $25 - $50. I don't know what the used market is on the Visionsat.
Maybe a Mercury II (or one of its variants). Some folks on the forum don't like 'em, so take that into account.
Save your pennies - (I see a 32" Toshiba HD LCD TV on sale this Xmas for $299), and before you know it, you'll be wanting that HD FTA receiver too!

 

[BiggRedd]

I have a CS7100 that I picked up on eBay for $22.56 shipped. I then bought a 4Gig flash drive for under $10. The box does everything I ask it to do. But of course also owning a CS4K pro and a CS6K I am just a little more than partial to the Coolsat line of receivers.

 

[phlatwound]

I can't add much to the excellent recommendations that others have already given you in this thread, but were you aware of the fact that "4DTV" is NOT totally going away?

Please check out the 4DTV forum here for the "new era" of C-band subscription tv that will begin after the first of the year, lots of info and people there that can answer any questions you may have.

Either way, you definitely should get a DVB receiver. I own, and have used the Visionsat, Openbox, and Coolsat 6000s, all are excellent units. And if I was in the market for a new SD receiver, SatAv's Geosat box would be at the TOP of my list, his knowledge and support of their products is unparalleled.

 

[NotTy]

Thanks again.
Yes, I have been keeping up with 4D
This is something I've wanted to do for a long time & now it's time.
Plus there's nothing much on those packages for 4D but I plan to subscribe for a while anyway to at least show my interest.
Thanks again & I'll check out E-Bay this morning. .Maybe used is the way to go but I don't want a tweaked receiver.
Anyway, thanks for the information.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks.
I probably do want the blind scan.

This is a feature that you will definitely want to ensure you get.

RADAR

 

[NotTy]

I'm strongly thinking about the OpenBox S9. It sounds a little over powering for me but I know myself well enough that whatever receiver I do get will be with me a very long time. After all, I still drive the same car as I did in 1984.
And I hope this receiver has RADAR.

 

[AcWxRadar]

I'm strongly thinking about the OpenBox S9. It sounds a little over powering for me but I know myself well enough that whatever receiver I do get will be with me a very long time. After all, I still drive the same car as I did in 1984.

I am sure it won't be too much to handle. How well it functions is another story. I don't have any personal experience with it, but I looked at the advertisements and prices and I see several offers around $140. That is not too excessive for a brand new box that does what they claim. It sounds like an AZBox in the discount rack. Not sure if that is good or bad. That is one thing that you cannot be sure of, and until a person who knows what a good STB is supposed to do, how it should function and how friendly it is to the user, you won't really know what the box is worth until you put one in your hands and start testing it out personally. That is always the gamble in this hobby. You might get a total lemon and you might get something that is just okay and then you might get a fantastic receiver that will last you for a long time.

It is best to read what others are saying who own or have owned one. But, make sure you listen to the people who are reputable and really understand what they are doing. Don't put too much stock in a total newby who just had a bad experience because he or she didn't know what they were doing in the first place. You will be able to identify the straight forward, honest and valid testimonials and evaluations by how they talk and the words they use (attitude and demeanor). If you can find some information from TeleSat magazine, that is a pretty good source. They test the equipment and report on it in nice detail. They use a little whitewash, but usually hit on the specifics well enough.

And I hope this receiver has RADAR.

"has RADAR"... Ha Ha, thanks! That's a really nice compliment! I appreciate that and it sounds good, too!

RADAR

 

[Cosmokramer11]

I have a CS 7100 micro pvr and a CS 5000. I like the 5000 better. I am also selling my CS7100 for $25 if anyone is interested

 

[NotTy]

Thanks everyone. I have done exhausting research & have settled on the OpenBox from a reputable e-bay seller. I really appreciate all the suggestions & have researched all the receivers that were suggested & those suggested seem to have some of the best reviews of all the receivers I read about, along with proven workability & proven user friendliness, but like anything else, what's new today is old news tomorrow. The OpenBox does have some minor issues from what I've read, but seems also to have good to excellent reviews as well. I'm sure I'll be back with questions & I only hope I haven't stepped into too deep of water with this receiver.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks everyone. I have done exhausting research & have settled on the OpenBox from a reputable e-bay seller. I really appreciate all the suggestions & have researched all the receivers that were suggested & those suggested seem to have some of the best reviews of all the receivers I read about, along with proven workability & proven user friendliness, but like anything else, what's new today is old news tomorrow. The OpenBox does have some minor issues from what I've read, but seems also to have good to excellent reviews as well. I'm sure I'll be back with questions & I only hope I haven't stepped into too deep of water with this receiver.

I think you have plenty of company, seems there are quite a few others who have jumped in on the OpenBox. It also doesn't seem to be a whole lot different from the AZBoxes.

RADAR