SatHawk PVR800 vs Pansat 9200HD ?

[sanjap]

I have a pansat 9200HD with the 8psk board. It blindscans DVB-S2 and seems to be working well, except the PVR which sucks. I am considering spending $200 + on the SatHawk PVR800. Is this a good decision or you think the Pansat 9200HD is better?

I appreciate your advice. I don't want to spend more money if it will not be better than the pansat 9200hd.

 

[Lak7]

For me, the only thing the Sathawk does is Blind Scan fast.
Firmware needs major improvements.
I would wait to see if any improvements are made.

 

[Mr Tony]

I agree with Lak7

The blind scan works great...but there are still some bugs that need to be worked out

 

[crackt]

what are the bugs specifically ? hard to iron them out if no one mentions them. i may also be in the market for a sathawk and the wisdom of this forum is always appreciated.

crackt out,.

 

[Lak7]

Most "bugs" are listed the the Sathawk thread.
For me...
No North American Sat list
Can't Save Channel / Sat List
Firmware update resets Channel / Sat list
Can't control Switch and Motor, setup as either Fixed w/ Switch, or Motor w/ No switch
Freezes for no particular reason
Stutter on some feeds, I haven't narrowed it down to any specific type.
Little communication from seller.

 

[Mr Tony]

-cant play AC-3 through the rca plugs or the HDMI directly to a TV
-once in a while it chokes on a high bitrate feed playing it (My Network HD comes to mind)
-cant record high bitrate feeds
-if you press the buttons on the remote too quick it freezes up
-doesnt like low symbol rates (under 2500)
-if you select anything other than 480i through the av cables you get nothing on the screen
-wont keep time at all. if you select manual time and power off, when you power back on it shows 00:00
-Renaming channels is useless on some sats. The "blind scan boogie" sats (72,74,79,91,105 as example) dont bother renaming channels because if it rescans the TP it puts the old name back...I renamed "service 1" on 74W as ONN. Blind scanned and now it shows "Service 1" again.
-no way to select a specific satellite in the list. You have to scroll through them
-Still no way to setup a diseqc switch in motor antenna menu...I have a 22k switch in the line. Can only select the KU LNB....when you pick motor there is no option for a diseqc/22k switch
-locks up on a dead channel (feed) if you power it on from that channel
-Can't Save Channel list
-Firmware update resets everything

those are off the top of my head...there may be more

 

[crackt]

thanks guys. seems extensive. haha.

crackt out,.

 

[greg harris]

To some people that have read all of the threads about this receiver, the bug list may seem big or extensive. IMO, Most of these problems could be fixed!!!
Every new receiver has bugs and problems. The big question for me is: Are they trying to fix these problems or are they ignoring them???
Right now, it looks like the vendor is ignoring these problems or placing the blame for performance issues elsewhere. Questions about this receiver are being asked and not answered. The blame for the ac3 audio problem has been placed on the type of tv set....
If I do not see some genuine concern about fixing these problems within a week, then I am going to cancel my order. I had high hopes for this receiver but they are fading fast!!!

 

[Lucky53]

I have a pansat 9200HD with the 8psk board. It blindscans DVB-S2 and seems to be working well, except the PVR which sucks. I am considering spending $200 + on the SatHawk PVR800. Is this a good decision or you think the Pansat 9200HD is better?

I appreciate your advice. I don't want to spend more money if it will not be better than the pansat 9200hd.

Right now,stay with the Pansat..I really like mine..having a lot of fun..

 

[pback]

As someone mentioned, it is the Chinese New Year and most businessness are shut down. Don't expect any comm from DVBworld till next week I think.

 

[sanjap]

Thanks for all the input. But the Pansat too has issues.
- It freezes alot especially on S2 feeds.
- Doesn't send AC3 Audio through HDMI
- PVR will not play back HD recorded content. Gets stuck.
- Very Hot even when off.
- Soft limits on USALS cannot be removed.
- Front display difficult to tell when receiver is ON or OFF.

It seems all these HD receivers are rushed to market. I haven't seen any complete one. The most stable i ever used was the Viewsat MaxHD. It never crashed and never froze. However, that receiver was not made for true FTA.
Guys keep the comments coming.. Your inputs will save me $$

 

[Lucky53]

Thanks for all the input. But the Pansat too has issues.
- It freezes alot especially on S2 feeds.
- Doesn't send AC3 Audio through HDMI
- PVR will not play back HD recorded content. Gets stuck.
- Very Hot even when off.
- Soft limits on USALS cannot be removed.
- Front display difficult to tell when receiver is ON or OFF.

It seems all these HD receivers are rushed to market. I haven't seen any complete one. The most stable i ever used was the Viewsat MaxHD. It never crashed and never froze. However, that receiver was not made for true FTA.
Guys keep the comments coming.. Your inputs will save me $$

Not sure why ur getting freezing on the S2 feeds..I'm getting next to none..Do you have the latest S2 module in it?? I also have a small fan blowing on the set to keep it cool..I do believe this helps in its operation..I'm very happy with mine.

 

[stone1150]

Thanks for all the input. But the Pansat too has issues.
- It freezes alot especially on S2 feeds.
- Doesn't send AC3 Audio through HDMI
- PVR will not play back HD recorded content. Gets stuck.
- Very Hot even when off.
- Soft limits on USALS cannot be removed.
- Front display difficult to tell when receiver is ON or OFF.

I have had my 9200 for about two years. The S-2 board is the "plus" model. Depending on the serial number, some of the early ones needed to have a transistor re-oriented. Something to do with the PVR working properly. The fix for the early models is posted at the Panerex site.
I have not noticed any more freezing on S-2 signals than on the regular old S signals. However that said, it does have it's moments, but all receivers seem to at certian times it seems from what I have read. I have mine hooked up with the HDMI since day one. I have AC3 audio with no problem. So that does work, maybe it is your setup? Maybe it's your TV? And if it is the receiver, check the HDMI connection inside the receiver. There were some reports of the connection being bad and lifting up on the cable at the receiver gave audio. I however have not had that problem. On the PVR function, I have recorded several shows in HD and even transferred some to dvd in order to clear out drive space with not much trouble. I have had to re-boot the box on a few occasions, but not enough to really complain. On the heat issue, I myself do not run a fan. The box is well vented and is no warmer than the other stuff,4DTV, Stereo, and Tv itself. Some claim that a fan helps the freezing. I tried it for fun and saw no difference, except a cooler receiver but not in performance, after a week or so. So I ditched the noisy fan I had blowing on it. I use it with my 10 footer so I can't address the USALS issues. Finally, looking at the receiver when it is off, the colon flashes. If there is no colon showing, it's on. Have a great day!

 

[sanjap]

Stone,
Are you sure it sends AC3 audio through HDMI or it converts the AC3 audio to Linear PCM? Mine converts AC3 audio ( which may may include Dolby .51 Sound) to Stereo LPCM. The HDMI has never been able to play 5.1 Dolby for me. But when i hook up the Optical cable, i get the 5.1 sound.
About the other issues, it might be my receiver being a lemon.

 

[Lak7]

Are you sure it sends AC3 audio through HDMI

I can confirm that the Sathawk passes AC3 via HDMI. However, my TV did not pass it back to my Audio Receiver, so I upgraded my Audio Receiver to a unit that had HDMI Inputs.

 

[Jim S.]

I've only had one or two lockups on the SatHawk since the last software upgrade. None of them have been related to pushing buttons too fast the way it used to be, they've all been on flaky channels. Sometimes, on a high-bitrate channel, it'll appear to lock up but if you give it a few seconds it'll come out of it. It's much more stable now than what it used to be.

 

[Mr Tony]

I agree Jim
It is MUCH more stable than it was originally

 

[sanjap]

I can confirm that the Sathawk passes AC3 via HDMI. However, my TV did not pass it back to my Audio Receiver, so I upgraded my Audio Receiver to a unit that had HDMI Inputs.

Lak, i was referring to the Pansat 9200HD

 

[Lak7]

Lak, i was referring to the Pansat 9200HD

Oops!

 

[Corrado]

I use my 9200 mainly for the scanning and hasn't been used daily since I started using my Diamond almost a year ago. Mine always runs hot enough to worry me and I used a small PC fan on it. I'm pretty sure it delivered the AC3 through the HDMI, but I can recheck it easy enough. I feel all new receivers should today, but I know it's wishful thinking. There are so many AC3 feeds up there.

It's constant need for rebooting and cross interference with other remote controls is what annoys me about it.

I never bothered to get the board modified for the PVR or the S2 kit since the Diamond does S2 perfectly and can record via the USB. It just doesn't blindscan.