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JULY 2011

Freesat Freeview euro tv skyThe best kit, The best programmes

Golden Media 990 CR hd pvR spaRk LX

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Golden Media 990 CR hd pvR spaRk LX

This diminutive PVR-upgradeable Linux receiver with online extras excels in many areas with a few exceptions

The Golden Media 990 CR HD PVR Spark LX is a tiny box offering high-definition reception, Conax CAM, and PVR functions with external

storage. As such, it’s not that exciting – useful enough for Freesat HD or European pay-TV, perhaps – but the 990 is also a Linux-based receiver.

It uses the Spark operating system found in a number of receivers of different brands (especially in Germany and the rest of Europe), which can take plug-in software modules to upgrade the machine. It is also capable of running Enigma 2, which will satisfy a lot of third-party software fans, not to mention pay-TV viewers.

Build and connectivityThe 990 is the size of a budget Freesat machine, but with the mains power supply built in. It has a fold-down flap

on the front concealing eight buttons for basic control (more than are found on most modern machines), the Conax card slot, a blanked-off common interface slot (it would have been nice to see this in use), and a four-digit numeric display. The display is also small, and the non-tinted window in front of it makes the whole machine look a bit homemade with the flap down.

The back panel is quite crowded, even though it is missing many sockets found on other machines simply because it’s so small.

There’s a single LNB input, with loopthrough output for a second receiver, which can support both DiSEqC 1.0 and 1.1 switches and DiSEqC 1.2 and USALS motors. The F-connectors are very close to the digital and analogue audio outputs and the composite video output, which makes them fiddly to connect when the other

Sadly, there’s no blind search mode even though it’s mentioned in the manual, but database scans are quick and the database updateable via USB

It’s not the prettiest of its kind but you can view now-and-next or seven-day data in the EPG and call up programme details using the ‘i’ button

Channel lists can be sorted in numerous ways including by CAS and provider and searched for using text entry or an onscreen keyboard

n www.rockdale.co.uk n 01493 667750 n £149.99

The OppositionAZ Box Ultra HD n Also Linux-based with unofficial Enigma 2 option, but better connectivity, better LAN access, internet browser, and blind search but less reliable software and a lot more expensive

Dreambox DM800 HD se n The ultimate Linux-expandable and connected receiver, but also with one tuner and without blind search and more than twice the price

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FeaturesNo LNB inputs: 1LNB loopthrough: Yes DiSEqC: 1.0/1.1/1.2/USALSNo. channels: 10,000 Selectable FEC: NoSymbol rate range: 2000-45000Blind search: NoLinux: YesCAM: Conax card readerCommon interface: None

Teletext: DVB decoded EPG support: DVB now-and-next, 7-dayTimer: 8 events, unlimited timeHard drive: Via USB

UHF modulator tuning: N/ASoftware upgrade: Internet or USB downloadData ports: RS232, USB, EthernetAV outputs: SD out: TV Scart (composite, RGB), composite videoHD out: HDMIAudio out: Stereo analogue audio, coaxial S/PDIF

connections are used.There’s no modulator on board (which isn’t surprising)

and just one Scart socket (which is), and there’s just the HDMI socket for HD output. So no loopthrough VCR Scart and no component video outputs as found on many other receivers of this ilk.

The 990 also sports an RS232 data port (that is quite redundant), an Ethernet socket for a broadband connection, and a USB socket for plug-in storage for both the PVR functions and software upgrades (which can also be made direct from the internet).

The 990’s remote control is huge compared with the box, and it’s quite classy-looking too (if a bit light and plasticky). It’s comfortable to use and, as well as the expected navigation, menu and PVR keys, the handset has a number of buttons dedicated to single functions, but the arrangement of the buttons and the lack of special shaped keys doesn’t make for ease of fingering. Play and Stop are easy to confuse, the Volume and Page Up/Down rockers are the wrong way up, and it’s hard to find the Find key.

setupHowever, the 990 is easy to set up and it follows the usual path of first specifying the LNBs and satellites available then scanning in the active channels. Ku-band, C-band or cable LNBs can be used, their local oscillator frequency set, and assigned to DiSEqC 1.0 or DiSEqC 1.1 ports for up to four or 16 LNBs, respectively.

For motorised dishes, the latitude and longitude co-ordinates are entered (for USALS) or the required

LNB input and loopthrough

Stereo analogue audio outputs

TV Scart

‘It may be small, but the 990 produces a big picture. HD images off-air or played from storage are excellent’

satellites located and saved (DiSEqC 1.2).When the LNBs are set up each satellite that can be

received is scanned (either one at a time or in succession) for active channels. Surprisingly, the 990 doesn’t offer a blind scan (even though one is mentioned in the user guide) – only a conventional database scan is available (you can also scan a single transponder and specify the PIDs used) but this can be configured to find all channels, just FTA TV or radio channels or all TV/radio channels.

The 990’s database scans are very fast – a whole satellite is searched in a little over two minutes. As the database goes out of date with broadcast changes an up-to-date database can be downloaded over the internet via a PC and USB stick or directly to the receiver. The 990 is then set up for online use, either defining the IP addresses manually or (more usually) with DHCP.

Basic useChannel navigation uses an onscreen channel list that is displayed with three selection panes – the overall sorting criteria (all channels, alphabetic, satellite, encryption, favourite, provider, HD), the selection category within that criteria (such as initial letter of the name), and the channels in that category.

You can then sort the channels within the category by name, transponder, provider, encryption or stored number, and can also change the Properity [sic] of a channel – delete, rename, lock or skip it.

There’s also a channel name string search (conveniently offering both onscreen keyboard and text-type input) and a 10-deep recall function to backtrack on your viewing, too.

It takes a bit of getting used to, but is very powerful.The 990 boasts 32 favourite channels lists and these

are simply populated with any channels from the main list, one at a time or selected in groups, and can be renamed and re-ordered to your taste. The Fav button on the remote displays a miniature, single-pane version of the channel list to select a channel.

The EPG displays a nine-channel table of current programme titles, their start time, a progress bar for the show and an icon to indicate that further details are available (the details for the selected show are displayed with the ‘i’ button). You can then switch to a similar table of the programmes on next, or a schedule for the

Ethernet network connection

HDMI

RS232 data input

USB data connection

Composite video output

Tech DataFTA scan, Astra 19.2°E: 2m 10s

FTA scan, Hot Bird: 2m 23s

Full Scan, Astra 19.2°E: 2m 12s

Full Scan, Hot Bird: 2m 28s

Power consumption: 20W max

0 5 mins

0 5 mins

0 5 mins

0 5 mins

Coaxial S/PDIF output

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90 What Satellite & Digital TV July 2011

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selected channel up to seven days in advance (if available). A single button press sets the timer to tune to, or to record, the selected programme. The 990 also has the usual subtitle, teletext, and TV/radio selection functions, as well as a useful image zoom, output format (resolution) selection and a sleep timer.

PVR and multimediaWith storage connected to the USB socket, the 990 can pause or record live transmissions. It has only one tuner, so you cannot freely record and watch different channels, nor can you use the live pause while recording. However, you can watch one channel while recording another on the same transponder, and the channel list ghosts out the unavailable channels in this case.

Crucially, while a programme is being recorded you can’t start to watch it, but you can watch another previously recorded show while recording is in progress.

Playback is relatively simple with pause, fast-forward and rewind up to 64x normal speed, and a progress bar that can be dragged to play from any point in the file. But there’s no slow-motion (although the buttons are on the remote), bookmarks or jump function – and no editing.

The 990 plays MP3 music files and photos from the plug-in storage but there’s no real jukebox or slide show software. It also plays video files in a variety of formats either recorded or from elsewhere from the USB port.

The 990 really scores with its access to the internet. Although there is no option to directly browse the web (nor any iPlayer access, of course), the Spark software provides an online manual and help, messaging, convenient software updates, and you can browse YouTube, Picasa (photos), and Shoutcast (themed radio), receive RSS feeds, and see the weather forecast for your city (subject to a very US-centred filtering).

You can even display a little task bar onscreen with the time and weather, and quick links to messages

and the plug-in storage.Spark also allows for ‘plug-ins’ (you could almost call

them apps) to expand the capabilities of the receiver, although only an onscreen calculator is available (and included) at the moment.

PerformanceIt may be small, but the 990 produces a big picture. HD images off-air or played from storage are excellent, with high contrast and lots of detail. PVR recordings are as near to live broadcasts as it’s possible to tell.

The likes of YouTube are, of course, less impressive but provided the broadband connection is fast enough and a decent resolution is used the quality is acceptable. SD broadcasts are upscaled effectively on an HD display.

The only downside is that the receiver can’t produce standard definition from the Scart when delivering HD from the HDMI socket. If you want to use the Scart socket you need to switch the whole receiver to produce SD output.

Audio is also impressive with a crisp, clear sound and good dynamic range n Geoff Bains

The Spark online ‘portal’ offers YouTube, RSS feeds, Shoutcast radio and weather forecasts. You can also download software updates

Spark delivers a decent enough presentation of YouTube. There’s a search function and it remembers clips you’ve played before

PVR controls include 64x fast-forward/rewind speeds and a drag-and-drop progress bar but few additional ‘trick play’ options

VerdictThe Golden Media 990 CR HD PVR Spark LX is a peculiar combination of the cheap and the advanced. Although it is capable of excellent-quality images, has Conax built-in, interfaces with most dish systems, has the excellent Spark internet interface, and can be expanded (with Enigma 2 running, almost ad infinitum), it also doesn’t look up to much, has some unused remote keys, has rather weak PVR functionality, and lacks features such as a blind search. That may keep it out of the enthusiast limelight – which would be a shame as the 990 is, overall, a capable beast at a very good price.

A Conax card reader lurks behind the front flap

RatingsPLUSn Good performancen Fast searchn Internet connectivity

MiNUSn Lacking some featuresn No blind searchn Weak PVR functionality

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