Ultimate Systems 2009

Wotsat builds nine ideal digital TV systems for all pocketsPutting together a satellite system (or any digital TV setup) is a matter of horses for courses really.

First, ask yourself – what do I want to get?Do you want satellite channels from the UK or

Europe or both? This will determine what satellite dish and receiver

you need. A Sky minidish or equivalent (like the Selfsat and

Neovia antennas featured in these pages) will suffice for most needs but for many European satellites you’ll need something bigger.

An installer will be able to advise you, but bear in mind that if you plan to have anything larger than a 1 metre dish (with an accompanying 60cm dish

perhaps) you will need to seek planning permission from your local council. Our Channel Check starting on page 56 offers pointers on dish size.

Decide what you wantNext up, do you want to pay for your TV or do you want free channels only? Do you want PVR recording? Do you want to supplement your viewing with cable and/or Freeview services? Do you want to watch shows in any room in the house? And what will you be watching them on? Questions, questions.

Over the next 11 pages we’ve put together nine systems to suit the needs of everyone from ardent feedhunters to those who just want to watch the latest US imports in HD.

4 Ultimate BUdget system

5 Ultimate linUx system

6 Ultimate UK Fta system

7 Ultimate UK Pay-tV system

8 Ultimate digital tV Pc system

10 Ultimate FeedHUnting system

11 Ultimate idtV system

12 Ultimate traVel system

2 Ultimate luxury system

Ultimate system 2009

Summer 2009 What Satellite & Digital TV 1

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Ultimate systems 2009

http://www.wotsat.com


2 What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2009

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Ultimate luxury systemIf you’ve got the space and the cash you’ll never have to miss a thing


n selfsat H21d: With a choice of single, twin or quad lnBs, like the neovia this can also be hidden using stickers. £70, www.eurosat.co.uk

n triax td 1.1 dish: Big enough to feed the lyngBox with as many euro channels as you’d ever want. Just add the mount. £70, eurosat.co.uk

n stab stHH120 mount: Used with the lyngBox, this diseqc 1.2 motor is more than capable of driving our 1.1m dish. £30, www.eurosat.co.uk

Popcorn Hour A-110n Nothing on telly? This HD-ready media streamer can handle pretty much any format you throw at it n £185, www.popcornhour.com

Accessories

Apple TVn Interfacing neatly with iTunes and YouTube and now with HD support, Apple TV is another multimedia player/streamer to cherish n £195, www.apple.com

sTreAmer

sky+HD & multiroomn The best HD channel line-up and an excellent PVR with improved EPG. Multiroom is the only way to go n £49, www.sky.com

receiVer

slingcatchern A slave for your Slingbox lets you watch TV from your receivers in another room, including HD.n £180, uk.slingmedia.com

Accessories

sony 46Z4500n Ultra-stylish 1080p-capable luxury IDTV blessed with DNLA media streaming and motion-smoothing 200Hz processing n £1,700 (approx), www.sony.co.uk

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n Virgin media V+ Box: Virgin’s cable PVr has three tuners and lots of on-demand fare. a nice addition to sky+Hd? £99, www.virginmedia.com

n Panasonic dmr-s850: if cost is no object why not add Panasonic’s combined Freesat, Blu-ray and Hdd recorder. £1,000, www.panasonic.co.uk

n the technomate 6900Hd combo super: dtt and Hd/sd sat reception on this great euro sat PVr. £280, www.technomate.com

eyeline emW30Wn The Eyeline range of pull-down projector screens includes some tasty widescreen numbers like this 300cm behemoth, which goes well with our Full HD Epson projectorn £688, www.metroplan.co.uk

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Teufel columa 900n This 7.1 speaker system looks great and will add a touch of audio finesse to any system (especially if you plan to add a Blu-ray player)n £1,300, www.teufel.eu

AuDio

slingbox Pron An easy way to ‘placeshift’ your TV viewing around the home or over the webn £170, uk.slingmedia.com

Accessories

epson eH-W3800n Capable of blowing 1080p images up to 300in, this Epson projector is an ideal way to make the most of your HD TV/movie viewingn £2,000, www.epson.co.uk

ProjecTor

sony sTr-DA5400esn Feeding those stylish Teufel speakers is this high-end AV receiver with no fewer than six HDMI inputs and a combined output of 840Wn £1,500 (approx), www.sony.co.uk

receiVer

LyngBoxn With HD sat and Freeview tuners and the ability to download frequency data from the net, this is the ideal Euro TV provider n £450, www.eurosat.co.uk

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Ultimate budget systemGet hundreds of free Euro TV channels without breaking the bank


n triax td 78: giving performance approximate to an 80cm dish, this will get you channels from the popular euro sats. £49.95, www.eurosat.co.uk

n manhattan xt cm: the latest version of this receiver has multicrypt readers plus great tuning features and performance (see page 112). £79

n stab stHH100 motor: this nimble diseqc 1.2 mount is sufficient to drive our choice of antenna aided by the 5200d. £39.50, www.eurosat.co.uk

Wattson Power metern OK, it’s a bit of designer luxury, but if you’re on a budget you’ll want to save on energy bills. Plug the Wattson into the mains and you’ll know exactly how much your power consumption is costing you.n£90, www.diykyoto.com

meTer

Technomate Tm-5200D usB supern A steal at £70, the 5200D proves a highly flexible FTA receiver with blind search for elusive feeds and PVR recording via USBn £70, www.technomate.com

receiVer

sony KDL-32V4000n It’s not 1080p (but then no TV channel is either) but this 32in LCD IDTV has a performance and specification that punches above its price tag n £450, www.sony.co.uk

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n stab stHH120 motor: For easy sat-scanning, this diseqc 1.2 mount has muscle enough to move the triax dish. £42, www.eurosat.co.uk

n triax td 1.1: this 1.1m triax beast should be sufficient to pull in channels from most popular european satellites. £70, www.eurosat.co.uk

Ultimate Linux sat systemLinux receivers open up a world of tweakable firmware that few enthusiasts can resist. But don’t forget to buy a decent HD TV too

Dreambox Dm-800Dn Dreambox has become the go-to brand for customisable Linux receivers and this compact HD receiver is a great centrepiece for any Linux systemn £359, www.dreamboxshop.co.uk

receiVer

Horizon minisATn Horizon’s meter makes short work of locating signals from desired satellitesn £139, www.horizonhge.com

Accessories

37LG3000n This 1080i LCD IDTV is another mid-sized LG bargain with three HDMIs and excellent pictures thanks to LG’s XD Engine processingn £450, uk.lge.com

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n aB iPBox9000Hd: dual dVB-s2 tuners and an 500gB hard disc make this a good linux Hd alternative. £550, www.satellitesuperstore.com



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Ultimate UK free-to-air systemGet the most from Freesat and Freeview with this matching system


Panasonic P42X10Bn This 42in 1080i plasma IDTV has Freeview and Freesat tuners, giving you superior flexibility when used in conjunction with the Topfield and Humax receivers. It’s also a decent panel in its own rightn £780, www.panasonic.co.uk

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Logitech Harmony s1100n This touchscreen universal remote control should make controlling all your devices a hassle-free experiencen £350, www.logitech.co.uk

Accessories

Topfield TF5810 PVrTn With a huge 500GB hard disc and HDMI upscaling, this Topfield dual tuner Freeview recorder has your terrestrial TV needs covered n £280, www.turbosat.com

PVr

Humax Foxsat-HDrn Dual Freesat HD recording, a 320GB hard disc and provision for non-Freesat channels make a superb FTA sat PVRn £250 (approx), www.humaxdigital.com

receiVer

n selfsat H21d: With a choice of single, twin or quad lnBs, this camo-dish is similar to the neovia. £150/£170/£200, www.eurosat.co.uk

n technisat HdFs (back): the best non-PVr Freesat box has euro-sat support and multimedia streaming/playback. £175, www.technisat.co.uk

n Humax PVr9300t: smaller Hdd (320gB) than the topfield, but still has dual Freeview recording. cheaper too. £185, www.humaxdigital.com/uk

LG HT903TAn Pairing a stylish 1000W 5.1 speaker system with an upscaling and DivX-compatible DVD player, this LG system makes a great home cinema accompaniment n £280, www.lge.co.uk

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Ultimate UK pay-TV entertainment systemSky remains the premium source for standard and hi-def channels in the UK and Sky+HD is at its best with a top-quality home cinema setup

sky+HD with multiroomn Sky has the widest range of HD channels available, supplied via a formidable dual-tuner PVR. If you want HD and SD channels, there is no competition n £49, www.sky com

receiVer

slingbox Pron Making the most of what you watch, the Slingbox range is the ideal way to distribute TV around the home or over the internet while out and aboutn £160, uk.slingmedia.com

Accessories

onkyo TX-sr7065n This THX-certified 7.1-ready AV receiver can pump out a whopping 160W of audio per channel and upscale inputted video sources to 1080in £600, www.onkyo.co.uk

receiVer

Pioneer Kuro KrP-500An This luxury 50in Full HD plasma has free-to-air satellite and Freeview tuners, media streaming and superlative picture performancen £2,500, www.pioneer.co.uk

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mj Acoustics Xenon This stylish 5.1 speaker system (upgradeable to 7.1) makes a fitting accompaniment to Onkyo’s powerhouse receiver.n £680, www.mjacoustics.co.uk

AuDio

n Virgin V+ Box: Virgin media’s cable service has a very limited Hd offering compared with sky Hd, but this triple-tuner PVr allows you to record two channels while watching a third, plus there’s an extensive on-demand library. £99, www.virginmedia.com

n neovia neO-VH200: With twin lnBs, neovia’s antenna is sufficient for sky channels and a few other satellites too. £146, www.pulsat.com



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Ultimate Digital TV PC systemWith a beast of an HD-ready media PC at its heart and twin quad tuner cards capable of recording two satellite or Freeview channels at once, meet the PC TV system to rule them all

Hauppauge Win TV cin Connects via USB and works in conjunction with the Hauppauge HVR 4000 and a CAM and viewing card for your chosen pay-TV servicen £70, www.hauppauge.co.uk

cArD reADer

custom Pcn Our custom-made powerhouse media PC from Yoyotech combines HD satellite and DTT reception plus a Blu-ray burner for archivingn Silverstone GD02 case, Cooler Master Silent Pro PSU, Intel G45 mainboard, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400, 60GB OCZ Vertex boot drive, 1TB Samsung data drive, 4GB OCZ memory, Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 graphics with HDMI, Blu-ray R/W disc driven Tuners: 2 x Hauppauge WinTV HVR 4000 (quad tuner DVB-S/S2/T/analogue DTT) n Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Remote n Total system price: £1,644 + VAT, www.yoyotech.co.uk

meDiA Pc

n stab stHH100 motor: Our nova card will happily drive this diseqc 1.2 motor as you hunt for channels. £40, www.eurosat.co.uk

n azurewave ad-sP400 card: the azurewave offers sd and Hd sat reception and comes with a ci module for pay-tV. £120, www.pulsat.com

n sony Vaio Vgn-aW11Z/B: take an 18.4in Full Hd screen, Blu-ray burner and geForce graphics, and add UsB tV tuners. £1,500, www.sony.co.uk

Toshiba 42ZV555Dn Our custom PC has the HD chops to generate super-sharp images and this Full HD Tosh LCD IDTV should do justice to them. It’ll also upscale SD video too via Resolution+n £800, www.toshiba.co.uk

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n linux mythbuntu: the linux-based mythbuntu Os incorporates mythtV, the powerful PVr tV application. www.mythbuntu.org

onkyo HTc-5115n Onkyo’s all-in-one 5.1 home cinema system comprises an upscaling DVD player, receiver and speakers to deliver a value for money home cinema accompaniment to our media PCn £342.50, www.onkyo.com

AuDio

Triax TD 78n This Triax antenna should be enough to feed your Nova HD card with the most desirable Euro channels n £50, www.eurosat.co.uk

AnTennA


n Windows media centre: microsoft has finally upgraded media centre to support both terrestrial and satellite dVB tuners, and it’s the easiest option for Pc beginners, included with Vista’s Home Premium and Ultimate editions. £166.37 / £225.10, www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-media-center



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Ultimate feedhunting systemThe ideal system for the enthusiast who must find everything


n andrew 1.2m dish: if you’ve got the space this sizeable dish is enough to find feeds from birds over UK and europe. £200, www.eurosat.co.uk

n stHH120 stab mount: driving a big dish requires a suitable motor like this capable diseqc 1.2 enhanced effort. £42, www.eurosat.co.uk

n eurovox ex8000 Hd+: this dtt/sat PVr is cheaper than the technomate 6900 but without a UHF modulator. £254, www.maxking.co.uk

LG LG7000n This 37in 1080p LCD IDTV more than fulfils the needs of the HD-minded enthusiast, boasting decent pictures and no fewer than four HDMIsn £700, uk.lge.com

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Technomate Tm-6900HD combo supern With copious search options (including blind search) to satisfy ardent sat scanners, plus PVR (via USB) recording and bonus Freeview receptionn £280, www.technomate.co.uk

receiVerHorizon minisATn This compact signal meter should make easy work of finding the most oft-used satellites for feeds n £139, www.horizonhge.com

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Ultimate IDTV systemThis elegant system combines a superb Freesat TV with the latest in digital TV recording and Blu-ray playback

Panasonic Dmr-s850n The flagship HDD/disc recorder in the Panasonic range boasts dual Freesat HD tuners and the ability to record to record to Blu-ray discs. Also has Viera Cast and multimedia playbackn £,1000, www.panasonic.co.uk

PVr

Panasonic P50G10Bn This massive 50in 1080p plasma IDTV offers both Freesat HD and Freeview, excellent picture processing and Viera Link control over the Panny Blu-ray recorder n £1,150, www.panasonic.co.uk

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n neovia neO-VH200 dish: a discreet way to get Freesat channels, this dual lnB fitted antenna can be hidden with stickers. £70, www.pulsat.com

n selfsat Hd21: With single, dual or quad lnB attachments, this antenna is a good alternative to neovia’s neO-VH200. £70, www.eurosat.co.uk


n Pioneer Kuro KrP-500a: Pricey, but this plasma produces unrivalled pictures and has both Fta sat and dtt tuners. £2,500, www.pioneer.co.uk



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AVTex W193Dn As well as a nice big 19in screen and 1440 x 900 resolution, this 12V travel-friendly LCD TV also has a built-in DVD/CD player, dual HDMIs, card reader and FM radio. Useful if you get bored with watching sat TVn £399, www.avtex.co.uk

Ultimate travel systemSimple and lightweight, for TV on the move


maxview omnisat B2566n This all-in-one dish kit is built with the Euro traveller in mind and includes a 66cm tripod mounted elliptical dish with folding arm and LNB (we’ve chosen the twin option), carry case, compass and sat finder. 54cm version also availablen £230, www.maxview.co.uk

AnTennA

roadpro Zehnder 65n With its 4,000-channel memory, twin Scarts and a digital audio output, this is an ideal FTA sat solution for caravan holidayersn £90, www.roadpro.co.uk

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Horizon minisATn This compact meter is your flexible friend when it comes to hunting down channels when out and about in the UK or on the Continentn £139, www.horizonhge.com

Accessories

n Powergorilla: this portable power source can supply devices up to 12V, so it’s ideal for roaming technology nuts. £150, www.powertraveller.com

n comag sat-in-a-suitcase: a comag free-to-air receiver plus a vari-mount 45cm dish for ultra-portable sat tV. £(varies), www.lidl.co.uk

n Bush BFsat01Hd: Bush’s Freesat Hd receiver has an external 12V power supply so it’s perfect for holidays. £94.99, www.argos.co.uk

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