FTA Fever Free-To-Air (FTA) Satellite TV Receivers

Sonicview SV-360 HD High Definition Dual Tuner PVR USB 2.0 FTA Satellite Receiver

Design & Features Review

Simply put: The Sonicview 360 HD High Definition PVR is the undisputed leader in Free-To-Air satellite receiver market. This is as good as it gets. The 360 HD has it all. Glorious High-Definition resolution, Personal Video Recording (PVR), Dual Tuners, three USB 2.0 ports and a beefy SATA hard drive output that will let you store one Terabyte of data. That's a bunch of recorded programs! SATA drive compatibility allows you to capture an almost unlimited amount of programming on one hard drive.

Take a closer look…

This High-Def beauty offers gorgeous state-of-the-art video resolution — the definition of tomorrow, not the standard of today. The Sonicview 360 HD PVR is fully compliant with ATSC HDTV (VSB) & DVB-S MPEG-2, and offers true Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and zoom support (4, 9,16 Flame Screen and Thumbnail View Selectable). You can view nine different channels on a single screen! And you'll love the 360 HD's super speedy one-second channel changes.

The Sonicview 360 HD's dual tuners are a PVR-lover's dream come true. Sonicview's revolutionary dual tuner design lets you watch one channel while recording another, even if your two programs are on different satellites and different transponders. And better still, you can view and record two programs simultaneously. Thanks to the 360 HD's sophisticated time-shifting feature, you can even schedule two live recording sessions on the fly. And Sonicview's 360 HD PVR lets you pause and rewind live TV.

The versatile Sonicview 360 HD PVR's two USB ports allow you to connect an external USB hard drive or flash drive and a USB multimedia device for MP3 or JPEG playback. And USB capability makes software updates a breeze. Just connect your personal computer, or plug in a USB flash drive to update Sonicview manufacturer software bin files. (Software updates can also be done via traditional RS-232 serial connection.)

Sonicview's 360 HD PVR features an incredible complement of component outputs, including HDTV HDMI, and S-video, and S/PDIF for digital audio / Dolby AC-3 Bitstream Output. The 360 HD's rear panel includes 3 RCA output for Video, Audio L/R and 3 RCA Composite Video Output (Y, Pb, Pr).

Other noteworthy features include: an EPG (Electronic Program Guide), Single & Multi-Satellite Auto Scan, 6,000-channel memory capacity for TV & Radio Programs, and a channel-sorting feature that allows you to categorize channels alphabetically, by satellite, FTA, CAS, and Network.

The Sonicview 360 HD doesn't come cheap, but if you're looking for the best High Definition Dual Tuner PVR receiver on the market, look no further. You've found it. If you're a discriminating FTA enthusiast, you'll be convinced that the Sonicview 360 HD PVR is worth every penny.

What's In The Box: The Sonicview 360 HD PVR High Definition Dual Tuner PVR ships with an authentic Sonicview 2.0 Diseqc Switch, a null modem cable, RCA cables, universal remote, (2) AAA batteries, and a Sonicview 360 HD PVR User Manual.

Buy Sonicview SV-360 HD: $599 AVAILABE 2009

Comparative Buying Guide

Compare the Sonicview SV-360 HD PVR to these High Definition PVR receivers:

• Sonicview 360 HD PVR — $599. Dual tuner HD PVR, 3 USB ports, SATA Drive Out
• Sonicview 8000 HD PVR — $339. Dual tuner HD PVR, 1 USB port.
• Viewsat 9000HD PVR — $369. Single tuner HD PVR, 2 USB ports.
• Viewsat Max HD PVR — $279. Single tuner HD PVR, 2 USB ports.
• Pansat 9200HD PVR — $329. Single tuner HD PVR, 1 USB port.
• Coolsat 8100HD PVR — $309. Single tuner HD PVR, 1 USB port.
• Neusat 9000HD — $179. HD, 1 USB port.

Comparison Highlights: Sonicview 360HD PVR is a dual tuner satellite receiver, like the Pansat 9200HD PVR and Sonicview 8000 HD PVR. However, the Sonicview 360HD is the only High Definition Dual Tuner PVR model that includes 3 USB ports and a 1 Terabyte SATA hard drive output. SATA drive compatibility allows you to capture an almost unlimited amount of programming on one hard drive.

The Coolsat 8100HD PVR, Pansat 9200HD PVR, Viewsat 9000HD PVR, Viewsat Max HD and Neusat 9000HD receivers are all less expensive than the Sonicview 360HD PVR, but quite frankly, they are all inferior products when compared to the Cadillac of HD PVR recivers, the Sonicview 360HD PVR. The Sonicview 360HD PVR offers more features than -- and superior performance over -- the Neusat, Pansat, Viewsat, and Coolsat models, and is better supported than the all of them combined.

Sonicview's stellar reputation for accessibility and support distinguishes the Sonicview 360HD PVR from this pack of fifth-generation receivers. Sonicview provides frequent bin updates and impressive warranty processing of repairs and exchanges.

Looking for a High Definition FTA Satellite Receiver?
You may wish to consider:

• Sonicview 360 HD PVR — $599 AVAILABLE 2009
• Sonicview 8000 HD PVR w/Fan — $369