Sonicview SV-4000 FTA Receiver
Contents
About
- USB 2.0 Host Slot for S/W Downloading
- USB 2.0 Host Slot (Front Door Inside)
- Fully MPEG-2 & DVB-S Supported : NEC EMMA 2SL MPEG Chip-Sets
- NEC EMMA 2SL chip-set 284MIPS @ 186MHz
- 32Mb Flash ROM for Fast Channel Changing
- S-Video Output
- Component output (Y, Pb, Pr)
- Sharp NIM Tuner
- Brilliant On Screen Graphics
- Small Picture in Graphic with Zoom
- Multi Timer Function
- 4:3, 16:9: Pan & Scan Full Screen and Letter Box
- Digital Audio Output
- Parental Lock Function using Master PIN Code
- 6000 Channel Programmable
- 100 Satellite Programmable
- Background Graphic Display for Radio Program Channels
- Easy-to-use User Interface
- Various Aspect Ratio with4:3, Letter Box, Full Screen & 16:9
- Highly Speedy Channel Changing Time : Less than 1 Sec.
- Channel Sorting by FTA, CAS, Satellite, Alphabetic Order & Network
- 8 Favorite Channel List Group Programmable
- Highly Speedy Channel Changing Time : Less than 1 Sec.
- Close Caption Supported
- PIG (Picture-In- Graphic) Available
- Muti-Picture Flame Screen Available
- 14, 9,16 Flame Screen & Thumbnail View Selectable
- Zoom In-Out Function for Watching Screen
- Automatic NTSC / PAL Detection and Simple Video Converter (NTSC <-> PAL) In On-Screen Display Menu
- Useful RCU Key-Functions for Channel Find, Edit and Signal Strength Display
- 1 Year Manufacture Warranty. Made in KOREA
Sonicview 4000 is a free to air fta satellite receiver like pansat viewsat coolsat fortec receivers. Sonicview 4k supports 10 satellites and up to 600 channels. It has PIG zoom in and out function for watching and captrueing the screen. Sonicview 4000 is designed for USA or Canada with a Muti-Picture and Automatic NTSC / PAL Detection and Simple Video Converter. Made in KOREA and comes with a 1 Year Manufacture Warranty for Sonicview 4000 USB.
Review
This is not a recommended receiver due to its weak reception properties. When compared to other receivers, the sv4000 is unable to pull in channels from transponders off of the same dish and wiring.
Another problem with the sv4000 is in the software. When manually editing transponder frequencies, sometimes the changes will take, other times they will not. This seems to be a glitch in the software. Manually adjusting transponder frequencies seems to be necessary to correct frequency drift in the weak sv4000 receiver.
On a positive note, the sv4000 has a fast, powerful CPU making it responsive to remote commands. It also has a pleasant user interface and some additional setup options missing from other low-end receivers. Perhaps one of the best features is the ability to flash the unit using a USB Thumbdrive, eliminating the need to connect the unit to a PC with a legacy serial cable.
Flashing From USB Thumb Drive
- Save the bin file to your USB Thumb Drive
- Power on the Sonicview receiver
- Using the remote, press the MENU button
- Insert Thumb Drive in the front USB port
- Select INSTALLATION from the menu
- Scroll down and select USB MASS STORAGE as the source
- Press OK on the remote
- Now select the correct bin from the list (there may only be one)
- Press the RED button on the remote to start the flash process
- It is important that you DO NOT DISTURB the unit and wait patiently for the flash process to complete
- The receiver will reboot itself after a few minutes.
Flashing From Serial Null Modem Cable
- Obtain a copy of "Downloader" which is the program that will be used to flash the unit
- Turn off receiver from switch in back
- Launch "Downloader" on the PC
- Click STB -> Connect Config for Com x (x = correct com port)
- Click STB -> Download file (PC->STB)
- Now select the correct bin from your PC file system (there may only be one)
- After the Data Transfer window appears, switch on the receiver from the rear switch
- It is important that you DO NOT DISTURB the unit and wait patiently for the flash process to complete
- The receiver will reboot itself after a few minutes.
Flash Process and Software Versions
factory binaries
SonicView 4000 receivers were originally shipped with the following firmware:
ModelName: SV-4000 Bootloader: 01.00 Main software: 01.05
That version has several known bugs and the satellite list is out of date. It is recommended that you flash your unit with the latest software.
The latest version on the SonicView web site as of March 2008:
ModelName: SV-4000 Bootloader: 01.03 Main software: 01.58
The filename for the update is: SV4000_1[1].58_factory.bin and it is the version supported by SonicView. If you call SonicView support you will need to ensure this is the firmware that you have loaded on your unit.
problem resolution
Sometimes it takes a few minutes for channels to come in. After you flash the unit and hook it back up, simply be patient and wait up to 10 minutes before you are concerned there is a problem.
If you just flashed the receiver you may note the signal is not available right away. Just wait a few minutes for the black screen to go away. Again, this is likely due to the software at work. You may have to reboot after several minutes (wait 10 minutes) for reception.
FAQ
- Q: Some channels are locked, namely, the adult content channels.
- A: Go into parent control and unlock the xxxx channels. Go to system settings, parental control, enter 0000, unlock adult channels and switch ratings lock to not used.
- Q: What are all the settings I should check to make sure nothing is locked out?
- A: Go to menu, sistem settings, parentel control, enter "0000", and check if: receiver lock is "OFF", menu lock is "OFF", scramble lock is "OFF", adult channel lock is "OFF", rating lock is "NOT USED".
- Q: I cant get anything in the EPG to show, the programming guide is basically blank. How do I get the EPG to work?
- A: For Dish Network goto channel 239 and let it stay there for about two minutes. This works if you have the settings for 7-day EPG and Stand-By EPG set to ON. For Bell Satellite use channel 410. Another method is to turn the EPG Auto Update ON in the menu and then turn receiver off with the remote for 5 minutes and it will show full epg.
- Q: My audio is fading out or gone, how do I get it back?
- A: Go into the settings and turn off Dolby Sound.
