The Sony SAT-HD100 suffers from an audio defect
Written: May 05 '01
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Pros: Singe receiver for off-air broadcasts, cable TV and DirectTV.
Cons: Warning--this product has an audio defect!
The Bottom Line: Don't purchase this product until Sony fixes the audio defect
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| JerryMeeker's Full Review: Sony SAT-HD100 Multi-Satellite Tuner |
I have been waiting to upgrade to a HD satellite receiver for over six months since I purchased my Sony KP53XBR300 HDTV-ready receiver. I waited for the Sony unit to maximize the likelihood that the TV receiver and the satellite unit would be compatible. Finally, after several months of delay, the Sat-HD100 finally arrived on the market! Hookup and configuration was very easy. The first thing I noticed was that the unit was quite slow when switching from channel to channel. Second thing that was disappointing was that the user interface (I am used to an RCA interface). When the guide is open, the screen is divided into three sections, a preview window in the upper-left quadrant, a program description in the upper-right quadrant, and the guide itself filling the lower half of the screen. When scrolling from line to line in the guide, the preview screen and the program information need to be refreshed for each line, which makes the screen slow and jerky. Very disconcerting. Another annoying feature is the cooling fan, which is on all the time, and is loud enough to hear from 10-15 feet in a quiet room. But all this pales to insignificance with the key finding: the Sat-HD100 suffers from a defect in the digital audio circuit! It affects all digital audio channels, but is especially noticeable on the music channels. The defect manifests itself as a choppiness in the audio signal that fades in and out every 2-3 minutes, and makes listening very unpleasant. I have spent thousands of dollars on a state-of-the-art audio system, and I cannot tolerate audio distortion. I reported the problem to Sony technical support and, after talking to several technicians, Sony finally acknowledged that they have identified a product defect that their engineers are scrambling to understand and fix. I asked whether the flaw affects all units, and they could not say. So, I ordered a replacement unit from Crutchfield (who were very supportive throughout my ordeal), but the replacement unit suffered the same audio defect, leading me to believe this is a wide-spread problem. I contacted Sony again, and asked them when I could expect a fix for the problem. They informed me that the engineers still dont even know what is causing the problem, so a fix in nowhere in sight. So, rather than sit listening to distorted audio sound, I have returned the second unit to Crutchfield, and replaced it with a Sony Sat-T60 TIVO unit. For the short time that I had the Sat-HD100, I was less than impressed with the number of HD programs available, so I don't miss HD at all. I guess I tried to get involved in HD a little too soon, and I don't intend to get involved again until it is obvious that the technology is ready for use. In the meantime, I really like the TIVO unit, and recommend it highly.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 799
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Epinions.com ID:
JerryMeeker
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 4 members
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