There was initially some mention of a built-in
HD recorder in the features listing (
“1 year, 10 event hard disk drive VCR timer function,” it said) but I see that this has since been revised to read
“1 year, 10 event, ‘VCR like’ timer function” (The hard drive feature apparently applied to the Fortec Star “PVR” model, not this one).
No matter, that wasn’t an essential feature anyway. I was, however, very much in the market for a “smart card” capable receiver, since TAN (“The Asia Network”) recently announced that they would soon begin (permanently) scrambling their broadcasts. And this Fortec Star FS-5900 seemed to fill the bill, since it does have a “smart card” slot. Additionally, the fact that it had a “VCR like” timer function (something lacking in my Lifetime Ultra unit) sweetened the deal. So, I ordered one.
Actually, it turns out that the timer is nothing at all like a VCR timer. Instead, the FS-5900’s timer seems to work off the satellite channel’s EPG – fine if you’re watching something like DirecTV or Dish Network, but pretty useless on North American FTA channels, since few (if any) transmit a EPG along with their programming.
Thus, this unit’s timer function (something I really wanted) seems all but worthless – or am I doing something wrong?
Even the improved clock didn’t seem to work right: unlike the clock on my Lifetime Ultra (which, like all Lifetime Ultras, loses 2-3 minutes daily) the FS-5900 automatically sets its time via satellite – seemingly, a big improvement. Unfortunately, it would NOT let me shift it to the correct date (it insisted on locking on yesterday’s date). Like the too-slow clocks in the Lifetime Ultras, is this just another Fortec Star quirk (one that we just have to live with) or was I doing something wrong?
Much, much worse . . . the downloadable operating manual for this unit (“42-userguide.pdf” which I downloaded from the
Sadoun site) said on page 5-17 that
“This STB currently supports six kind[s] of CAM (Irdeto, VIACCESS, Nagravision, CONAX, CrytoWosks, MIDIAGUARD).”
The manual I got with the receiver, though, wasn’t the same as the downloadable pdf manual. The receiver’s manual seems to suggest that the FS-5900 is set up to decode Nagravision ONLY. I tried inserting my newly-received TAN smart card (which uses VIACCESS encryption) into the unit’s smart card slot, and the receiver did not appear to recognize it. I even tried inserting the card upside-down (after hearing that some PANSAT units take the card upside-down) but that didn’t help either. The FS-5900 just couldn’t seem to see that there was a TAN smart card in there.
Now, if I’m doing something wrong, please give me a hand (did I misinterpret what they were saying? I’m not really clear on the differences between “CAM” and “CAS”). But, it seems like this FS-5900 unit just won’t do the things they (Fortec Star) initially said it would do. If that’s the case, I’d wish to return it, since it doesn’t do anything more than the Lifetime Ultra I already have.
Linear Mode
