Fortec Star to Show New HD Receiver at ANGA 2007

pmb1010 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-07-2007, 11:54 AM

Fortec Star to Show New HD Receiver at ANGA 2007

Cologne 26-Mar-2007
Fortec Star will debut its new European High Definition receiver at the ANGA Trade Show scheduled for May 22nd to May 24th at the Cologne Fairgrounds, Germany. With over 330 exhibitors attending the show, it is one of the largest satellite and cable exhibitions in Europe.

"This show represents a great opportunity to introduce our new HD receiver in Europe", says Dobrin Trifonov, the General Manager for the Fortec Star office in the Netherlands. "We are excited to be able to provide a demonstration of the new HD receiver during the launch of the receiver at ANGA."

For more information of the show, visit the ANGA Web site at http://www.angacable.de/.

Link to info on new HD receiver:
Fortec Star Satellites

rainman · #2 (**permalink**) 04-07-2007, 12:49 PM

this sounds like it is going to be a nice STB.

pmb1010 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-07-2007, 02:44 PM

I got a chuckle out of this from the specs:

Saves 10,000 channels (TV: 7000 CH, RADIO: 3,000 CH)

I guess when they plan for "future growth" they really mean it!

I really haven't had the time to keep up on all the lingo, I know MPEG-4 H.264 is a European transmit method, and not sure if thats even used in the US at all.

It says it does QPSK and 8PSK, maybe someone with knowledge of the transmission methods for HD would comment on whether the specs will allow this thing to receive OTA HD from US tv stations.

niknar1900 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmb1010

I really haven't had the time to keep up on all the lingo, I know MPEG-4 H.264 is a European transmit method, and not sure if thats even used in the US at all.

It says it does QPSK and 8PSK, maybe someone with knowledge of the transmission methods for HD would comment on whether the specs will allow this thing to receive OTA HD from US tv stations.

Mpeg4 is being used widely with DirecTV and for some the HD channels with Dishnet.
If it supported ATSC or even 8VSB as well, they yeah it could receive OTA HD. But it seems to only have one RF input.

Hence why it's showing up in Europe, and not here.

wejones · #5 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 08:23 AM

I'm guessing that they have a North American version. Their web page says that they are doing a North American introduction at Atlanta this month. In their E-mail to me, they said that they are planning for it to have 4.2.2 and an internal AC3 decoder, both of which would be great. If the thing does 8PSK as mentioned above, that would be great too, but I'm not holding my breath on that one, at least for the version used in NA.
I really doubt that they would release a version with only an RF output as mentioned above.

reho33 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 01:56 PM

Bill,
I believe that this New box will do true MPEG-4 over DVB as opposed to ATSC terrestrial. See I chuckled when all these people ran out and plunked down their $400+ for the Coolsat 8000 thinking that it would do HD over DVB for the satellites that offered it for FTA. But upon reading the description, it says that it does HD and MPEG-4 for ATSC ONLY. It also will not do QAM-64 (like connecting to your digital cable system). Too bad. But the new Fortec box will at least do 4:2:2 (useful for the NBC mux on AMC 1) and the decoding of AC3 audio internally (good for people who want to watch PBS on AMC 3). Maybe the few HD feeds out there and 8PSK ( which I have seen some listings for). Now thats a box I would spend 400 dollars plus for with the exception of the Qualitv box that does 4:2:2.

pmb1010 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-21-2007, 10:10 AM

it appears that Fortec has released their HD "Passion" receiver in EU.
EUR -> USD conversion shows it's about $400

Early reports say no 4:2:2, and no blind scan

Comments are that everyone hopes some firmware updates add that functionality.

Razorback2 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-28-2007, 09:55 PM

Any idea when the Passion HD Satellite Receiver will be available in North America?

wejones · #9 (**permalink**) 07-29-2007, 07:46 AM

I'm not sure that the European model is the same as the NA model, but their web page is still saying something like September. However the web page hasn't changed for 5 months. I got an email from Fortec back then that made it sound like it might be coming out earlier, so they may be having problems.