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

Pansat 2800 Standard Definition
FTA Satellite Receiver

Design & Features Review

Designed for modern televisions, the Pansat 2800 is an entry-level FTA satellite receiver that includes all the features of the Pansat 2700a, plus S-Video out, a universal remote, and component video output.

The single tuner Standard Definition Pansat 2800 sports the Pansat 2700a's time-tested Sti 5518 BVB, ST20 32-bit processor, which runs at 81mhz (100 MIPS). The 2800 also includes 2MB of flash RAM and 16MB of SDRAM for speedier channel changing, satellite scanning and Electronic Program Guide loading.

Fully MPEG-2 and DVB-compliant, the Pansat 2800 includes component and composite outputs: S-video and S/PDIF optical output for digital audio or Dolby AC3 Stream out, 3 RCA output for Video, Audio L/R and 3 RCA Composite Video Output (Y, Pb, Pr).

The Pansat 2800 includes some features of high-end FTA receivers, such as a 2-Day Electronic Program Guide (EPG), multi-picture support via Picture-In-Graphic (PIG), and a powerful Channel Editing Function that allows you to sort channels alphabetically, by satellite, FTA/scramble or Parental Lock.

Other notable Pansat 2800 features include: Blind Scan (Smart Search) and Simultaneous Satellite Scan with 4 Satellites, 5,000-channel (4,000 TV channels and 1000 radio channels) capacity, programmable channel list, Multi language On-Screen Display, a Master PIN Code function and Parental Lock Function.

The 2800 also includes a DB-9 RS-232 port for Pansat software bin file updates. And, like the other newer Pansat models, the 2800 only consumes 20 watts of power, instead of the 55 watts consumed by Pansat's older models.

If you don't need USB 2.0 compatibility, PVR functionality, dual tuners or High-Definition reception, the Pansat 2800 is a solid first-generation, entry-level FTA satellite receiver. And it's value-priced.

What's In The Box: The Pansat 2800 ships with a Diseqc 2.0 Switch, a null modem cable, RCA cables, universal remote, (2) AAA batteries, and a Pansat 2800 User Guide.

Buy Pansat 2800: THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY THE MANUFACTURER, PANSAT. PLEASE SEE THE PANSAT 150M FOR A REPLACEMENT.

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Comparative Buying Guide

Compare the Pansat 2800 to to other first-generation FTA satellite receivers, which include our single tuner, Standard Definition receivers without PVR or USB functionality:

• Pansat 2800 — $99
  
• Pansat 2700a — $79
  
• Captive Works 650S Classic — $69
• Viewsat Lite — $69

Comparison Highlights:

The Pansat 2800 features 16MB SDRAM and S-Video output, like the Viewsat Lite, but the Pansat 2800 costs more than the Viewsat Lite.

The Pansat 2700 has 8MB SDRAM and no S-Video output port, yet costs more than the Viewsat Lite and the Captive Works 650S Classic. The Captive Works 650S Classic features 32MB SDRAM and S-Video output. The Viewsat Lite features 16MB SDRAM and S-Video output. The Captive Works 650S Classic is the best buy of this class of first-generation FTA satellite receivers.

However, for a few dollars more, you can step up to a second-generation FTA receiver that includes both RS-232 data transfer and speedier USB 2.0 port(s) like the Sonicview 4000. The flexible USB standard allows you to not only transfer data, but attach external storage and multimedia devices, as well -- a flexibility that has made second-generation receivers far more popular than first-generation receivers.

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

• Sonicview 8000 HD PVR w/Fan — $369