General

As a first time user of MPEG2/DVB technology, I was generally pleased with the user interface and ease of operation of this receiver. I found the software "friendlier" than my analog receiver's. And at about $270 (US) it was a very good entertainment investment. That is not to say that improvements can not be made, and I am sure there will be more enhancements to software for the DSR-2700.

Connections

This receiver connects to 1 LNB which may be looped to an analog receiver. It has 3 different outputs (1-RF, 2 - RCA X 3) which I found very useful. It does not control the polarity of a standard LNB and does not control dish positioning. Both of these functions must be performed by an analog receiver system. The receiver also has a RS232 port  (9 pin D-Type) for downloading software upgrades and an S-Video output.

Software Logic

Channel layout is by satellite then bouquet (actually called channel by the software). You may name satellites as you wish, then add separate bouquets for that satellite. The channels in each bouquet are then scanned into the receiver's memory. As of version 1.42b there is a 150 channel limit. This is not enough for me and I expect a future software upgrade will correct this.

Once channels are added to the receiver's "Available Channel List" by scanning bouquets, you can no longer tell which channels are from which satellite/bouquet. Many uplinkers do not include useful channel names and this makes it hard to use without keeping track of the channel assignments manually. User editable channel names are needed to mitigate this limitation.

However, both direct access and scrolling through the channel list makes it easy to select a channel. The left and right arrows on the remote are conveniently used to move up and down the channel list in pages to aid in quicker channel selection. The channel order may be re-arranged
to allow for grouping of channels by interest or in whatever manner you wish.

The user, through the use of an un-marked remote button, has access to 3 favorite channel lists that may contain any or all of the channels stored in the receiver's memory.

Channel change times are acceptable at about 1-2 seconds depending on the quality of the signal. Bouquet scan times seem a little slow at up to 45 seconds. However, this usually only happens on weak signals and I suspect that relates to this condition. Most bouquets will scan in under 10 seconds and many in only 3 or 4 seconds.

Software Downloading

The software upgrades for the DSR-2700 may be downloaded through the RS232 port on the back of the receiver. It is a 9-pin D-type connector. It uses a standard serial cable, not a null modem type. The Windows95 program, Hyperterminal, may be used to transfer the software. Once Hyperterminal is configured, the data link may be tested by plugging in the receiver while watching the Hyperterminal screen. Messages from the receiver should appear. The new software is transferred by plugging in the receiver while pushing the power button and then sending the data with Hyperterminal. I found this process easier than I had expected. You  need to have an available serial port.

The "Software Download" in "System Setup" on the receiver seems to be unused, since the above method is now used to transfer new software.

Freq., SR, FEC and PID Control

The DSR-2700 does not search for symbol rates or transponder frequencies. These must be entered manually by the user.

The Auto FEC function that can be used when scanning bouquets takes up to a minute. This is because each possible FEC setting is thouroughly scanned before trying the next one. The FEC can also be entered manually which mitigates this limitation.

The receiver allows user entry of PIDs (VPID,APID,PCR PID) for a bouquet. This is a neccessary function for only a few non-standard transmissions that existed at the time of this writing. It does not save the PIDs in network memory. You must enter them each time you wish to re-scan a channel into memory. However, the PIDs are saved in the channel memory,  and as long as you do not have to re-scan a channel the settings are maintained for day to day use.

Video and Audio Performance

Video and audio performance is acceptable. Any lack of color saturation, poor image quality, or poor audio that I have encountered, I have attributed to that uplinker's choice of data transfer parameters or a poor quality first generation signal. There is quite a difference from the best to the worst that DVB has to offer.

The most obvious video problem that I have attributed to the DSR-2700 is its poor PAL to NTSC conversion. The upper and lower 1/4 of the screen is puzzled and distorted.  I understand that this problem also occurs on some other receivers and potential viewers of PAL encoded signals should beware.

I have also noticed that the screen may very briefly, flash green for no apparent reason. This slight hickup is not accompanied by any audio disturbance. This does not happen very much at all. I have gone days without seeing this. If you change to another channel and then back again the problem goes away. It is not very noticeable anyway and this happens so seldom that I am not concerned about it.

Audio is very well synchronized with video. I have not encountered a signal where poor synchronization has occurred. The receiver can receive at least 6 audio channels and the user can switch sequentially from one to the next with use of a single ALT button on the remote control. An AUTO button on the remote allows audio output choices of L/R, L/L, R/R.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity of the receiver seems to be acceptable as compared to other receivers that I have read about (P5600, ASR2000, DSR101 among others). If it is lacking in sensitivity at all, it seems to have been an engineering choice not to display very poor quality signals (higher reception threshold). It is able to lock/scan the poor signals from S3R with a 7.5 foot aluminum dish and 17 degree C band LNB (LO=+/-500 kHz) with the same success as other receivers on similar dishes. This, of course, also depends on location in the satellite footprint.

Software Bugs and Deficiencies

Newly discovered/repaired deficiencies/bugs may be found in the Software / Bug Update section.

If the 150 channel limit of the receiver is reached, the receiver may effectively delete all scanned channels from its memory. All channels names will read "000 NONE". If you attempt to view one of these channels the receiver will lock up. This requires turning off the receiver, powering up again and re-scanning all bouquets back into memory. One way I have found to keep from losing all scanned channels is to immediately go to "Preferences"-"Channel Organize". Move up one name to get to the last entry by pressing the up arrow once. Delete the last entry. Move up and down the channel list and you should see the names of the channels have re-appeared instead of the "0000 NONE" which was there.

The receiver needs more than a 150 channel memory for those who wish to keep track of the full spectrum of available channels. I understand that this enhancement is due in the next software upgrade and I am looking forward to that improvement.

For those users that frequently change, re-order bouquets or otherwise require the entry of new bouquet names, the "New Channel" designator should be shortened to just "New".

The ability to re-order channels in the channel list is useful. However, there is a bug in that part of the software. You can not move a channel to a position in memory that has a channel number greater than 2 digits. You can move a channel to positions 1-99 but not to 100 and higher. I hope this will be corrected.

Previous to version 1.42b of the software, scanning the Sky Angel bouquet would cause the receiver to lose the ability to lock all other scanned channels. This required the re-scanning of all bouquets to reload channel memory. I do not know if this has been corrected (and don't want to find out at this time). I also do not know if this only occurs with the DSR-2700.

The inability to rename channel identifiers makes it difficult to recognize specific channels, especially those which have no names or less than descriptive names (ch. 1, default etc.).
The ability to edit channel names is needed to eliminate this problem.

For the avid hobbyist, the receiver would be much improved if it had SR and Frequency search capability. However, receivers with this capability are usually much more expensive. For the casual viewer this should not be considered a major deficiency since that information is usually available from avid hobbyists (and that is very much appreciated).

Software     : Gus-Space version 1.49b
Features     : Auto/Manual PIDs (VPID,APID,PCR PID)
             : Auto/Manual FEC
             : Manual SR
             : Manual transponder frequency
             : PC transfer of transponder data
TV System    : NTSC out (PAL to NTSC conversion)
             : Wide Screen (16:9)
             : Normal (4:3)
Symbol Rate  : 2 ~ 30 mSamples/s
Modulation   : QPSK(DVB)
FEC          : 1/2,2/3,3/4,5/6,7/8,Auto
Video Decode : MPEG2/MPEG1 Compatible
Audio Decode : MPEG1 - layers 1 and 2
             : Stereo, Dual, Mono, Joint Stereo
Channels     : Up to 1000
Language     : English
Remote       : Infra-red
Front Panel  : All functions except numbers available
Input        : 1 LNB f-type (75 ohm)
Outputs      : 1 LNB loop-through f-type (75 ohm)
             : 1 f-type RF (TV) (75 ohm) (ch. 3 or 4) (mono)
             : 2 X RCA type-Video,L,R (6 total)
                     : 1 X S-Video
Tuner Input  : 950-2150 mHz
Bandwidth    : 27/55 mHz
AFC Range    : +/- 2.5 mHz
Power Supply : 90 ~ 120 Vac @ 60 Hz
LNB Power    : 14V/18V 350 mA max
Data Port    : RS232 @ 115200 bps
             : 8 bits, parity=none, stop=1, Flow=none
             : 9 pin D-Type (not a null modem)

On 6/22/00 Gus-Space released software fta161.bin that is alleged to fix the freezing problems that occur on Telstar 5 with Kelly and ANA bouquets. I do not frequent these channels and therefore do not intend to install the new software to see if the problem has been fixed.

2/21/00  No more support from Samsung.

A recent e-mail response from Gus-Space indicates that Samsung will focus on the European market and will no longer support the DSR-2700 with software upgrades.

BYE BYE!

10/22/99 Version 1.49b

In this version certain video/audio problems with RTP on PAS5 were corrected.

It also allows the downloading of transponder data to the receiver via a PC. Potential users of this function are waiting with bated breath for the instructions to do this. This should mitigate for some users the drudgery of entering there own bouquets via the somewhat unfriendly "Network Setup" user interface.

9/24/99 version 1.47

In this version the move channel bug was fixed. Previous versions would allow moving channels to 2 digit positions only. Now they can be moved from anywhere to anywhere within the 1000 channel list.

This version also returns you to the previously viewed channel after making "Network Setup" changes. Previously, the receiver went to channel 001.

3/07/99 version 1.43L

The corrupting of channel memory problem has definitely been corrected as was suspected in the 2/19/99 update.

The slow locking described in the 2/19/99 update has been attributed to switching from C to Ku band. If you scan a C band channel after having been on Ku band, or visa versa, the software takes some time to adjust to the very different offset frequency of that band. This is to be expected and should not persist once the new offset has been adjusted internal to the DSR-2700.

2/19/99 version 1.43L

I have noticed, and it has been verified, that the software is slower to lock signals when performing a "Channel Data Scan". It sometimes takes up to 20 seconds to get a lock. The "Network Setup - Scan" seems to be as fast as before. Sometimes it is also slower to lock when changing to a new bouquet when viewing channels. This can take up to the same 20 seconds to lock. Fortunately, this condition is the exception rather than the rule and does not happen often. On a positive note, I have not encountered the corrupting of channel memory problem since this upgrade.

2/10/99 version 1.43L

A new software upgrade with a 1000 channel limit was made available. I have tested it by going past the old 150 channel limit and have experienced no problems. The "Sky Angel Bug", which previously wiped out channel data when the Sky Angel bouquet was scanned seems to have been corrected with this upgrade. I have not encountered any other changes to the software.

1/29/99 version 1.42b

Channel memory is being corrupted unpredictably. There are good signals that can not be locked using data in channel memory. They show "Bad Signal" or "No Video/Audio Signal". The bouquet can be re-scanned without changing any parameters, but the channels will go to the end of the "Available Channel List". Normally, re-scanning a bouquet does not move it to the end.  This appears to relate to deleting and moving many channels.

1/25/99 version 1.42b

I have discovered a problem that is definitely related to the new manual PID function. After PIDs are entered for a channel, any channel manipulated in "Network Setup" after that will contain those PIDs. This makes it necessary to put 0000 back into the PIDs after you have scanned a channel with manual PIDs to make sure they are not used the next time you are scanning channels in "Network Setup".