HD100 -vs- HD200. Yes I own both.

[HDave]

I hope this will answer some questions about he new HD200.

First I will give my positives on the HD200. Mostly because they are short.

1. Better menu. You can now scroll through the menu with out changing the station.

2. Much, Much better HDTV Antenna tuner. ( It can work with a much weaker signal and keep a picture, unlike the HD100 which would require a stronger signal. ) HD100 could pick up 3 HDTV signals from 45 miles to 60 miles. HD 200
picks up 5 channels from the same distance.

Now the bad. I will start with the worst of what I think my HD200 does not do.

1. No signal strength meter for Antenna users. What I mean by this is if you are trying to tune in your antenna. You are out of luck. For me it was not an issue because I already had my antenna aimed in the correct direction thanks to my HD100. The HD100 has a Antenna meter as well as a meter on the unit it self on the dox matrix display. (more on the display later). The only meter you have for your OTA reception is AFTER you have asked the box to search for stations. Thats right you guessed it! If you do not have your antenna pointed in the right direction to begin with you are out of luck.

2. The remote is terible. You must have it pointed 100% at the unit or you are not going to get any type of responce. My HD100 remote I could bounce off the back wall, the side wall, the table, and the dog and get a responce.

3. Forget about trying to set the 1st transponder. As soon as you set the first and second transponder and exit the menu the 1st transponder resets back to 1. Sony has no answer for this. They said "are you getting a signal" Me "yes" Sony "then dont worry about it". This is bull. If transponder 1 is getting
65% and I like transponder 12 that is getting 91%. that is what I want it to stay on.
Ok now many of you may be saying. "Dave there must be a save button", nope just exit the menu for signal, and when you go back it will be set to 1 again. Also transponder 2 will be set back on 22 but I know it must be saving something because the meter is higher.

4. If using DVI you CAN NOT change the width of the screen. Through the sony remote. You can do this only through the TV remote or if you set the Sony box to 1/2 video. 480i.

5. The display on the unit only shows what channel you are on, and what type of picture you are watching ( 480i, 480p, 720p ect). The HD100 had a dot matrix display. It will scroll thru channel info. Show time. Show signal strength. Type of picture.

6. Legal on card board box states you may not be able to view all HDTV due to copyright laws with this unit.
I thought the reason for DVI was to prevent copying, but allow us to view more HDTV than with a non DVI unit.

7. I do not notice any difference between DVI and componet cables.


Take care
HDave.

[57U]

Dave, Thank you very much for your "personal review". I'm sure the people reading it will learn from it.

I'm not an OTA person, but I always like reading reviews because it can provide ideas for other equipment as well.

Perhaps someone else here will have some suggestions to overcome some of the 200's limitations. Also, perhaps Sony will do something about them if someone "complains". Have you sent this "review" to Sony?

Thanks again, 57U

[HDave]

Yes. I have sent a letter to Sony along with the registration info on the HD200. I hope they respond. The phone service is terible.

[KTran]

Hi HDave,

Does your SAT-HD200 remote have RF options, or is it only an IR remote?

:)

Thanks!

--KTran

[HDave]

Only an IR remote. That is another thing wrong with the unit. It looks like Sony gave us a striped version of the HD100.

[Rusty]

I have the 200 on order. It will be my first STB (and venture into HDTV).

Would you recommend it?

[HDave]

I have the 200 on order. It will be my first STB (and venture into HDTV).

Would you recommend it?

As long as you do not want to program it for your VCR for different shows,and you already have a very good idea were your OTA reception is then yes I would sugest it.

HDave (may the 1080i be with you)

[Marty]

Originally posted by HDave

4. If using DVI you CAN NOT change the width of the screen. Through the sony remote. You can do this only through the TV remote or if you set the Sony box to 1/2 video. 480i.


Perhaps this is because I have the HD-200 paired with a Sony tv (via the DVI connection), but by pressing the "wide mode" button on the lower right-hand corner of the HD-200's remote, I can cycle the tv through its various wide-mode settings.

[phenom]

I'm also frustrated by the inability to lock onto a transponder. I installed my dish yesterday and was getting 74% on transponder 1 but 100% on transponder 12. So I left it on 12, came back and it was on 1. So I went to Sony's site and found this:

"Description:
The Transponder Number Does Not Stay On The One Selected.

Solution:
Sony DSS receivers display the transponder number of the channel the DSS receiver is tuned to.

Changing this number in the antenna setup screen allows monitoring signal strength on different transponders. However, after exiting this menu, the transponder will default back to the one used for the channel being received. "

hmmph

So I decided to align the dish to transponder 1 for A and 22 for B, which are what it defaults to. I ended up with 88% for A and 84% for B, which I assume is decent. I'm sure when my C kit comes I'll have to realign.

[HDave]

Correction about transponder lock in. The receiver does lock in the transponder you select. I noticed that after I have set the transponder and hit the menu button it does save it. Its just that you would never know it by going back to the signal meter. If you look very quickly at the setting for signal once you choose to ckeck it out it will show a 93% or 95% then go back to transponder 1. Also if you look at transponder 2 it is always set to 22 but the signal is higher than if you highlight 22. Because as soon as you high light it, it goes back to 22 and will show you the reading of 22. Even with all this aside it sucks that sony could not just keep the transponder we pick for later reference.

HDave

[phenom]

But wouldn't it NOT matter? Don't different transponders broadcast different channels? If I lock in transponder 12 at 100% but most of what I watch is broadcast on transponder 3 at 60%, it wouldn't really matter what transponder 12's signal meter said, right?

[HDave]

phenom

This is a good question. I don't know. What I do know is that with my other two receivers I can set the transponder on what ever I like, and it seems to have no effect on my channel choices. As far as the HD200 your guess is as good as mine.

HDave (Holding court till Bladerunner is remastered on 3 DVD Set 1Q03) :-)
(May the 1080i be with you)

[HDave]

Just installed Sat C LNB Kit on HD200 works great! Transponder still resets back to org number but signal stays at chosen transponder.

HDave-

[Buying HDTV Soon]

HDave -

I've got an HD-200 as well. Actually, there IS a signal strength meter. It is on the remote in the lower left hand corner.

Depending on the station you are on, it will either show you antenna signal strength or the dish strength (the icon is different to tell you which).

Hope this helps -
Bought HDTV recently

[HDave]

Yes I am aware of the button on the remote to see the signal strength. My concern is, you do not have a meter before you find your channel on the antenna. With the HD100 you had a meter for pointing the antenna before you did a channel find.