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TEST REpoRT HDTv + pvR Receiver
A chameleon when it
comes to pvR Receivers
No matter how you receive
digital TV, the Amiko HD 8840
can be the perfect match for
your needs. How? It is a HD
PVR receiver with two freely
usable tuner slots. For this
test Amiko provided us with
not only one but two DVB-
T/T2/C and DVB-S/S2 tuners,
which allowed us to set
up and evaluate the new HD
8840 based on a number of
different configurations.
The receiver comes in a
sleek all-black design and
sports a perfectly readable
VFD display on its front panel
so that users are not only informed
about the currently
selected channel or the local
time, but can also gather additional
information about active
recordings, for instance.
A total of seven buttons are
located on the front panel as
well and this way you are able
to use the Amiko box without
the remote control, if need
be. A Conax card reader, a CI
slot for any standard CA module
and a USB 2.0 interface
are all hidden behind a flap
on the right side of the front
panel.
Turning the Amiko HD 8840
around to have a closer look
at the back panel, the two
tuner slots will strike you right
away. The tuners themselves
come with a loop-through
output and Amiko has also
thought of an HDMI output,
an optical and a digital audio
output, as well as three
RCA jacks for stereo audio
and CVBS video. The range
of connection options is completed
by an additional USB
2.0 socket, an RJ45 network
interface, an RS232 connection
and – DXers, take note!
– a switchable 0/12V output.
All this should meet virtually
all requirements, and
when we also discovered a
mechanical power switch we
almost felt like we had arrived
in receiver heaven…
The remote control that
is shipped with this receiver
creates a pleasing first impression
which seems to go
a long way: Not only does
it sit nicely in your hand, it
also boasts clearly labelled
buttons. The manual is in a
league of its own too, with its
excellent structure and easy
to comprehend instructions
and explanations.
Before you actually use the
Amiko HD 8840 for the first
time, it makes sense to take a
moment and think about what
you want or can receive in
the first place. The two tuner
slots can then be equipped
accordingly, something that is
truly child’s play: All you need
to do is loosen three screws
on the receiver case to access
the tuner modules, which in
turn are attached with a single
screw. Installing or exchanging
tuners turned out to
be plug & play at its best in
our test, so even those of you
who are all thumbs will experience
no problems in that
regard.
Like the rest of the Amiko
receiver range the HD 8840
16 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 05-06/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com
does not come with an installation
assistant. Yet, this is by
no means a bad thing, since
the main menu impresses
with its very user-friendly
layout and provides all setup
and configuration options
right where you’d expect
them. To be on the safe side,
we recommend looking at the
HDMI video output resolution
first and selecting the mode
that is perfect for your hardware.
We did like the fact that
this Amiko receiver offers an
Auto mode (which adjusts the
resolution to the currently received
event) and a Native by
TV option (which automatically
chooses the optimum
resolution your TV panel can
handle). Alternatively, you
can try to max out on quality
and go for 1080p Full HD.
As far as the receiving end
of the HD 8840 is concerned,
the corresponding menu
changes according to the tuners
that are used in the available
slots. In other words: If
you use two DVB-S/S2 tuners
you will not be offered any
options for terrestrial or cable
TV, while using a combination
www.TELE-audiovision.com/13/05/amiko
05-06/2013
Amiko HD8840
At long last: A receiver that can handle all
types of DVB and even comes with full PVR
functionality
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