TEST REPORT

DTMB Receiver

Tsinghwa GT-278

very fast channel switching quick OSD build-up and reaction PVR functionality if storage medium is connected excellent multimedia capabilities

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TEST REPORT

DTMB Receiver

DTMB Receiver with Excellent Software

As soon as we had unpacked the new Tsinghwa GT-278 we were met with its classic yet elegant appearance. The front panel is characterised by an easy-to read segment display, status LED as well as a total of six buttons for operating the receiver whenever the remote control is misplaced or its batteries are empty. In standby mode the segment display shows the current time, and when the receiver is turned on you can either see the channel number or information on the current operating mode (recording, playback, etc.). A USB 2.0 port is also available on the front panel, and you can imagine that this was one feature we were immediately taken too. Yes, you guessed it: The GT-278 can also be used as a fully-fledged PVR! Moving on to the back panel, we find the tuner input complete with loopthrough output using RF sockets, an HDMI port, six RCA jacks for YUV, stereo audio and CVBS, a coax output for digital audio and a mechanical power switch to disconnect the receiver from the mains supply. The receiver measures 26 x 20 x 4.5 cm, which puts it right in the midsize range, so to speak. The remote control that comes with the set-top box sits nicely in your hand and sports a convenient layout as well as pleasant surface materials. All buttons are easy to reach and are arranged in a way that makes for a very straightforward user experience. In summary, the design and build quality of this product left us with a very good first impression. When the receiver is switched on for the first time a dedicated menu is activated that is used to select the desired OSD language and the current location. It is here that an initial automatic channel search can be launched as well. As far as the location settings are concerned, users are left with only two options: Mainland China or Hong Kong. The channel search that follows completes the basic setup and

03-04/2013
Tsinghwa GT-278 Rock solid receiver with excellent responsiveness

www.TELE-audiovision.com/13/03/tsinghwa

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keys of the remote control come into play, whose context-related roles are always explained via the onscreen user interface. We should mention at this point that the overall responsiveness of the menus and quick execution of commands sent from the remote control were nothing short of impressive in our test. Hardly ever did we notice any significant lag, which adds a lot of extra fun to working with this receiver. Even though the channel offering via DTMB will never reach the diversity and depth of satellite reception, it is nonetheless possible to have the channel list sorted according to name, service ID or LCN, if required apart from manual arrangement, that is. The Picture menu item obviously deals with how the video signal will be provided to the TV panel. As far as resolution is concerned, the following options are available: 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, with either 16:9 wide screen, pillar box, pan & scan or 4:3. If you opt for Automatic the receiver will negotiate the best possible format with the TV panel. Both the PAL and NTSC colour standards are supported and with the remote control it is possible to adjust resolution and aspect ratio on the fly. Apart from the automatic channel search (which cannot only be launched in the start menu but also with the Channel Search menu item), it is also possible to initiate a manual search by entering a specific frequency and its bandwidth. When we tried that with an active frequency the GT278 flawlessly detected all DTMB channels. Here again, the current location (Mainland China or Hong Kong) can be determined. In case youre wondering: DTMB signals are the same in China and Hong Kong, the only reason the receiver

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in our case took a little over two minutes to read all active frequencies. Once that job is completed the GT-278 switches to the first available channel. Well deal with features and functions for everyday use in a moment, but first here is an overview of the main menu and all configuration options it offers. A total of seven entries are available: Program, Picture, Channel Search, Time, Options, System and Multimedia. Under Program it is possible to manage and edit all entries of the channel list namely delete, move, PIN-lock or add them to a favourites list. This is where the colour-coded function
1. GT-278 start screen 2-3. Initial installation screen of the GT-278 4. Automatic channel search 5. Main menu 6. Using the colour-coded function keys the channel list can be edited with great convenience 7. Apart from 1080i the receiver supports the following resolutions: 576i, 576p, 720p and 1080p 8. A manual channel search is available alongside the standard automatic search 9-10. Setting the time 11. Digital audio is provided as PCM or RAW 12. The receiver software can be updated using an external USB storage medium 13. Music, video and image files, as well as existing recordings can be played back hassle-free 14. M2TS video in 1080p 15. DivX Video in Full HD 1080p

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asks you to specify is that it can automatically determine the correct local time from the time code that is transmitted via DTMB. Unfortunately, we found no way to set the time manually. It is, however, possible to change the time difference. The receiver also comes with a sleep timer as well as a no-signal timer, both of which will surely be appreciated by users like the author of this report, who enjoy dozing off in front of the telly after a long days work. The Option menu looks after audiophiles who have hooked up the GT-278 to a Dolby Digital home theatre system: They will appreciate the PCM and Raw HDMI on/off options. In addition, this is where OSD language, audio language and subtitle language can be selected. Tsinghwa has a reputation for constantly improving its products, which is why a firmware update option was high up on the specification sheet. We found that this feature has been integrated neatly and any USB storage medium will do to keep the receiver software up to date. Make no mistake about it: This receiver performed brilliantly during the entire test, and we could not flaw it at all. Yet, it comes with a factory reset function. After all, something may go wrong at some stage or perhaps you would like to clear the channel list and get off to a new start with receiver, so its always a relief to know there is a way out. The main menu is completed with the Multimedia entry, which we will look at in more detail in a moment. Once all user settings
16. Image viewer 17. Configuration of the storage medium 18-19. Channel list (Shenzhen and Hong Kong) 20. One touch of a button is all it takes for time-shift viewing

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are completed and the GT278 is tailored to your very needs it is safe to exit the main menu and wait for the new Tsinghwa receiver to show the first available channel. Every time it switches to a new channel an info bar on the bottom of the screen shows date and time, channel number and EPG information on the current and next event. The video and audio quality we experienced in our test won us over. What we liked even more was that new channels appeared on screen less than one second after they had been selected. Quick as a flash, perfect for extreme zapping! Thanks to the DTMB standard the receiver can process SD and HD signals alike. Last but by no means least we should offer our praise to the low-threshold tuner that is built into this receiver. Using the OK button it is possible to call up a very clearly structured channel list on the TV panel. In addition, a dedicated button is available on the remote control to access the favourites lists. The electronic program guide is launched with the EPG button and provides content information, if the channel provider transmits these data. By default, information is shown for one channel at a time, which can be changed in the upper left corner of the OSD. Right below you will find a listing of upcoming events, with extended content information in the right area. Using the colour-coded function keys users can scroll up and down the content list, which provides information for up to seven days in advance. As mentioned above, the GT-278 is designed as a fully-fledged PVR receiver, which is why events can be marked for recording right in EPG view. If required, timer entries can be set for

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daily or weekly recording. As soon as a compatible USB 2.0 storage medium (USB memory stick or external USB hard disk, for example) is attached to the receiver the time-shift viewing function becomes available. Use it to pause any live transmission and continue from that very scene at a later time. Unfortunately, the GT-278 is only capable of recording one event at a time. It is, however, possible, to watch another channel on the same frequency while a recording is taking place. Sooner or later the storage medium might become filled to the brim, and when that day arrives you can easily call up the main menu in order to delete individual
21. If one recording is active and you want to start a second one, you need to stop the first recording first 22. Listing of all available recordings 23. The receiver memorises the exact playback position and continues from that position the next time this recording is selected 24. EPG presentation 25. Info bar

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recordings. Alternatively, you may format the entire storage medium to free up 100% capacity again. Right at the start we had detected the DivX logo on the packaging of the GT278, so we could hardly wait to check out this receivers multimedia features. And we were impressed by what we discovered: Tsinghwa has decided to split up the Multimedia menu into the Audio, Images and PVR sub-areas, and when we selected Video the receiver right away showed all video files that were saved onto our storage medium. No matter whether it was AVCHD, AVI, DivX, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPEG or TS, the GT-278 was happy with any format and flawlessly played back video in SD and HD up to 1080p. Whats more, every time a video is selected from the list, the receiver first presents a thumbnail with technical details (such as resolution, duration, file size, etc.) just below. Another touch of a button on the remote is all it takes for

full-screen playback to begin. We can think of only very few tested receivers that treated and processed external video files with similar ease. Hats off to Tsinghwa for a job well done! After such a brilliant show in the video segment we did not expect anything less for audio, and rightly so AAC, M4A, MP3 and WMA files can be listened to with great comfort, and thanks to the integrated image viewer you can even present your latest holiday photo to friends and family on your flat-screen TV. The manufacturer has treated the remote control to a dedicated key for accessing the archive with all existing recordings. These

can also be deleted or renamed if required. We also noticed in our test that the receiver remembers where playback was stopped for every recording and when you call up that recording again you continue from that precise position. While this may sound like a minor feature we strongly believe its a major plus. As far as DTMB receivers are concerned, the Tsinghwa GT-278 is a safe bet and will make a great addition to your multimedia rack. Rarely have we come across a receiver with a similarly responsive OSD interface and which not only sports rock solid software but also top-notch multimedia features.

TECHNICAL
DATA
Manufacturer Model Function EPG Supported standards Video resolution RS232 Ethernet USB 2.0 HDMI YUV Stereo Audio / CVBS HDTV MPEG4/H.264 Supportes languages/regions 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p no no yes yes yes yes yes yes English, traditional & simplified Chinese Tsinghwa GT-278 PVR Receiver with various Multimedia Features 474 - 858 MHz yes

Input frequency

ENERGY
DIAGRAM
Apparent Power

highly responsive OSD perfectly implemented multimedia features tuner with very low threshold clock cannot be set manually MHEG (Hong Kong) cannot be processed

Active Power

Mode Apparent Active Factor Active 13 W 7W 0.53 Standby 4.5 W 1W 0.22

Luo Jun TELE-satellite Test Center Shenzhen

Active use with recording, playback, zapping, etc. during the first 15 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of standby.

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