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Knowledge Is Key
For Intelligent Decisions
Satellite Logic is a leading,
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Until not long ago, mobile satellite TV was a great invention. But what if
you don't want to depend on the car, SUV, boat, etc? What if you don't
want to watch the tiny cellphone screens? Well, now you have a
solution - portable satellite TV. If DirecTV has its way, mobile TV will
come to mean something entirely different: satellite TV in a briefcase.
DirecTV has just started shipping Sat-Go, billed as the world's first
complete portable satellite TV system. Made by Humax, it includes a
removable 17-inch LCD monitor with an integrated satellite receiver,
laptop-style battery, remote control and antenna.
The really cool thing about this system is that all of these components
are housed in a large brown briefcase with a handle. To be sure, the
19½-inch-wide case is pretty heavy - 27 pounds, somewhat geeky-
looking and vaguely reminiscent of the "luggable" computers of the
1980s. But it's still cool and a great solution for TV entertainment on
the go.
On most DirecTV installations, you must place a dish antenna on your
roof. On Sat-Go, the flat lid of the briefcase is the antenna. Even at
$1,499 plus the cost of a DirecTV programming package, Sat-Go is going
to be a hit. It has a few shortcomings, but you may well find Sat-Go
systems on camping trips, boat docks and in RVs.
Towards the football season, the company expects to see the portable
TVs in stadium parking lots. The product is a well-heeled tailgater's
dream, and DirecTV, after all, is still the exclusive provider of the popular
NFL Sunday Ticket package.
The unit is interactive, so Sat-Go customers can also take advantage of
on-demand stats and other features available with NFL, March Madness,
NASCAR and Major League Baseball packages.
DirecTV is also targeting college dorms, hospitals and hotels. Moreover,
since the satellite receiver is built into the LCD, you can use Sat-Go as
an additional TV tuner in your house. Under that scenario, you connect
the LCD by cable to the more typical dish installation on the roof.
Still, your primary reason for buying Sat-Go is to take it with you
wherever you are. Here's some basic info for getting started.
The trickiest part of setting it up is finding a suitable (and hopefully flat)
spot to place the antenna. As with any DirecTV installation, the antenna
requires an unobstructed view of the southern sky; DirecTV's satellites
are south of Texas. Tall buildings or trees can prevent you from getting
reception. After opening the latches and lifting the handle, you raise the
TV to an upright position (or take it out of the case) leaving room to
manipulate the antenna/lid.
Aided by a compass built onto the lid, you must turn and tilt the antenna
until you find the proper elevation and direction to lock in a signal. The
quick-start guide shows you dish-pointing coordinates for 15 major
markets, with a lengthier list inside the manual. Pressing a button on the
TV shows you a signal-strength meter; you'll need 50% or better to pull
in a picture.
Another operational problem is direct sun. The display can be hard to
see when it's bright outside, thwarting the beach experience. Sat-Go is
not in high-definition, nor does it function as a personal video recorder.
The rear panel of the TV has various connectors ("composite,"
"component") for hooking up a VCR or DVD player, presumably when
you are indoors. An onboard phone jack for a land-line phone is used
for ordering pay-per-view movies.
Whether you leave the LCD/receiver in the briefcase or lift it out, you'll
have to connect a thin copper cable to the base of the antenna. You
can leave it connected. The cable extends up to 15 feet. A lengthier
cable is a handy option if you plan on watching inside your boat or RV
while sticking the antenna outside.
Under ideal circumstances, you'll connect Sat-Go to a wall jack, or
cigarette lighter adapter for powering it up through your car or boat. If
you're truly in the middle of nowhere, forget about catching much of the
game if you have to rely on its replaceable lithium-ion battery; it lasts
just an hour, and a full recharge takes eight hours.
DirecTV customers receive the same subscription packages on the Sat-Go
that they pay for on their home system. The additional cost is $4.99 a
month. For now, you must order Sat-Go directly from DirecTV.
Sat-Go obviously delivers a very different kind of portable viewing
experience than cellphone TV. It's also different than the "place-shifting"
solutions available for phones and laptops through Sling Media's
Slingbox.
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