Among the digital terrestrial receivers, one of the most common today is Oriel 963. The range of consoles from this company is quite extensive and at the same time is constantly updated with more and more new technologies, but this model is still for many the best option in terms of price and quality.
Equipment
Oriel has never been famous for the variety and richness of equipment for its devices, and Oriel 963 was no exception. User reviews suggest that the equipment here is standard for all DVB-T2 receivers of this manufacturer and includes the following components:
- remote control;
- remote control batteries;
- equipment operation manual.
Thus, if you want to get cables for connecting the device to the TV, you will have to purchase them separately, which is not the most understandable step on the part of the manufacturer Oriel 963. Reviews often note that in the stores where this set-top box is bought, they immediately offer purchase cables that are suitable for your TV model, so it is recommended to know it before you go to purchase this device.
Design
Receiver Oriel 963 is made in a design that is quite traditional for consoles of this kind. The rectangular case is equipped with a perforated metal base and a top cover, while the front panel is made of special plastic. It is worth noting that, unlike many analogues, this digital set-top box uses a built-in power supply, which allows less mess with the connection and further maintenance of the device.
Front and back panels
In the center of the electronic panel you can see a bright digital display, the values on which are easy to see from almost any angle and even when strong light hits the Oriel 963. User reviews often pay attention to the convenient functionality of the device, which automatically switches the display to display the clock in standby mode, in while in the process the user is shown the number of the displayed channel.
On the left side of the case you can see the buttons for cyclic switching of television channels, an LED indicator and a power button. It should be noted that while the device is waiting, the indicator does not turn off, but starts to light in red. On the right side of the front panel you can see the USB port, which will be especially useful for those people who are going to connect a computer or various gadgets to the Oriel 963 receiver. User reviews say that this connector is functioning quite well, and even without a device outages interacts with almost all types of gadgets.
Special attention should be paid to the rear panel, on which you can find a very, very impressive set of components for devices of this class. In particular, here you will see a huge number of diverse antenna outputs, as well as outputs for various audio and video devices.
Internal components
Some users notice that they used long-proven and proven technologies in the production process of Oriel 963 DVB-T2. Reviews often contain information that in this model there is a budget chipset Ali M3812, which can often be found in various consoles of this kind and which has already managed to prove itself well in the process of working in a variety of conditions.
It is also worth noting that, in addition to this processor, a device from Sony is also used, which includes a specialized demodulator, as well as an ultra-sensitive tuner. Thanks to such components, users are provided with extremely fast channel switching, efficient reception of even relatively weak transmissions, and an extremely clear image with a simple and clear menu. All this is just the beginning of a long list of functions of the device itself, as well as the capabilities of the modern television standard T2, which is provided with the help of this receiver for users.
How to connect it?
For Oriel 963, the instruction says that you will first need to connect the antenna. To ensure the normal reception of an on-air digital signal, it is quite enough to use the most standard UHF antenna or the all-wave UHF + MV antenna. If you don’t have such a device at hand, but at the same time you are directly next to the transmitter, then in this case you can just try connecting a wire or a piece of cable instead of an antenna. It happens that this option works, but for Oriel 963 the instruction says that in any case it is much more reliable and efficient to use a standard antenna for high-quality reception, and not replace it with any new components.
Which antenna to use?
In order to ensure a truly stable and reliable reception in settlements that are far enough from the transmitter, you will also need to use an external antenna with Oriel 963 DVB-T2. Reviews say that depending on the reception conditions in some situations, it is best to even raise it to a height. If the transmitter is far away from you, then in this case the only possible way out is to use a specialized antenna equipped with an additional amplifier.
If you use an all-wave antenna, and, in addition to standard digital channels, you will also watch standard analog ones, the RF OUT connector should be combined with the antenna input of your TV and another additional antenna extension cable.
It is also worth noting that with this connection a normal through-flow of the television signal from this antenna to the TV will be ensured even if you use the DVB-T2 Oriel 963 set-top box in normal mode for some time. the presence of a rather rich set of patch connectors on the back is often noted, which provides a wide variety of connection options. The only thing worth noting in this case is the difficulty for many people not to forget to switch to interacting with this set-top box in the corresponding TV menu.
CVBS
With this connection, the operation of the device is quite standard. The digital prefix Oriel 963 is connected as follows:
- the yellow connector is responsible for the video;
- red represents the right audio channel of the stereo signal;
- white represents the left sound channel of a stereo signal or is responsible for mono sound.
Thus, if you are using a TV with monaural sound, the Oriel 963 should only be connected using white and yellow cables.
Scart
The main distinguishing feature of this connection is that through the SCART connector, in addition to audio and video, a specialized control signal must also be supplied, through which the TV is automatically transferred to the AV mode. In other words, if you watch any standard analog channels of the TV, then after turning on this receiver, the TV will automatically switch to the SCART input and activate the digital channels received by this device. This is a fairly convenient connection option, which provides an on-air digital receiver Oriel 963. User reviews also often say that many people prefer to use such a cable.
HDMI
Such a connection is considered the best option if you have a TV with a sufficiently large screen diagonal, as in this case you can count on the highest quality picture. Of course, at the moment it’s still quite difficult to compare DVB-T2 with full HD, but in fact with this connection you can see much higher image and sound quality when viewing various Full HD content using the built-in digital DVB-T2 Oriel receiver 963. Feedback from users who install such consoles and to watch their own movies often mark this point. Thus, if you want, in addition to digital television, to watch some films of interest to you via the set-top box via the Internet or from various drives, you should use this particular connection option.
COAXIAL
Despite the fact that the use of this cable also provides for an Oriel 963 digital receiver, user reviews practically do not note its use. In the predominant majority of cases, the application of this standard is carried out to ensure the transmission of a stereo or multi-channel digital audio signal.
Remote control
Since the front panel of the set-top box itself provides only the presence of channel switching buttons, the use of the remote control becomes much more relevant, and this is often noted by people who previously purchased the Oriel 963 digital television set-top box. Reviews say that in case of loss of the remote control the device is becoming quite complicated, not to mention the fact that its functionality is reduced only to providing access to digital television.
The remote control itself has a rather modern and stylish design. The buttons are carefully rubberized and easy to press, and also differ in a rather convenient location. In addition to the basic buttons necessary to implement the standard functions of the TV, there are also a number of additional buttons with which users can quickly access various functions. Thus, you can easily use everything that the Oriel 963 DVB-T2 receiver offers. Reviews of many users often pay attention to the use of rather convenient “little” batteries, which made the device compact enough and also eliminated the need to store large batteries or rechargeable batteries, such as this is the case with other similar devices.
Work with the device
After the power button is pressed on the remote control or the front panel of the console, the device does not turn on immediately. You need to wait about 10-15 seconds until the Oriel 963 receiver starts working. User reviews speak of a fairly convenient solution to transfer the device owner when you first turn it on in the settings menu, where you can immediately select the region, language, as well as the main parameters of the video output. If necessary, then it will be possible to change various settings on the screen, or you can do this through the standard console menu. In principle, the default functions are quite acceptable, and you can safely use them, but if you wish, you can change something for yourself.
Enable channels
After you click the “OK” button, automatic scanning of the available digital terrestrial channels begins. It is worth noting that the search is carried out immediately in two standards, and the procedure is fast enough. The detected channels are easily sorted according to their logical numbers, and after this scan the device automatically switches the user to viewing mode, then the channel with the first logical number assigned by the Oriel 963 digital receiver is turned on. User reviews pay special attention to the convenient possibility of obtaining additional information about current or next transmission, parameters of the switched on channel, signal quality and power, as well as many other useful functions.
Thus, the owners of Oriel 963 get when they buy not just a device through which it will be possible to periodically watch digital channels, they also get a full-fledged set-top box, revealing much more functions and turning even relatively old TV models into high-tech devices. It is for this reason that such devices have become so common lately and are gradually beginning to displace cable television from the current market.