Satellite Radio - Sirius Antex SRX-3 |
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SIRIUS Triple Play
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Triple Play - Sirius Satellite Receiver Description |
First-generation satellite radio
tuners were car audio units; the next models could move between home
and office, and back to the car; and more recently, dedicated home
receivers were introduced. The Antex Triple Play SRX-3
represents the logical next evolutionary step--a $1,999 list Sirius
radio designed for the booming multiroom and custom installation
market.
Browse the offerings on XM or Sirius and, in minutes, you will find
wonderful music you never knew existed. There are so many
great tunes that you may want to listen to three stations at
once—which is exactly what Antex Electronics’ SRX-3 TriplePlay
Sirius receiver lets you do.
The SRX-3's half-inch-thick sculpted metal faceplate and robust
construction standards bespeak a high-end aesthetic. Great, but we
had a little trouble reading the backlit LCD; after squeezing in
three sets of Sirius stream names, channel numbers, and artist
names, each readout is rather small. The viewing angle of the LCD is
limited, it's way too bright at night, and Antex doesn't provide an
option of dimming or turning off the display. Then again, Antex's
product designers assume most end users will stash the SRX-3 in a
closet or equipment rack and rely on their home automation displays
to deliver Sirius stream information.
Three stereo analog and three optical digital outputs are provided
to feed up to three zones or rooms. The only other connectors of
note are the RS-232 port and the IR remote-control input that work
in conjunction with home automation systems. A high-quality
indoor/outdoor omni-directional Sirius satellite antenna is supplied
with the SRX-3.
The curvy little plastic remote doesn't look or feel very high end,
but it can select among the three zones and 10 stream presets.
Again, most SRX-3 owners will jettison the remote and instead use
their home automation system to control the unit.
The SRX-3 is a rack-sized box with a nice slab of gray matte aluminum for a faceplate. To the left of the pale-blue-backlit liquid-crystal display are buttons for power, category up/down, select, channel up/down, and, closer to the display, zone. On the right are a preset button and numeric keys, 0 through 9. Most of these controls are duplicated on a bare-bones remote, although you might never use it, because you'll either be in the same room with the unit or you'll operate it with whatever interface your custom installer installs.
Operating the unit face to face is simple and, if you've never used satellite radio before, rather fun. The category up/down keys make big jumps among channels. The station up/down keys navigate within each category. For more efficient surfing you can program the unit—pardon me, program each zone—to skip undesired channels. Each zone can also have up to 10 presets. The alpha human may also block channels in each zone, either out of parental concern or sheer cussedness. ("No Howard for you until you get your grades up. And you'd better rake those leaves, or I'll block the Death-Metal Porno Rap channel, too." "Aw, Mom!")
The blue LCD measures 2 inches high by 2.5 inches wide. Although it's pretty enough, you can only read it close up. It also has a limited viewing angle, as I discovered when some other review samples came in and the Antex had to move to the bottom of my rack. I had to get down on all fours, like some lesser primate, to get my face low enough to read it.
Description of SRX-3 TriplePlay Sirius Radio |
SRX-3 TriplePlay, tailored to the needs of the custom installer
dealer base and high-end audio or home theater enthusiast, is
designed to be integrated into a multiroom, multizone audio
distribution system. Designed to give you the utmost in value-add
and return-on-investment, TriplePlay allows for quick installation
with minimum set-up time. The satellite receiver only needs an
easily installed omnidirectional satellite antenna with a single LNA
(Low Noise Amplifier) to receive the SIRIUS satellite signal. Once
connected, the receiver can be operated locally or remotely via a
single controller port which interfaces to a wide range of 3rd party
controllers.
TriplePlay let’s you select from 60 original music channels or
from more than 40 channels of non-music programming, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. Hear today's hits to R&B oldies to classical
masterpieces, from authentic country and real bluegrass to cool
jazz, hot Latin, reggae, rock, dance, gospel, new age and even
kid’s music. TriplePlay also gives you instant access to 40 plus
channels of world class news, sports and entertainment from CNBC,
CNN, BBC World Service, E! Entertainment Radio, ABC News & Talk
and NPR Now, ESPN, The Speed Channel and engaging entertainment from
the golden age of radio on Radio Classics and Radio Disney.
What’s more, TriplePlay gives the user the option to select the
programming for 3 independent listening zones, while being able to
independently control the operation of the receiver from each of
those zones. With TriplePlay, a family can be listening to the
latest top 10 in your living room, sports in the family room and the
latest breaking news around the world in your bedroom.
Sirius Radio Antex SRX-3 click for larger view |
Satellite Sirius Radio - Antex Triple Play click for larger view |
Features Antex Receiver - Sirius Satellite |
Easy to install – Easy to operate
TriplePlay is designed for easy installation. In operation, the
satellite receiver needs only a single antenna to operate. Sirius
programming content via the single RF input is split internally
after demodulation into 3 data paths, each containing the complete
range of Sirius streams. Independent control of each of the 3 sets
of streams is achieved through the use of wired or wireless
controllers located remotely within the 3 zones of the house via a
data port or infrared jack. Direct control of the receiver can also
be done through the use of an infrared wireless remote control
located at the receiver or by pressing the appropriate buttons on
the receiver cabinet.
For added convenience, Antex Electronics provides drivers to
communicate with controllers from a variety of providers in the
CEDIA channel including but not limited to Crestron, Niles, Elan,
Sonance etc.
The large main display on the receiver cabinet provides the means
to show PDT (Program Descriptive Text / Program Display Text) data
and other information necessary for the operation of the TriplePlay
receiver. The same information will be available through a data port
designed to connect to 3rd party remote controllers located in each
of the 3 zones. The satellite receiver also lets you scroll
categories and channels within a specific zone individually.
TriplePlay provides multiple audio outputs, analog and digital,
to serve each of the 3 zones. All that’s then needed is to connect
the receiver’s analog and/or digital outputs to an appropriate
audio distribution controller.
Analog and Digital Outputs - Compatibility with the past, present and future is guaranteed with TriplePlay’s analog and digital outputs. The receiver supplies TOSLink Digital S/PDIF Output and RCA Stereo Outputs for each zone.
Channel Skip Control - TriplePlay can be programmed to designate a group of channels that are the most desirable or to exclude undesirable channels in the scanning process. While in operation, the entire universe of channels may still be scanned using the regular channel commands.
Sirius Radio Receiver - SRX-3 click for larger view |
SRX-3 Antenna - Sirius Radio Receiver click for larger view |
Antenna -
TriplePlay comes with an easily installable high gain
omnidirectional antenna - small in size, big in performance.
Of course, it is unlikely you
will use TriplePlay to listen to alternative rock, old-school rap
and bluegrass simultaneously in the same room (although you could).
Antex’s intention in developing TriplePlay is to source satellite
radio for multiroom audio systems, which provide sound for an entire
house from a central location. Since a multiroom audio system serves
every family member at once, it is easy to envision a satellite
radio receiver alternating from hip-hop to traditional jazz every
few seconds as a father and his teenage son fight for control from
their respective bedrooms. TriplePlay eliminates this problem by
incorporating three Sirius tuners in one component.
A front display shows
what’s playing on each of the three tuners; on the readout, you
see the channel name and number, the artist name and the song title.
You can store as many as 10 presets for each of the zones, making it
easy to flip through your favorite stations. If your multiroom
system’s keypads include numeric keys, you can select your
favorite stations by number.
TriplePlay Display - Sirius Satellite Radio click for larger view |
SRX-3 Remote Controller click for larger view |
Separate
satellite radio feeds for up to three rooms? The SRX-3 makes
it easy. Just select your material from the front display
(left) or use the remote (right) or a programmable keypad to
flip through your favorites. |
Front Control Panel -
TriplePlay gives the user the ability to locally control the
operation of the receiver and view it’s status instantly. You can
even choose from 3 settings to dim the main display.
Multizone Display -
TriplePlay provides access to a wealth of information from a single
display on the front cabinet. Capable of graphical image display,
multiple font and character sizes, the multizone display gives the
user instant status of the receiver in the setup, category list,
parental lock and normal modes of operation.
Full Function Remote Control -
TriplePlay comes with a full function remote control. The controller
emulates the power of the receiver’s front panel, giving the user
complete control over all the receiver’s functions.
thumbnail to download Antex SRX-3 Sirius Satellite Radio User's Manual (PDF 2,035K) |