The Venus New Millennium II-EP receiver is optimized to control the Venus motor. It has a basic design with limited rear connections and outputs. Setup involves manually assigning satellite positions and adding channels via blind scan or manual entry. While the menus could be improved, the receiver is straightforward to use for everyday TV viewing and channel navigation once configured.

1. TEST REPORT Satellite Receiver
Venus New
Millennium II-EP
Motor control made easy
These days Asia takes
much of the lead in satellite
receiver technology, with a
constant stream of receivers
The Venus motor mounted appearing from such places
on the Venus dish as China and Korea. Here
TELE-satellite presented though, our Asian voyage of
in previous issue. The
discovery takes a different
satellite receiver Venus New
turn to meet only the second
Millennium II-EP is optimized
receiver we’ve tested from
to control this motor
Indonesia. Clearly made with
the Asian market in mind, it
is a basic free-to-air receiver
with a built-in traditional 36V
positioner. It comes from the
Venus brand, which will already
be familiar to regular readers for
their innovative segmented dish
that we tested in issue 08/2008 and
this receiver is especially designed
to work with the Venus motor, which
we will present in a next issue.
The receiver is housed in a full-sized black
case, measuring 300x200mm and 60mm high.
Basic controls are available on the front panel,
where there is a red LED display of the current
channel’s number, which gives an almost retro look.
The grey remote control does all it needs to, but it would be
0.57
nicer perhaps if it matched the antenna input along with present, and the back panel is when the New Millennium is
colour scheme of the receiver spring terminals to connect a completed with a 4-pin RS232 sold in other countries, it will
itself. 36V motor. There are no Scart connector. have a manual in the required
or digital outputs – just a pair languages. But a good test of a
Rear connections are limited of composite video outputs and Our test receiver was sup- receiver’s ease of use is to find
to the most frugal require- the usual UHF antenna loop. plied with a manual in Indo- out if it can be used without a
ments. There’s a single Stereo audio outputs are also nesian only. No doubt if and manual. The menu entry “Pen-
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2. TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/...
Download this report in other languages from the Internet:
Arabic ‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/ara/venus.pdf
Indonesian Indonesia www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/bid/venus.pdf
Bulgarian Български www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/bul/venus.pdf
Czech Česky www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/ces/venus.pdf
gaturan Sistem” led me to the have been set up, finally it’s German Deutsch www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/deu/venus.pdf
receiver’s setting screen where time to get scanning for chan- English English www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/eng/venus.pdf
Spanish Español www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/esp/venus.pdf
the menu language (“Bahasa”) nels. 18 satellites covering the Farsi ‫ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻲ‬ www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/far/venus.pdf
can be changed between Indo- Asian area are already pro- French Français www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/fra/venus.pdf
Greek Ελληνικά www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/hel/venus.pdf
nesian and English. The menus grammed into the receiver, Croatian Hrvatski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/hrv/venus.pdf
Italian Italiano www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/ita/venus.pdf
themselves are basic, and the so if these are receivable it’s Hungarian Magyar www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/mag/venus.pdf
text somewhat blocky, rein- a simple matter of assigning Mandarin 中文 www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/man/venus.pdf
Dutch Nederlands www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/ned/venus.pdf
forcing the retro feel some the correct positioner number Polish Polski www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/pol/venus.pdf
more. to them. New satellites can Portuguese Português www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/por/venus.pdf
Romanian Românesc www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/rom/venus.pdf
be added as needed, with Russian Русский www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/rus/venus.pdf
Initial Setup their names being editable. Swedish Svenska www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/sve/venus.pdf
Turkish Türkçe www.TELE-satellite.com/TELE-satellite-0811/tur/venus.pdf
The usual up/down buttons
The internal positioner works are used to scroll through the Available online starting from 26 September 2008
very much like the stand-alone alphabet to set each letter of
positioners many of us may the name, but don’t go too fast
have used in the past. 60 posi- as both the up and down but-
tions are available to be stored, tons go upwards!
which can then be assigned
to one or more satellites Adding new channels is
when scanning for new chan- again simplified to the bare
nels. Each satellite position minimum. If like me, you don’t
is referred to just by number enjoy the confusion sometimes
with the satellite’s name being caused by network scans and
set later when channels are transponder lists, you’re in
scanned. Therefore keeping luck – there’s none of this.
a careful note of where each Channels can only be added
number points is necessary to to the receiver by blind scan
avoid later confusion! or manual entry of frequency
data.
There’s no automatic setup
by using satellites at each Blind scanning shows up one
side of the viewable arc, and omission from the receiver’s
nor is there any provision for software. Whilst it can drive
setting east and west limits in a universal LNB perfectly well Main menu
the receiver. This means the with full user control of the
user would need to ensure the local oscillator frequency and After this, we then need to they appear correctly when
limits on the dish motor have 22kHz tone, there’s no facility change the local frequency to selected.
been set correctly to avoid any to scan the high and low bands 10600, turn the 22kHz tone
accidents. DiSEqC is included in a single sweep. To cover the on, and scan again to get the The blind scan is not very fast
for switching between up to full Ku band we have to make remainder of the channels. even when using the quick scan
four LNBs. two scans. The first, with the The receiver remembers the option. The two scans required
local frequency set to 9750, will LNB setting for each channel, to find everything from HOT-
After the satellite positions scan up to around 11.500GHz. so once committed to memory BIRD took a total time of 56
minutes, but with most Asian
satellites transmitting on less
transponders this is not really
a matter. Pressing any button
on the remote aborts the scan,
10-11/2008
VENUS NEW MILLENNIUM II-EP
Easy to use receiver for big motorized
dishes at an economic price
www.TELE-satellite.com — 10-1
1/2008 — TELE-satellite & Broadband 53

3. saving any channels already symbol when scrolling through
found. Duplicate channels are the unsortable main list. The
not added at the end of the list, P+ and P- buttons are used to
unless their parameters have. navigate between the chan-
As with many blind scan receiv- nels marked as favourites.
ers the discovered symbol rate Radio channels are added and
is slightly inaccurate, most edited in the same way as TV,
often in the region of 30 above but from a separate list and
reality. Adding individual chan- menu entry.
nels is best done manually,
so being forearmed with a
SatcoDX chart is useful. Fre- Everyday use
quency, polarity and symbol When it’s finally time to
rate are all needed. This time watch some TV, pressing the
all channels found are added OK button gives us the list of
Blind scan in progress
cal search commonly seen on Picture quality is OK, bearing
many modern receivers would in mind that we have only UHF
be a helpful addition here. or composite video outputs
When a channel is selected for to choose from. Widescreen
viewing from this list, the pic- transmissions are catered for,
ture zooms out from its small up to a point. The receiver
window to fill the full screen, always assumes a 4:3 TV is
which is a nice little touch. being used, and black bars are
Blind scan options
to the end of the list, whether all stored channels. This list
they are duplicates or not. can be reduced to each indi-
vidual satellite by using the
Organising channels once MENU button. The P+ and P-
they have been scanned and buttons allow selection of the
stored is kept to basic level. next or previous satellite.
Each entry in the channel list
can be moved up and down This list always defaults
the list, marked for deletion, to showing all satellites, so
or added to a single favour- remembering channel num-
ites list. The favourites list bers or using the favourites
can’t be viewed or edited on function might be preferred
its own – favourites can only over lots of repetitive scrolling
be located by finding the heart and searching. The alphabeti- Channel list
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4. used at the top and bottom the rest are freeze-frames.
Expert Opinion
of the screen if a 16:9 trans- Teletext is unavailable. +
mission is detected. Everyday Uncomplicated channel data storage and edit-
viewing, once we have the
channels and satellites set up Summary ing
Easy handling of a 36 V motor
as we need them, is simple and After the initial setup, for Blindscan makes it usable for satellite DXers
easy enough. Zapping between everyday TV viewing and chan-
channels is fairly fast, and the nel-surfing the New Millennium - Andy Middleton
TELE-satellite
Test Center
EXIT button is used to switch II-EP does the job well if not No Scart or digital outputs UK
to the previously viewed chan- too much further editing and
nel. sorting is needed. The receiver
is best when it comes to handle TECHNIC
Audio channels and PIDs can the Venus motor which he does DATA
be quickly edited if needed, rather superbly. Despite a few Manufacturer PT. Subur Semesta, Jln. Kamal Raya No. 8,
which is a bonus when a chan- places where the menus could RT. 0014/RW. 09 Tegal Alur, Jakarta Barat 11820
Tel +62 21 5559733
Fax +62 21 5559805 / 5555009
Email subur@dnet.net.id
Model Venus New Millennium II-EP
Satellites 60
SCPC compatible yes
USALS No
DiSEqC 1.2
Scart connectors 0
Symbol rates 2-45 Ms/sec
Audio/Video outputs 4 (two video + left/right audio)
UHF output Yes, channels 21-69
0/12 volt output No
Digital audio output No
EPG No
C/Ku-band compatible Yes
Power supply 100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz
ENERGY
DIAGRAM
Channel info & blue bars
nel changes PIDs – we don’t be made tidier or easier to nav-
have to fear going back to blind igate, its basic design meant
scanning or manual frequency that I had little problem finding Apparent Power
entry just to change this small my way around the receiver
detail. The INFO button gives without having to try to consult
a helpful screen detailing the the Indonesian manual, so that
channel’s name and param- test is won easily.
Active Power
eters, plus allowing quick fine-
tuning of the dish position. The nature of the receiver Mode Apparent Active Factor
would opening up the spectrum StandBy 18 W 10.5 W 0.58
Reception 21 W 12 W 0.57
The EPG button on the of multi-satellite reception to
remote instead gives us a “PIP” people who may usually be put
display of 9 channels. As usual, off by the cost of a receiver
only one of these is live and with a built-in positioner.
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