Options
Best PC dvbs - s2 card solution for freesat
[Deleted User]
Posts: 9
Forum Member
Hi
I am currently running a Mythtv based PC PVR with a hauppauge PVR-250 capture card and I am looking to buy a dvbs card for capturing freesat.
For future use I would like to know if I will definitely need dvbs2 capability and is it likely that there will be any kind of encryption on freesat channels necessitating the use of a CI slot.
I am currently running a Mythtv based PC PVR with a hauppauge PVR-250 capture card and I am looking to buy a dvbs card for capturing freesat.
For future use I would like to know if I will definitely need dvbs2 capability and is it likely that there will be any kind of encryption on freesat channels necessitating the use of a CI slot.
0
Comments
A Freesat channel is FTA, that's the point:)
Will encrypted content appear on the Freesat EPG (Like TUTV/Setanta on the Freeview EPG) at some point if CI slots become the norm, perhaps but that's a long way away.
I went straight for a DVB-S2 card and CI module from the start and it wasn't expensive.
http://www.hisat.com/proddetail.php?prod=REC_SKYSTAR_HD
I'm think of getting one as it doesn't seem that there will be a Freesat PVR for some time.
It needs a powerful PC though, and you haven't described yours.
http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_novahds2.html
I'm in the market of one too, i run Vista 64 Bit and both seem to have Vista 64bit drivers now. So decisions, decisions. LOL
Actually i don't think the Technisat has 64 Bit Vista drivers i'm getting mixed up with the Black Gold 6 in one card.
http://shop.blackgold.tv/category/tv-tuner-products/
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Image:Hauppauge_WinTV-NOVA-Ci.jpg
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Image:Technotrend_PCline_budget_DVB-S.jpg
Spot the difference.
Has anyone actually seen the quality of HD on a PC card?
I have oodles of actual films which are amazing but i'm still not too convinced what an actual HD broadcast on a pc card would look like compared to these.
I suspect i may be dissapointed. Can anyone tell me otherwise before i waste my pennies? LOL
Watching SD broadcasts on a PC is no different to watching them via a STB or TV tuner making allowances for the secondary processing across all reception devices and HD is no different.
To put simply if the HD broadcast is good then what you receive will be good and as you would be recording the bitstream no loss in video or audio quality, mind you the file sizes are still high:)
As for the direct comparison of SD and HD well the final result seems to be more variable with HD perhaps because it has to reach heights in terms of PQ a SD production could never do but in general HD will knock your socks off.
There are free HD downloads from MS and Apple etc and while they look fantastic (if your PC is upto playing them) they are perhaps not representative of what you would see broadcast wise.
I didn't capture them myself, but I've watched some stuff on my PC that was recorded from the BBC HD channel using a PC card and they look great. The Colour of Magic looks great in HD on the PC too.
http://www.digital-everywhere.com/en/alcms/index.php?sid=1187859689
here is a guide to set up sky in a pc
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html
i was only going to get it for free sat untill I read you could set up sky as well
I have no interest in the Sky side of it so will probably plump for the Hauppague Nova, Dixons have it at £64.25
One of the best decoders for HD is PowerDVD Ultra, just download the trial version from the Cyberlink site, the beauty of PowerDVD is that it enables DXVA (hardware acceleration) with most Nvidia graphics cards and with ATI HD series, so you don't need such a powerful PC.
I don't use my STB any more, just use the PC card, gives me 1000's of channels, more with certain software addons (which can't be discussed here).
PM me if you want more info.
My advice is get an S2 card and think about a motor as well (about £35 - £60),
Can the ATI HD series be used on XP?
Have installed technisat skystar hd card with CI/cam....had XP pro64bit and had nightmare switched back to xp pro and all ok except have not got Cam recognised on system...?
Btw....HD or at least BBC HD preview channel is very nice...not as good as via SkyHD box thru HDMI lead (am using PC connection on Sony tv)
Any help for my prob with CI would be very welcome....thanks
There's a long thread about it here:-
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=872538
Are you outputting the video at the right resolution, can you check on your tv what res it is seeing, really need 1:1 pixel mapping for best results. I had probs with my screen, set video card to 1360 x 768 but screen was getting 800 x 600 and upscaling it, due to video drivers, had to set up a custom resolution on card driver, now screen is getting 1360 x 768 and picture is really good.
CI/cam recognition is a puzzle?
Have BFG Nvidea 8800GTX card and resolution 1024/760