HTPC TV Tuner Choice

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euanandrews

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#25023 9-Aug-2008 19:30

I am now finally purchasing all my HTPC gear, after months of refining my choices, and having no cash...I now can afford.

I have so far purchased:
- Case (Silverstone SST-LC16S-MR )
- Motherboard (abit IP35 Pro)
- Hard Drive x 2 (Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS, 750GB)
- PSU (Corsair 520HX, 520W ATX (SLI Ready, Modular))

My purchases next week will be:
- CPU (Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.50GHz 45nm)
- CPU Heatsink (Scythe Ninja Mini )
- Graphics card (WinFast PX8500 GT TDH HDMI )
- RAM (2 x Corsair XMS2, TWIN2X2048-6400, 2x1GB)
- DVD Drive (Sony DRU840A)
- OS (Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit )
- TV Tuner ?????

I am still undeceided about the TV Tuner...any suggestions?
I want the following:
- Dual tuners
- DVB-T & DVB-S
- Digital radio
- Vista/EPG support
- HD/H.264 support

There is little available in the way of dual 'hybrid' tuners...mostly dual DVB-T...
I am wondering if the best way to go is to include 2 TV tuner cards?
Is there any compatiability issues with Vista regarding that?

I was thinking maybe 2 Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-4000?
I could have a dual DVB-T card and a dual DVB-S card, but to what I have read, having different types of cards can be an issue with Vista?

Thoughts, suggestions?

amphibem

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#155483 9-Aug-2008 20:03

Regarding the tuners, you are right in that you will have issues; in fact with Vista MCE you cannot have multiple sources plus New Zealand's DVB-T doesn't work yet. Hence I would suggest seriously looking at Mediaportal. Also, the HVR2200 is very popular and hard to go by, amybe add a HVR3000 for more tuners and flexibility. Not sure why you would want a 4000, all it provdes extra is the DVB-S2 capability and we are unlikely to ever get Free-To-Air -S2 in NZ.

Can't see much wrong with the rest, bit over-kill maybe but it should be good!

Desktop: 5200 X2 - 3GB - 320GB - Nvidia 8600GT - Vista Home Premium - PVR150 - MediaPortal 1.0
My HTPC Blog - HTPCnz, the Home Theatre PC Resource

euanandrews

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#155491 9-Aug-2008 20:38

The reason I suggested the HVR4000 is due to its HD capabilitys...
I have read up on the HVR3000 and concur with you that the 4000 apperas to offer nothing more extra than S2, which currently is irrelevant in NZ...but a pc retailer I asked many questions is adament that the 3000 is not HD (Ascent).

As for the HVR2200, its only DVB-T (and analouge)...I really want DVB-S as well so to be able to connect via various methods (current house has satellitte, no terristrial aerial)

amphibem

138 posts

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#155495 9-Aug-2008 20:51

TheBartender: The reason I suggested the HVR4000 is due to its HD capabilitys...
I have read up on the HVR3000 and concur with you that the 4000 apperas to offer nothing more extra than S2, which currently is irrelevant in NZ...but a pc retailer I asked many questions is adament that the 3000 is not HD (Ascent).

As for the HVR2200, its only DVB-T (and analouge)...I really want DVB-S as well so to be able to connect via various methods (current house has satellitte, no terristrial aerial)

If I am reading you right you (or Ascent anyway) are suggesting the HVR 3000 cannot do Terristrial HD? Because that is not the case, the DVB-T standard does not require a specific codec or resolution, a card that can tune into a DVB-T stream just writes it to disk and it is up to the decoder to deal with the format/resolution. So the HVR3000 can definitely do DVB-T HD and many on this forumn do just that.

However I can see your point regarding wanting satellite now, and I assume you would want 2 DVB-S tuners so as to be able to record all the Freeview channels at once. To do that would likely require two DVB-S cards, unless you could get hold of a card such as the Pinnacle 7010i or the Blackgold (I don't know of anyone selling these in NZ, and I don't know what PVR software may support them). Maybe two HVR3000's for now is the way to go, sounds like you don't have a UHF aerial so you won't be getting Prime. You are then set for DVB-T in the future, although you may wish to add a 3rd card for Prime (wether it is still analogue or fingers crossed, DVB-T eventually).

Finally are you set on getting a quad core? Since you are also getting a 8500GT I assume this is just a HTPC, so the quad seems ovrkill. Or are you planning on transcoding a lot of stuff? Since writing a digital stream to disk, and playing it back with hardware encoding, have low power requirements I'm sure a low end dual core such as the E7200 would be more than adequate. I can understand you may want to be prepared for any future uses though.

Desktop: 5200 X2 - 3GB - 320GB - Nvidia 8600GT - Vista Home Premium - PVR150 - MediaPortal 1.0
My HTPC Blog - HTPCnz, the Home Theatre PC Resource

euanandrews

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#155505 9-Aug-2008 22:00

amphibem: If I am reading you right you (or Ascent anyway) are suggesting the HVR 3000 cannot do Terristrial HD? Because that is not the case, the DVB-T standard does not require a specific codec or resolution, a card that can tune into a DVB-T stream just writes it to disk and it is up to the decoder to deal with the format/resolution. So the HVR3000 can definitely do DVB-T HD and many on this forumn do just that.

You read it correctly...that is what Ascent told me several times when I questioned it...

From reading the specifications, I always thought the HVR3000 was HD capable...thank you for clarifying that.

amphibem: However I can see your point regarding wanting satellite now, and I assume you would want 2 DVB-S tuners so as to be able to record all the Freeview channels at once. To do that would likely require two DVB-S cards, unless you could get hold of a card such as the Pinnacle 7010i or the Blackgold

I looked at those cards some time ago, and they would be perfect, but my concern is the lack of support/knowledge in NZ for them...

amphibem: Maybe two HVR3000's for now is the way to go, sounds like you don't have a UHF aerial so you won't be getting Prime. You are then set for DVB-T in the future, although you may wish to add a 3rd card for Prime (wether it is still analogue or fingers crossed, DVB-T eventually).

This is what I am thinking, to get 2 hybrid tuners, then I will be able to have dual tuners as well as DVB-T & DVB-S...
As for Prime, I dont care for Prime so thats not a concern...if I can get it, great, if not, worrys.

amphibem: Finally are you set on getting a quad core? Since you are also getting a 8500GT I assume this is just a HTPC, so the quad seems ovrkill.

Yes I am, yes it is overkill, I am happy with that.

eXDee

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#155510 9-Aug-2008 22:44

If you're going overkill on CPU you may as well go for an 8600GT instead which packs a bit more punch.

btw: this card would be perfect, though i dont think you can get it over here.

euanandrews

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#155518 9-Aug-2008 23:36

eXDee: If you're going overkill on CPU you may as well go for an 8600GT instead which packs a bit more punch.

Cant do it...
The Silverstone LC16M case has limitations in length, due to the location of the optical drive, so this is why I choose the 8500 due to its length...
I also choose it as it has an HDMI connection, H.264 support and passive heatsink cooling.

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mcraenz

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#155519 9-Aug-2008 23:36

Nice looking System.

I take it you don't want analog at all. The HVR3000/4000 cards have analog without hardware encoding making the analog side basically useless and crap. I hate the idea of buying a piece of hardware knowing that 1/3 of it is useless.

The HVR-2200 is a great card, why do you need DVB-S and DVB-T?

You're gonna need MediaPortal TVServer to that beast justice! ;-)

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euanandrews

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#155520 9-Aug-2008 23:43

mcraenz: Nice looking System.

I take it you don't want analog at all. The HVR3000/4000 cards have analog without hardware encoding making the analog side basically useless and crap. I hate the idea of buying a piece of hardware knowing that 1/3 of it is useless.

The HVR-2200 is a great card, why do you need DVB-S and DVB-T?

You're gonna need MediaPortal TVServer to that beast justice! ;-)

Analog...nah...dont need or want, but if its there its there.

The reason I want both DVB-T and DVB-S is so I can hook up to whatever depending on where I am living...at the moment, I only have a satellitte dish on the roof, and can not be bothered paying out for a terristrial aerial when I will not be staying here, but my next home I would like to have terrestrial...but once again, if there is only a satellitte on the roof, I will proberly just stay with that, if there is not, I will shell out for the terrestrial aerial.

So other than having the flexability to connect to either, I also want dual tuners to watch and record at the same time.

euanandrews

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#155522 10-Aug-2008 00:03

eXDee: btw: this card would be perfect, though i dont think you can get it over here.

I have looked at many of those hybrid dual tuners...my main concern being they have little support in NZ...

That particular card, will the satellite work?
I read the frequency range for the card to be 950MHz to 2175MHz.....
I read the frequency range for Freeview NZ to be 11300MHz to 12456MHz???

mcraenz

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#155523 10-Aug-2008 00:03

Well yeah a couple of HVR4000s maybe be your best bet as long as you're sure you won't ever want analog, even for sky, I guess though most people would be now looking to go the ndscam route. Btw with MP TVServer you can record mutiple channels off the same mux with only 1 card.

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