DVB-S Tuner nightmare

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blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#45925 5-Nov-2009 04:31

Hi guys...

I'd like to record one channel while watching another on my Windows 7 64bit Media Center. I currently have a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-S-Plus which works well.

Ideally I'd just add another Hauppauge DVB-S card, however I only have 2 x PCI slots on my ATX-M motherboard, and one of those is useless as my video card fan will be choked by any card in the first PCI slot. Luckily I do have a spare PCIe slot.

The way I see it is that I have 2 options:

1. Dual DBV-S PCI card
2. Single (or dual) PCIe card

I'm not keen on changing the motherboard as this would more than likely mean changing my case to accommodate a full ATX board. Can you guys tell me what others do in this situation?

Many thanks...

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#270210 5-Nov-2009 08:49

Sorry, there are no dual dvb-s pci cards. There are dual dvb-t... And there are usb DVB-S tuners.

For PCIe there is the black gold which is tual dvb-t, dual dvb-s and dual analog. Runs to about $400 i think and has to be imported. A couple of users here on GZ have obtained them.

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blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270225 5-Nov-2009 09:18

Thanks... I have seen the Black Gold Card and thought it looked interesting. The only problem is that the website does not say if there is Windows 7 support for the card or not. Being PCIe this would solve all my problems.

Would the Pinnacle Systems dual DVB-S card work??? I think it is the 4000i or something similar.

RustyGonad

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#270226 5-Nov-2009 09:24

You could change your video card to a single slot one...

If this isn't an option then Avermedia do a Dual DVB-S/T pci-e card which should do the trick if you don't feel like importing the Blackgold one. Should be readily available at Avermedia retailers locally.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270227 5-Nov-2009 09:26

Yeah, in fact that is the one that I have been looking at. A dual card might have given me the ability to record 2 channels while watching another, but at the moment just being able to record one and watch another would be bliss!

Can you please direct me to the card from an on-line retailer?

davidcole

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#270235 5-Nov-2009 09:42

hmm how hung on on Windows MCE are you?

GBPVR and MediaPortal have the ability to record multiple channels off a single tuner. As long as they're the same transponder.

Ie if you wanted tv1, 2, tvnz6, tvnz7 they can all be recorded at once.

Still requires the use of a dual tuner, but with two tuners you can effectively record "everything"

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270237 5-Nov-2009 09:49

Wow - I had no idea that this could be the case. I thought that you had to have a seperate tuner for each input. This really does change things...

However I'd still love to know what people do when all they have at their disposal is a DVB-S signal and no terresterial.

davidcole

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#270331 5-Nov-2009 13:46

I know of the odd person who has bought two satellite cards - requires two working PCI slots though.

Most people I know are on DVB-T coverage anyway.

With two tuners, and the other PVR software - ie not MCE, you can pretty record everything.

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#270349 5-Nov-2009 14:20

Yup, I have 2x Nova S Plus cards in my home server box running Mediaportal TV Server.
It means I can record all Freeview channels at the same time if I really want to :)
I think the most I have done is four channels recording at the same time and it worked great.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

threads

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#270507 5-Nov-2009 22:31

I'm in the same predicament as Blur.

I live in Rotorua where most people I know don't have DVB-T reception!

I have a low-profile case running 32-bit Win7 Media Center with a Hauppauage HVR-2200 (dual DVB-T/analogue) PCI-E card. This has an s-video in port which I'm feeding in an signal from a satellite receiver settop box. Because the signal is analogue when coming into the card by the time hit reaches the TV the picture is "soft". I've sharpened it up a little by using expensive short-length top-quality s-video cable.

I thought my options on being able to record while I watch were:

spend $250 on importing a 6 in 1 Blackgold BGT3540 (dual dvb-s, dvb-t, and analogue) PCI-e card. I'd need to pull the HVR-2200 since my PC only has one PCI-e X1 slot. Win7 drivers here: http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3159/Categories/Support

spend $150-200 on eBay for a Pinnacle PCTV 4000i (dual dvb-s) PCI card. Expensive! I heard from the manufacturer that the local distributor is Lako Pacific. I think they supply the likes of Dick Smith and Harvey Norman. Funny .. never seen the 4000i stocked in either place. Contacted Lako (they are Australian-based) but I they are probably not interested in dealing with consumers directly because I've never received a reply. Win7 Beta drivers are available here: http://www.pctvsystems.com/tabid/62/default.aspx/Downloads/Windows7BETAdriver/tabid/181/language/en-US/Default.aspx

What a wacky situation when there are so many areas in NZ not covered by DVB-T but do have DVB-S reception and yet it's almost impossible to source a quality low-profile dual tuner card in NZ. Wierd!!

I've noticed there are plenty of PCTV DVB-T Nanosticks about but never a 4000i card. Why are they so hard to come by?

I suspect neither of these expensive dual dvb-s cards come with low-profile brackets either.

At one stage I looked at USB DVB-S tuner boxes. In fact bought one of those little black DM04 boxes, but even though I could get DreamTV up and working great in Win7 I couldn't get it working in Media Center.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270526 6-Nov-2009 02:45

Well, what do you know - I went to the Black Gold website only to find that they are out of stock!!!

I don't suppose any of the GZ members have a spare one laying around that they want to sell???

euanandrews

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#270527 6-Nov-2009 02:51

blur: Thanks... I have seen the Black Gold Card and thought it looked interesting. The only problem is that the website does not say if there is Windows 7 support for the card or not. Being PCIe this would solve all my problems.

The Blackgold BGT3540 Tuner supports Windows 7, as well as 32 bit and 64 bit machines.

It is a PCIe card, includes dual satellite, dual terrestrial and dual analog (6 in 1 tuner)

It is an excellent card, has never failed me so I highly recommend it.

blur

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Ultimate Geek

#270528 6-Nov-2009 02:56

Hi Bartender - thanks for the post. I watched your threads when you were buying the card so it is good to see your recommendation and satisfaction.

I think I'll take the plunge as soon as they come back into stock.

CYaBro

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#270535 6-Nov-2009 06:24

Don't mean to burst your bubble but have you seen this?

http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3159/Categories/Product_News

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#270566 6-Nov-2009 09:23

Oh no, I don't believe it. The world is conspiring against me!

So my next question is: Does anyone have the Pinnacle 4000i card working successfully in Windows 7 MCE?

RustyGonad

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#270567 6-Nov-2009 09:23

They are supposedly replacing it with this:

http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT3159/Products/BGT3595

Which if your into Sky will be a very very nice option. Dual S2 tuners in a single slot can't be a bad thing...

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