Dual DVB-S card finally?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Dual DVB-S card finally?

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#57731 23-Feb-2010 08:05

Hi Geeks

Now, I know for most of you that you are blessed with DVB-T service, however for those of us in the wops we have to rely on DVB-S service to receive Freeview.

For a while now I have been looking for a dual DVB-S solution, and for most people they have been waiting for the Black Gold card to be released.

I was crusing the net last night and came across this baby:

http://www.justtech.co.nz/shop/satellite-equipment/tbs-6980-pci-e-dvb-s2-dual-tuner-card

Has anybody had any experiences with this card? Not a bad price if you consider the cost of 2 x PCI-e cards...

My HTPC - Case Antec Fusion Remote, MOBO Intel DH67BLB3, CPU Intel Core i5-2400S 2.5 GHz, RAM 8GB DDR3 1333, HDD 120Gig Corsair Force Series 3 SSD system | WD Caviar Black 2TB data, Tuners Black Gold BGT3595 dual DVB-S/S2, dual DVB-T, Video nVIDIA GeForce GT 520, 1024MB, Sound Intel® High Definition Audio (onboard), OS Windows 7 x64

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#301364 23-Feb-2010 09:03

nice, have been waiting for that card.

CYaBro

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#301370 23-Feb-2010 09:24

Are my eyes playing tricks or does that card need an extra PCIE power connector?

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

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301379 23-Feb-2010 09:41

Good point, I will check with the supplier and report back...

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301414 23-Feb-2010 10:53

Well, I emailed the supplier and he said that he too thinks it looks like a PCI-e power connector. I've googled the card and a better picture of it can be found here:

http://www.tbsdtv.com/english/product/images/6980-d.jpg

Would it be correct to say that this might need additional power if it to be DiSeQC 2.X compliant???

PANiCnz

990 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301421 23-Feb-2010 11:03

Why do you need dual DVB-S tuner? I thought you could record/watch as many stream as you want with one tuner?

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301427 23-Feb-2010 11:14

Hi PANiCnz - no, this sadly is not true with DVB-S tuners. They can only handle one stream at a time so in order to record two channels at once, or to record one and watch another you need a dual tuner.

I am based in an area that does not have a terrestrial service so I am reliant on satellite.

CapBBeard

211 posts

Master Geek

#301429 23-Feb-2010 11:22

Hmm this does look very interesting, seems to be a fairly recent product.

I'm pretty wary of purchasing PC parts online these days, there's only a handful of stores I consider buying from. Has anyone had any prior experience with Just Tech?

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blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301432 23-Feb-2010 11:26

Hi there...

Yeah, I've bought a TeVii S470 PCI-e DVB-S card from them. I actually bought it off TradeMe, but it turned out to be Just Tech selling them. The main chap is David Go and he seems like a very nice fellow indeed.

My experience to date has been positive so I am going to take the plunge and buy one. I will of course report back on my findings...

CYaBro

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#301434 23-Feb-2010 11:33

blur: Hi PANiCnz - no, this sadly is not true with DVB-S tuners. They can only handle one stream at a time so in order to record two channels at once, or to record one and watch another you need a dual tuner.

I am based in an area that does not have a terrestrial service so I am reliant on satellite.

This may be true with Windows Media Center but not for most other media center type programs like MediaPortal.
With them even if you only have one tuner you can record as many channels as you like at the same time as long as they are on the same transponder.
So because Freeview DVB-S has all the channels on two transponders you can, in theory, record all Freeview channels at the same time, if you have two DVB-S tuners.
I have two DVB-S tuners and have recorded 4 channels at the same time with no problems in MediaPortal.

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

sbiddle

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#301438 23-Feb-2010 11:48

blur: Hi PANiCnz - no, this sadly is not true with DVB-S tuners. They can only handle one stream at a time so in order to record two channels at once, or to record one and watch another you need a dual tuner.

I am based in an area that does not have a terrestrial service so I am reliant on satellite.

If you use software such as GB-PVR or Media Portal you can record and view multiple channels on the same MUX at the same time with a single tuner.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301442 23-Feb-2010 11:52

Sorry, I did know that this was possible with MediaPortal and GB-PVR... There has been many a thread dedicated to debating the pros and cons of each system!

It is one of the major failings in Windows 7 MC in my view, and one that Microsoft should stand up and take note of.

openmedia

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#301444 23-Feb-2010 11:57

Looks nice, and appears to work under Linux.

One of these cards should happily allow you to record any of the freeview channels off satellite. Might need to pick on up for a play.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

mm1352000

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#301706 24-Feb-2010 01:31

Works under linux? I'd be interested to know what chip it has on it! I already have a 4 tuner device (dual dvb-s + dual hybrid) which is excellent apart from the fact that it doesn't work with linux (drivers are being worked on, but not ready yet).

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#301710 24-Feb-2010 06:02

Yeah, there is a driver listed on their website for the Linux Kernel2.6.32 so it looks like it will work out of the box.

allstarnz

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#301797 24-Feb-2010 13:48

and now we've cleaned them out of cards, the wonders of free publicity eh :)

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