HTPC SKY HD UK working!! Also Viewing card has been out of my SKY BOX for months!!

[marksteel]

Hi people,

I've seen loads of threads about HTPCs and working the full UK Sky package with Sky HD channels too. Some say you simply can't do it, some say it could be done but want others to try and some say they can work it but never go on to explian how.
Well... I HAVE A HTPC THAT WORKS MY FULL UK Sky PACKAGE INCLUDING HD CHANNELS.
This is how I do it although I'm not sure if it could be better. Sorry about the deep detail but I think this may help others to at least get things working then hopefully we can all help each other to improve things!

My setup:
I had a Sky+ and Sky HD box at home along with with many other appliances in various rooms (DVD players, CD players, basic computer in livingroom just to view internet Etc. The cables and setup were a mess, so I wanted to get everything into one box, so I thought HTPC computers. I have a HTPC Computer in the livingroom and a HTPC in the bedroom to do everything. I currently stream to the bedroom HTPC from the livingroom HTPC with WLAN.

My HTPC hardware:
livingroom HTPC:
DESKTOP PC - Pentium D 3.2mhz - 2GB RAM - 512MB NVIDIA GTX video card - Technotrend Budget DVB-S PCI card with CI (using Dragon cam) + KNC1 DVB-S2 PCI card with no CI - phoenix smartcard reader which can decrypt both DVB-s and DVB-S2 cards (this is my work around for lack of working CI with KNC1 DVB-S2 PCI card) - Full Sky world package with HD channels smartcard - 2 Satelite cables from dish into the 2 tuning cards. Dish aimed at 28.2E. 42" Sharp HD LCD TV.
Bedroom HTPC:
LAPTOP PC - Pentium 4 3.2mhz - 1GB RAM - 128MB ATI video card - linked up to a Samsung HD Plasma TV.

My HTPC Software:
Livingroom HTPC:
Windows Vista Ultimate. DVBVIEWER Pro (TV viewing software). DVBSERVER (comes with DVBVIEWER PRO). dvbviewer Plugins= SoftCSA / KNCBDACTRL.dll. Multidec plugins = NDScam 0.0.0.4 / DCW.dll. Codecs = Cyberlink POWERDVD mpeg2 / Cyberlink POWERDVD H.264 (comes with POWERDVD software and allows for viewing SD and HD channels) I also use COREAVC H.264 which is an alternative to powerdvd H.264 codec (works better with most HD channels).
Bedroom HTPC:
Windows XP MCE. DVBVIEWER Pro (TV viewing software). Codecs = Cyberlink POWERDVD mpeg2 / Cyberlink POWERDVD H.264. I currently have no need for plugins as this HTPC is the client which uses my livingroom HTPC and DVBSERVER to stream from.

How it works:
As I stated, I have a phoenix smartcard reader which I can put my legal active Sky viewing card into to decrypt both my DVB-S and DVB-S2 PCI cards. For this to work DVBVIEWER needs a plugin to access MultiDec plugins for which will act as my softcam. softcams are software work arounds to read and use smartcard information without the need for CAM (conditional access module) hardware. The plugin I'm using to access the multiDec plugins is called softCSA, although I know there are others out there. The multiDec plugins I'm using are NDSCAM 0.0.0.4 and DCW.dll. Sky viewing cards are encrypted using a system called Videoguard from NDS. At first I tried the NDSCAM MDplugin on its own as its designed to work on its own. but it couldn't locate DCWs (key information from the smartcard to decrypt channels) or when it could it said there were DCW key odd and even errors. I have no idea why but I then stumbbled onto another MDplugin called DCW.dll which when active, assists NDSCAM in decrypting all my channels including HD dispite NDSCAM listing the same errors! But as a double act...IT WORKS!

Now I also stated that I have a CI (common interface for CAM) and a dragon CAM linked to my technotrend DVB-S card. This is purely for the benefit of streaming to my HTPC in the bedroom (using DVBSERVER on the livingroom PC and DVBVIEWER as the client in my bedroom) The phoenix smartcard reader seems unable to stream smartcard information to my other HTPC so I needed to link the CI and Dragon CAM to decrypt on the server so it arrives decrypted on my client HTPC (I also need to swap the viewing card from the phoenix card reader to the CAM attached to the Technotrend CI when watching in the bedroom). As the CI and CAM are attached to the DVB-S PCI card, Im unable to stream HD Channels to the HTPC Client. (but Im sure even if I could stream the DVB-S2 and viewing card information, the Client HTPC is too low a spec to work HD anyway)

Things I'd like to improve:
* I'd like to avoid swapping my Sky viewing card from the phoenix cardreader to the CAM attached to my DVB-S card in order to stream to my client HTPC(if left in my DVB-S CAM I can't decrypt any channels on my DVB-S2 card ie HD channels which the DVB-S can't do! Maybe some cardsharing plugins or software might help? know of any? I have tried some with no effect so far)
* I'd like to speed up the time it takes to change channels using the phoenix cardreader. (in the dragon cam it takes 1 second to change channels but only using the DVB-S card)
* I'd like to make use of DCW keys to decrypt channels without my viewing card (I believe this would speed things up...maybe theres a way to log DCW keys while the viewing card is being read to store for latter use? I have read of such things but with very little guiding information)
* PIN PROTECTED CHANNELS!! the ONLY channels I can't view that I could on my Sky+ and HD boxes are adult PIN protected channels ie Fantasy channels and Redhot channels that are part of my Television X package. (I can however watch the basic television X channels ok tho ie tvx, tvx2 etc) Maybe I'll start a new thread for this! Can't find this out ANYWHERE! and I've tried looking!

Viewing card status:
PS... I have NOT put a viewing card back into my Sky HD box for over 3 and a half months! my Sky box is nicely tucked away out of sight in a cupboard (still attached to a phone line tho) and I have had no letters from Sky! Im still paying my bill so all is ok but whats up with this? I thought viewing cards needed to be updated? THIS IS CONFIRMED WORKING STILL! as we speak in fact! Is this naughty? lol

Well, I hope this at least helps people get a basic Sky HD HTPC system working... let me know if this has been of any help. but hopefully people will be able to send comments or replys as to how we can improve things! lets help each other out here!

Regards,
Marksteel!

[Leee]

so you're paying £10 per month extra for the SkyHD though, right?

[marksteel]

so you're paying £10 per month extra for the SkyHD though, right?

Yea, Im currently paying the extra £10. But just for the record, I cancelled my Sky+ extra subscription... don't see the point now lol.

[Leee]

Cool.

I do have a question about your codecs - as I have a Vista Ultimate machine with S3200+CI+Dragon running now (quite nicely too):

What are you seeing in improvement between the PowerDVD h.264 codec and the CoreAVC one?

[marksteel]

Cool.

I do have a question about your codecs - as I have a Vista Ultimate machine with S3200+CI+Dragon running now (quite nicely too):

What are you seeing in improvement between the PowerDVD h.264 codec and the CoreAVC one?

The video motion is much much smoother on most HD channels with coreavc. Its focus is more on software rather then hardware. Sky movies HD 1 and 2 are the only pains, they do seem to stutter for a few secs every half hour or so no-matter what codec i use.

[Leee]

I turned off "smartcache" or something like that in DVBViewer; seemed to smoothen mine a little. In options on the Recording page IIRC.

I have also tested many of the codecs on the Directx page - PowerDVD for my machine ain't bad - but I will try CoreAVC once they allow it to be downloaded again

[olisun]

The video motion is much much smoother on most HD channels with coreavc. Its focus is more on software rather then hardware. Sky movies HD 1 and 2 are the only pains, they do seem to stutter for a few secs every half hour or so no-matter what codec i use.

Time for a core2duo???

[vbrindle]

I may sound thick (I've not dabbled with cams, etc) but wouldn't this solve your problem (although it costs money)

_http://www.dvbshop.net/product_info.php/info/p238_Technotrend-S2-3200-HDTV-S2---Remote---Budget-CI.html

I currently have a bog standard technisat skystar card, but would like the opportunity to slot my Sky card in if I like so I can watch tv on the pc.

So I was thinking of getting this card plus a dragoncam. Would that work? Or do I even need this? could I just get a phoenix card reader?

[Leee]

vbrindle, the problem is that I believe no CAM will keep the card alive. Certainly Dragon won't.

[marksteel]

So I was thinking of getting this card plus a dragoncam. Would that work? Or do I even need this? could I just get a phoenix card reader?

Well, a phoenix card reader is cheaper than having to buy a CI and CAM, it does seem to run marginly slower tho.

but heres a little update for everyone, my subscription card finally went dead yesterday!!! So I guess we do need to put the viewing card back in the Sky box from time to time to update with "stay alive" ...but WOW what a run I had without needing to! other problem is....

I CAN'T find Sky SPORTS HD on my PC anymore! nor can I view BBC HD with my dvb-s2 PCI-card... I basically cleared my channel list and did a brand new search. Dunno why this has happened?? weak signal? something messy on my sub card? anyone with any ideas?