Best video qualtity, Skystar 1 or 2?

mtiller · 24-11-2003

Hi All,

I've looked through the forums, but I didn't see an answer to this question anywhere.

I'm after a PC card with PVR capability, price isn't so much of an issue, but video quality is. Rolfw suggested a skystar 2 card, but I noticed in another thread someone talking about the quality of a skystar 1 card. So anybody have any thoughts on which would be better? I'm also prepared to consider other cards, these are just the ones I have seen mentioned.

I also need to be able to subscribe to TPS.

Thanks in advance

Mark

**rolfw** · 24-11-2003

I haven't noticed any difference between the video of the two cards Mark, but the SS1 does have the advantage of an onboard MPEG processor, so is not such a drain on the system.

***cjgall*** · 26-11-2003

There shouldn't be any difference in video capture quality on ANY card. This is because the satellite video/audio stream is simply copied onto the hard disk and is not reencoded or transcoded. 'Viewing' quality can vary between different hardware, this depends on video card (hardware or software mpeg decoding), video drivers etc. As Rolfw says, a card with a built in mpeg decoder does have its advantages.

Btw. Vidac, a German company will be releasing a couple of cards soon (www.vmagic.de). Although the high end card will not be cheap, it does have hardware transcoding, FBAS/s-video input. A CAM module is also in the making. The VMagic DVB-S Basic will cost 99 Euro's and the VMagic DVB-S Ultra will cost 299 Euro's.

mtiller · 26-11-2003

Originally Posted by cjgall

There shouldn't be any difference in video capture quality on ANY card. This is because the satellite video/audio stream is simply copied onto the hard disk and is not reencoded or transcoded. 'Viewing' quality can vary between different hardware, this depends on video card (hardware or software mpeg decoding), video drivers etc. As Rolfw says, a card with a built in mpeg decoder does have its advantages.

Thanks for the info.

Ok, So the signal is being sent as an MPEG 2? I understand that is the format the files are saved on the Hard Drive. Also I have noted on a couple of Web Sites that the Sykstar cards (rr anything else from Technisat) are not recommended for ViaAccess 2.3 which is what TPS uses, this may be old info, I don't know. Any thoughts?

***cjgall*** · 26-11-2003

Yes, they are mpeg 2, sat transmissions are for all intents and purposes file transfers.

I don't know anything about Technisat (in)compatability with ViaAccess 2.3.

These days whenever I buy something I make sure I can take it back for a refund if it doesn't do what I want it to do. You could maybe do likewise if you decide to go for a technisat.

mtiller · 26-11-2003

Originally Posted by cjgall

Yes, they are mpeg 2, sat transmissions are for all intents and purposes file transfers.

I don't know anything about Technisat (in)compatability with ViaAccess 2.3.

These days whenever I buy something I make sure I can take it back for a refund if it doesn't do what I want it to do. You could maybe do likewise if you decide to go for a technisat.

Thanks for the info. I'm still learning about all of this and any info is very welcome

Cheers

Mark

***s*t*a*r*m*a*n*** · 27-11-2003

Hi guys

Yes i was thinking of purchasing a skycard. I have a pentamedia card that cost me £300 about 2 or 3 years ago i think and though it can do some higher end things like satellite broadband etc its not compatible with the pc emulators (un en*ryption of channels) that are about that the skycard would seem to support AND they are CHEAP. Or atleast they were the last time i looked. I cant get my sat card to work, some kind of conflict that i really cant seem to fix, had it working a while ago briefly so i do not think it is the card at fault. My thinking is that the skycard may be more compatible with my pc. I guess thats why ive not been in the forum of late but i do still pass through

My god i cant believe i have been a member of this great forum for nearly 4 years. man time flies. Hey Rolf

i only have about another 5000 posts to catch up with you

**rolfw** · 27-11-2003

Hi s*t*a*r*m*a*n, strangely enough, I was going to try the Pent@vision again in in one of my PCs, they have a fairly recent XP driver and I want to see if it recognises the Matrix Reloaded CAM, it didn't work with the Freecam, as there was no CAM menu in the software.

I always found the Pent@media a bit twitchy, sometimes it'd work and other times it wouldn't be recognised, so gave up with it.

The Skystar2 is still only around £52 from www.sateuropa.co.uk and that is the newest model with the sensitive tuner. Beware of some on the auction sites, they will almost certainly be the older model and whilst still being a good card, it doesn't compare with most standalone sat receivers.

PS. Interesting to see that you were in the first 200 members.

***s*t*a*r*m*a*n*** · 29-11-2003

Hi Rolf

I have never even heard of the matrix reloaded cam. Interesting name for a cam.
Yes 52 pounds is a very nice price for a card but there seems to be very few channels these days to watch with this seca 2 encryption system kicking in. I used to really enjoy calle 13 on astra 19 east i think and the hotbird at 13 east was always a good one. As i said though my card or should i say my pc is playing up so im not up to date on much these days and when my sat was working ok i couldnt get any cards to work no matter how many downloads i tried if you follow

**rolfw** · 29-11-2003

On the back of this thread, I've just re-installed the Pent@vision, but it doesn't appear to work with multi CAMs, interesting to see that the new software for XP, is just the same old crap that they had before, with all of the limitations.

If you want a Skystar 2, PM or E-mail me and I'll see if I can get a deal on one for you, no CAM needed, just set your dish on 30W.

***s*t*a*r*m*a*n*** · 01-12-2003

Hi Rolf

Unfortunately i cannot get any further that 15 west. I can go from 48 east to 15 west but there isnt much happening out on those far eastern sats that i can pick up anyway. I mostly stay within the hotbird and astra sats. Now is not a good time to be buying cards for me but i would like to get a skycard soon once christmas is out of the way, everyone seems to be counting there pennys at the moment. Though there is not much on those other sats i did pick up some really good feeds of the 9/11 two towers incident in america from a tv crew who were feeding live to all the different networks at the time. Some of that stuff like interviewing people in the street as it was happening never got on the air. Just wish the bbc would stop encrypting all there transmissions in videoguard.

**rolfw** · 01-12-2003

Just wish the bbc would stop encrypting all there transmissions in videoguard.

They don't now, they're all FTA.

PS. Is it a line of sight thing with 30W? Is it not possible to put up a small dish on another part of the house, just for 30W?

***s*t*a*r*m*a*n*** · 03-12-2003

Originally Posted by rolfw

They don't now, they're all FTA.

PS. Is it a line of sight thing with 30W? Is it not possible to put up a small dish on another part of the house, just for 30W?

I thought they were all encrypted using same encryption as sky.
No I do not even want to think about putting another dish up on my house after all the problems getting the last one up. Yes it is a line of site problem.
Traditionally all dishes tend to be at the back of the houses in my area which is were the sky sat can be found at 28 east.
Ok thanks rolf

**rolfw** · 03-12-2003

I thought they were all encrypted using same encryption as sky.

No, went Free to air some months ago.

For 30W, perhaps a little 90cm at ground level in the back garden?

There's a lot of "free" stuff on there.

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