Newbie Question best PC Card

Inglor

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My Satellite Setup
Microsoft Media Center,
Intel Core 2 Duo,
1 Gig DDR2 800,
NVidia 7950 GTX with component out)

JVC 36" Widescreen TV with component in.

70cm Motorized Dish and sat receiver.
My Location
Ireland
Hello all,
I'm very new to all this, i'm interested in getting a PCI satellite card. I was wondering if anyone could tell me which is the best one to get. I've been told that I need a card that can have its software updated (don't know if thats correct or not). Can anyone point point me in the right direction. I've read in a previous post that the Technotrend Premium S2300 WM-Edition 200, and the skystar2 are good cards. I don't know exactly what softcams are, I have an idea but if someone could someone please define what they are. Will the above 2 cards run softcams? I already have a motorized dish, which I set up myself. I also have a receiver set up in the living room. I'm receiving quite a few channels. I now want to set it up on my PC. Is a PC with a card better than a dreambox? Can it do everything a dreambox can do?

My PC is
3.2GHz 64Bit AMD Athlon.
1 gig of ddr400 ram,
256 Meg ATI X800 with HD-TV out (Component)
Hardware decode of MPEG2 would suit me best. Would like a card thats capable of HD-TV or progresive scan at least).

My Tv
36" JVC CRT widescreen with component in.

Thanks

P.S Sorry for all the questions. I just don't want to spend money on the wrong card or buy a dreambox if I don't have to.
 

Inglor

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My Satellite Setup
Microsoft Media Center,
Intel Core 2 Duo,
1 Gig DDR2 800,
NVidia 7950 GTX with component out)

JVC 36" Widescreen TV with component in.

70cm Motorized Dish and sat receiver.
My Location
Ireland
You mean

All the cards mentioned so far can use softcams.
I like to have spare processor power, so the SS1 suits me, as I can be recording to H/D and doing other stuff without worrying about locking up the picture.

Technotrend Premium S2300 (Rev 2.3) "modded"

identical to Hauppauge Nexus-S 2.3, but additional Features!

I take it softcams are for opening encrpted channels. Not that I would dream of doing such a thing. Why do you have to have a card to work on certain channels.

Thanks
 

Lancelot

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125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
My Location
South central
No of course not ;)
There are a limited ( but still a fair few) number of packages that have been 'compromised' and are viewed with a PCI card and softcam combination . The cam/subs card combination obviously works for the channel package that you have paid for.


L.:)
 

Inglor

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My Satellite Setup
Microsoft Media Center,
Intel Core 2 Duo,
1 Gig DDR2 800,
NVidia 7950 GTX with component out)

JVC 36" Widescreen TV with component in.

70cm Motorized Dish and sat receiver.
My Location
Ireland

Lancelot

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My Satellite Setup
SS1.
125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
My Location
South central
Again I can only refer to the other thread.
Don't be hasty and regret your descision. You can ask as many questions as you like here until you're ready.

Read as much here and everywhere else that you can, and look around for the best prices and reliable suppliers that you can find.

Rgds


L.:)
 

Inglor

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My Satellite Setup
Microsoft Media Center,
Intel Core 2 Duo,
1 Gig DDR2 800,
NVidia 7950 GTX with component out)

JVC 36" Widescreen TV with component in.

70cm Motorized Dish and sat receiver.
My Location
Ireland
If I wanted to decrypt Astra, HotBird Hispasat and a few others, would the

Technotrend Premium S2300 (Rev 2.3) "modded"

allow me to do it. Does it have hardware decode so it frees up my CPU. I have looked but its a bit like puting a jigsaw puzzle together. I should be able to output the signal through my graphic card.
 

Lancelot

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My Satellite Setup
SS1.
125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
My Location
South central
Currently there are channels, FTA and otherwise that can be viewed with softcams and that card on those satellites as well as many other ones :D. However things change all the time and you may lose some channels and not get others back for a period of time, that's the nature of the hobby i'm afraid.

The 'premium' cards all have composite video and stereo audio out on them in their own right, so you don't have to O/P via your graphics/sound cards.


L.:)
 

Inglor

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My Satellite Setup
Microsoft Media Center,
Intel Core 2 Duo,
1 Gig DDR2 800,
NVidia 7950 GTX with component out)

JVC 36" Widescreen TV with component in.

70cm Motorized Dish and sat receiver.
My Location
Ireland
Thanks

Is the site for the Technotrend you listed in your previous post reliable?
 

Lancelot

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My Satellite Setup
SS1.
125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
My Location
South central
That I couldn't say I'm afraid having not bought from them before.
We don't try to recommend anyone in particular here if we can help it, being better to stay fairly neutral. Unless there's a too good to miss one obvoiusly.


L.:)
 
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