simultaneous watch & record second channel

[cookan]

Hi,
this maybe obvious to you pros but I'm new to Satellite outside of the safety of my Sky+ box ! (but not so new to linux etc)..

I have Sky+ setup atm and am getting rid of it all..first surprise was that there's only 1 input in the back of the DM800 so I can only record what I watch atm (although It does look like I may be able to record a different channel to the one I'm watching in certain circumstances...if anyone can explain those circumstances I'd love to understand it !..seems the channels have to be on the same satellite/freq/transponder or something ;-) )

Am I right in my understanding that to get Sky+ style watch/record, I need to get a 2 way diseqc 2.0 switch and plug the 2 existing Sky+ lines into that, then take the single output from the diseqc into the single input in the back of the dreambox ? Will that enable me to record any other channel to the one I'm watching ?

How many channels is this dreambox (or at least the tuner) able to simultaneously process ? e.g could I put a 4 way Diseqc switch in using all four outputs of the QUAD LNB and watch one channel on the TV connected to the dreambox, record another simultaneously, watch a 3rd over the stream interface over my LAN ? Not sure what I'd do with the 4th if I'm not already stretching the realms of possibility (not least in respect of the raw processing capabilities let alone whether the tuner can cover 4 channels at the same time).

I'm assuming the 2 way diseqc is going to work but before I order it, wanted to see whether I could get more out the box and therefore worth ordering a 4 way and some additional cabling at the same time.
thanks,
Ant.

 

[pgh13]

Sorry but you seem to have the diseqc concept confused....Diseqc is a way of controlling the dish/LNB by sending switching signals from the receiver. You can have several LNBs pointing at different sats and use a disecq switch to select the one you want to watch, or you can achieve similar results by controlling a motorised dish by Diseqc.

I haven't tried with satellite broadcasts; only digital terrestrial, but on a PC it is possible to record multiple programs being broadcast on one Mux using 1 tuner - presumably you can achieve the same with a DM? However for maximum flexibility you really need more tuners......can you add an extra internal or perhaps a USB tuner? I don't have a Dreambox, so maybe someone else can advise here?

With satellite broadcasting there is the added factor that the LNB switches between high and low band and horizontal and vertical polarisation in order to provide reception of a greater number of channels. This switching is totally transparent and only becomes somethign that needs to be considered if you are trying to send a signal from 1 LNB to 2 receivers

 

[rolfw]

The box only has one tuner, so will only be able to record and watch simultaneously programmes on the same frequency band and polarity, the DiseqC idea will not work.