What PCI Card ?

JayX

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anyone got a decent run down between the differences of the various PCI cards available?

tons of people seem to be digging the skystar 2, but the lack of CI is a bit off putting... we likely to see a new model like the ss1+ci ? or does it run software emulation (which still doesn't help if you want to use a legit/uncrackable card) now?

the other cards i was looking at are the TwinHan, because this does include a CI module as part of the PCI card (i'd rather a single card due to the fact when i upgrade to my new box, it'll be PCI-E and only have 2xPCI cards.. one for satellite and one for soundcard) but is the card as good? is the chipset complient with various other software viewers?

my main concerns are getting a card that doesn't cost too much money, will accept HD signals without a problem, and let me cap the .TS to the hdd without worries. i want to run it side by side with normal STBs and possibly a dreambox in the future. i'm not buying straight away, as i don't want to start putting dishes on a house i'm not staying at for more than a few months, so just doing my research.

i like to look around the skies and find whats out there, and get the best possible range of satellites and frequencies as i can, without spending stupid money. probably going to get a force frontier 90cm dish for East and then get a second (probably larger, if i have the space) dish for West afterwards (maybe run a smaller one as a temporary just to get Telstar12 or maybe 1W until i have the money)
 

Old Geezer

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Hi JayX,
Welcome to the best Sat site on the net (and the most helpful members) in My humble opinion .
Checkout www.dvbsoft.net for an interesting breakdown on the sat cards.There's a lot of information to take in (I know , I'm still learning) (Cheers Stick,Rolf & Prof).
The SS1 is a hardware version of the SS2 , and an add-on CI slot was available which connected via a ribbon cable (but didn't take up a PCI slot as it only mounted on the back panel of the PC) if I remember correctly (same as the twinhan version).
As You say there are other cards than the SS2 , but the limiting factor is generally ££££'s .With cards such as the Nexus and Twinhan CI versions costing £100+ , and the SS2 being £40-50 that's quite a saving.
I'm using a Sky2PC card (poor mans SS2) on a 900 Duron system (and MT 2.76) and simply record to the HDD and burn to DVD , and I'm pleased with the results (much better than the S*y dodgybox that I moved around before to scan the heavens).
As for HDTV , I believe there have been a few posts on this site that the SS2 supports it , but can't say for sure as I would know HDTV it it bit Me !!!
If You decide on a card , it's well worth searching the site for posts that cover the Sat cards You shortlist , and also check out the manufacturers support which can be poor (if not even non-existant) in some cases.
Welcome to the BIG wide world of Sats (Boy , it's BIG).
Cheers for now,
Old Geezer.
 

-ly

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I think the +CI bit of the name refers to a slot included on the board, in which case I will take an original CAM / Card combination.

$ly
 

JayX

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thanks for the posts.


yes, CI stands for Common Interface, and is for inserting CAMS into, which means... more channels if you want to pay for the CAMs (and then the cards, or use a programmer). sure you can emulate, but i'm sure the hardware solution will cover more than software can atm.

OG: not sure if we're talking about the same models, but the TwinHan VisionDTV card is only £55 from DVBshop, and as this contains a hardware CI slot.. seems better VFM, unless the rest of the card is inferior to the skystar2. i don't really want to spend more than a hundred quid as you said, as the PC solution is going to be for exporting HDTV (i can't afford a quali-tv box, its just too much money) via component to my TV, and for 4:2:2 broadcasts and recording to the HDD. i'll probably run dual or quad lnbs, so the PC will pretty much get as much as my receiver(s). i intend to build a decent sized arsenal over time :)

whilst this will be my first venture into DVB, i used to be a analog sat kid back in the day (literally kid, i was only about 9 or 10 when messing around with a 1.2 odd metre dish in the back yard with my dad, mainly around intelsat and eutelsat as well as astra etc) so lots of new stuff to learn about, but at least a lot of the basics are the same. its been too long since i've heard or used the words azimuth and clarke belt :D glad DVB is looking to be "fun" again, i've missed pointing a dish to the skies to see whats out there :)
 

Old Geezer

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Hi Jayx,
Looks like I was a bit out on the price of the Twinhan CI card then , so You obviously been doing some checking up on the cards.
As You say it has the CI built in , rather than the daughterboard card I was thinking of so that's probably where I went wrong (trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about !!).
Just had a quick look at the Twinhan site , and the specs on the board , and it states that it works with most CAMS available , but doesn't say that it will work with the likes of M*trix/MR/M*gic etc so that's one thing to be checked out.
Some cards (Pentavision came up in a search on the site) only seem to work with the single encryption cams , so if You need to buy 3 or 4 cams and card programmer etc , the cost will go up.
As far as the performance of the individual DVB-S cards goes , I'm new to this and can only comment on the card I have , but it's a great fun trying new things.
All the best for the choice of cards , and speak to You soon,
Cheers for now,
Old Geezer
 

JayX

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thanks for the follow up, very good point about the cams. i'll have to see if anyone anywhere has tried both, and see what the verdict is. i can see where your pricing came from tho, i've seen the twinhan advertised up to £180 in the uk since! i can see no model difference (its a 1030c from memory) so someone is really laying on the cost! apparently dvbshop are pretty reputable, so i wouldn't have a problem with buying from them.

i'm getting annoyed with learning and contributing in satellite communities without having a setup again tho, so maybe in the new year i'll see what kinda range i can get from outside my window and pop up a small 80cm fixed or something and a DVB-S PCI just to get something ;)

cheers
 

mr_boyson

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I've been reading the forums and it seems that most people are recomending the SS2, but I wandered if anyone has experience with the Twinhan card. Or for that matter does anyone know if they are the same card rebadged differently or even the same chipset.

I've currently got a motorised digital receiver with CI slot (Manhattan DSR-2500 APCI) but with all the different combination of CAMs and cards at the moment I thought that a PCI card might be a more versatile (and cheaper!) way of watching and scanning for channels.

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks

mr_boyson
 

Jaffer

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You may save few Pounds by buying the cheaper card but you will not get the same support. SS2 is the best. The next one I liked is Pinnacle PCTV.
 

JayX

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Jaffer said:
You may save few Pounds by buying the cheaper card but you will not get the same support. SS2 is the best. The next one I liked is Pinnacle PCTV.
well thats the thing.. nobody seems to have the same price for the twinhan card! i've seen it as much as £180 .. which is MUCH more expensive than the SS2. to be honest, it looks a far better card.. but someone with knowledge of both needs to compare them for us.

i hate pinnacles software so i tend to avoid their hardware, even tho i know they make stuff thats comparable to more professional cards (in the video editing world that is)
 
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