View Full Version : TV cards
Toying with the idea of re-joining the rat race and getting a tv licence and some form of tv. Got my HCPC which should be able to act as a TV, but wondering what people recommend as a suitable card.
I have access to a sky dish, so perhaps one that can do freesat if they're available?
Have a gander at this...
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=772373
Seems they like the Skystar HD (Technotrend S2-3200). No idea on prices though.
Ta :) Looks like you can get it from germany for about £95 with the add on card to slot the viewing card in (although it looks like that needs an adapter that costs nearly the same again! http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_4349.html)
http://www.vesalia.de/e_skystarhd2[5935].htm
I shall research :)
Thanks.
I believe you don't need a card reader for Freesat - yet.
Oh ok, was round a friend's and he was looking at boxes and they had slot cards in. Again, need to research :D Maybe if I get the bundle with the card slot, and then blow the dough later on the seriously expensive adapter if needed!
Just ordered a skystar HD2 off amazone (£61 with free postage :cool:) Spose I ought to arrange getting connected to the dish and get a tv licence now!!!
Pumpkinstew
16-02-2009, 21:36
Any purchase of TV equipment from Amazon will trigger a letter from TV licencing to the despatch address.
No suprise, but they can feck off until I'm ready - i.e. I've got the cable from the dish to the lounge done. Not paying for a licence until I'm capable of recieving pictures...
SidewinderINC
16-02-2009, 22:32
I've been contemplating TV cards for the PC when I get that up and running.
Funny thing regarding the TV licence though, we got a letter today adressed to somebody else saying there's no record of a TV licence here, when there is one. wonder how long till we get the next letter :p
You'll get half a dozen letters of varying tone up to and including potential threats to send a detector van around. So long as you don't open your front door to them there's pretty much **** all they can do unless they get a court order (which is pretty unlikely). I got several letters in similar circumstances. Since they couldn't be bothered to do a simple check on their database, I couldn't be bothered to reply.
Not that I'd encourage anyone to fee dodge of course. I pay for my TV license and so should you (when the time comes). :)
Wire's being put in on 7th March. Got to take out a year subscription to get it though as it's a shared dish I can't just pay to get the wire put in :angry:
But might as well get the extra channels. So much for "free" sat ;D
Will keep Em happy anyway, she's addicted to sky :p
Skysat card arrived today, have bought a used t-rex card for about half the price of a new one, and am "negotiating" on a common interface card.
I love it when a (hap-hazard) plan comes together :evil:
Are F-type splitters much of a much, or is there a particular sort to go for? Just want to split the single feed into 2.
Am experimenting with Freesat myself, having used an HTPC with XP MCE and VMC for over four years now.
Managed to get hold of a Pinnacle 7010ix which are like gold dust as they were only ever OEM and aren't made any more. They sometimes show up on ebay though and are great cards if you can get hold of one. Dual DVB-T and dual DVB-S tuners in one card. Works superbly well with Windows 7 although there is a known problem with x64 machines running 4GB of memory or more.
Regards splitters, AFAIK you can't split a satellite feed. If you want multiple tuners then you'll need a dual or quad LNB on the dish with multiple feeds down to the card.
Just noticed the guy I got my Pinnacle from has thrown a few more up on the bay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280314862464&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3D R40%26_trksid%3Dm38%26_nkw%3D280314862464%26_fvi%3 D1
That's rather tasty, and would be a nice swap for my ageing (and deprecated) Neb. Getting it into my HTPC might be a challenge though as I'm currently using the space where the card would go for cable routing. I wouldn't even need a dish - Sky 'kindly' installed me a quad LNB. :)
As long as you're using x86 and/or less than 4GB of memory they're stonking cards and highly recommended.
x86 and 4GB on XP. And it's already running MediaPortal which supports the card. Putting that card in would give me a grand total of six tuners (seven if I left in the Neb as well). Overkill*? ;D ;D
* Two of the tuners are in a Hauppauge USB dongle, which I'd probably remove as I only have three available antenna connections
Regards splitters, AFAIK you can't split a satellite feed. If you want multiple tuners then you'll need a dual or quad LNB on the dish with multiple feeds down to the card.
Only really needed so I don't have to reach behind to disconnect and reconnect the sky box for its periodic keep the card alive routine.
Interesting card. Shame you told me about it after I bought a different one :p Don't have a pci-x slot anyway.
Any purchase of TV equipment from Amazon will trigger a letter from TV licencing to the despatch address.
Any purchase of anything remotely connected to a TV seems to normally get you a letter. VCR from homebase - letter, freeview box from argos - letter, think even the DVD player got me another one.
Hmm, to get one cable installed for my basic box is the £15 install charge. I said I'd consider going to sky+ in the future so queried getting two cables put in at the same time - an additional £25! Ouch. But it would be £30 if I got it done later on and £99 for the + box so actually slightly cheaper to do it now. Strange.
Ok, so I have ulterior motive and have no intention of sky+ box
For the first time since 1999 I have handed over money for a TV licence :'(
I feel robbed ;D
For the first time since 1999 I have handed over money for a TV licence :'(
I feel robbed ;D
You have been robbed, with full Government approval. Theiving bastards :(
Sky man due imminently. Hopefully he's bribable to install a 2nd cable :evil:
He is confused but suitably bribed lol 2 wires being done :)
Bodging time soon :)
Got loads of channels working with the technisat, including BBC HD :cool:
Damn, wish I could get one of those cards in my Shuttle, had to remove the last TV card due to the graphics card being completely different to the picture on the web site and my desire to play Call of duty was higher than having another way to watch telly.
Can you record BBC HD ? I have a freesat box but I think HD recording is crippled, would love to be able to record it and keep some of the better stuff.
Lack of PCI slot doesn't rule you out of the game. Here's one I found...
http://www.technisat.com/indexdb3d.html?nav=PC_products,en,76-228
Don't know if it's any good, but it demonstrates the point.
Ooo, thats interesting :thumbsup:
The 7010iX cards all sold out before I got around to buying one. Oops. :(
I've set up a watch on them in eBay in case any more appear. Not holding out much hope though. :(
Damn, wish I could get one of those cards in my Shuttle, had to remove the last TV card due to the graphics card being completely different to the picture on the web site and my desire to play Call of duty was higher than having another way to watch telly.
Can you record BBC HD ? I have a freesat box but I think HD recording is crippled, would love to be able to record it and keep some of the better stuff.
Don't know, not tried it yet :) Not had a chance!
Can you record BBC HD ? I have a freesat box but I think HD recording is crippled, would love to be able to record it and keep some of the better stuff.
Alas no :( Sound is there, but picture is just a generic picture of a violin (sense of humour?!).
Got a CAM module now and can get all the sky channels I get with the normal sky box, plus Channel 4 HD :cool:
Strange. There's multiple entries for BBC HD. Just tried another and it records fine!
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