Does anyone know of a decent TV card? I am looking to change all my TV orientated stuff to an HTPC style box. I have 99% of the hardware down, but I would also like to add in a TV card. Unfortunately the only ones I can seem to find are bad quality analogue, or digital but take a few seconds to change channels. (Which is unacceptable for me as I'm zapping way too often for that kind of delay. ^^) The TV-card I am looking for does need a good quality analogue decoder - and DVB-C (DVB-T optional). Any suggestions?
You will not solve the channel change delay issue, it is inherent to the digital technology. When talking about DVB-C, i use MediaPortal as "server", XBMC as "frontend" and KNC1 DVB-C card. While the card is far from perfect (it can decode only one stream at the time using the card in CI slot), it had no problems with even relatively bad signal (~58-60%) i have here. I don't think you will find a combined solution which includes DVB-C... I seen Analog+DVB-T+DVB-S cards, but none with DVB-C too.
Yeah - Aragon Speed had posted that issue for me, but I've registered now, thus continuing myself: I know, that the lag between switching is related to the digital technology. Though I had a look through several forums and it seems that all TV-cards either have rather bad analogue signal or instead use very much time for switching channels. My TFT with inbuilt-decoder for instance needs about a second. A normal DVB-C-receiver, which is out of use now, was relativly fast (perhaps half a second) I had a look at hauppage 5500, 2-3 seconds there always, for digital channels even more - this is not acceptable for me. If it would be around a second, I could live with it, but not 2 or more. DVB-C would be useful, but not absolutly necessary. Ah... and my HTPC will have only PCI-e (slimline) and USB.
my blackgold 3620 does 2 tuners at dvbt2 or dvbc and an analog tuner also. Im happy with mine, slow channel change though especially with hd content, but not a problem for me. oh and watched cars the other day and it was amazing in hd.
Ok, Aragon Speed had posted for me, as I had no account here. However, for the changing speed: 1) my old DVB-C-receiver changed in under a second 2) my current TFT with inbuilt tuner changes in about a second - which is already nervy there 3) I had a look at Hauppage 5500 and it seems the changing takes there 2-3 seconds, for digital channels even more - which is absolutly inacceptable for me And I could go without DVB-C, but it needs analogue in any case, as my current DVB-situation is rather limited from offer-side (not all channels on analogue are available as DVB-T... in DVB-C I would have to pay monthly for an additional CL-modul ) Those TV-cards I had a look at, seem to have acceptable quality for digital channels, but the analogue signal is rather bad.
Above isnt dvbc. Too cheap for it to be much good really. Get what you pay for. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/blac...card-dual-dvb-t-and-dvb-t2-dual-digital-dvb-c
The major question is if OP needs CI/CAM support or not. Because if the DVB-C channels are encrypted, then the blackgold card is unfortunately useless.
Ok, update... as my previous posts have been activated too late: I am the real thread-starter, AS had posted for me, as I had no account. (see above) The situation has changed slightly, as I've read a bit about it. Atm, it seems I have three choices: 1) buying the card, PabloFunky proposed: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/blac...card-dual-dvb-t-and-dvb-t2-dual-digital-dvb-c - however, this means, I don't have a CL-modul, also no possibility to change that later. For now that would work - but it's not unlikely that I will need a decrypter later 2) buying this: http://www.dvbshop.net/index.php/language/en - this means I don't have analogue there. Either I afford additional costs for renting the CL-module from my local TV-hoster to get all "free" channels, or I add a second card for analogue only. Both ways are imo rather expensive 3) buying a DVB-T card... which never could give me the possibility to get all channels, as our local DVB-T situation is rather limited However, I really would like to return to the switching channels issue: - is switching channel in under a second possible (or max. 1 second) or not? If not, I think I will skip the HTPC-project entirely - that's just too nervy for me - and if it is possible, what's a good analogue card then (USB, good analogue signal, relativly fast changing channels) - I thought about this: http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/TV_Tuner/My_CinemaUS1100PFMRC/
