View Full Version : Freesat on an HTPC?
ngchol
21-01-2008, 4:14 PM
Sorry to ask this if it's been answered previously - I've had a good look...
If I get Freesat installed, what would I need to get it working in a Vista MCE box? Would a DVB-S2 card do the job? And could I use this as a dual-tuner configuration with a DVB-T card in the same HTPC?
thegeby
22-01-2008, 5:28 AM
Sorry to ask this if it's been answered previously - I've had a good look...
If I get Freesat installed, what would I need to get it working in a Vista MCE box? Would a DVB-S2 card do the job? And could I use this as a dual-tuner configuration with a DVB-T card in the same HTPC?
Yes to both. Windows MCE does not like satellite cards, however, and you must trick it into believing it's a DVB-T. Twinhan has a patch for their cards. Do not know about others.
PeteT
23-01-2008, 10:15 AM
Sorry to ask this if it's been answered previously - I've had a good look...
If I get Freesat installed, what would I need to get it working in a Vista MCE box? Would a DVB-S2 card do the job? And could I use this as a dual-tuner configuration with a DVB-T card in the same HTPC?
Have a look at this. I am waiting to hear how it works before i buy one.
Pete
PeteT
23-01-2008, 10:16 AM
Have a look at this. I am waiting to hear how it works before i buy one.
Pete
Opps, BlackGold BGT3540 (http://shop.blackgold.tv/product/3540.html)
Only issue with Vista is it doesn't support the h.264 codec. So whilst the above card (looks wicked btw) would let you view all the FTA satellite channels, you'd need to use a different app, like mediaportal or cyberlink powercinema to watch any HD channels encoded in h.264.
Because of this, I'm still in to minds as to wether a Vista media center pc is the solution as my main pvr.
schnoz
01-02-2008, 10:49 AM
Am using http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_novahds2.html to view Bbc Hd (waiting for Itv and C4 to join next month:)) in a 2nd Pc connected to an old Sky dish.As you can see from my specs, Powercinema 5.1 a media centerish looking software comes with the card.I'm not that enamored with it as it's quite buggy a nightmare to deselect unwanted channels as there are hundreds and if you try to do quite a load in one go it crashes, lastly it is somewhat basic.I have tried Mediaportal and others, setup problems and bugs have put me off for now. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased that I got the card, it's just that things need to be made more straightforward and reliable.
The Bbc Hd output looks fantastic on my 19" monitor.The standard def output ranges between poor to very good depending on the channel/programme.
They have a patch to fool Xp Mce into into thinking that the Dvbs is Dvbt, though, can't see anything anywhere about Vista capability, would think that they're working on it.
Be aware this Hd stuff uses huge amounts of drive space.I happened to record most of a Bloc Party concert a couple of weeks ago, had heard their name before, didn't know any of their songs.They are absolutely awesome by the way.What with an hour or so of the concert and the programme recorded after it, came to over 12 Gigs for 1 hour and 40 mins!
My mission is to try to edit it down to just the concert to keep but, am not having much success with Virtualdub etc... to do it.
This is the cheapest place for the card that I've managed to find if anybody is interested, £64 + postage:
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=21760&Spec=1#ShowReview
Sorry to have gone a bit off topic, you can probably tell how impressed I am with this hd lark:thumbsup:
Asus M2N-MX SE.Nvidia Geforce 8400Gs 256mb.Amd Athlon 64 X2 4000+. 1Gb
ram. Antec EA-380 Psu. Hitachi 320Gb SataII.Samsung SH-S203B, Dvd
Writer. Samsung SH-S183L Dvd Writer. Hauppauge NOVA T-500 Twin tuner
Dvbt Pci card, Wintv Cd4.1. Hauppauge Wintv NOVA Hd-S2 Pci Sat Card,
Cyberlink Powercinema 5.1. Xp Pro, Sp2.