freesat pvr boxes v freesat tv cards for PC?

*1ntense* · 03-04-2009, 6:12 PM

If Im right the humax freesat pvrs are around £300 and the freesat PC cards are around £60.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? Surely there must be something the boxes can do that the cards cant given the price difference?

asibley · 03-04-2009, 6:23 PM

The price difference really relates to the cost of the additonal hardware involved in the manafacture of the PVR box over the pc solutions. There is the cost of the harddrive for a start. The PC solution make use of the power of your pc/graphics card to deliver your pictures. The pvr boxes have that all built in.

With freesat PVR boxes are licensed as well meaning that the experience of using one is (relatively) standard across the board such as the EPG. The box is generally just more user friendly and convient.

Nothing wrong with the PC solutions but I wouldn't want one as my primary source of watching tv though.

*1ntense* · 03-04-2009, 6:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asibley

Nothing wrong with the PC solutions but I wouldn't want one as my primary source of watching tv though.

Can I ask why?

asibley · 03-04-2009, 6:43 PM

A. I dont have a PC in my living room and...
B. With a PVR box you just switch on tv and box and bam you have TV. PC you end up booting it up, running the PVR program etc.
C. I'm not the only one in the house and everyone needs to be able to get their heads around how it works. Simpler is better!

*1ntense* · 03-04-2009, 10:37 PM

LOL fair dos mate.

Knew they were too good to be true anyway, I overlooked that fact that I would still need a dish, cabling and suitable lnbs etc for the card to actually work.

Oh well..think Sky are going to have to get my money after all as I cant justify spending £300 on a box that will only give me BBC HD and one or two others.

mwallan · 05-04-2009, 7:22 AM

I have a dvbs2 card in my htpc for freesat using windows 7 Media center and it works a treat plus I have all the kids dvds on it to. Easy for them to use (3 & 5 year old kids) and even the wife can use it and not break it.

.

For me I wanted to go down the HTPC route so i could have less boxes under the TV and less cables around and more of a media hub for tv, films and music, so i guess it down to waht you want.