Dual DVB-T tuner card? (2 Viewers)

[bermag]

Any recommendations for a good dual tuner DVB-T card? Where I live the following dual cards (not lookign at pcmcia options) are available:

- Hauppage Nova T-500
- Asus My-Cinema P7131
- Terratec 2400i
- Lifeview Flytv X1 MST T2A2
- Pinnacle PCTV Dual 2000i
- Pinnacle Dual Hybrid 3010

I might consider getting other cars not listed above by importing it myself but then the card must be considerable better than any of these which are easy to buy for me.

Not sure which one to choose, but the Terratec card seems like the best choice (have not heard anythign negative about it or discovered any weak spots myself). Asus is cheap but haven't heard anything good about it. Lifeview seems good but I really don't like that you need to use two antennas (ie to use a splitter if you are using one antenna which means reduced signal strength). Hauppage has the standby issue with MP and also I don't like the PCI/USB combo which feels much like a hack. Don't know that much about the Pinnacle cards, neither good or bad.

The hybrid cards are nice since you also have analog input which will let me digitalize VHS or to use a STB for input. However DVB-T is a lot more important.

Card must:

- Work well with MP (both TV2 & TV3)
- Good receiver and picture quality (any difference between cards except that some are more sensitive than other. I got a good signal strength - my tuner in Samsung Plasma TV says it is 95%)
- Support both SD/HD TV (doesn't all DVB-T cards work for HD TV? However higher bandwith requirements might favour a PCI-E card over PCI)

Important if:

- Supports multi channel decoding
- Share one antenna input for both tuners
- Good support, both from vendors or other MP users (ie well known and common card among MP users. Helps a lot when you need to get help)

Good if:

- Support analog input (s-video input from VHS/STB most important. Analog terrestrial is not important)
- Hybrid DVB-T/DVB-S
- FM Radio

Don't care about:

- Remote (have MCE remote)
- Bundled software (other than well working drivers)

Any recommendations? Please also try to answer my questions/thoughts (in italics above)

Thanks

 

[tompa]

Hi!
How about the Hauppauge WinTV Nova-TD Stick?
No analogue TV or FM radio though...
/Tomas

 

[bermag]

Might work, but is there any reason to use this over the Nova-T-500? Other than if you prefer an external unit.

Doesnt look like it is on the supported card list (but the single stick is however).

Thanks anyway

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

T500 works fine with Vista, do not know if there are still problems with xp and standby.

 

[tompa]

Might work, but is there any reason to use this over the Nova-T-500? Other than if you prefer an external unit.

I like the USB concept.

Doesnt look like it is on the supported card list (but the single stick is however).

Thanks anyway

It works perfect with TV3 (not tested in TV2).

 

[petsa]

The only problem I found with USB-based units is that they sometimes suffer from problems resuming from S3 standby. I had this issue with the Nova T-500 so I replaced it with a Terratec Cinergy 2400i.

/Peter

 

[bermag]

I bought the Terratec 2400i as well. Seems to work fine but haven't had that much time to play with it yet (still using my usual PC instead of a dedicated HTPC and and the antenna and TV in another room so I need to carry by tower case around lol).

 

[paul.aplin]

Any recommendations for a good dual tuner DVB-T card? Where I live the following dual cards (not lookign at pcmcia options) are available:

- Hauppage Nova T-500

I have this card in the MCE version (no remote, etc) and I really like it. Didn't have much space (only 3 slots) so needed to have a dual card.

Card must:

- Work well with MP (both TV2 & TV3)
- Good receiver and picture quality (any difference between cards except that some are more sensitive than other. I got a good signal strength - my tuner in Samsung Plasma TV says it is 95%)
- Support both SD/HD TV (doesn't all DVB-T cards work for HD TV? However higher bandwith requirements might favour a PCI-E card over PCI)

Has worked in MP for almost 2 years. It works well, reliable and tunes/records Australian channels fine. Have not really used the HD parts much but it is capable and works, but SD is better by far than analog. And has worked in MP from almost as soon as the card was released without any issues.

Important if:

- Supports multi channel decoding
- Share one antenna input for both tuners
- Good support, both from vendors or other MP users (ie well known and common card among MP users. Helps a lot when you need to get help)

Yep, yep, and yep (at least in terms of support for MP. Never needed the other)

Good if:

- Support analog input (s-video input from VHS/STB most important. Analog terrestrial is not important)
- Hybrid DVB-T/DVB-S
- FM Radio

No FM Radio but does have DVB-T radio (at least in Australia). No Hybrid or analog anywhere.

Don't care about:

- Remote (have MCE remote)
- Bundled software (other than well working drivers)

Still havent updated the driver from the one on the disc!

Hauppage Nova T-500 (MCE) - Very recommended. And thanks to those that recommended it to me.

 

[petsa]

Just a quick comment re HDTV. I've tried both Twinhan 3040 (PCI/USB-based) and now recently Terratec 2400i (PCI-E-based). Both of them work just fine with HDTV (h264). I use the PowerDVD h264 codec and with a E6600 C2D processor there is no stuttering at all. (All decoding in SW, I have not yet tried HW decoding)

/Peter

 

[ColinT]

I am interest in Parnoid Delusions comments about the T500 with Vista. I have had awful problems over the last 9 months trying to get the T500 suspend and wake up consistantly previously with XP and now with Vista (home premium) both with TV2 and TV3. I think the USB interface in these cards are the problem. Was looking at this thread to find out. Would love to know what Paranoid Delusion is doing and I am not, but at this time I coulf not recommend the T500 because of this problem, and very slow channel change times (2-3 seconds).

Colin