TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD (1 Viewer)

[gurabli]

Hi!

I am about to build a HTPC based on Intel Atom Ion. Amongst HD playback I would like to have digital and HD tuner in the system for viewing and recording digital DVB-C broadcast from my cable provider. The provider sends the digital and HD signal unencrypted together with the analogue signal. I have a Panasonic plasma TV but unfortunately the built in tuner in only MPEG2 compatible, not MPEG4, so I can not use my TV for digital reception.
I am not sure which tuner card (PCI) or USB stick to get that works without problems with MediaPortal.
Are there any differences in quality in PCI and USB digital tuners? Or they are completly the same?

Does anybody has any experinece with HD and SD digital recording on Atom Ion system? Is the Atom + ION capable of perfect recording?

Looking forward to your help!

Thank you!

 

[OnkelChris]

AW: TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD

i have a ION running with DVB-C on a Terratec H5 USB tuner. Everything is running smooth. Just having someproblems with the HD signal. sometimes it stutters, but the signal is very unstable. sometimes 720p is running fine and then it stutters and changing to 1080i it's running smooth.

the ION is not the best one for HD LiveTV -> Record one HD channel and watch another one (same transponder, since I have only 1 tuner) ends up in stuttering... But just recording sth without watching LiveTV, it works fine...

 

[gurabli]

Thank you for your answer!

If I had understand it correctly, ION based system is fully capable of HDTV (SD digital and 1080i Full HD) viewing, that is, if I use a PCI or USB HD DVB-C tuner for viewing this type of content? And it is also fully capable of recording HDTV stream too?
The problem would be to record one stream and view another stream at same time? Did I understand this correctly?

Is the picture quality excellent if I use the tuner? I read about some problems in deinterlacing 1080i content or it is not a problem?

Thank you!

 

[reeven]

quality is good, you cand record an stream an view another one.
no problem with deinterlace, use dvbviewer or mediaportal.

 

[OnkelChris]

AW: Re: TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD

If I had understand it correctly, ION based system is fully capable of HDTV (SD digital and 1080i Full HD) viewing, that is, if I use a PCI or USB HD DVB-C tuner for viewing this type of content?

I only can talk about USB tuners. If you have a good signal quality, viewing SDTV is no problem and HDTV should also work (depends on codecs, windows version, signal quality...)

And it is also fully capable of recording HDTV stream too?

Recording HDTV is no problem.

The problem would be to record one stream and view another stream at same time?

Recording SDTV and watching SDTV works. Recording HDTV and watch SDTV/HDTV doesn't work that good.

Is the picture quality excellent if I use the tuner? I read about some problems in deinterlacing 1080i content or it is not a problem?

picture quality is not as good as the newest generation graphic cards. The picture quality depends on hardware and codecs, the tuner just gets the signal. Deinterlacing is not a problem of the ION.

 

[gurabli]

By good quality (this is very relative, I know) do you mean that it has some faults?

My TV unfortunately has only MPEG-2 tuner, but in Hungary MPEG-4 is used, so I have to buy a set-top-box from my provider or go with the ION + DVB-C tuner. I hope that the tuner is able to produce the same quality as the STB would?

 

[OnkelChris]

AW: Re: TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD

By good quality (this is very relative, I know) do you mean that it has some faults?

for me, the signal has some faults. but this is because the age of the cabels in the house

I hope that the tuner is able to produce the same quality as the STB would?

again. the tuner does NOT influence the picture quality. signal comes in and then the CPU/GPU is generating the picture. the ION is not the one with the best possible interlacing methods today. there are cards e.g. ATI 5xxx which have more power to deinterlace the stuff.

my MP with DVB-T has better picture quality than my old STB. the one with DVB-C has bit better quality (came from analog... ). The one with DVB-S has a bit better picture quality than the former STB.

 

[gurabli]

Thank you all for your help!

Sorry for confusing quality of the picture with the type of the tuner, I was not aware of the fact that the tuner in case of digital signal is not responsible for the picture quality (like on the analogue cards, where the type of chip used was crucial for quality).

Does this mean that there are no big differences what kind of a digital HD tuner I buy? What is important for me is that it is reliable (especially the driver part), so no freezing, windows crash, etc. and to be able to receive DVB-C and to work perfectly with MediaPortal.

I first wanted a PCI or PCIe card, but now I am thinking to have a USB version. I see no disadvantage of having the USB version over PCI(e).

I would like to have the best possible tuner available now (OK, for reasonable price around 100EUR). I was looking at Terratec devices, but I am confused what are the differences between these three tuners, which one should I get (one that works best, has the best drivers, MediaPortal support, and works with DVB-C mpeg4)?

TerraTec H5
Cinergy C PCI HD
Cinergy HTC USB XS HD

Thank you again!

 

[OnkelChris]

AW: TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD

i use the terratec H5. it works

pcie is faster in data transfer than usb. but for tv signal, usb should be enough. which one is the best? hard to say... you have to test. the rest of your htpc is interacting with the tuner and therefore it depends on which tuner works best in your htpc.

 

[reeven]

buy msi digivox, sundtek( all have same tuners, dvbc with empia) or terratec, DO NOT BUY HAUPPHAGE.

TerraTec H5 has mac driver, but Cinergy HTC USB XS HD has 1 year tv-tv tv guide.
Cinergy HTC USB XS HD is cheaper.

Cinergy HTC USB XS HD and H5 use same chipset, it identically, but NO LINUX DRIVER.

Terratec default app is crap, use Dvbviewer, Mediaportal, progdvb, dvbdream, etc.
christv-for analog part, or default app.