Favorite Hardware for DVB-S2

[Kiwi_Tim]

Hello,

 

I'm after some advice on what is the best or most reliable DVB-S2 PCI card that works well with DVBViewer. I need one that will work with MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 HD channels (including 8PSK transmissions).

 

Hardware decoding would be good, but software decoding is ok. I don't have a spare PCI-e slot, so it has to be PCI.

 

Have been looking at the Skystar HD2 and the TT Budget S2-1600. I have 2 Hauppauge cards already installed on the system (HVR-2200, Nova-S-Plus), so whatever I get has to play well with them

 

I'm down in New Zealand, and neither of these cards are available here, so I'd need to purchase at an online store elswhere in the world.

 

If you know of online stores that have reasonable shipping rates, please point me in the right direction.

 

Many thanks,

 

Tim

New Zealand

[Griga]

Have been looking at the Skystar HD2 and the TT Budget S2-1600.

SkyStar HD2 may be problematic, depending on your mainboard and other (unknown) conditions. According to user feedback in this forum it works well in some PCs, in others it doesn't, so it would be a kind of gamble. TT S2-1600... dunno, hardly anybody uses it here, most TT users have a TT 3200, which is well supported by DVBViewer and known to work quite reliably.

 

If the Nova S-Plus is working well in your PC, a Nova S2 HD would be another alternative. I have it, and it does its job pretty well... however, it requires correct DVB-S2 parameters like modulation and pilot symbols in the channel / transponder lists (otherwise no go), thus making things more complicated. The TT 3200 detects these parameters automatically.

[Kiwi_Tim]

Thanks Griga,

 

I'll look into buying a TT 3200. Can you recommend an online store with reasonable overseas freight? I tried a few but the freight seemed very excessive. Still, Europe is half a world away from New Zealand, but I'm in no big hurry so would choose economical shipping rather than a priority service.

 

Thanks,

Tim

New Zealand