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[linux-dvb] Choosing the "best" DVB-S premium card



Hi,

I've been trying to figure out which DVB-S premium card to purchase and the more I read the more confused I am. My current setup consists of:

- 2 x DVB-T Nova budget cards
- 1 x DXR3 (I have two DXR3 cards, one using an adv7170 and the other an adv7175).
- 1 x Matrox G550 AGP
- Loewe Credo Widescreen TV with VGA input (limited to 60hz) and SCART RGB inputs.

Now over the last 6 months or so I have been trying to build the ultimate HTPC. I am not happy with the TV out of the G550 and two DXR3 cards. The DXR3 cards aren't completely stable, their OSD isn't as good as DVB premium cards can manage, and I can't get them to do RGB out as they do not use the bt865. The Matrox while reasonably good for TV out under windows via SCART RGB (still not perfect when scrolling is occurring but wonderfully vibrant and clear output) is nowhere near as good under Linux and furthermore doesn't allow the primary head to function while TV out is used (as it does under windows).

Now I have gotten to the point where I'm sick of all these problems and want what seems to still be the best solution: a full-featured DVB card. This coincides with my desire to also get DVB-S support in my HTPC as I currently use an STB and cannot record anything (I'm subscribed to Foxtel in Australia). Research has led me to believe that I don't want a Rev1.3 card as it heats up to much (there is no active cooling in my Celeron 2.2Ghz machine except for the 120mm PSU fan which doesn't spin most of the time as it's controlled by load rather than temperature), and that I also don't want the Rev2.x cards as they make RGB out practically impossible. This leaves me with a choice of Rev1.5 and Rev1.6 cards which seem identical except for the tuner one of which can handle lower symbol rates than the other.

I have no idea whether I want or need the seemingly "better" Rev1.5 tuner or whether there are other differences between Rev1.5 and Rev1.6, and I also don't know with what to expect from the TV out of these premium cards. I don't know what complications needing to use the CAM with Irdeto2 may or may not have or of any other CI/CAM related problems I may encounter. All I know is that this purchase will be VERY expensive for me as I'm in Australia (only place I know where these cards can be purchased in dvbshop.tv).

There are probably other things I have forgotten to ask or didn't even know I should have asked. I'm trying to make this HTPC as easy to use and stable as possible as I want my parents to also be able to use it and they have enough trouble changing channels as is so it REALLY needs to be simple and to "just work". Any advice, further info, possible hurdles, etc would be greatfully received. I'd like to at least have a good idea of what I am purchasing before I spend almost as much as for a Dreambox on the card and it's accessories.

Regards,
Michal Dobrzynski



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