DVB-T2 PC TV Tuners?

DragonQ · 6 Feb 2011 at 00:18

Those bitrates are per multiplex, not channel. The HD multiplex has 4 channels sharing 36 Mbps using statistical multiplexing (bitrate is split amongst streams depending on how much bitrate each requires for a certain minimum quality level). It might be 40 Mbps but it was definitely going to be 36 Mbps originally. Maybe it can be increased by using a less robust mode, which might be used in areas that have already completed the digital switch-over.

The other SD multiplexes have about 24 Mbps split amongst ~10 channels but I don't think they're statistically multiplexed but rather given a fixed bitrate per channel.

errata · 6 Feb 2011 at 20:21

most of these tuners operate in permanent live buffer mode, HD may be taking even more time to stop and start the file managment. There is usually a setting for not buffering live tv in the makers software, it may help if the change is really slow

IT Troll · 12 Feb 2011 at 08:21

Still waiting for a PCI (not Express) card, preferably with dual tuners, for my MCPC. Can't even find a whisper of one...

varkanoid · 17 Feb 2011 at 11:51

How about this USB 2.0 Freeview HD Box for £64

DVB-T2 Freeview HD USB TV Box [ TVST200

Anyone bought one ?

Its actually made by http://www.mygica.com/pa/t200.asp

seen them on a well known auction site for a little less than £60.

rikky · 18 Feb 2011 at 18:11

Can somebody answer a few questions on these USB DVB-T2 tuners please

I am due to have Freeview HD coverage this April and planned to buy a HD PVR - but the price of these is quite expensive for what they are imho. So I would like to know If I could kill two birds with the one stone here ...

Is it possible that if I purchased something like a Revo HTPC or the upcoming Xtreamer Ultra I could use that to record the HD channels and play them back on my TV - the only thing I am not sure is do any of these cards have an in/out pass-through much like you would have with a PVR. ie you feed the aerial from the socket into the card and then feed another cable to the TV?? :confused:

So essentially you have your TV working as normal with your DVB-T2 HTPC purring away recording in the background??

alex24 · 18 Feb 2011 at 18:14

varkanoid said:
How about this USB 2.0 Freeview HD Box for £64

DVB-T2 Freeview HD USB TV Box [ TVST200

Anyone bought one ?

Its actually made by http://www.mygica.com/pa/t200.asp

seen them on a well known auction site for a little less than £60.

Ta, more reasonable than the Blackgold ones, though they are nice. One in the MM atm for £95, tempted but can't justify such an outlay for so few channels. Really want one for F1 though!

Slam62 · 18 Feb 2011 at 18:23

rikky said:
Can somebody answer a few questions on these USB DVB-T2 tuners please

I am due to have Freeview HD coverage this April and planned to buy a HD PVR - but the price of these is quite expensive for what they are imho. So I would like to know If I could kill two birds with the one stone here ...

Is it possible that if I purchased something like a Revo HTPC or the upcoming Xtreamer Ultra I could use that to record the HD channels and play them back on my TV - the only thing I am not sure is do any of these cards have an in/out pass-through much like you would have with a PVR. ie you feed the aerial from the socket into the card and then feed another cable to the TV??

So essentially you have your TV working as normal with your DVB-T2 HTPC purring away recording in the background??

I don't think they have a pass through, that doesn't mean none do though.

Tealc · 18 Feb 2011 at 21:15

alexhull24 said:
Really want one for F1 though!

I'm looking forward to the increased detail in F1 and basically is the only reason I bought my device. I suppose it's also nice to be able to watch and record Top Gear in 1440 x 1080 though.

So essentially you have your TV working as normal with your DVB-T2 HTPC purring away recording in the background??

Not with the PCTV one anyway. I use a Tri-ax splitter to split the coax and serve my TV and PC seperately.

errata · 19 Feb 2011 at 09:41

no pc tuners have or need pass through, if you need to need to feed a tv as well you buy an aerial splitter or maybe a aerial amplifier.

Unless your ar reccording on the pvr you may as well use it all the time to get the benfits of having live pause etc

OzyOly · 28 Feb 2011 at 19:26

Still no support for mac.

Street · 12 Mar 2011 at 18:12

Are there any alternatives to the BlackGold cards yet? Really want to get one before the F1 season starts but don't really want to spend £100 on it..

vail3r · 12 Mar 2011 at 18:33

Wouldn't mind HD on my PC, whats the recording going to be like as in the formats it produces from recording and the file sizes etc.

Tealc · 12 Mar 2011 at 20:44

With my PCTV USB device it records a .ts file which is encoded differently depending on what channel you record.

Windows Media Centre records as a .wtv file which is playable in WMP and WMC.

I've checked and the codecs in use are the same between both programs, it's just the container that changes. Best I can tell is that HD channels record as H264 for the Video and HC-AAC for the Audio. For SD content it records Mpeg2 and mp3.

As for file sizes you are looking at about 1GB/hour on an SD channel and around 3GB/hour for HD content.

The HD content looks great even though it's only 1440 x 1080 interlaced, or at least it is for me.

vail3r · 12 Mar 2011 at 21:25

Tealc said:
With my PCTV USB device it records a .ts file which is encoded differently depending on what channel you record.

Windows Media Centre records as a .wtv file which is playable in WMP and WMC.

I've checked and the codecs in use are the same between both programs, it's just the container that changes. Best I can tell is that HD channels record as H264 for the Video and HC-AAC for the Audio. For SD content it records Mpeg2 and mp3.

As for file sizes you are looking at about 1GB/hour on an SD channel and around 3GB/hour for HD content.

The HD content looks great even though it's only 1440 x 1080 interlaced, or at least it is for me.

Great! Thanks mate

jimbobjames · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:05

rikky said:
Can somebody answer a few questions on these USB DVB-T2 tuners please

I am due to have Freeview HD coverage this April and planned to buy a HD PVR - but the price of these is quite expensive for what they are imho. So I would like to know If I could kill two birds with the one stone here ...

Is it possible that if I purchased something like a Revo HTPC or the upcoming Xtreamer Ultra I could use that to record the HD channels and play them back on my TV - the only thing I am not sure is do any of these cards have an in/out pass-through much like you would have with a PVR. ie you feed the aerial from the socket into the card and then feed another cable to the TV??

So essentially you have your TV working as normal with your DVB-T2 HTPC purring away recording in the background??

The Mygica T200 does have an aerial passthrough. I have one for the HD channels and then a Compro E750 Dual DVB Tuner for SD recordings.

Works well until the GF tries to record Eastenders and Corrie in HD and I have to calmly explain that she can't. Occasionally I have to disconnect the USB on the T200 cause it looses signal for no reason, a replug fixes it. Mygica's support is a little lacking in that regard, they don't have the drivers available for download, although when I contacted their support email they got back to me the next day, Blackgold took 4 days to respond to a question about their product.....

Hope this helps.

Vanquished007 · 5 Jun 2011 at 15:38

Apologies for bringing this up again, but was wondering if anyone had heard anything about these?

1LANCS · 5 Jun 2011 at 15:44

Heared what?

Vanquished007 · 5 Jun 2011 at 15:56

Whether DVB-T2 tuners are available yet or not?

1LANCS · 5 Jun 2011 at 16:17

Yes read up a little bit......

Blackgold do a DVB-T2 Dual Tuner one for £100~, Hauppauge do the Nanostick single tuner for £65, etc..

jimbobjames said:
Works well until the GF tries to record Eastenders and Corrie in HD and I have to calmly explain that she can't

Why cant she?

All the HD channels are on the same mux, some software recorders allow you to record from multiple channels assuming they are on the same mux.

Street · 15 Jun 2011 at 21:06

I finally bit the bullet and got myself one of the BlackGold cards, was fed up of not having HD F1!

It seems a decent bit of kit. I run it with MediaPortal and setup was fairly straight forward. Got it running flawlessly now. Just need to sort the EPG in MP, but that can wait until after The Apprentice!