Various DVB-S PC cards/Stand Alone boxes?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.mpeg-dvb (More info?)

I'm thinking of upgrading my little C-Band system to include a DVB
receiver. Not sure which route I should take, not sure which product to
buy.

I've done the E-Bay thing, looked at various reviews, but I'm at a
loss. The putzing around aspect of the PC card has its appeal, but I
haven't seen one with an A/V out of any sort to hook up to my home
system. At the same time, I've noticed that there would be veiwing
issues, should I purchase a little standalone unit.

What are the overall pros and cons to either system? Is it vitally
important I go with with a new lnbf or upgrade to a dual c/Ku feedhorn?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.mpeg-dvb (More info?)

I can't comment on the PC cards since I don't have one.
There is plenty of stuff to see on Cband. You won't need a new
LNB. Then if you want to explore KU you could either upgrade to a dual
feedhorn, or get a dedicated KU dish (or 2 or 3). Some folks even
strap a KU LNBF to the side of their Cband feedhorn but I haven't
tried that yet.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.mpeg-dvb (More info?)

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 14:52:57 -0600, Krydor <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:

>I'm thinking of upgrading my little C-Band system to include a DVB
>receiver. Not sure which route I should take, not sure which product to
>buy.
>
My personal experience is that a stand-alone system is cheaper and
also catches more channels than the PVC card.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.mpeg-dvb (More info?)

Thanks for the info. The next question would be, naturally, "E-Bay or
Brand New?"

I keep looking at Lyngsat and just going nuts. It's like the good old
days with all that FTA goodness. Needless to say, I'm more than a
little tired of having a "digital" cable box with inferior picture and
sound. Once I have access to network feeds, I'll have almost no reason
for cable.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.mpeg-dvb (More info?)

Guenter Bellach wrote:

> On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 14:52:57 -0600, Krydor <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm thinking of upgrading my little C-Band system to include a DVB
>>receiver. Not sure which route I should take, not sure which product to
>>buy.
>>
>
> My personal experience is that a stand-alone system is cheaper and
> also catches more channels than the PVC card.

There's no reason why a stand-alone system would catch more channels
than a PCI card. In theory, they are identical in that respect.

Whether or not it's cheaper depends upon what you want and what you
have to start out with. You can get stand alone cards pretty cheaply,
and if you already have a computer system, and that's where you want
to watch the broadcasts, it's reasonable to go that way. The best
thing about this option is that you can record broadcasts and turn
your computer into a PVR/Tivo-like box. The downside is that the
software/User-Interface can be buggy or hard to use (but on the other
hand, you can choose from different software packages).

A stand-alone box can be easier to use, and it attaches easily to
your TV. These are getting pretty cheap too, nowadays.