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General => Users => Topic started by: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 12:15:30 PM

Title: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 12:15:30 PM
I am looking at hooking up my sky box to my hybrid. I currently am running beta 810 and looking at what TvTuner card to
purchase  ??? ....Anybody got any experience with hooking up a SKY box?

Thanks for replies in advance...
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on March 18, 2010, 01:08:30 PM
Quote from: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 12:15:30 PM
I am looking at hooking up my sky box to my hybrid. I currently am running beta 810 and looking at what TvTuner card to
purchase  ??? ....Anybody got any experience with hooking up a SKY box?

Thanks for replies in advance...

Any supported DVB-S or DVB-S2 card will receive the Sky free to air channels without the need for a Sky viewing card. Alternatively you can add a capture card and hook that up to a Sky digibox's composite out.

All the best

Andrew
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 02:42:18 PM
Something along the lines of this then?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Hauppauge-WinTV-HVR-1100-Acer-TV-HAUDV-BT3-TV-card_W0QQitemZ160375033675QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Computer_Components_Graphics_Video_TV_Cards_TW?hash=item255718cf4b (http://cgi.ebay.ie/Hauppauge-WinTV-HVR-1100-Acer-TV-HAUDV-BT3-TV-card_W0QQitemZ160375033675QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Computer_Components_Graphics_Video_TV_Cards_TW?hash=item255718cf4b)
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: b4rney on March 18, 2010, 03:07:48 PM
The PVR150 is well supported and has hardware encoding. Avoid software encoding as it will use lots of the cpu on your hybrid.

I have just attached my sky plus box to a PVR-150 via s-video. The quality is very good.

Barney
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 04:00:20 PM
Where is the best place/site to pick up one of these?

Also as a matter of interest what kind of cable did you use to get s-video?
I only have a standard sky box and currently use an rf output to and external tv card.

cheers again
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: b4rney on March 18, 2010, 04:16:51 PM
My sky plus box has s-video out and the pvr150 has s-video in. Check what outputs you have.

The pvr150 is an old card and no longer in production but you can still find them on ebay etc. I got mine on ebay.co.uk for £21 last month.
Hope this helps
Barney
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on March 18, 2010, 04:24:27 PM
Well that makes it handy  :-\ I must try get upgraded to a sky plus box...

Having a look for one of the pvr-150's now...if i cant get one is there a newer version in production
that is as well supported?
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: Techstyle on March 18, 2010, 06:37:44 PM
You may be able to get S-Video from the Scart socket via an adapter without replacing your Sky box
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: MANDINGO on March 18, 2010, 06:41:40 PM
Do not waste your money on a pvr150, get your self a digital card any S2 or even the HDPVR

Thanks

Mandingo
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on March 18, 2010, 07:15:21 PM
Quote from: MANDINGO on March 18, 2010, 06:41:40 PM
Do not waste your money on a pvr150, get your self a digital card any S2 or even the HDPVR

Thanks

Mandingo

...well that assumes that you only want to receive the 'free to air' Sky channels as thats all a DVB-S or S2 card will receive. A capture card like a pvr150 hooked up to the video out on a Sky box will stream/record all the channels the box receives.

All the best


Andrew
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 10:40:15 AM
Ok so finally got my hands on a pvr150  :D the card should arrive in the next day or so.

Just wondering is this a plug and play type of scenario or will I have to set it up on my hybrid?
Also I only have a cat5 cable coming from my sky box not s-video, is this ok?

thanks for the help
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:44:47 PM
Quote from: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 10:40:15 AM
Ok so finally got my hands on a pvr150  :D the card should arrive in the next day or so.

Just wondering is this a plug and play type of scenario or will I have to set it up on my hybrid?
Also I only have a cat5 cable coming from my sky box not s-video, is this ok?

thanks for the help

I would suggest using Composite between the Sky box and the PVR150 for SD video capture. I believe 0810 will autodetect your PVR150 and set it up for you.

Andrew
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:44:47 PM
I would suggest using Composite between the Sky box and the PVR150 for SD video capture. I believe 0810 will autodetect your PVR150 and set it up for you.

Andrew

Will the Cat5 input not work? there is a signal coming through on this cable as I have checked it on a portable tv.
My issue here is my sky box is on a different floor to my hybrid so I already ran Cat5 cables for it but running composite would be
pretty difficult now!!
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:57:40 PM
Quote from: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:44:47 PM
I would suggest using Composite between the Sky box and the PVR150 for SD video capture. I believe 0810 will autodetect your PVR150 and set it up for you.

Andrew

Will the Cat5 input not work? there is a signal coming through on this cable as I have checked it on a portable tv.
My issue here is my sky box is on a different floor to my hybrid so I already ran Cat5 cables for it but running composite would be
pretty difficult now!!

Hmmm... so you want to use CAT5 to move a composite signal from your Sky box to your Core? There are CAT5-Composite extenders out there so in theory this would work over a dedicated CAT5 cable run. But I cant say we have ever tested that config.

Andrew
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 01:21:52 PM
Quote from: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:57:40 PM

Hmmm... so you want to use CAT5 to move a composite signal from your Sky box to your Core? There are CAT5-Composite extenders out there so in theory this would work over a dedicated CAT5 cable run. But I cant say we have ever tested that config.

Andrew

Sorry I think I didnt make my setup clear and I was confusing myself in the process. Currently I run a coax cable (I had cat5 in my head sorry) from one of the RF outputs on my sky box.... this is what I want to connect to the pvr150....Is this setup ok?

Apologise for the confusion.
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 01:44:17 PM
Quote from: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 01:21:52 PM
Quote from: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 12:57:40 PM

Hmmm... so you want to use CAT5 to move a composite signal from your Sky box to your Core? There are CAT5-Composite extenders out there so in theory this would work over a dedicated CAT5 cable run. But I cant say we have ever tested that config.

Andrew

Sorry I think I didnt make my setup clear and I was confusing myself in the process. Currently I run a coax cable (I had cat5 in my head sorry) from one of the RF outputs on my sky box.... this is what I want to connect to the pvr150....Is this setup ok?

Apologise for the confusion.

The RF1 or RF2 outs on the Sky box can be hooked up to the RF input on the PVR150. You would then use the PVR150 to 'tuner into' the RF signal sent from the Sky Box over the COAX. However this will give you the worst possible picture quality/resolution and i would strongly suggest you dont go this route at all.

Andrew
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 01:52:55 PM
Ok for now it is the best I can do I guess until I can run some wires!

What would be the best way to do this over distance? would one of those wireless a/v senders do the job or am I best just hard wiring the whole thing!!
Title: Re: Best TVTuner Card for Sky
Post by: totallymaxed on April 07, 2010, 03:41:54 PM
Quote from: dcubox1 on April 07, 2010, 01:52:55 PM
Ok for now it is the best I can do I guess until I can run some wires!

What would be the best way to do this over distance? would one of those wireless a/v senders do the job or am I best just hard wiring the whole thing!!

Well Composite cables usually should not be over about 15m in length...after that you will loose signal level and also potentially suffer increased sensitivity to noise. The two approaches I would suggest considering are either to use Composite-CAT5 extenders (they will usually easily cope with 80m CAT5 runs) or alternatively locate a MD near your Sky Box and install the PVR150 there instead of in your Core which would enable you to use standard length Composite cables.

I would not recommend using standard AV senders (ie domestic quality ones).

All the best


Andrew