USB DVB tuners with high sensitivity?

[chrisbirkinshaw]

I picked up a Freecom USB DVB-T tuner but found it a lot less sensitive when compared to my Nova PCI. Anyone else found a decent USB DVB-T or DVB-S tuner? Pref dual tuner.

[totallymaxed]

I picked up a Freecom USB DVB-T tuner but found it a lot less sensitive when compared to my Nova PCI. Anyone else found a decent USB DVB-T or DVB-S tuner? Pref dual tuner.

We're testing the Dvico DVB-T Dual Digital 4 http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/ENG/products/DVBTdual4.aspx successfully. This card needs new modules from http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T_PCI_Cards#DViCO to get it working under 0710.

For satellite we're using Hauppauge Nova-S-Plu's and they work straight out of the box without any new modules.

Hope this helps

Andrew

[niz23]

chrisbirkinshaw.

I used nova-t 500, pci card with dual USB connected tuners earlier. Basically it is the same tuners as in the nova-t usb stick.
They are terrible because the driver in Linux cannot handle it´s usb chip correctly.
So I decided to buy a couple of USB sticks for DVB-T instead.

My decision fell upon Hauppauge nova-t USB stick.
They are detected out of the box and so far they seem very reliable too. Have had it running 24/7 for 4 days now.

Another pro is the price. Paid only 350SKR which equals to US$40 per unit.

See this link,
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-NOVA-T-Stick


/niz23

I picked up a Freecom USB DVB-T tuner but found it a lot less sensitive when compared to my Nova PCI. Anyone else found a decent USB DVB-T or DVB-S tuner? Pref dual tuner.

[totallymaxed]

chrisbirkinshaw.

I used nova-t 500, pci card with dual USB connected tuners earlier. Basically it is the same tuners as in the nova-t usb stick.
They are terrible because the driver in Linux cannot handle it´s usb chip correctly.
So I decided to buy a couple of USB sticks for DVB-T instead.

My decision fell upon Hauppauge nova-t USB stick.
They are detected out of the box and so far they seem very reliable too. Have had it running 24/7 for 4 days now.

Another pro is the price. Paid only 350SKR which equals to US$40 per unit.

See this link,
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-NOVA-T-Stick


/niz23

I picked up a Freecom USB DVB-T tuner but found it a lot less sensitive when compared to my Nova PCI. Anyone else found a decent USB DVB-T or DVB-S tuner? Pref dual tuner.

There are many usb sticks listed here that are compatible too http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T_USB_Devices that are supported. Either choose one that has driver support already in the 0710 Kernel or build the updated modules yourself and modprobe them into place etc.

Andrew

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Thanks for the info. I'm specifically concerned with the sensitivity of the USB devices. I'm not convinced the same demod id used on the PCI cards and the USB sticks as there simply isn't the room. Perhaps the answer is that the USB sticks will never be as sensitive?

[totallymaxed]

Thanks for the info. I'm specifically concerned with the sensitivity of the USB devices. I'm not convinced the same demod id used on the PCI cards and the USB sticks as there simply isn't the room. Perhaps the answer is that the USB sticks will never be as sensitive?

For DVB-T it certainly seems to be the case that PC based tuners (however they are connected to the PC...usb, PCI, PCI-e etc) are generally not as sensitive as for example a 'cheap' Freeview STB. So we employ aerial amplifiers to improve the signal level into the Stick/Card.

Andrew

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Any feeling on PCI vs USB when it comes to signal strength?

[niz23]

chrisbirkinshaw.

Any feeling on PCI vs USB when it comes to signal strength?

If I compare the nova t-500 card (a PCI card with dual USB connected receivers mounted on the pcb) which need the built in uhf amplifier enabled in order to recieve a good signal that is not the case with the nova-t usb stick. This lead me to believe that the receiver unit have better sensitivity on the usb stick.

If you decide to use a uhf/aerial amplifier put it as close to your antenna as possible.
Because you do not want to amplify noise that your cable generate.

/niz23

[indulis]

There is a parameter you can put into the Dvico Fusion HDTV 4 driver using /etc/modprobe.d/options

 options dvb_usb_dib0700 force_lna_activation=1

I don't know if it actually does anything.  Haven't tried it with/without to compare (would use tzap to try it out).

Does anyone else have the Dvido Fusion 4 working OK?  Mine just keeps failing randomly.  Tuners go offline, or they are not detected at bootup.  I am suspecting a USB driver problem.  Maybe the dreaded "USB disconnect".  This is an AMD board with 680 chipset.

I would second the vote to "put in a masthead amplifier".  Notice that I get dropouts on the computer that just don't happen on the TV.

[totallymaxed]

There is a parameter you can put into the Dvico Fusion HDTV 4 driver using /etc/modprobe.d/options

 options dvb_usb_dib0700 force_lna_activation=1

I don't know if it actually does anything.  Haven't tried it with/without to compare (would use tzap to try it out).

Does anyone else have the Dvido Fusion 4 working OK?  Mine just keeps failing randomly.  Tuners go offline, or they are not detected at bootup.  I am suspecting a USB driver problem.  Maybe the dreaded "USB disconnect".  This is an AMD board with 680 chipset.

I would second the vote to "put in a masthead amplifier".  Notice that I get dropouts on the computer that just don't happen on the TV.

We're testing the Dvico Dual Fusion4 now and so far we have had a good experience mostly. We do find that the Tuner sensitivity is not good on this card and if you have a slightly degraded signal on any of your Mux's then it will not perform very well. We have had no USB disconnects at all with this card.

We used to use;

Code: [Select]

options dvb_usb_dib0700 force_lna_activation=1
On our T-500's we used to use the line above and it did seem to make some difference... I will try it on the Dvico and report how that goes.

All the best

Andrew

[indulis]

PS my DViCO Fusion 4 card is a Rev 2 card, which is very different to the rev 1 card.

[totallymaxed]

PS my DViCO Fusion 4 card is a Rev 2 card, which is very different to the rev 1 card.

Rev 1 & Rev 2 Dvico's are supported by the latest v4l-dvb drivers.

Andrew

[chrisbirkinshaw]

So you think the Dvico is the best USB tuner? Having trouble finding a retailer during a quick google.

[niz23]

chrisbirkinshaw.

So you think the Dvico is the best USB tuner? Having trouble finding a retailer during a quick google.

Either the dvico dongles or you can use the hauppage noave-t usb ones that I suggested.
Both work very well.

I can only speak for the nova variants. All four that I have tried work out of the box without any problem whatsoever.

/niz23

[totallymaxed]

chrisbirkinshaw.

So you think the Dvico is the best USB tuner? Having trouble finding a retailer during a quick google.

Either the dvico dongles or you can use the hauppage noave-t usb ones that I suggested.
Both work very well.

I can only speak for the nova variants. All four that I have tried work out of the box without any problem whatsoever.

/niz23

Just to be clear we are testing the PCI based Dvico Dual Fusion4 card - and the tests todate look to be excellent. This Dvico is a dual tuner PCI card with an internal usb hub that is used to interface the twin tuners.

Basically any card that is stable under linux should be fine for use with vdr and therefore LinuxMCE. Look here; http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T_Devices

All the best

Andrew