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mayoman · 2013-10-12, 22:49

I am looking to build an entry level PVR box. Unfortunately to do this properly in Ireland requires both DVB-S (or preferably S2) AND DVB-T2 tuners.
(Note Irish Saorview is DVB-T but in HD format (MPEG4/MHEG5) so I am playing safe hereby specifying DVB-T2).

The DVBSky T9580 which is available for about Eur75 plus shipping looks to fit the bill. However, there seems to be a worrying lack of user reviews out there for it. My question is, has anyone tried it and what is their experience with it? Also, any suggestions for better alternates would be appreciated Smile

.

And, before you suggest it, yes I would like something like a Digital Devices Cine C/T + DuoFlex S2, but at Eur300+ thats way out of budget Tongue

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2013-10-13, 01:28 by noggin.)

I've had reasonable experience with TBS 6981 Dual DVB-S2 PCI-E tuners in a couple of boxes under Windows (trickier under Linux - but not impossible).

For DVB-T2 the Pinnacle PCTV 290e USB tuner works well (single tuner only). Have a couple of DVB-T tuners as well - as at the moment one T2 does all I need in the UK.

Technisat Sky Star HD USB works well under Windows and Linux if you are looking for a USB model. Again single tuner.

I have two set-ups, a Windows Media Center set-up which runs with TBS 6981s, and an OpenElec XBMC+TV Headend set-up which is more experimental and uses USB Tuners. I also use the PCTV 290e DVB-T2 with a laptop, along with a Hauppauge/Elgato Dual Tuner/Diversity USB DVB-T dongle.

As you are obviously aware, DVB-T vs DVB-T2 has nothing to do with MPEG2 vs H264 (MPEG4). AIUI in the Republic of Ireland everything is DVB-T (as it is in Norway and New Zealand) even though H264 is being used, so until the Republic introduces DVB-T2 it might be worth buying cheap DVB-T tuners (particularly if you go down a split solution route?) AIUI they're using DVB-T2 in Northern Ireland though - so T2 may be worth having if you are able to receive stuff from there?

mayoman · 2013-10-13, 11:59

Thanks, Noggin. I'm actually looking to build 2 boxes, one for myself and one for a family member, (assuming I can get the first box to pass the SAF). I can receive UK DVB-T2 signals but the family member can't so its all good advice Smile

I've been leaning towards upping the budget for a Windows license and using WMC as the backend (Spouse acceptance factor again) - would be interested in your thoughts v TVHeadend as a user of both.

noggin · 2013-10-13, 16:19

(2013-10-13, 11:59)mayoman Wrote: Thanks, Noggin. I'm actually looking to build 2 boxes, one for myself and one for a family member, (assuming I can get the first box to pass the SAF). I can receive UK DVB-T2 signals but the family member can't so its all good advice
I've been leaning towards upping the budget for a Windows license and using WMC as the backend (Spouse acceptance factor again) - would be interested in your thoughts v TVHeadend as a user of both.

Windows Media Centre is tricky to beat - particularly for non-computer users. In the UK you get full Red Button MHEG5 on DVB-T/T2 (not Freesat - there's a hack but it's not great)

TV Headend is a little trickier to configure - and timeshift support is still in development.

mayoman · 2013-10-13, 17:38

(2013-10-13, 16:19)noggin Wrote: In the UK you get full Red Button MHEG5 on DVB-T/T2 (not Freesat - there's a hack but it's not great)

Aahhh.... Had assumed I would get MHEG5 on Freesat as well - thanks for correcting that mistake.

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2013-10-13, 18:21 by noggin.)

(2013-10-13, 17:38)mayoman Wrote:
(2013-10-13, 16:19)noggin Wrote: In the UK you get full Red Button MHEG5 on DVB-T/T2 (not Freesat - there's a hack but it's not great)

Aahhh.... Had assumed I would get MHEG5 on Freesat as well - thanks for correcting that mistake.

Don't know if the MHEG5 DVB-T stuff works in the Republic. May be dependent on the MHEG profile in use. (For instance you don't get any of the IPTV stuff in Media Center as far as I know - as that was added to a more recent MHEG5 profile than is supported by MC AIUI)

That said - Media Center is one of the only (I think Hauppauge used to have a solution and possibly MythTV does) MHEG5 solutions for PCs. XBMC doesn't support it via any of the PVR add ons AFAIK. (It's quite a niche protocol - lots of other countries stuck with World Systems Teletext when they went digital. Some used MHP but that hasn't taken the world by storm. HbbTV appears to be the other dominant Interactive platform - and it is gaining ground in some apps. Some Dreamboxes support it, and there is a Firefox plugin for it as well - as it's very HTML-y)

mayoman · (This post was last modified: 2013-10-13, 19:23 by mayoman.)

(2013-10-13, 18:18)noggin Wrote: Don't know if the MHEG5 DVB-T stuff works in the Republic.

It does, sort of, in places... I have a Humax HDR and EPG basics are fine, but red button, series link etc. don't work. Unfortunately the only properly integrated UK & Irish EPG is on the Sky platform & you need a subscription to access the Irish channels.
One of may aims here is to see if or how well I can integrate Irish & UK channels together. Looks like my work is cut out for me Smile

Edit: Just had a quick look at the myth TV website. New release claims the following:

Quote:For our users in the UK and Ireland there is improved Interactive TV support, with iPlayer for Freesat, ConnectedTV for Freeview and Soarview!

Might be worth a try!

noggin · (This post was last modified: 2013-10-13, 21:41 by noggin.)

(2013-10-13, 19:14)mayoman Wrote:
(2013-10-13, 18:18)noggin Wrote: Don't know if the MHEG5 DVB-T stuff works in the Republic.
It does, sort of, in places... I have a Humax HDR and EPG basics are fine, but red button, series link etc. don't work.

On Freeview UK MHEG5 isn't used for the EPG or Series Link - it's only used for Digital Text and Interactive TV + Red Button iPlayer.

Standard EIT (i.e. core DVB-T) stuff is used for the EPG and Series Link, with Freeview HD using Huffman compressed techniques for its EPG. Again not using MHEG5.

Quote:Unfortunately the only properly integrated UK & Irish EPG is on the Sky platform & you need a subscription to access the Irish channels.
One of may aims here is to see if or how well I can integrate Irish & UK channels together. Looks like my work is cut out for me

Chances are Windows Media Center will do what you need then - as it has a good downloaded EPG (and you can persuade it to download from more than one platform if you need it to) AND it will cope with EIT OTA EPG stuff as well.

Quote:Edit: Just had a quick look at the myth TV website. New release claims the following:

Quote:For our users in the UK and Ireland there is improved Interactive TV support, with iPlayer for Freesat, ConnectedTV for Freeview and Soarview!
Might be worth a try!

Yes - if only it wasn't such a pig to install and to get a decent GUI on. But Mythbuntu may be a better solution these days.