DVB cards and software

[Doom9]

This is just the beginning.. I quickly compiled a list of cards I know and some of their important features.. if you know more, if I have missed something, etc. don't be shy to tell me. I hope that eventually this'll become a useful document for people wishing to get started in DVB. I know it's incomplete as hell, but I hope with your help we'll get there...

DVB cards

DVB-S

Hauppauge WinTV Nexus-s / WinTV-DVB-s (http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_nexus.html)

TV-out
SPDIF out
hardware acceleration
LNB looping
AC3 recording
Remote
CI
good software support

Hauppauge WinTV-Nova (-CI) (http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_novas.html)
Remote
CI (for -CI model)
good software support


KNC One TV-Station DVB-S (http://www.knc1.com/gb/produkte/tvkarte_digital.htm)
Video-in
AC3 recording
CI interface
good software support

Pinnacle PCTV Sat (http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage_n.asp?Product_ID=508&Langue_ID=2)
Video-in
LNB-Loop
CI (only PCTV Sat CI: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage_n.asp?Product_ID=1370&Langue_ID=2)
Remote

TechniSat SkyStar 2 (http://www.technisat.com/en/produkte/produkteview.php?kid=1,29&pid=1281)
AC3 recording
cheap
small card
good software support

TwinHan VisionDTV Sat (-CI) (http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv-1.htm)
LNB loop
CI (only -CI: http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv-1_2.htm)

DVico FusionHDTV DVB-S (http://www.dvico.com/products_dvbs.html)
Time shift software


DVB-T

Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-T (http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_novatpci.html)
Remote

TwinHan VideoDTV (Mini) Ter (http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv-1_5.htm, http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv-1_6.htm)
small card (mini)

TechniSat AirStar 2 TV (http://www.technisat.com/en/produkte/produkteview.php?kid=1,29&pid=1352)
small card
cheap

Nebula DigiTV (http://www.nebula-electronics.com/information/info.asp?Code=0001)
AC3 recording
Remote
video in
RF pass-through

DVico FusionHDTV DVB-T (http://www.dvico.com/products_dvbt.html)
AC3 recording
SPDIF out
On-the-fly cutting software
DVHS recording and playback via FireWire port (has to be available in your PC)



DVB-C

Hauppauge WinTV-DVB-c (http://www.hauppauge.de/prod_dvb-c.htm)
Hardware decoding
CI (only -CI)

TwinHan VisionDTV Cab-CI (http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv-1_4.htm)
CI interface

TechniSat CableStar 2 TV (http://www.technisat.com/en/produkte/produkteview.php?kid=1,29&pid=1412)
small card
cheap


Software:

WinDVB Live (http://www.windvblive.de/)
Technotrend based cards (WinTV, TechniSat SkyStar 1, Fujitsu Siemens PCI DVB SAT, Galaxis DVB Card-S)
AC3 recording & playback
PVA & MPG output
EPG incl. Timer
CI support

WatchTV Pro (http://www.watchtvpro-experience.de/)
Technotrend based cards (like above, but no budget cards like the WinTV Nexus)
AC3 recording & playback
PVA & MPG output
EPG incl. Timer
CI support

ProgDVB (http://www.progdvb.com/)
Technotrend based cards, Pinnacle PCTV Sat, Skystar2 compatible, TwinHan compatible, Aver DVB-S, BroadLogic 2030/1030, Netcast DVB
AC3 recording & playback
PVA & MPG output
EPG incl. Timer (via plugin)
CI support (via plugin)
Freeware
Teletext

DVBViewer (http://www.dvbviewer.com/)
SkyStar2 compatible cards
AC3 recording & playback (in commercial version)
PVA & MPG output
EPG incl. Timer
Teletext
Freeware (only if you get it with the card, and this version is feature limited)
Subtitles (commercial version)
LAN streaming
Teletext

DVBPortal (http://www.dvbportal.de/)
SkyStar2 compatible cards
AC3 recording
Multilanguage recording
TS output (only one channel, but all channel substreams)
EPG incl. Timer (via plugin)
Teletext (via plugin)

MyTheatre (http://www.dvbcore.com/MyTheatre.html)
TechnoTrend, SkyStart2, TwinHand, Pinnacle, BroadLogic & Netcast DVB-S cards, TechnoTrend/Hauppauge, TwinHand & NetCast DVB-C cards and TechnoTrend/Hauppauge, TwinHan, Netcast DVB-T
AC3 recording
PVA/MPG output
EPG incl. Timer
CI support

Nebula DVB-T software
Nebula DVB-T card
AC3 recording
TS output (can record multiple programs at once)
EGP incl. Timer & remote programming via browser
Streaming
Timeshift
Subtitles
Teletext

RitzDVB (http://dvbcube.safehost.de/index.php?board=46;action=display;threadid=4035)
TechnoTrend Premium cards (DVB-S and DVB-C), SkyStar2, Pinnacle PCTV Sat, TechnoTrend Budget (DVB-C) and TwinHan 1020
PVA & MPG recording
EPG incl. Timer
Remote Support

DVB-Dream (http://www.dvbdream.de/include.php?path=start.php)

DVB-Control (http://dvbcontrol.dvbnetwork.com/home.html)
AC3 recording
EPG incl. Timer

Alt-DVB (http://altx.3x.ro/Alt-Dvb.htm)

SkyView (http://www.cait.com.pl/dvb.php?sect=eng) / http://republika.pl/skyview/#SkyAVC
SkyStar2 cards
AC3 recording
TS/PVA/MPG output (TS: all availablel channels)
Separate PID recording (1 ES per PID, up to 17 PIDs)
EPG
PiP
Teletext
Subtitles
PID Scanner
Direct DivX/MP3 recording (D9 note: not suggested)

KeyDVB (http://www.planetdvb.net/keydvb)
SkyStar2 compatible cards
EPG incl. Timer
PVA/MPG output
Full control via keyboard possible

TSReader (http://www.coolstf.com/tsreader/index.html)
TechnoTrend, TwinHan, Nebula & Aver cards
TS output (entire TS or up to 8 PIDs to separate ES files)

MultiDec (http://www.dvbsoft.net/download.php?list.16)
TechnoTrend Premium cards
PVA/MPG output
AC3 recording
EPG
CI
Lots of plugins (for more or less legit applications? ;)

[jeremymacmull]

An amendment to the DVB-T bit the nebula comes with a remote its not extra (that is for both the USB 2.0 and the PCI versions)

also no video out

the PCI version has composite in for capture facility using BT 878 chip and the USB version has a USB 2.0 hub facility

they both have an amplified RF passthrough facility ie connect the feed to another TV or whatever (slightly aplified from the original)

JEREMY

[Topaz]

Thanks for all the info. Picking up a VisionDTV Ter card on monday. Should be interesting to see if I can get it to work. :rolleyes:

[SeeMoreDigital]

Yes, thanks for this Doom9.

I'm very happy to see that this forums information data base extends well beyond DVD.

Great stuff... Cheers

[chipsugar]

The Nebula cards carry the name DigiTV and the PCI version has an composite analogue input. Also the DVB Basics thread says that internet access can only be had with DVB-S cards. AIUI it is also possible to get access with cable cards.

[eb]

Doom9,

Please add to the SkyView data the following:

Lattest updates at http://republika.pl/skyview/#SkyAVC
Selected subtitle (from teletext) displaying.
Selected subtitle automatic recording as .txt file.
Simultanies multi audio and video PIDs recording as a separate .mpa and .mpv files./ up to 17 PIDs/
Direct recording to DivX and mp3 and wave.
Scheduler.
Timeshift.
Teletext.
EPG.
PiP.
PIDscanner
Voice signal meter.
Displaying many useful informations about picture,audio and others.

[DrP]

I'd be cautious about buying a Twinhan DVB-t card. The software that ships with the card is extremely flakey at best. If you want to record long programs forget the Twinhan software too. It can only record up to 4Gb (regardless of your PC file system), then it has to split to a new file, and the split will drop from 1 to 30 seconds of program content.

The SDK for the card is rather flawed too. You may well find that recordings using SDK based programs have many video defects and produce extremely broken .mpg files, and lets just say that the way they support the AC3 audio PID is 'novel'. Time stamps flip back and forth in the resulting recordings making PTS based seeking almost impossible without demuxing and remuxing.

The tuner used on the Twinhan card is also more susceptable to impulse noise than a typical technotrend DVB-t card. Over a 6 hour trial using the same antenna system via a splitter, the Twinhan card produced 450 continuity errors while the Technotrend produced 10 as reported by tsreader.

If you don't mind being adventurous with a Twinhan card, BDA drivers are being written for the card along with other BDA goodies which should work with any BDA supported card. http://robdvd.radfiles.net/index.php

Don't expect any support from Twinhan.

Another piece of software that might be useful for DVB-x recording on Twinhan, Technotrend, Nebula and some Aver cards is TSReader. http://www.coolstf.com

[Topaz]

I'd be cautious about buying a Twinhan DVB-t card. The software that ships with the card is extremely flakey at best. If you want to record long programs forget the Twinhan software too. It can only record up to 4Gb (regardless of your PC file system), then it has to split to a new file, and the split will drop from 1 to 30 seconds of program content.

Yes I know that the drivers and software that comes with the card is crap but from what I've seen and heard it has gotten good reviews.

I was not going to use the software that comes with the card anyway.

But I hope they are right and you wrong. Don't want errors in the streams.

The tuner used on the Twinhan card is also more susceptable to impulse noise than a typical technotrend DVB-t card. Over a 6 hour trial using the same antenna system via a splitter, the Twinhan card produced 450 continuity errors while the Technotrend produced 10 as reported by tsreader.

Could also be bad a bad card, bad reception or a million other reasons for that right ?

Well anyway it is only a 100 bucks so not the end of the world if it is not perfect. ;)

[DrP]

No, its not a bad card, this is the typical experience of Twinhan owners in Australia. We read the 'outstanding' reviews the card gets and wonder how much the editor was paid to get the story run. WinDTV mostly works and can record, but is rather buggy and has a tendancy to just stop working for no clearly defined reason.

You'll learn what we have.

[Topaz]

What is the "best" recording software for dtv by the way ?

There are so many out there..

Is Simple DTV Recoder any good for instance ?

[DrP]

For a Twinhan? IMO Tsreader at the moment (unless you want to try the pre-release BDA stuff). TSreader doesn't use the SDK at all, instead talking directly to the card drivers, so there are no SDK issues. tsreader is good in that you record by PMTs not by specific PIDs. The Twinhan software and quite a few others record by specific PIDs - ie you scan at some time to map out the PIDs a program consists of and save that info. If the PID mapping in the TS changes, you will record nothing useful.

I haven't looked at the websheduler at robdvd for a while now, so it might be able to track PID changes too.

Playing back a .ts file is easy enough, all you need is the elecard mpeg/2 player installed. One of the filters installed by it understands transport stream files, allowing any DS based player to play them.

[jeremymacmull]

also for the nebula

subtitle recording
timeshifting
digital teletext
digital radio
signal meter

etc etc

JEREMY

[Doom9]

thanks for all the comments guys, I'll try to integrate it all.

[hartiberlin]

Hi,
you did forget about these DVB-T products:

VisionPlus DTV USB-Ter
http://www.golem.de/0402/29659.html

New Nokia harddisk DVB-T recorder/receiver:
Sat-Receiver Mediamaster 260 T DVB-T
http://www.ep-netshop.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/de/-/EUR/pp_ep_DisplayProductInformation-Start;%24sid%24QKCswUCeXK2NxlF_PXKQ-jW0IpBvW45p?memberID=&ProductID=dE7DR37NZnAAAAD7Py0G2PFL&RefererLink=ProductSimpleSearch

and the best for TV and PC, the DEC 2000 from
Haupauge:
http://www.hauppauge.de/prod_dec2000t.htm

The last one I will probably buy in the next few days.
Then I can look with it TV in my garden at the TV set there
and at home with my PC I can record TV channels to Harddisk,
cause it also has an USB interface.

Regards, Stefan.

[hartiberlin]

There is also a new Digicorder from Technisat out with
integrated 40 or 80 GB harddisk.

http://www.dvb-t-portal.de/Empfangsgeraete/digicordert1/

Anywhere I have been reading about a new DVB-T Receiver,
that just has a USB2 interface and can record to
an external USB2 harddisk, but I don´t find the link anymore..

Does anyone know, which Receiver that is ?

Thanks.

Regards, Stefan.

[Doom9]

@hartiberlin: I don't forget those.. I started out to make PCI card list. Hardware boxes belong an entirely different category, but I take your comment as a suggestion to start a list for external (w.r.t. to the location of the box and the PC) products as well.

[Millenod]

MultiDec 9.3

Record PVA\Mpeg
AC3
EPG
CI
many plugins

http://www.dvbsoft.net/download.php?list.16

[Doom9]

@millenod: do you have any idea as to which cards are supported by multidec?

[Millenod]

Multidec is only compatible with "Technotrend based cards" (TT-Premium cards like Hauppauge Nexus).
So "skystar2", "Pinnacle PCTVSAT", "twinhan dvb cards" are not supported.

If I remember, MultiDec was the firt real solution to watch dvb channels.
Then was progdvb, but which has a record problem (I don't know if this one is corrected since v4.32).

As you can see on many dvb sites, when you download a plugin, this one is "MDAPI (MultiDec API)" compliant.
plugins are the MD power...

[VinnySem]

Does anyone know if the DVB-S cards will work with DirecTV, if not now, in the future? It seems that these cards are for Europe only, no USA yet. I am dying to build an HTPC, but I don't want to implement some kind of IR blaster to transmit to the satellite reciever box when it has to change channels.

[Doom9]

voila, multidec has been added. Is there an official homepage for the program?

[DAvenger]

Originally posted by Millenod
plugins are the MD power...

Yeah, especially those used for illegal decoding of Pay TV :eek:

[Millenod]

Originally posted by Doom9
voila, multidec has been added. Is there an official homepage for the program?
I don't know;
the project seems to be stopped...
Firstly it was a digital tv program as K!TV (http://www.kastortv.com), and people have rewritten it to receipt sat programs.
It's based on dscaler project too...

But now the only new modifications are plugins to decode paytvn adding 2 audio streams recoprding, epg, ...

[CruNcher]

Millenod ehhh Multidec was the first Dscaler is based on Multidec
Multidec was done by Espresso to be used on the old BT848 after
PCTV (DOS) was done by the frenchies to decode Nagra Analog
Espresso then changed it after the Analog era was over to DVB only
and created the Multidec Plugin System wich is used till today in almost every DVB (Windows) Comunity Software :) some Developers even still work on Multidec as the 8.5 source is freely available and it's still the fastes (switching time) (Windows) DVB software that's existing today because of it's own Driver :) (not based on the Technotrend SDK) together with WinDVBLive.

Alot of DVB Apps today are buildup on DVBCore by Epmak wich is also a own (Driver) interface for various DVB Cards

But Doom9 im skeptical about DOOM9 and DVB because there are other places wiith more expierenced people where such stuff is discussed i don't think it's the right Place for Doom9 especialy not in what Davenger already explained :(

[Millenod]

Thanks to give me the real story about multidec.
Is the development of this software stopped?

I just had some news about k!tv and other analog tv programs. but none on this great programs, i'm always using!

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by CruNcher
But Doom9 im skeptical about DOOM9 and DVB because there are other places wiith more expierenced people where such stuff is discussed i don't think it's the right Place for Doom9 especialy not in what Davenger already explained :( Agreed!

I have to admit to knowing how to bypass many analog encryption systems. In the early years, most of them involved manufacturing various hardware devices. But as years went by and the dreaded 'viewing card' arrived, later solutions used PC's to do the required 'number crunching'.

With the advent of fully digitised TV, it is (in theory) easier to hack a DVB TV signal via PC card, rather than via an set top box and because of this I'm a little concerned that many threads in this section of the forum, could lead to members getting a little too carried away, getting striked and worse, bringing this forum to the attention of TV broadcasters, encryption owners/developers etc.

These organisations have proved in the past (especially in Europe) to be far more pro-active at securing prosecutions against offenders than say, the RIAA and the MPAA.

Please be careful.


Cheers

[lusid]

You might want to add Showshifter DVB to your software list.

It's a full featured PVR/media center app. According to their website, it supports a variety of DVB cards:
Nova-T-PCI USB 2.15a
Nova-S-PCI USB 2.15a
Technotrend Budget DVB-T 2.16
Technotrend Budget DVB-S 2.16
Nexus-S USB 2.15a
Technotrend Premium DVB-T 2.16
Technotrend Premium DVB-S 2.16
Technotrend Premium DVB-C 2.16
Nova-T-USB USB 2.15
Technotrend USB 2.16
DEC2000-T USB 2.15a
Nebula Electronics DigiTV PCI(Not Australia)

The last release added BDA driver support, so the list has probably grown.

[Doom9]

But Doom9 im skeptical about DOOM9 and DVB because there are other places wiith more expierenced people where such stuff is discussed i don't think it's the right Place for Doom9 especialy not in what Davenger already explained Hmm.. your sentence could be taken in two ones, one of which I have to violently disagree with. Digital TV uses video and audio compression standards that we're extremely familiar with, and it's kinda natural to expand in this area.
On the other hand I have not yet decided what kind of decryption would be okay to discuss so up to this point, decryption has been set completely aside (and the Dreambox guide was actually modified to contain no reference to material that could be abused). I suppose if I find a way to decrypt crypted channels that only works if you have a legit card, that would be okay, but if you can share the codes for it, it's no longer okay. Either way, "how can I pirate payTV" will definitely never be a subject here, but CSS descrambling can be used for illegal purposes, too ;)

With so many talented developers and users around it would be almost criminally negligent to not deal with DVB and I'm sure as hell not going to another board for my DVB needs. Tell me where you find format introductions as the stickies.. you'll have a hard time. I couldn't find a good enough introduction, so if there isn't one, I make one, just as I started making DivX guides more than 4 years ago.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by Doom9
... I suppose if I find a way to decrypt crypted channels that only works if you have a legit card, that would be okay, but if you can share the codes for it, it's no longer okay. Either way, "how can I pirate payTV" will definitely never be a subject here, but CSS descrambling can be used for illegal purposes, too ;) It's long been the bain of many digital TV providers who are fully aware that many of their customers sign themselves up for the minimum package to obtain an legit viewing card (c/w automatic monthly update key) and then reprogram their card to receive additional channels...

Just please be careful Doom9


Cheers

[Doom9]

It's long been the bain of many digital TV providers who are fully aware that many of their customers sign themselves up for the minimum package to obtain an legit viewing card (c/w automatic monthly update key) and then reprogram their card to receive additional channels...Well.. that's not even possible with digital sats (you get a card for the entire service or no card for no service).. I suppose it would work for certain access cards cable provider are used (they should be sued for using encryption for regular programming in the first place). We do have forum rules that are prefectly clear when it comes to illegal material of any sorts.. cracking TV encryption is definitely covered, as is cam files, etc.
And hey, we are still here even though the very basics of DVD backup requires that you remove CSS and we all know what the MPAA thinks of that. I suspect that all the TV piracy zealots already have their homebase and won't even consider coming here because they'll find themselves striked out faster than they can type "where can I get the cam file for channel X". But the ones wondering how they can capture a digital TV broadcast and convert it to another format are more than welcome to join. In fact, tool development has already started: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76083, we have bugreports/fixes and English versions of MPEG2Schnitt and there's certainly more to come.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by Doom9
Well.. that's not even possible with digital sats (you get a card for the entire service or no card for no service).. I suppose it would work for certain access cards cable provider are used (they should be sued for using encryption for regular programming in the first place). It certainly was possible with terrestrial digital broadcasts in the UK (this was one of the reasons why ONdigital/ITVdigital collapsed) and it's still going on with some digital satellite platforms in mainland Europe.

As for UK digital cable TV card hacking, I just don't know. There are only two major cable TV providers here (NTL and TeleWest). NTL uses a digital version of NagraVision, which even back in the days of analogue TV encryption, proved to be one of the most (if not the most) secure encryption system.

In the UK we now have Sky Digital's VideoGuard encryption system to contend with. Which has got to be one of the most invasive digital TV platforms of all time... And not only do you have to pay to watch every Sky station (except Sky News) and non Sky stations, including the main FTA terrestrial stations. They even have the cheek to bombard the viewer with more commercial breaks than the terrestrial broadcasters.... So you could say: Sky subscribers are paying to watch the commercial breaks too :eek:

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now and let you get on with running the forum.


Cheers

[stax76]

Originally posted by DAvenger
Yeah, especially those used for illegal decoding of Pay TV :eek:

and that's exactly why espresso created the API back then, to seperate the illegal part from the program self


Alot of DVB Apps today are buildup on DVBCore by Epmak wich is also a own (Driver) interface for various DVB Cards


Epmak is the WinSTB (similar to VDR) author I think, dvbcore (which my program is based on as well btw.) is saar's baby (used to call himself symbiose like his program MyTheatre was called EzDVB first)

[Millenod]

Do you know if there is an official site or if Espresso will release a new version of this great program?

[CruNcher]

@Dolemite

ofcourse symbiose not epmak :P

@Millenod

Espresso vanished some times ago its uknown if a new version will come up from him but surely the source is out so everybod can enhance it if he want's to :)

[hms]

Originally posted by VinnySem
Does anyone know if the DVB-S cards will work with DirecTV, if not now, in the future? It seems that these cards are for Europe only, no USA yet. I am dying to build an HTPC, but I don't want to implement some kind of IR blaster to transmit to the satellite reciever box when it has to change channels.

No! but the problem is not the cards but the proprietary DirectTV mpeg2 stream.
But most other USA satelite transponders can be received with those "European" cards.