Going to DVB-S

[liteswap]

Sorry - looking for a DVB-S card - no digital terrestrial signal here

[cdldt]

I wasn't impressed with the Pinnacle PCTV 7010iX. I've also tried the Hauppauge HVR-4000, Nova-S-Plus and Nova-S-USB2 and the three Hauppauge cards pick up every transponder from 28.2°E whereas the Pinnacle card misses some of the higher frequency transponders.

The dish has only recently been installed, and I watched the installer check the signal. The only possibility (other than the tuner being junk) is a compatibility issue between my LNB and the Pinnacle card, but others have reported issues with it missing transponders too.

I wouldn't recommend the 7010iX for this reason, although I agree it's a neat and tidy card.

Some may consider me to be biased, but the only reason I support Hauppauge products is because they work consistently well.

All of the Hauppauge cards are full-height, so unless you can fit a riser in your case and mount the cards rotated 90°, they're out. The Nova-S-USB2 is okay, but if you want two of them it can get a bit messy because you have two boxes and two power adapters outside the case. The Nova-S-USB2 is very small though - much smaller than it looks in photographs.

[imilne]

I wasn't impressed with the Pinnacle PCTV 7010iX. I've also tried the Hauppauge HVR-4000, Nova-S-Plus and Nova-S-USB2 and the three Hauppauge cards pick up every transponder from 28.2°E whereas the Pinnacle card misses some of the higher frequency transponders.

Out of interest, what transponders/channels are you missing. I've just got the same card, but as far as I can see it seems to be picking up most stuff, although I've not looked in much detail.

It's certainly getting all the freesat channels, although one or two of them show 0% signal strength (CNN and Euronews both spring to mind).

They don't half broadcast some tat though - just how many channels of not-particularly-attractive-fat-birds-lying-on-a-sofa-looking-bored do they need!

[Bathman]

I've got a Pinnacle 7010iX and I have had no problems with it at all. Its proved to be cracking value as it only cost me about 25 quid of Ebay.

Shame GBPVR doesn't support the freesat epg.

[cdldt]

I don't have the card now because I've sold it, but one that I remember for certain was completely missing was 12523V (because I wanted Zone Reality and it wasn't there). I think that 12450V was also problematic (Zone Thriller, Thomson TV etc.) and 12051V (CNN) - there were several transponders that were received, but unwatchable.

I suppose that it's not such a big problem, because there is always Zone Reality +1 on a different transponder, but the fact that it wasn't working as well as the other cards were, given exactly the same signal, was what did it for me. I hate unreliable products.

I believe that the BlackGold/GDI BGT3540 uses different satellite tuners and demodulators to the 7010iX, so that card may perform well. It is far too expensive for me to consider (although probably not bad considering you can use both DVB-T and both DVB-S tuners simultaneously).

[martint123]

I've just had a look round and it looks like 12450 h/v is not in any ini files or lyngsat.
I can get CNN and ZR on those other transponders fine with the 7010x

[cdldt]

I've just had a look round and it looks like 12450 h/v is not in any ini files or lyngsat.
I can get CNN and ZR on those other transponders fine with the 7010x

Whoops, typo :o That should have been 12560V (I have no idea how I managed to shift the 4 and 5 across yet type the rest of it fine!).