Dual DVB-S cards?

[Mahoney]

Hi,

I would like to be able to record two DVB-S programs at the same time when they are on different transponders. Like Sky+ manages to do.

Are there any DVB-S cards out there that can do this? Or can you put two DVB-S cards in one machine? Anyone got any experience of this?

My ideal would be to do this with a single Common Interface - say two (or more!) Huappuage Nexus-S cards both using a single Common Interface, so that encrypted programs on two different transponders could be decrypted using one smart card in a CAM on the Common Interface. Is that practical?

Any advice gratefully received - I've been googling for days now without finding an answer to these questions! I'm bemused that no-one else seems to want to do this...

[sub]

In theory you should be able to have two DVB-S cards, but I dont think I've heard of anyone doing this.

The Nexus-S doesnt have BDA drivers so isnt supported by GB-PVR.

[Hunk]

Old post to reply to but I'm looking for the exact same thing!
I'd really love to have just one card (I prefer PCI-E) with two (DVB-S) tuners and the ability to share one (or more :o) Common Interface (CI)
Supporting DVB-T would also be nice, but I guess I'll need another card for that

[pukkita]

My first post here, greets to everyone and kudos to sub and all the community involved for this great software (that I'm still trying to manage

I was also researching that, and (when GBPVR supports CI) you can use a single card with dual tuner like the Twinhan DTV SAT-CI (with inbuilt CAM holder) to either record from two channels simultaneously, or to record one and watch another with just one CI card (tough both channels must be on the same transponder) according to their FAQ:

Can I view and record different channels simultaneously ?
Yes, but both of them must at the same transponder.

This combined with the MVP capabilities of GBPVR will be a dream for me; that way I could be watching or have a recording scheduled on one channel while the kids are on another TV w/ a MVP watching their typical (i.e. cartoons always) channel.

This card is cheap (about 79€ here in Spain) and though its MPEG engine is software based, will be without doubt a great feature for SAT users.

[sub]

With one card, you'll be able to record one channel at time with GB-PVR.

[pukkita]

With one card, you'll be able to record one channel at time with GB-PVR.

how is that? doesn't gbpvr see it as two devices? (like the hvr-1300 for example, one for analog, another for dvb-t?) or does GBPVR only support one at a time?

BTW this card, including CI support is supported by MP, maybe that will ease adding support for it (being MP source available) into GBPVR?

[sub]

how is that? doesn't gbpvr see it as two devices? (like the hvr-1300 for example, one for analog, another for dvb-t?) or does GBPVR only support one at a time?

It depends on the device.

Some devices like the Hauppauge PVR500 have two tuners, two encoders etc, so are treated as two separate devices. With these you can be making two recordings at once.

Some devices like the HVR1300 only have one tuner, which can be used for either Analog or Digital, but not both at the same time.

The Twinhan DTV SAT-CI you referred to above only has one tuner, and can only be used to record on one channel at a time with GB-PVR. The section you highlighted from the Twinhan FAQ does not apply to GB-PVR. The Twinhan app is very different from GB-PVR, and can record two shows at the same time as long as they are on the same transponder.

You can have multiple of any of these devices if you need to be able record more shows at the same time.

BTW this card, including CI support is supported by MP, maybe that will ease adding support for it (being MP source available) into GBPVR?

No, that doesnt help me. MediaPortal is under a GPL license.

I have the Twinhan Sat-CI device myself.

[pukkita]

It depends on the device.

Some devices like the Hauppauge PVR500 have two tuners, two encoders etc, so are treated as two separate devices. With these you can be making two recordings at once.

Some devices like the HVR1300 only have one tuner, which can be used for either Analog or Digital, but not both at the same time.

Oh... now I see it clearly. Maybe that's the reason I cannot add the analog part (as a Roslyn)? because I already added it as a nova-t?

The Twinhan DTV SAT-CI you referred to above only has one tuner, and can only be used to record on one channel at a time with GB-PVR. The section you highlighted from the Twinhan FAQ does not apply to GB-PVR. The Twinhan app is very different from GB-PVR, and can record two shows at the same time as long as they are on the same transponder.

You can have multiple of any of these devices if you need to be able record more shows at the same time.

I thought that was not possible for subscription channels with just one card, but just knew about SmartWi Splitter... so that would be a solution.

No, that doesnt help me. MediaPortal is under a GPL license.

And?? I didn't mean you shoud c&p their code. I meant it could help you to understand how to provide support for it saving you time.

I have the Twinhan Sat-CI device myself.

Wow... guess there are other reasons then preventing you from providing support for it? Maybe there are better (more easily integrated, less effort required) cards?? how are you using it??

BTW, What does it mean "from the same transponder"?? same SAT provider? same mux or what?