New DVB-S and/or DVB-T tuners - do they all allow Multi-Record?

[fray_bentos]

My Hauppauge Nova-T 500 lost one of its tuners recently and so the media computer has been unused, I'm looking for a new tuner card (for the UK) to bring it back to life. I've only used DVB-T so far but am considering trying satellite (DVB-S). Or both.

Do all cards allow the multi-record I now find essential in GB-PVR/NPVR? (recording >1 program per tuner).
Is multi-record only available for DVB-T (terrestrial freeview?)

Any comments on the Compro E 750 (Scan.co.uk, £55) or the Blackgold BGT3595 (Blackgold, £110)?
Thanks.

[imilne]

As far as I'm aware, it's not a feature of the cards but of the software you use.

[martint123]

I'm also fairly sure a whole transponder is brought from the card and software selects and records what is wanted.

I've just tried grabbing the 6 red button BBC channels simultaneously and it works fine with both gbprv and npvr (with recent patch to scan the STREAM-0 to 6 channels.
This is with both an S350 videonate (Scan cheapie) and Pinnacle 7010x (2 x dvb-t and 2 x dvb-s)

The main downside of DVB-S is that you don't get so many useful channels shared on transponders - unless you want to record all the BBC regions at the same time :eek:

[fray_bentos]

Ah ok great, wasn't sure if it was only supported on certain cards. I was quite happy with freeview but having HD channels from freesat would be nice - also good to have a single card offering 4 tuners instead of 2xTwin Tuner DVB-T cards.

The Pinnacle 7010x was discontinued some time ago was it? Other than the tuner dying in the Nova-T 500 is was really good, I'm currently reading a thread on the Blackgold on Avforums which suggest there may be problems, the Hauppauge just worked (with Subs software).

[martint123]

I used to have quite a few problems with the 7010x (mainly that I don't have a slot for it in the PVR machine !) but since I went to Windows 7 in my main machine, where it sits, it behaves perfectly. Sits along side a nova-t-500 with no problem.
I did see Scan selling them off some weeks ago on their "today only" page, but don't see them there at present.
Have a look on lyngsat http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html to see what is possible with multi-record on single transponders.

I think it might be wise to consider DVB-S2 if purchasing as I guess that will be where things are going. I suppose that applies to DVB-T2 as well - but not cheap or readily available as yet.

[johnsonx42]

multi-record works with all digital tuners because there are multiple video and audio streams multiplexed into one digital transport stream; the full transport stream is what the tuner delivers to the computer; after that it is up to the software to pick out the streams it wants to use. It would actually be too much work for the tuner to not deliver the full transport stream.

[Reddwarf]

multi-record works with all digital tuners because there are multiple video and audio streams multiplexed into one digital transport stream; the full transport stream is what the tuner delivers to the computer; after that it is up to the software to pick out the streams it wants to use. It would actually be too much work for the tuner to not deliver the full transport stream.

But beaware, if we'r talking pay-tv and you (for some reason) have to use a CI/CAM module it's up to the CAM how many channels it can decrypt simoultanously.

[johnsonx42]

yep, sorry, I forgot that decryption modules can change the equation. We have none of that available here unfortunately, so it didn't occur to me.

[fray_bentos]

thanks for the feedback, looks like either card may do for me then.

[TomH]

multi-record works with all digital tuners because there are multiple video and audio streams multiplexed into one digital transport stream; the full transport stream is what the tuner delivers to the computer; after that it is up to the software to pick out the streams it wants to use. It would actually be too much work for the tuner to not deliver the full transport stream.

johnsonx42,
I see you're also from USA - so a HD newbie question about this as concerns USA users (pls grumble if this is considered a hijacking)...

Are you suggesting that any tuner card that does tuning of digital HD ATSC or Cable signals will allow GBPVR to send different channels to multiple TV's for watching Live TV simultaneously ??

I am looking to upgrade to HD/digital and to understand if it's practical to use ATSC and Internet streaming content to replace Cable providers & their set top boxes. But don't really understand what hardware/software combination does what I need (multiple viewers of live TV plus playback of recorded/downloaded content ?? - so any guidance from your anyone's experience would be greatly appreciated.

I am right now testing the eGreat M34A NMT (to replace my MVPs) and am pleased with the HD playback of recorded HD (from Torrent Episode Downloader) (am running MartinV's mvpmcx2 and very happy with the results, except I haven't gotten 'NMT Netflix Manager' application to run yet).

But now I have to figure out what hardware I need to add - so your comments previously were a startling revelation about the software doing the work to push different channels not the hardware.

Thanks for any clarification or enlightenment you care to provide (or can point me to elsewhere)
TomH for Lucille84