Most stable DVB PCI or USB card??

[scottc98]

I'am at the point that my 102g is going to be moved to another pc in the house and I'm looking at another card. I'm obviosuly will and should consider DVB-S2 cards but willing to wait as other hit the market in the future if one doesn't correct my issue

My biggest beef with the 102g is the drop in SQ.

I've got a Fortec receiver slaved off of the 102g and the SQ on the PCI card is extremely lower than the Fortec

Ex.

PAS 9 11477 H 26463 is 49 SQ on the 102g but 70SQ on the fortec!!

On most TPS (cband and KU) i see a average drop of 10-15

I've been finding that I am getting a lot of continuity errors on the 102g that is killing my HD and 4.2.2 viewing unless its a really high SQ

So I am looking at some cards that are as stable or close to a standard box. I don't mind a little draw in SQ just not this far of a drop

Anyone mind doing a few test runs on their setups??

Thanks!

 

[starman345]

As you probably already know, signal quality levels vary from device to device, its all in the way the particular device-software measures and reports it. My stb always shows a higher signal level than any of my pci/usb cards but I doubt the stb is seeing any higher signal, its just that the Coolsat 5000 meter locks at around 62 and maxes out at 99, so it really doesn't have a 0-100 scale. The cards will also report different levels in different dvb applications. I don't pay too much attention to it unless one device can hold a signal and another cannot in the same setup. Is that what is happening with your setup? If it is your card might be dying.
What tests would you need done? I'm game

 

[Larry1]

I think you will find that the PCI cards are much more reliable than the USB versions in operating. This is with using Win XP. The XP USB drivers from Windows can be very problemmatic at times. If you google XP USB problems you will see for yourself. I have a Fusion OTA USB device and have my computer going in and out of standby a lot between timer recordings. The Fusion USB device requires a USB 2 connection, and intermittently, the USB device will only connect at the slower speed when coming out of sleep. It always connects at USB 2 speeds from a boot or re-boot. I have tried different brand (chipset) USB cards with no solution. The patches on the Microsoft web site have not helped either. The latest Fusion device driver from the Microsoft web site for my box is the worst driver yet. After upgrading to the newer Microsoft certified dirver, I had to resort to a system restore from the previous day to stop my computer from freezing at boot. The Linix systems do not seem to have the problems with the USB like the XP systems, but I have not tried Linix.
I currently am using a Twinhan 1020a and a Nexus-S. Both work great, but the Nexus-s will lock on weaker signals than the Twinhan. (The Nexus-S is only being used in software mode. i.e. hardware decoding disabled)

 

[scottc98]

Starman,

It may just be that my card is on its way out. I have noticed that i've been getting a lot more continuity errors than before and nothing has changed in my setup.

On the 102g, I've been finding that I need a certain SQ for SD and HD feeds. Problem is that the SQ is so far off from my STBs.

I see from your sig that you've got 3 cards (1020a, skystar and Skywalker).

Can you take some reading off of each one and compare them to one STB (your Coolsat 5000 for example).

Try to use the same cable to try to keep everything in the same control elements.

I'd like to see how each one compares. I think that I'm looking for a card that has a higher stability than what my card is now.

Check SD (4.2.0/4.2.2) and HD.

Let me know what you get

Thanks in advance

 

[scottc98]

larry,

I've been willing to try a USB card but i've always had a preference to a PCI. I think the plus to a USB card is the ability to interchange with a PC or Laptop. Plus, you can always run out of PCI slots too.

 

[scottc98]

Starman,

BTW....did you sell that Skystar 2.3 yet

 

[starman345]

Starman,

BTW....did you sell that Skystar 2.3 yet

Still have it, I've been lazy lately, was going to put it on Ebay....story of my life(going to do things)

I'll give the cards a go, what in particular are you looking for, signal strength, quality?

 

[scottc98]

Mainly Quality. That is where i am hurting the most

Depending on how your testing goes, I may be interested in that Skystar

That doesn't have a loop-out, right? How does the BS compare to your STBs?

BTW, on your skywalker.....does it do the DCII feeds that are open at times (whats posted in WUT). Or is it truely zero-key?

 

[starman345]

Mainly Quality. That is where i am hurting the most

Depending on how your testing goes, I may be interested in that Skystar

That doesn't have a loop-out, right? How does the BS compare to your STBs?

BTW, on your skywalker.....does it do the DCII feeds that are open at times (whats posted in WUT). Or is it truely zero-key?

No loop out on the Skystar, the blind scan is very good, fast if you choose the default settings, probably faster than my Coolsat(which I consider not slow). almost everything is configurable in the software, you can choose to scan all freq's, or just a small block of freq's or anything in between, you can choose to search by 1mhz, 2, etc, I can't remember exactly, but you can setup the software almost any way you wish. I got it for the blind scan, something to play with. I didn't care for the skystar with the other software, like dvbdream and Mytheatre, the drivers are the problem, you can't use more than one cpu, you need to disable any others. I would reccommend it as a blind scan device but there are other cards that are better for all around usage (there, I probably P'oed all the skystar users).
I like the Skywalker more the more I use it, at first it wouldn't lock low sr signals very well, but I discovered it was probably my lnbf drifting, or being off a bit, it seems if I lower the transponder freq on those low sr signals by 1 or so, it will lock it.
I can get dcII free stuff on starchoice, I think there is one info channel there, also I got BC legislature, there are a couple of others but really there isn't much. It is very stable, also, if you are using a motor it supplies up to 750ma of power, the other cards only supply 350-400 and it does make a difference. Also, I like to use Dvbdream but there is no native usals, the skywalker is able to utilize raw diseqc usals commands so that is very handy, twinhan 1020a won't do that.
There are drivers for Tsreader, Dvbdream, Mytheatre, probably others I dont' know about. The only downside is the $$, it is pricey.
As for the Skywalker doing what is posted in the WUT forum, I can't say, I'm not allowed in there

 

[updatelee]

skywalker only picks up the true zero-key stuff, none of the fixed key free stuff. as the fixed key stuff is still technically encrypted.

I love my skywalker-1 and use it all the time, its very fussy about the SR though, especially as the sr gets lower. it has to be darn close to right on.

my mercury II scans the sr in a little high, its ok for the higher sr stuff, but the low stuff wont work. I can often guess the sr just by lowering what I see on the merucry II a little. but sometimes I have to use the shortwave method to get an accurate sr.

 

[starman345]

skywalker only picks up the true zero-key stuff, none of the fixed key free stuff. as the fixed key stuff is still technically encrypted.

I love my skywalker-1 and use it all the time, its very fussy about the SR though, especially as the sr gets lower. it has to be darn close to right on.

my mercury II scans the sr in a little high, its ok for the higher sr stuff, but the low stuff wont work. I can often guess the sr just by lowering what I see on the merucry II a little. but sometimes I have to use the shortwave method to get an accurate sr.

Updatelee, have you ever tied lowering the freq you are trying to lock by 1mhz or so? I stumbled on that just by chance, I was trying to hit the right sr, adjusting it up and down, that worked but its time consuming, I found just by lowering the freq a step I could lock most of those low ones. I don't know if that is unique to my system or not? I figured it might be the lnbf.

 

[scottc98]

I think one thing that I am going to look into is modding the 102g with a external power supply. I am wondering if i am just not getting enough/clean power I know that my PC is pretty loaded (3 HDs, MYHD card, one exteral HD.) I also think that I may have started experiencing this after I added the MYHD card in the case (was running strictly 64bit; card not supported)

I do have the occasional disqec switching that may be solved by this mod too. Switching works, but sometimes its just not directly (i.e LNB A and B(22mhz) on dis 1, LNB C and D (22mhz) on dis 2; tuned to A, have to switch to B before I can switch to D). Weird stuff Sometimes i have to open and close DVBdream to switch.

Either way, I wonder if Jerryt can add some thoughts. I've got a copy of the external power supply mod of the the MT forum

I plan on adding some bandstacked LNBs to the T90, so I am wondering if this is going to assist with all of the 22mhz and disqec switches in line

 

[starman345]

I did these tests with one direct cable, only a Spaun 420 switch in line. Used the same cable on each device, did them all within 10 minutes or so, I was trying to eliminate any fluctuations in conditions(cloud cover, etc).
Cards were tested with Dvbdream 1.41i
Dish pointed at Galaxy 25, Russia Today 11966 mux

Quality #'s

Coolsat 5000 - 66
Skystar 2 V 2.3 - 28
Twinhan 1020a - 18
skywalker I - 42
Dvbworld 2104 - 34

I have noticed my Twinhan signal has been down the last two weeks or so, I think it might be going south, it must be 6 years old so I guess its about time.

 

[Larry1]

you can always run out of PCI slots too.

Have you been looking at my PC? It never has enough slots. I only have one free slot that will be used for my DVBWorld card. I still have not got it installed yet. I prefer PCI cards myself. I do not have any PCI-Express slots, but there are starting to be more and more cards coming out for their slots.

 

[Larry1]

I have noticed my Twinhan signal has been down the last two weeks or so, I think it might be going south, it must be 6 years old so I guess its about time.

My Twinhan 1020a has always had an extremely low reading. I have read the reading for it changes with the driver loaded. It has always been a good performer, but the Nexus-s will lock a very slightly lower signal. Not enough to make a difference in viewability though.

I have had greater differences in replacing diseqc switches, even more in eliminating diseqc switches.

 

[starman345]

Have you been looking at my PC? It never has enough slots. I only have one free slot that will be used for my DVBWorld card. I still have not got it installed yet. I prefer PCI cards myself. I do not have any PCI-Express slots, but there are starting to be more and more cards coming out for their slots.

Mine has two of those pci-e x1 slots. I bought a sound card that would fit in one of those so it saved me a regular pci slot. Pci slots are now full

 

[starman345]

My Twinhan 1020a has always had an extremely low reading. I have read the reading for it changes with the driver loaded. It has always been a good performer, but the Nexus-s will lock a very slightly lower signal. Not enough to make a difference in viewability though.

I have had greater differences in replacing diseqc switches, even more in eliminating diseqc switches.

Twinhan does fluctuate with drivers, especially bda to wdm. My drop in signal was sudden, not just a signal reading drop but actually not able to lock and hold signals anymore. I had a Nexus for a couple of years, that was a nice card.

 

[Larry1]

I have seen some receivers not able to lock a signal anymore and they turned out to be small surface mount capacitors on the input starting to short.