DVB-S solution for low-profile PC

[iammike]

I've got a Dell C521 that I would like to be able to use with MyTheatre and TSReader. The C521 only takes low-profile cards, so I'm somewhat limited in my options. The only low-profile PCI card that I know of is the Twinhan 1025. The USB options I know of are the Twinhan Starbox and the DVB World box. My understanding is the Starbox will work with MyTheatre but probably not with TSReader. My understanding of the DVB World box is that it will work with TSReader if I swap drivers every time I want to use it, and MyTheatre again having to swap drivers if I used TSReader last. Don't suppose anyone has tried it with MT with the TSReader driver? The info on the 1025 is a little less obvious. It seems that it will work with MyTheatre, but I can't find anything one way or the other about TSReader.

Can anyone shed any further light on any of these 3 options or suggest additional alternatives?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Anole]

Starbox and 1025 card

I got a Twinhan Starbox (I, not II) about this time last year.
After solving the overheating problems, I put it away as MT was just too much for me to bear.

This year, I got the bug again, and ordered up the same Twinhan 1025 as you.
Yes, it seems to be a low profile card, and I assumed it was similar/identical to the 1020's and 102g's...

Well, MT had matured a lot, and I had a lot better luck.
However, I eventually came to the decisioin that the 1025 card was defective.
All I could get was about 60% signal level, compared to the Starbox.

My reason for getting a card was due to the relatively poor support for the Starbox by anything but MT (which I have come to despise).
Today, you can get a Starbox II for a piddling price, and it does have BDA drivers.
However, I am totally uncertain if BDA is a good thing or a really, really bad thing.
It's certainly not the panacea it's promised to be.

As for the DVB World, I think they had an overpriced USB 1 box last year when I got the Starbox, and I never gave them a 2nd look.
Appears they have a USB 2 unit, now.
Getting new stuff always leaves you short on support, and I mean by the leading software.
Do you homework before getting something on the edge.
Also, I see the DVBw at about 2X the price of the Starbox II, so it's still a little overpriced.

edit: here's a dirty little secret about running the DVBw with TSreader.

 

[iammike]

Anole,

I wound up going with the DVB World box. PSB had a pretty good deal on one. With shipping it only cost about $6 more than the Starbox at Sadoun. I want to be able to use both MT and TSReader, and this seemed like the best bet. Neither the Starbox nor the 1025 are listed on the supported hardware list for TSReader. I figured it would be better to deal with the driver swapping than risk making a purchase that couldn't do everything I wanted to do.

Thanks for the info on the 1025. I was a little skeptical about it already. I just purchased SageTV and am using the MT plugin. I definitely wanted something that works well with MT too. Can't beat having the FTA goodness available through Sage on any TV in the house. Got's to see my RTN.

Mike

 

[Anole]

congrats

If you got the DVB World box for $96, that's a lot better than the $139 I've seen.
The Twinhan cost me around $90 at Sadoun last year.
This year, a Starbox II goes for only $60, elsewhere (and not on eBay - I don't buy there)

I've got my fingers 'crossed for you, for good luck.
Let's hear how you like it, once you're all hooked up.
Maybe I'll want one... since I can't decide on a stand-alone FTA box...
... the whole idea of watching a show live scares me after years with a Dish PVR-508
.

 

[iammike]

If you got the DVB World box for $96, that's a lot better than the $139 I've seen.
The Twinhan cost me around $90 at Sadoun last year.
This year, a Starbox II goes for only $60, elsewhere (and not on eBay - I don't buy there)

PSB has the DVB World box for $105 including shipping. Sadoun wanted 89 plus shipping, which is about $10 or $11 to Roanoke. The net difference worked out to around $5 or $6.

I've got my fingers 'crossed for you, for good luck.
Let's hear how you like it, once you're all hooked up.
Maybe I'll want one... since I can't decide on a stand-alone FTA box...
... the whole idea of watching a show live scares me after years with a Dish PVR-508
.

Thanks, I'm hoping it works out well too. Incidentally, if you're looking for a good PVR solution for FTA you might want to check out SageTV and the MT plugin for Sage. I've been playing with Sage with the Twinhan 1020a in my other PC and it works really well. If it works the way I think it will, I'll soon have a PVR with working guide for G10R and the other FTA's. I'll probably be posting a review soon.

 

[partyharty]

You probably got the best of your choices. I have the 1025 and to be honest I will be picking up another card pretty soon. Its not that the card is bad, I have always gotten it to work however it seems that you have to have the moon in the correct alignment to get it to work well. Alot of times I have to install the drivers 2x (or more) to get it to work. Then when the drivers are updated (on twinhans site) I have had issues with the new drivers. It is a good card (provides a good picture) but it does have its quirks (and that can be very annoying when you are just trying to get it up and running). Not to mention Twinhans tech support (umm what tech support).

I got mine a while back because it was cheap (I paid $40 for mine I think) but I doubt that I will be getting another one when it comes time to replace this one.