Satellite set-up with a Quatro or a Quad LNB??

maisflocke

Just waiting for lurking Watty or Greenman to explain this one for me

I have a Topfield CAM receiver and a Pace digibox.
The pace is directly linked to one output of a twin LNB @28.2° as the thing is not diseqc intelligent.
The Topfield is linked to a loop through LNB on 19.2° and connected to the second 28.2° LNB output.

Now I want to upgrade my PC with a DVB-S card to receive 19.2 & 28.2

How do I do it?

I have knowedge of Quads & Quatro LNB's, but I do not know the difference - yet.
Ideally, I would need to Replace the twin LNB with a 4 output (4x H/V), replace the Loopthrough LNB with the twin, and get 2 diseqc 2/1 switches.

Or is there an easier way???

The thing that makes it slightly complicated is the fact that the dodgybox does not support diseqc, if it did things would be so much easier.

Advice and info appreciated.

Greenman

First off maisflocke beware of Quatro its Quad you want!!

I think you have it sussed!!! Twin LNB on Astra 19 Quad on Astra 28
The $ky box as is.
Topfield one cable out to twin DISEqC feeding Astra 19 & 28
PC one cable out to twin DISEqC feeding Astra 19 & 28

I stand corrected if there is an easier way. BTW the price difference between a 2 output DISEqC and four is not great, consider a 4 output, as we say "Better looking at it than for it":)

Greenman

BTW maisflocke here is my 4 output DISEqC in the shed out in garden
Can someone please tell me how to paste the image still can't figure that one!!!:mad:
PS DMC please paste it if you would be so kind.:)

watty

QUad = 4 independant o/p for ordinary receivers (Analog/ Digital / Diseqc switch/ Digibox etc)


Quattro = Each o/p is a fixed, H on Low, V on low, H on High and Vert on High band. Only any use on a Distribution system say for apartments or hotel. The distribution system "slave amps" take four cables and simulate an Univeral LNB.


I'd go for Premium/Skystar1/Hauppauge Nexus-s rather than the 1/3rd price Basic/Skystar2/Hauppauge Nova-s

Why?

* On board DSP chip
* Built in TV out
* built in Analog and Digital Audio out
* built in IR sensor socket and handset
* Option connector for real cam
* Multimedia bridge chip

This means about 99% less CPU load on playback or viewing (and a real TV out better than Digibox quality) and about 30% CPU overhead on record (media bridge chip).

I have the Hauppauge Win PCI-S card, predecessor to Nexus-s, but it works with latest Technotrend SW and Drivers.

The only thing the Skystar2 is better for is more than 5 simultanous streams download from EON (but compared with real broadband, EON is a waste on money). The "premium" cards (SkyStar1/Nexus) work fine up to 5 streams and with Casablanca.

maisflocke

Thanks for the tips guys....

Greenman, cool spaghetti junction you have there I do have two 4 output switches similar to yours in appearence - but either I am jinxed and they are both duff, or they simply will not take orders from the topfield.
The first one has difficulties switching in really cold weather.
The second one refuses to recognise Transponders, or displays a very weak signal.

All LNB's work fine without the switches, so I am a wee bit lost there

Watty, thanks for the recommendations, will what the krauts here have in stock.

watty

Sold under various brands in Germany as technotrend are a German OEM.



http://www.technotrend.de/

They do USB (eughk!) products also and also DTT and Cable. For Cable you would need the optional CAM / CI board too! I have no idea if the Cable/DTT PCI cards work in UK (no DTT in Ireland) but I'm imagine the Berlin DTT works?


Carfully prize open the Diseqc switch boxes and check that there is no crack or corrosion at the connector (or cable if that kind) pin on the circuit board.

The topfield should have no problem.

I did have a problem once where the numbering of the connectors did not match my receiever menu so I was "scanning" on the wrong LNB! Swapping the LNB to disqec box lead position fixed it.

I had also one intermittant LNB and it was the short trailing cable at fault (1 & 4 on cables and 2,3 on sockets) at the PCB inside the Switch case. I resoldered it.

Make sure also that at least 3mm inner wire sticks past the F-Connector. If in doubt replace ALL the short cables from the LNBs to the Switch box at the dish.

--
Watty tosses off his glasses and zooms over towards the Dish

Spoonman

Another advantage of the skystar2 is you can watch hdtv on them whereas you cant with a skystar1 (not enough bandwidth).

HDTV might become the standard in a few years, you can test it on astra 19.2 channel > euro1080 with a skystar2.

watty

Yes you can watch HDTV on Skystar1/Premium/Nexus-s

The skystar2 can actually handle LESS bandwidth, the EON multiple streams is a special separate issue. The HDTV is a single stream.

You also need a very high end PC and 19"/ 21" top end CRT, or a €12,000 projector as to get a WS picture at full resolution no LCD monitor I have seen will do it. The Plasma are all less than XVGA. They are just big.


Really for HDTV a PC is a bit of a toy, you really need one of the new genration HDTV Digital TVs,

The present services will be Pay only and are aimed at providing feed for Cinema, Theatre and Clubs / Pubs, not DTH. read the web site.

We could be 5 to 10 years away from domestic HDTV, so it should not be a major consideration in a purchase.

My Laptop LCD is 1600 x 1200, but is 4:3 so is not enough lines for HDTV, unless you crop the 16:9, letterboxed 16:9 x1080 needs more than 1200 lines on a 4:3 screen

At normal viewing distances for TV a 36" WS TV would be an absolute minimum. At 28" WS you won't see the difference! (at normal distance). Really the sensible HDTV size is 48" for home and normal screen in a small theatre or cinema.

I don't want a TV any bigger than 36", ever, in my living room, so can't see any advantage to HDTV for me.

Do the sums.

The general HDTV in USA is not much higher than PAL, but since PAL is 30% more lines than NTSC, it is a big improvement. Also they have much bigger TVs and TV rooms than general in Europe. so that is why the US version of HDTV has penetrated and European HDTV has no interest from ordinary broadcasters.