Satellite/DTT Media Centre

watty

Anyone know of ANY combo DTT/Satellite PVR with a DVD Writer other than the ReelBox?

Absolutely Needed:
* Dual Satellite tuner
* Diseqc 1.1 (Four LNB switch)
* Bigger than 300Gbyte Hard Disk
* DTT Tuner
* MPEG4 & MPEG2 for SD, but HDMI/HD option or built in
* Ethernet
* DVD Writer

Ability to add software either personally or via payment to manufacturer.

Yes I know it can be done (badly) with PC based Media Centre. I'd consider the PC Media Centre if it had SCART i/o and cost less than 800 Euro in quantity and it worked 100% on an ordinary TV screen without keyboard and mouse.

Zaphod

AFAIK the Triple Dragon has the DVD burner option but only some of the other features you require.

VDR would cover DVB-S and DVB-T but I don't know what MPEG4/DVB-S2 support is like yet.
http://www.cadsoft.de/vdr/

watty

VDR is the software used by the Reelbox. It is a pig to install on a Desktop Linux. Reelbox may have added some bits to it.

crashedmind

regarding triple dragon:

Absolutely Needed:
* Dual Satellite tuner
no: single
* Diseqc 1.1 (Four LNB switch)
yes: 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0
* Bigger than 300Gbyte Hard Disk
yes: IDE whatever size + can add external USB drive
* DTT Tuner
no - not at the moment: there is a slot for it but no tuner.
* MPEG4 & MPEG2 for SD, but HDMI/HD option or built in
no: MPEG2 only. Not HDMI/HD but I believe there's a plugin to allow downscaling of resolution.
* Ethernet
yes: 100
* DVD Writer
optional via a second tier. The Triple Dragon consists of 3 tiers - the sat recever and optional dvd writer box and dolby box - see http://www.simply-satellite.net/TripleDragon1.html.
Alternatively, with some playing around you may be able to add it via usb or ide i/f.

Ability to add software either personally or via payment to manufacturer.

Linux but not fully open source. So depends what you want to add.

There are plans to release a new version that will have the above features....

Kovold

I have a fully operational VDR up and running (2 years), which would do what you described and more. However, no HDTV (mpeg4) as of yet (driver issues) and no HDMI output either. But I'm sure in time there will be solutions.

-.> Kovold

Zaphod

Kovold wrote:

I have a fully operational VDR up and running (2 years), which would do what you described and more.
-.> Kovold

Could you describe what sort of setup you have with VDR? DVB card model? Linux distro? Number of sats? Diseqc switch or motor? EPG implementation?

Kovold

The hardware consists of standard PC components. The only critical issue is the motherboard as it should support nvram-wakeup (in praxis this means before the box is powered off the next timer is written to the CMOS and the system boots up automatically triggered via the RTC). I currently have to DVB-S cards, one TT 1.6 full featured and one Nova budget to records and watch channels on different transponders at the same time (similar to the sky+ box). The software support 4 DVB-S(T/C) cards whereas at least one has to be a full featured one, i.e. has a hardware MGEG2 decoder. I'm not using a Diseqc switch or motored dish as I have a multiswitch installed but both are supported (Diseqc directly and motored dish via a plug-in). As for the Linux distro I'm using Debian sarge and all the vdr software and plugin/addons are available via a repository, which means no compiling (apart from maybe the kernel depending on what kind of hardware the whole thing is running). The EPG is implemented via an addon and pulled down from http://bleb.org/tv via a cron job.
I also have some extra bespoke hardware, i.e. IR-board to communcate using a remote control and turn the system on and off using the same as well as what's called an AV-Board to get a SCART and optical audio out plus some other stuff. I addition I have an old PSONE display connected for the OSD and an Griffith Powermate to operate the system without the remote control (and keyboard of course).

-.> Kovold

Zaphod

Thanks for info. So the system is used for the FTA stuff on 28E? What's it like for entering new transponders - can you do it via remote like a 'real' receiver or do you have to resort to using a keyboard? Why does is require onboard MPEG2 - is playback of MPEG2 also via the sat card?

watty

Sounds interesting, and basically PC based version of Dreambox/ReelBox.

Kovold

@Zaphod

EVERYTHING can be done via the remote control. As for adding new channels in particual there is actually no need really if you are lazy as you can choose to have this done automatically and as well as getting your channel list autosorted if you wish. Currently the system is used for 28.2 FAT and 19.2 FTA/subcription. It actually doesn't require an additional onboard MPEG2. Everything you need (including the MPEG2 decoder) sits on the DVB-S card.

-.> Kovold

Zaphod

Well I'd mostly be interested in it if it could handle 4:2:2 feeds and if everything could be done by RC. I've also seen a post on one of the German VDR sites of an plugin for Skystar 2 blindsearch which would be useful.

Routing everything through the DVB-S MPEG2 decoder rules out 4:2:2 transmissions and would rule out MPEG4 stuff too I suppose.

I've messed about with some of the Windows based things in the past, but they all rely on input of new TPs by keyboard. The only one that came close to a proper receiver was WinSTB but that seemed to be bug-ridden.

watty

You need really a DVBS-2 card now for MPEG4.
The old (now) DVB-s cards with built in MPEG2 and TV out are not bad for a basic media cnter with easy to program OSD / Menus, but are now at end of life with MPEG4 and DVB-S2

Zaphod

Yes but the only thing in MPEG4 worth watching is still in DVB-S (i.e. BBC). And it looks as though if you did buy a DVB-S2 card, then VDR is going to try and shove MPEG4 through an MPEG2 decoder.

watty

The patched version of VDR on Reelbox does do MPEG4 (on DVBs and DVBt allegedly) and DVB-S2 tuner supposed to be suppored from Oct/Nov.

Will output on Component or VGA. HDMI option Oct/Nov too (via mini PCI or PCI express?).

Zaphod

Watty, have you got the Reelbox in your possession now? If so, could you test it at some stage with 4:2:2 feeds?

watty

Yes I have two of them (at different locations, one within DTT reach!)
PM me what to look at.

Zaphod

Nothing in particular, just any 4:2:2 feed which is active and which a standard receiver can't display.

http://groups.google.ie/group/feedhunter/