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Have Laptop - need cards for Satellite & Terrestrial

  • 06-08-2011 9:43pm
    #1
    dulpit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,568 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey all, so I currently have a laptop with a broken screen doing absolutely nothing. It still works, and can hook up to my TV with no problems. I was thinking of utilising the laptop to act as a HTPC of sorts. Currently I have:
    • The laptop, with a HDMI port, a few USB slots and a Express Card port.
    • A HDTV (obviously)
    • A cable connected to aerial on the roof, with all right reception (bit fuzzy). My TV has a tuner card built in for Freeview, I can scan for and find the digital channels, but can't watch them.
    • A (crappy and cheap) freesat box, SD only. The quality is particularly poor, but the signal is perfect.

    What I would like to do is get a card or cards that would allow me to hook both the satellite and terrestrial cables to the laptop, and view the signals (either Saorview or Sat) in HD using the laptop.

    What I am totally unsure of is if there is something i could get that would accomplish both signals. Or would I have to get one satellite card and one terrestrial card?

    I'm on a fairly tight budget, so don't want to spend much at all. Any ideas/help/assistance/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

    BTW: If this isn't the most appropriate place for this thread, apologies.


Comments

  • #2
    Carter P Fly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Carter P Fly


    You would be looking at a seperate USB DVB-t2 (Aerial, for saorview and possibly Uk broadcasts) and DVB-S2 card (for satellite from astra).

    One of these could be an expess card version.

    http://www.dabs.ie/category/components-and-storage,graphics--tv-tuners-and-i-o,tv-tuners/11138


    I recommend the T2 and S2 versions because its more future proof and the UK HD stuff is all either currently or going to be t2 and s2. Unfortunatly these are also more expensive versions then the possibly really cheap basic DVB-t and DVB-s versions.

    You dont say what graphics card or output your laptop has? If you are only outputting via the VGA port you're not getting full HD and also if your laptop doesnt have a hardware HD decoder like a radeon HD or dedicated graphics processor like an i3, i5 or i7 then you are most likely going to not be able to handle decoding HD signals making any purchases of tuners pointless.


  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Carter P Fly wrote: »
    If you are only outputting via the VGA port you're not getting full HD

    VGA will handle full HD and upwards.
    besides, he is using HDMI.


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