STB for Full Band LNB

Johnboy1951

Sky Q and its 'smart LNB' have been available for quite some time now.
One can purchase a smart LNB (Hybrid) for about €40.

Are there any commercially produced receivers that can take advantage of this LNB?
I mean any receivers that have multiple virtual tuners like the Sky Q box?

I have searched around but have not seen anyone mention a receiver of this type at all, which I find strange.

It occurs to me that such a device would be ideal for distribution of TV to multiple points/devices.

I am finding nothing ....... anyone know such a device? I am seeking an end user product - I guess there might be very costly professional devices that would use similar technology.

Johnboy1951

I have been searching for some time, but probably using incorrect search terms , and I finally found what I believe I was searching for.

It seems the VU range of STBs have FBC tuners, and so would be suitable candidates.
They also seem to be rather 'high-end' devices with corresponding prices, and designed for much more than a simple FTA STB with multiple tuners.

Here are some links to devices

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/hdtv-receiver-sat/vu-/3152/vu-ultimo-4k-2x-dvb-s2-fbc-twin-/-1x-dvb-s2-dual-tuner-pvr-ready-linux-receiver-uhd-2160p?c=51

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/hdtv-receiver-sat/vu-/3139/vu-uno-4k-1x-dvb-s2-fbc-twin-tuner-linux-receiver-uhd-2160p?c=51

http://linux-tv.com/receiver/vu-solo-4k/

Capt'n Midnight

slightly off topic ?

Foxsat HDR hidden menu has an option for SCD Single Cable Distribution

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055052924
http://www.inverto.tv/guide/?p=12

Johnboy1951

Still trying to get my head around what is possible and not with FBC tuners and wbLNB/Unicable.

Here a a few more links regarding the VU tuners and settings

https://wiki.vuplus-support.org/index.php?title=DVB-S2_FBC-Tuner

https://wiki.vuplus-support.org/index.php?title=Tunerkonfiguration_Vu%2B_Solo_4K_mit_einem_DVB-S2_FBC_Dual_Tuner_und_einem_DVB-S2_Single_Tuner#ein_Kabel_vom_LNB_oder_Multischalter_.28eine_Satposition.29

https://wiki.vuplus-support.org/index.php?title=Tunerkonfiguration_Vu%2B_Solo_4K_mit_einem_DVB-S2_FBC_Dual_Tuner#Unicable_.2F_JESS_f.C3.BCr_eine_Satposition

As I understand it from a quick browse, where there are two tuners you can connect two satellites, and each tuner will provide 4 demodulators, giving 4 individual TV channels for each tuner.

If one satellite is required then the second tuner can be 'attached' to the first giving 8 channels from the one satellite.

I would be grateful if someone who knows about this stuff could let me know if I am off base or not

It is my understanding that FBC tuners can be sourced with 4, 8 and maybe 16 demodulators, although it is hard to find concrete examples for sale.

Such tuners, would be a great boost, if available on tuner cards for PC, when creating a backend for TV distributed throughout the home.

One LNB; One Coax cable into One tuner ...... and distribute the media on LAN. Client device deciding which channel a tuner locks onto.

flashinthepan

HM sat de

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/receiver-zubehoer/tuner/3316/vu-dvb-s2-fbc-twin-tuner-uno-4k-/-ultimo-4k-8-demodulatoren?c=51
8 demodulator sat tuner

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/receiver-zubehoer/tuner/3315/vu-dvb-c-fbc-tuner-uno-4k-/-ultimo-4k-8-demodulatoren?c=51
8 demodulator cable tuner


@ €89 not a bad price

Johnboy1951

flashinthepan wrote: »

HM sat de

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/receiver-zubehoer/tuner/3316/vu-dvb-s2-fbc-twin-tuner-uno-4k-/-ultimo-4k-8-demodulatoren?c=51
8 demodulator sat tuner

https://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/receiver-zubehoer/tuner/3315/vu-dvb-c-fbc-tuner-uno-4k-/-ultimo-4k-8-demodulatoren?c=51
8 demodulator cable tuner


@ €89 not a bad price

Thanks!
Yes, a very good price IMO.

Now if I could get one of those that would plug into my PC's motherboard it would be ideal.
It seems it is configured only for the VU ...... or did I misunderstand the info?

Gerry Wicklow

They are optional extra tuners for VU+ boxes. There's even different versions for different boxes so I would guess the plugs are non-standard.

Johnboy1951

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

They are optional extra tuners for VU+ boxes. There's even different versions for different boxes so I would guess the plugs are non-standard.

Yes, seems so.

Maybe some wonderful hardware hacker will create an adaptor board to marry it to a PCI-e slot on standard motherboards

It does seem rather a little strange that none of the tuner card manufacturers are producing PCI-e cards with FBC tuners on board ..... or at least none that I have been able to find.

For the likes of my set up it would be ideal ...... central server with tuners and distributed throughout the home via LAN.

Seems I will be waiting another while yet.

Gerry Wicklow

Perhaps with combo boxes becoming so powerful and versatile, the age of the dedicated HTPC is over?

flashinthepan

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Yes, seems so.

Maybe some wonderful hardware hacker will create an adaptor board to marry it to a PCI-e slot on standard motherboards

It does seem rather a little strange that none of the tuner card manufacturers are producing PCI-e cards with FBC tuners on board ..... or at least none that I have been able to find.

For the likes of my set up it would be ideal ...... central server with tuners and distributed throughout the home via LAN.

Seems I will be waiting another while yet.

I think it even more strange that our little yellow friends have not yet copied and mass produced a fbc tuner stb yet
they are slipping up

Johnboy1951

flashinthepan wrote: »

I think it even more strange that our little yellow friends have not yet copied and mass produced a fbc tuner stb yet
they are slipping up

TBS are based in Asia I think ........ but maybe they are more concerned with selling present product rather than blowing a lot of them away with an FBC card.

Wouldn't it be nice to have

wbLNB - single coax - receiver card with multiple tuners - hts and/or IPTV out to all devices and run Kodi on those devices.
Each device capable of viewing and recording multiple channels (depending on availability of demodulators) and each capable of accessing all stored and recorded media regardless which device set it to record.

flashinthepan

Oh yeah
I blew a few quid on a vu duo2 about a year ago
great box but seems to have been left behind now no fbc tuner for me
I think it would be good to be able to record a heap of channels at same time but cant honestly remember the last time she needed to record more than 2 channels at same time

but having said that there is always the techie side of me would just like to be able to say yes I can do it if I want
For my kodi i have a odroid strapped to the beck o the telly with openelec works quite well

STB.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Thanks!
Yes, a very good price IMO.

Now if I could get one of those that would plug into my PC's motherboard it would be ideal.
It seems it is configured only for the VU ...... or did I misunderstand the info?

The capabilities of full band capture are only on certain chipsets. Right now, there are only two chipset manufacturers that I know of, Broadcom and Maxlinear that do FBC.

Broadcom have specific SOCs for STB's.

If you want a list of STB's that support FBC google BCM45308 or BCM7445 as they are the FBC SOC's.

There are a lot more than VU+ doing FBC.

You'll do well to find a PCI card that has demod capabilities for FBC as the majority of the chips on PCI cards are made by ST Electronics who afaik dont have an FBC chip.

Johnboy1951

STB. wrote: »

The capabilities of full band capture are only on certain chipsets. Right now, there are only two manufacturers that I know of, Broadcom and Maxlinear that do FBC.

Broadcom have specific SOCs for STB's.

If you want a list of STB's that support FBC google BCM45308 or BCM7445 as they are the FBC SOC's.

There are a lot more than VU+ doing FBC.

You'll do well to find a PCI card that has demod capabilities for FBC as the majority of the chips on PCI cards are made by ST Electronics who afaik dont have an FBC chip.

Yes I had read about both Broadcom and Maxlinear chips ...... mostly from their news bulletins.

In general searching I have not come across any STBs other than VU using FBCs.

I live in hope that someone will put a FBC chip on a PCI-e card so it is not necessary to buy all the rest of the STB just to get the FBC.

STB.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Yes I had read about both Broadcom and Maxlinear chips ...... mostly from their news bulletins.

In general searching I have not come across any STBs other than VU using FBCs.

I live in hope that someone will put a FBC chip on a PCI-e card so it is not necessary to buy all the rest of the STB just to get the FBC.

BCM7444S, BCM7252S (Sky use this one), BCM7376 ARM CPU also have FBC capability. The DVB configuration depends on which SOC is used and whether the fbc tuner is fixed or pluggable.

And you are right, a lot of the boxes currently on the market are not using these chipsets and so are limited. I assumed all the 4k boxes were using the same chipset, but they are not, some like Mutant have manufactured their 4k boxes with the 7251s chips which doesnt do FBC. I'm not in the least bit interested in it myself, but I see some are in the pripeline.

Gigablue Quad UHD 4k (May 17 release)
http://www.gigablue.de/portfolio-item/gigablue-uhd-quad-4k-1/

ABox 42
https://www.abox42.com/all-in-one-solution/devices/

Vetsel STB IP7252 design is android based but with dvb-s2 tuners.

Johnboy1951

I had not come across the Abox, but was aware that Gigablue were expected to have a FBC STB on the market soon.
Thanks for the extra info.
I notice this

SAT>iP, Multiroom Serverfunktion up to 16 clients

which made me wonder if that is an introduced limitation, or is it some hardware limitation? (not that it would make any difference to me).
What is the limiting factor here?

Now if they would strip out all those 'nice features', such as HDMI connectors, mini display, CI slots etc and provide a server box with 2 x FBC DVB-S/2 tuners and a Dual DVB-T/2 tuner, it would suit what I really need
Else just give me a PCI-e card with the FBC tuners on board to plug into my backend/server PC.

Probably by the time I see what would suit me best there will be something better in the pipeline

Johnboy1951

Could I ask for opinions on this card and its capabilities please? Thanks.

http://www.digital-devices.eu/shop/de/tv-karten/tv-karte-fuer-pcie/218/8-tuner-tv-karte-full-spectrum-dd-max-s8-4/8-tv-card

Johnboy1951

This cards seems to be Unicable compatible, but does not seem to have FBC tuners ...... rather more conventional tuners with an onboard multiswitch.

http://www.tbsdtv.com/products/tbs6909-dvb-s2-8-tuner-pcie-card.html