Satellite on PC?

eirebhoy

I read a while back on this forum that you can buy something which enables you to watch and record stuff from your satellite on your PC. What is this, where can I get it and how much? Do I have to connect it to the actual Sky satellite or the digibox?

Cheers.

Zaphod

A DVB-S PCI card. It's connected to the dish and LNB. Do a search for any of the following models: Skystar 2, Skystar 1/Hauppauge Nexus/Technotrend, Skystar 3/Nova-S, Twinhan, Pinnacle PCSATV etc. Price varies depending on capabilites of the cards. Not applicable to Videoguard encrypted channels however e.g. Sky.

Greenman

You could connect your TV card directly to the $ky box like I did, do you have $ky? A simple card costs about 50E's!!!

Ronan|Raven

I got a skystar1 card and a jolly good card it is to. Have it in a spare machine and am using a loopthrough from my dreambox to it. Have a plugin which allows me to control the motor etc. Very handy they are. The best viewing software I have used so far is either dvbdream or mytheater the latter being a payfor software.

Very handy for searching satellites for feeds and viewing 4:2:2 some images from a feed I picked up on friday from the election protests.

Some pics:

Daytime with reporter facing the square

Nighttime with the cameraman after cleaning the snow off

eirebhoy

Right, i've decided to get the SkyStar 2. Do I get everything I need with that for £59? Do I not need a cable to connect my PC to the satellite or is it provided with the card? Is it easy to set up? One more thing, the main reason I want this is for recording programme's as the only way to record programmes on the Sky box is by keeping the channel on while the program is playing which is pretty pointless if there are 2 programs clashing. If I got a DVD burner could I record onto a DVD and play it in my DVD player?

Cheers.

Oh, do I need a remote?

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

Right, i've decided to get the SkyStar 2. Do I get everything I need with that for £59? Do I not need a cable to connect my PC to the satellite or is it provided with the card? Is it easy to set up? One more thing, the main reason I want this is for recording programme's as the only way to record programmes on the Sky box is by keeping the channel on while the program is playing which is pretty pointless if there are 2 programs clashing. If I got a DVD burner could I record onto a DVD and play it in my DVD player?

Cheers.

Oh, do I need a remote?

I take it you'll be changing your LNB!!!

eirebhoy

greenman wrote:

I take it you'll be changing your LNB!!!

I haven't got a clue what an LNB is, sorry.

Eurorunner

Right, i've decided to get the SkyStar 2. Do I get everything I need with that for £59?

The skystar2 is a great value for money card. Just make sure you have a pc that veers towards the higher end in terms of spec - as cpu resoures are drained when running these cards.
You will get better value for money when ordering off these german sites as opposed to uk based (sterling is a killer);
www.hm-sat.de
www.dvbshop.tv
I have used both in the recent past and delivery is usually about 1 week. Just make sure you think through exactly what you want and order it all up together - else you lose on the delivery charges.

If I got a DVD burner could I record onto a DVD and play it in my DVD player?

If you get a dvb card with a TV out (not the skystar2..), you can record to disk and then playback on tv. I use a ss2 but have a graphics card with tv out - so can view on TV that way.
You could probably record to dvd - but it seems like a waste of disks and more hassle to me.

Is it easy to set up? One more thing, the main reason I want this is for recording programme's as the only way to record programmes on the Sky box is by keeping the channel on while the program is playing which is pretty pointless if there are 2 programs clashing.

Its relatively easy to setup - although you might hit the odd snag here and there. Most of the software that works with dvb-s cards tends to be very buggy.
If i understand you correctly, you have a dish already pointed at sky/Astra2 - so you will just need to plug a cable into the dvb-s card.

REF. the remote control, there are versions of the card offered with remote control for an extra euro or two - so you might as well get one with - whether or not you think you will use it. I would have done but the option wasnt there at the time!

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

I haven't got a clue what an LNB is, sorry.

Its the thing at the front of the dish as per my photo. Each receiver needs an input!!! All question welcome!!!

Zaphod

greenman wrote:

You could connect your TV card directly to the $ky box like I did, do you have $ky? A simple card costs about 50E's!!!

Some of the DVB cards, such as the Pinnacle ones, also do video capture. So you could use it for recording video from the Sky digibox, as well as normal FTA stuff and other naughtiness which we can't discuss here.

Zaphod

Ronan|Raven wrote:

I got a skystar1 card and a jolly good card it is to. Very handy for searching satellites for feeds and viewing 4:2:2 some images from a feed I picked up on friday from the election protests.[/URL]

When you're viewing 4:2:2 then presumably the card is processing the MPEG stream in software mode - do you lose the TV-OUT/S-video picture from the SS1 when in software mode?

Capt'n Midnight

You can either use a second LNB and dish - seperate to the SKY one.

If you were looking at a different satellite you could have two LNB's on one dish - but a SKY dish would probably be too small.

You could get a LNB with two independent outputs - can never remember if it's a twin or dual so you have two cables from it. (or a quad with four cables)

Or you could split the signal from the LBN - one device would be the master and select one of four bands VL / VH / HL / HH - the other would be a slave and only see channels/signals on the band. Another problem with this is that there is some signal loss since you are splitting the signal - so if you have marginal reception best avoided. Main advantage is it's cheap (€5-10 for the splitter) and quick - no messing with dishes or LNB's. If you don't use the PC and SKY box at the same time, or want to watch two channels from the same boquet (sp) then should be ok.

Ronan|Raven

Zaphod wrote:

When you're viewing 4:2:2 then presumably the card is processing the MPEG stream in software mode - do you lose the TV-OUT/S-video picture from the SS1 when in software mode?

I dont have it hooked to a tv just a 19" crt so am unable to check.

eirebhoy

I got my Skystar 2 today and I've installed the card and software. What do I need to do now? What cable do I need, etc?

Cheers.

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

I got my Skystar 2 today and I've installed the card and software. What do I need to do now? What cable do I need, etc?

Cheers.

You need CT100 satellite tv cable I think B&Q has it or any TV shop.
2x screw on F connectors that joins your cable to to the receiver.
You need a dish.
LNB thats the thing at the end of the dish.
Something to mount the dish with.
Where abouts are you?
Is that of any help??

Eurorunner

@Eirebhoy: The general concensus seems to be to make sure it is CT100 - as there is plenty of cheap n' nasty cable out there. As Greenman says, nip down to B&Q Liffey Valley.

It would probably have been more cost effective to get the lnb and dish ordered up at the same time.

eirebhoy

Cheers for the replies. I have Sky digital so have the dish and I take it I also have an LNB on the dish?

I've just been reading the DVBviewer manual and it says in the requirements section that I would need the following:

For DVB-S you need an antenna link suitable for digital satellite reception. It must be equipped with a digital (universal) LNB as reception unit, otherwise you will only get some channels in the low band, which transmit on formerly analogue transponders. In case of doubt consult a specialised dealer for satellite equipment. Additionally you need the SkyStar2 card/USB-box from TechniSat (or one compatible with the B2C2-chipset), which must be installed in or connected to your PC via USB and also be connected to the LNB via a suitable coax cable (i. e.TechniSat Coaxsat 2150 digital). The DVBViewer does not yet support other chipsets.

Is the CT100 that you both mention the same as the Coaxsat 2150 digital? Also, where would I get an antenna link? Actually, I connected a seperate TV upstairs to my Sky box so I could view it in that room, is that the antenna link?

Thanks again.

eirebhoy

*bump*

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

*bump*

OK Lets go back a few steps.
What exactly was the reason for buying the sat PCI?
What is your goal????

eirebhoy

greenman wrote:

OK Lets go back a few steps.
What exactly was the reason for buying the sat PCI?
What is your goal????

to watch and record satellite TV in my computer room. I don't want to have to pay €15 a month for an extra box and I want to record programs without having to keep that channel on (ie. If I'm watching a program on satellite and theres something else on satellite that I also want to watch, with Sky its just tough luck, I have to choose).

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

to watch and record satellite TV in my computer room. I don't want to have to pay €15 a month for an extra box and I want to record programs without having to keep that channel on (ie. If I'm watching a program on satellite and theres something else on satellite that I also want to watch, with Sky its just tough luck, I have to choose).

Ok good.
You need to change your LNB to a Quad LNB ie 4 outputs instead of 1.
Then run a coax lead from your computer room to the Quad LNB
Now you will be independent from the $ky box in the TV room and be able to watch and record non $ky encrypted TV and radio channels!!!.
Ask more if you like!!!!

eirebhoy

Thanks for that greenman. Any idea where to get a cheap Quad LNB?

Cheers.

eirebhoy

I'm shocked at how cheap LNB's are on Ebay. Would an LNB like the one below be OK?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60838&item=5737471289&rd=1

Cheers.

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

I'm shocked at how cheap LNB's are on Ebay. Would an LNB like the one below be OK?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60838&item=5737471289&rd=1

Cheers.

That looks like whar you need.

Not trying to confuse the issue but did you ever think of a two dish option?

eirebhoy

greenman wrote:

That looks like whar you need.

Not trying to confuse the issue but did you ever think of a two dish option?

I think one will do for the moment. Thanks for your help greenman.

Greenman

eirebhoy wrote:

I think one will do for the moment. Thanks for your help greenman.

Well good luck with the quad and tell us when you get yourself all set up and your experiences!!!

Brian017

Would a TV USB Box do, no?

Hatter

This is the same question I have been asking. Would a TV USB PVR box pick up the satellite channels through a dish.

The answer is.........I don't think so. Bit if anyone knows differently please tell!

Zaphod

Hatter wrote:

This is the same question I have been asking. Would a TV USB PVR box pick up the satellite channels through a dish.

No.


You can buy USB DVB-S devices however, such as the Technisat Skystar USB.
http://www.technisat.com/?site=produkte/produkteview.php&kid=1,29&pid=1190&reload

However, because most of the devices available are USB 1.0 based, they are more limited than PCI cards, esp for channels with high Symbol Rates and Hi-Def TV.

Dr. Nick

greenman wrote:

Ok good.
You need to change your LNB to a Quad LNB ie 4 outputs instead of 1.
Then run a coax lead from your computer room to the Quad LNB
Now you will be independent from the $ky box in the TV room and be able to watch and record non $ky encrypted TV and radio channels!!!.
Ask more if you like!!!!

I have a quad LNB servicing my Irish sky box and a UK one.
If I run another cable to my pc (with this card in), am i right to assume I get all the free channels from both boxes?

Capt'n Midnight

No - because the decoding is done in the reciever using the SKY card - only a digibox with a valid card can view channels encryted with SKY's system
it's not done in the LNB

Dr. Nick

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

No - because the decoding is done in the reciever using the SKY card - only a digibox with a valid card can view channels encryted with SKY's system
it's not done in the LNB

So what CAN I view? BBC channels only?

jaggiebunnet

just wondering, can you get a dual LNB instead of a quad one if you only want it in two rooms?

Eurorunner

just wondering, can you get a dual LNB instead of a quad one if you only want it in two rooms?

Yes, you can.

jaggiebunnet

cool, thanks. can't seem to find any that say they would work on sky, only the quad ones seem to say they are suitable for sky.

Dr. Nick

Dr. Nick wrote:

So what CAN I view? BBC channels only?

Anyone, anyone, Bueller....anyone?

Zaphod

With another cable to your pc + PCI DVB-S card, you will be able to pick up the the FTA channels on Astra 28E.
www.flysat.com/tv-uk.php

jor el

Anyone know if it's possible to decode Sky encrypted channels on a PC. If you use a Skystar 1 card, with CI slot, and insert the sky viewing card. Would you need a CAM for this, I can't seem to find much info about what CAMs are for, other than the pr0n channels.

Or is it not possible to decode Sky without a Digibox? I'm getting Sky in soon and am looking for alternatives to Sky+.

DMC

No.
And any discussion other than "No" will break forum rules.
No chat about hacking, folks.

Tony

jaggiebunnet wrote:

just wondering, can you get a dual LNB instead of a quad one if you only want it in two rooms?

have not seen a twin output for sky minidishes for a long time

eirebhoy

I finally bought a Raven Quad LNB the other day for a tenner and have it connected up to the satellite. All I need now is 20 metres coaxial cable, anyone have a bit spare or know somewhere cheap to get it?

Cheers.

Zaphod

B+Q no longer seem to sell the 100M rolls of CT100 cable, but they do sell 20M (might be 25M) coils of it with a foam dielectric for under €15 AFAIR. Make sure you get the stuff with the copper shield and braid and not that other rubbish with the aluminium shield.

eirebhoy

5 months after getting the LNB I finally got around to buying cable and setting it up. When people were talking about encrypted channels, I thought they meant Sky Sports, etc. All I have is the BBC channels, Sky News, ITV3, CNN and a load of crap channels you skip on Sky Digital. Is there no way of watching the likes of RTE, Sky 1, etc? Bit of a waste of time, money and excitement if not.

Zaphod

RTÉ, Sky 1 are encrypted just the same as Sky Sports are. Up until very recently it wasn't possible to watch these Videoguard encrypted channels on a PC, but v1.02 of NCE Cam Emu has been released which apparently allows you to watch and record these channels using PCI DVB-S card, smartmouse and a legitimate card. Google for more details.