SkyStar 2 - any Irish suppliers?

L1011 · 21-09-2005 4:13pm #1

I'm looking to get a Technisat SkyStar2 card, because my favoured OS now has drivers for it, and I'm getting mightly pissed off with having an FTA box under my printer solely to supply a composite output for my analogue TV card to take in.

However, I can't seem to find an Irish supplier. Anyone know of one, or somewhere thats cheap enough and will ship here?

krissrodriguez · 21-09-2005 5:10pm

I bought one about a year and a half ago.. from germany was 65euros and shipment with DHL 15euros, might be cheaper now.. I try to find out the website and I will come back to you.

parasite · 21-09-2005 6:00pm

www.dvbshop.net

Eurorunner · 21-09-2005 7:19pm

€84 incl. shipping at hm-sat

Tony · 21-09-2005 8:10pm

Eurorunner wrote:

€84 incl. shipping at hm-sat

Seems very good value to be had on that site.

Eurorunner · 21-09-2005 10:35pm

Tony wrote:

Seems very good value to be had on that site.

I neednt have bothered posting as i just checked it out on dvbshop and it comes in at €70 inclusive...not bad.

watty · 22-09-2005 9:32am

Note that Hauppauge Nova-s, and Technotrend "basic" are more or less the same as Skystar2.

AFAIK www.technotrend.de are maker and their free API / develpment kit works on it as do their drivers.

All the Skystar / Technotrend cards seem "on the edge" as to able to supply start surge of a motor drive. On some cards it will work, others intermittantly. Four way switch or fixed dish is no problem.

L1011 · 22-09-2005 1:19pm

No way am I going to write a driver myself (done it for a sound card once before, its mind melting), so I'm stuck with whats supported; which is the SkyStar2.

watty · 22-09-2005 4:39pm

No, it isn't for writing drivers.

Technotrend _MAKE_ the Skystar1&2, Programs such RitzDVB, ProgDVB etc work with the Technotrend drivers.

The API kit lets you write extra applications. A basic sample complete application source is supplied. It more use for the SkyStar1 as then you can add your own custom OSD text and graphics on the built in TV out connector.

L1011 · 22-09-2005 4:47pm

Well, its of completely no interest to me, as its only going to be for Windows...

The SkyStar 1 and 2 are made by Technisat, TechnoTrend are a different company. There even from different parts of Germany.

watty · 22-09-2005 5:19pm

ProgDVB & RitzDVB are Windows programs. Both free. Both work Skystar1, Skystar2.
I find the recording on Windows more reliable with ProgDVB

Any application for Nova-s or Technotrend basic will work on SkyStar1. Whoever _really_ makes them they are the same card.

I have used Linux since 1997 and UNIX since 1987 and I would recommend Windows XP over any version of the UNIX/Linux world, unless you really like spending all your time fiddling with a PC instead of using it.

I have Windows XP Pro & Ubuntu Linux. The Linux I use as a Server. My Sat Card and Analog TV card are both in the XP box :-)

I can't get the Analog TV card in the Ubuntu box (same card) to work at all, even though it is a common one.

L1011 · 22-09-2005 6:28pm

Did I ever say I used Linux? No. I spend far, far, far less time "fiddling" with my BeOS install (which is THREE years old and has moved computer twice) than I would with Windows XP.

I'm not changing OS to do something that I can continue to do with a decoder box shoved under my printer and the TV card that already works fine with my OS of choice (out of the box at that).

Supercell · 22-09-2005 7:00pm

Be careful as to what is supported out of the box, there are different revs of the SS2 with different chipsets, be sure that the version supported out of the box is the one you are buying.
Most likely is rev 2.1 is supported, 2.4 iirc is whats shipping right now.

Edit : Just looked at ebay , there is now a 2.6d version too...be carefull here!! , verify which one you need.

Suprised that the SS1 isnt supported out of the box..especially on an older OS as it is the best receiver card and has extensive linux support for several years now, so suprising if no BeOS support.

Zaphod · 22-09-2005 7:47pm

There are 3 versions of the Skystar 2 PCI card: 2.3, 2.6B and 2.6C. Rev 2.3 (aka Sky2PC) has the tuner at the edge of the board and has a tendency to overheat on occasion. In 2.6B and 2.6C, which are both almost identical in terms of PCB layout, the tuner is in the middle of the board and is less likely to overheat. However neither 2.6B or 2.6C support autosymbol rate (blindsearch) unlike 2.3 which does.
http://www.gs.ru/si/SS2rev26.html

EDIT: There appears to be a 4th version now, 2.6D, but it looks very similar again to both 2.6B and 2.6C.

The Technotrend cards (sold as Technisat Skystar 1, Hauppauge Nexus-s, Fujitsu-Siemens somethingorother) come in 5 versions: 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2. They vary in terms of processor chips, tuners, and s-video pins.
http://www.dvbsoft.net/content.php?content.3

Supercell · 22-09-2005 7:58pm

Good info there Zaphod, wasnt aware there was this amount of models tbh, am a SS1 (1.6 - the Pélé of SS1's) man for the last while

brian boro · 25-09-2005 12:03pm

Skystar 2 is wonderful if it wasn't for its flakey software, which I think Watty was referring to when he mentioned ProgDVB. There is an upgrade for Skystar's DBV Viewer for about euro15 which I haven't bothered with but I hear it is excellent.

I use Skystar2 to record both radio and TV. I recompress the MPEG2 audio to MP3 files and download to my MP3 player and burn DVDs from the TV recordings.

However, I found the Timeshift Recording feature completely unreliable until I figured out the following:

1. After scheduling a recording do not change channels. If you do the Timeshift function will not work.

2. If you do change channels after having scheduled a Timeshift recording then you have to quit out of the Viewer and re-open it again in order for the recording to start at the desired time.

It's a peculiar flaw and one that thankfully does not extend to TechniSat's PVR range. I have a Digicorder SI and its timeshift functions work fine.
One problem I do have is with mono video recordings. I use various tools([URL=http://]Rejig, IfoEdit and ShrinDVD[/URL]) to edit and author films and documentaries for burning to DVD and everything works wonderfully well. However, I am unable to burn mono recordings. At multiplexing stage, I messages about 'too many frame drops' and on other occasions never-ending files that gobble up my disk sapce.
I know I may be straying a bit from the post, but any help would be appreciated.

Webmonkey · 25-09-2005 12:10pm

Ive a skystar II card lying around here. I'll give it to you for €45 with drivers on CD. Doesn't come in original box though.

Sponge Bob · 25-09-2005 5:45pm

brian boro wrote:

Skystar 2 is wonderful if it wasn't for its flakey software, which I think Watty was referring to when he mentioned ProgDVB. There is an upgrade for Skystar's DBV Viewer for about euro15 which I haven't bothered with but I hear it is excellent.

Stops DVB Viewer crashing with Delphi error messages all right and tuning is simpler and less flakey , it should be shipped with the card though .

The dvbshop link above was doing 2 cards for €99 a few months back, I even have one left

Maplins here do them for €120 each IIRC

hmsat are also excellent, very fond of them too

SkyStar 2 - any Irish suppliers?

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