Digital Now - DVB-T FAQ

DIGITAL VIDEO BROADCASTING TERRESTRIAL (DVB-T) - VisionPlus PCI CARD

Will this card do HDTV?
The card has been tested and works with 576p HDTV and 1080i HDTV (eg 9 HDTV Demo) broadcasts, using the supplied VisionDTV application software. Have a look at a few screenshots here Thanks to Martin at StudioCoast.com for making the space available for free. DigiVisionHTPC, which is bundled with the retail package of the card, can also handle 1080i and AC3 audio playback and is currently considered the best, Windows based, live playback HDTV application in Australia

Will the card handle Dolby Digital?
Yes the DVB-t card passes the digital audio to the sound card on your PC, your sound card will determine what you get out of it. We recommend you use the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 as a companion to your DVB-t card. The full MPEG stream can also be recorded directly to you hard drive for later playback.

Will Linux drivers be available?
Some end users have already written drivers for the VisionPlus DVB-t and DVB-s cards. You should read this if interested.

What do I need in addition to a PCI card?
A TV aerial is all that is required, however the type of TV aerial will vary depending on the location you are in. As a general rule a good high gain TV aerial used for the reception of the full range of VHF and UHF analog TV services will do a good job, however there is no guarantee of that. You may want to seek expert local advice on what a good aerial for digital TV reception in your area may be.

How can I watch TV on my Television Set?
The best way to do that is if you have a TV that has a VGA input, in which case you will connect your PC to the TV set. If your TV does not have a VGA input, you can still do that if your video card has video out (S-Video, Composite, Component, DVI, etc); simply connect your video card video out, using the appropriate cable, to the TV video in. The associated sound will be coming out of your PC's sound card, so you need to connect that to your audio system or the TV audio inputs.

Can I Receive Analog TV Broadcast with the PCI Cards?
No, all DVB-T PCI cards are digital only receivers. Analog broadcasts, whether via satellite or terrestrial can not be received.

Can I Playback the Recorded Video with a DVD Player?
Yes, video is recorded in MPEG2 format and virtually all software DVD players can be used for playback. If you want to make a DVD that can be played in a stand alone DVD player, you will need to post process the stream to make it DVD compliant. PowerDirector is a good application for doing this. PVAStrumento is also used by many to process the video. Here is the latest version PVAStrumento 2.1 Pre-release. You may also want to read this

Can I have more than one DVB card in the same Windows based PC?
Yes, using DigiVisionHTPC is now possible to have three PCI cards (DVB-t or DVB-s) in the same PC working simultaneously.

Tips and Tricks
For best performance it is advised that a PC with a minimum CPU of 800Mhz should be used with these cards. For HDTV a CPU of 2.0+Ghz is recommended.
Avoid having another BT8x8 chipset based PCI card on the same PC, as this may cause hardware conflicts.
Use the middle PCI slot on your motherboard, this tends to have better bus mastering performance. Particularly in older motherboards.
If you are having problems with hardware installation, try a different PCI slot, there could be an IRQ conflict with other devices installed.

Forums
Owners, prospective owners and enthusiasts might like to pay a visit to the VisionPlus DVB-t Owners Discussion Forum where experiences are being shared and feedback provided.

Can I use other third party software with this card?
Yes, there is already software in the market that will work with VisionPlus cards. More software is being developed everyday. Here are a few cool free software tools to help you enjoy your VisionPlus DVB-T card

Web Scheduler, Web Scheduler - Add On , DigitalWatch, Capture tool , SDTVR, Hip

You can even write your own applications. A Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows is available here.

And of course DigiVisionHTPC

Linux Support?

Read this if interested in Linux support