Which DVB-T card/device should I buy?

 

Time and time again we get asked questions along the lines of: Which card/device gives the best picture?  Which is best? Etc. 

While these are legitimate questions, there is no single universal answer. It would be foolish for us to say this or that is best! What is best for you may not be best for someone else.

We believe the only way to determine what is best for you is to compare what you expect from a Digital TV tuner device, against what each card (or more precisely each solution) has to offer and your budget. 

It is for this reason that we have chosen to sell what we consider are amongst the most likely “best” value candidates and offer them to our customers. 

We have no interest in pushing one particular brand over the other. We want you to make an informed decision, a decision that you will be happy to live with. Accordingly we have developed this page to try an assist you do that. 

 

Some basic points. 

All DVB-T PCI/e Cards and USB devices we sell perform the same basic functions of tuning in channels, passing the information to the software which in turn does its job and sends the video to the video card and audio to the sound card, via the PCI or USB bus.
 

The video card is responsible for scaling and displaying the video on a PC monitor or other display device connected to the PC.

The sound card can either send the audio directly to the speakers or pass it through to a receiver/amplifier for processing.

(note HDTV and SDTV are on the same frequencies and all devices can receive both SDTV and HDTV broadcasts, the main issue with some competitors devices is that the decoders used can not handle HDTV or AC3 audio)

What differentiates the performance of our cards is almost entirely due to the features of each card. The decision of which card to buy should therefore be made on the basis of the hardware features and Interface (eg PCI, PCI-e, USB2, dual tuner, AV inputs).

 

USB2 Devices

There is basically no difference in the performance of USB2 devices (note USB 1.1 can not handle HDTV broadcasts) compared to PCI versions, the choice is usually dependent on whether you wish to have an internal solution (install and forget) with no boxes hanging around the desktop, or you are happy to have device outside your desktop, but with the advantage of being able to use them with a notebook or move them easily to another PC without having to open up your PC case, etc.

 

We have chosen to market only two versions of the single tuner USB2 device, a very small traditional can tuner - the TinyUSB2 Receiver which is very well supported under all platforms (having Mac, Linux, WDM, 64 bit  and BDA drivers) and the USB Hybrid, which supports both digital and analogue TV, and has analogue inputs.

 

Choosing between the two is really a matter of deciding of whether you need the analogue TV support or Digital Only will do.

 

For those requiring Dual Tuner external solution, we have developed the TinyTwin, two tuner in a very small pen-drive type housing, using only one RF input and one USB2 port.

 

PCI Based Multiple tuners

Following extensive research and field testing with 2 or more tuner solutions, we have decided not to market any PCI based multiple tuner solutions. You are advised to look at PCI-Express or USB2 multiple tuner solutions for a better Digital TV experience. If you must have multiple tuners and have available only PCI slots, then we suggest you use two or more PCI cards.

 

One tuner or Dual Tuner?

Dual tuner of course! With prices of dual tuners now so low, a dual tuner is the way to go, as it will allow you to watch one channel, while record another or record two at the same time. You should, however, note that If you are in a weak signal area, you may want to consider single tuners (eg TinyUSB or TechniSat AisrTar 2) instead of multiple tuner solutions with one RF input, as these share the signal internally, across the tuners, and may require a better signal than single tuner devices.

 

Under normal conditions, and If you have PCI-Express slots on your Motherboard (most new ones do), the best dual tuner solution is a PCI-Express one, failing that a dual USB2 is the the way to go.

We Got You Covered

We believe we have got a Digital TV device to suit your needs, whatever they are. The following information might help you choose the best solution for your situation.

 

Single tuner - internal solution?

• DNTV Live! Hybrid LP - Low profile card, supports Digital, Analogue TV and FM Radio and AV inputs.
• TechniSat AirStar 2 - Full height card, Digital TV only - especially suited to Linux and Media Center users,

Single Tuner - External Solution?

• Tubestick USB DVB-T Receiver - Digital only USB2 device, good tuner with Windows and Mac support
• AzureWave USB Hybrid -  Hybrid (Digital or Analogue) USB2 device supports Digital, Analogue and AV input

Dual Tuner - Internal Solution?

• DigitalNow Dual Digital - Dual Digital DVB-T card. Digital only, with two tuners and one RF input
• Dual Hybrid PCI-Express  S2 - Dual Digital/Analogue card. Digital and Analogue support with both tuners and FM Radio.

Dual Tuner - External Solution?

• DigitalNow TinyTwin - A Dual USB2 DVB-T receiver Digital only, with two tuners and one RF input

Multiple Hybrid Tuners?

• QuattroS - The world's first four DVB tuner device, supporting 2xTerrestrial (Digital or Analogue) and 2xSatellite TV broadcasts at the same time. Includes also analogue Inputs and the most advanced RF signal sharing technology available.