I'm about to take the plunge and build an HTPC but I'm a bit confused about a few things.
I'll run through things as I understand them first, please correct me if I've got things mixed up:
I need a DVB-C card (I want a PCI one).
I can choose either a SoftCAM or a hardware CAM.
SoftCAM changes channels slower and can only decode 1 channel at a time.
A hardware CAM is better. I believe I can use 2 DVB-Cs with 2 CAMs to be able to watch 1 channel while recording another.
If I get a 1500 DVB-C card then I need to get a CI for it. The CAM attaches to the CI?
If I get a FloppyDTV it already has a CI?
I must choose a CAM. There are a few of these.
I must program a viewing card (funcard?) which I slot into the CAM which slots into the DVB-C?
Once I have a viewing card programmed then it automatically updates the keys itself.
Then there's the software, which I'm not quite as concerned about right now:
I can try scanning for channels, or inputting the frequencies manually (from a DBox services.xml file?)
Windows XP/Vista MCE doesn't support DVB-C cards directly (but I can use VistaTV)?
MediaPortal supports DVB-C better than MCE?
If anyone can put me right on any of my above points, I'll be most grateful. Also, if anyone has recommendations for which CAM to use, which funcard, which programmer etc (these are the things I'm most confused about!) then please let me know.
If I install 2 DVB-C cards, will MediaPortal or MCE be able to give me V+/TiVo type functionality? Also, is there such a thing as a DVB-C PCI card with hardware MPEG-2 decoding?
Thanks in advance!
Elyl
I'll run through things as I understand them first, please correct me if I've got things mixed up:
I need a DVB-C card (I want a PCI one).
I can choose either a SoftCAM or a hardware CAM.
SoftCAM changes channels slower and can only decode 1 channel at a time.
A hardware CAM is better. I believe I can use 2 DVB-Cs with 2 CAMs to be able to watch 1 channel while recording another.
If I get a 1500 DVB-C card then I need to get a CI for it. The CAM attaches to the CI?
If I get a FloppyDTV it already has a CI?
I must choose a CAM. There are a few of these.
I must program a viewing card (funcard?) which I slot into the CAM which slots into the DVB-C?
Once I have a viewing card programmed then it automatically updates the keys itself.
Then there's the software, which I'm not quite as concerned about right now:
I can try scanning for channels, or inputting the frequencies manually (from a DBox services.xml file?)
Windows XP/Vista MCE doesn't support DVB-C cards directly (but I can use VistaTV)?
MediaPortal supports DVB-C better than MCE?
If anyone can put me right on any of my above points, I'll be most grateful. Also, if anyone has recommendations for which CAM to use, which funcard, which programmer etc (these are the things I'm most confused about!) then please let me know.
If I install 2 DVB-C cards, will MediaPortal or MCE be able to give me V+/TiVo type functionality? Also, is there such a thing as a DVB-C PCI card with hardware MPEG-2 decoding?
Thanks in advance!
Elyl