DVB-S PCI Cards

On this page you will find information regarding DVB-S PCI cards.

Please be aware that:

• The information contained here is likely non-exhaustive and, despite best efforts to do otherwise, may contain errors. (Please help to keep these lists up-to-date so that they are useful for everyone!)
• If your device is not listed, try:
  • searching the existing mailing list archives:
    • Linux-Media Mailing List (LMML) archives (via vger or .... )
    • or from the older mailing lists (now largely deprecated in favour of the LMML):
      • dvb mailing list archives (via spinics or MARC ... )
      • v4l mailing list archives (via .... )
  • searching for information with Google or other internet search engine
  • by posting a question about the device directly to the LMML (but please do conduct a search first, as it may already have been discussed!)
  • Note: when it comes to support, it is generally a good idea to try the current V4L-DVB sources because some device drivers can be very new and thus may have not made their way into the mainstream kernel.

In any regard, in respect to the above listed suggestions, you may find it to be the case that your device is actually already supported or that experimental support is available.

• Because the component constitution on many devices are often similar or identical, there may be devices that are unlisted but may actually work with the existing driver framework for previously supported devices. In such a case, your non-listed but working device will likely be reported in your system messages as being one of those previously supported devices. If you encounter such an occurrence, please do report your success on the LMML so that proper detection/identification of your device can be added within the drivers.
• Lastly, it bears worth repeating the request: Please help to keep these lists up-to-date so that they are useful for everyone!

Supported DVB-S PCI Cards

The following table lists the confirmed working DVB-S PCI cards and provides a brief summary of their features and components. If you need more technical information on a device, have a look at its specific wiki article.

DVB-S Full-Featured Cards

All these, so called, full-featured cards have the AV711x MPEG2 Decoder onboard. Please be sure to know their limitations before you are going to spend too much money for these cards. You need at least one of them in your VDR System unless you install the VDR Software Decoder Plugin. All other DVB programs don't have this limitation.

The more modern approach are the decoder-less cards listed below, every modern computer is able to decoder MPEG2 in software.

Vendor Model number Price	Linux-Support Peripheral connectors	Comments	Pictures Links Developer Infos
Rev. 1.3 sold as: Fujitsu Siemens DVB-S Rev 1.3	supports: DVB, VDR Connectors: Sat in Sat out Composite Audio 3,5mm Jumper2	Compared to other Revisions: Sound not that brilliant (has 81dB dynamic at 16Bit) 4-5% of the Tuners need a lot of power and get really hot a design-fault in the 5V power supply of the Tuners causes unstable SNR und STR, but there's a mod for that. symbolrates > 8 MBaud can be used	Dev Info Details File:Hauppauge Wintv dvb-s rev1.3.jpg
Rev. 1.3 sold as: Galaxis PCTV-SAT DVB-S Rev 1.3	supports: DVB, VDR Connectors: Sat in Sat out Composite Audio 3,5mm Common Interface Jumper2	Compared to other Revisions: 4-5% of the Tuners need a lot of power and get really hot symbolrates > 8 MBaud can be used	Details
Rev. 1.3 sold as: SATELCO Highend PCI (DVB-S) DVB-S Rev 1.3	supports: DVB, VDR Connectors: Sat in Composite Audio 3,5mm Common Interface Connector	Compared to other Hardware: Tuner is much better than TwinHan VP-1030.	Product link
Rev.1.5 sold as: TechniSat SkyStar 1 Rev 1.5, tt2000.8	supports: DVB, VDR Connectors: Sat in Composite Audio 3,5mm Jumper2	Compared to other Revisions: Sounds better (has 101dB dynamic at 24bit) uses LNBP16 (not LNBP13) => 650mA (was: 500mA) for LNB symbolrates: 1-45 Mbaud	Dev Info Details
Rev.1.6 sold as: Hauppauge DVB-S_ff_rev1.6 Fujitsu Siemens DVB-S_ff_rev1.6	supports: DVB, VDR Connections: Sat in Composite Audio 3,5mm Jumper2	Compared to other Revisions: Sounds better (has 101dB dynamic at 24bit) doesn't produce that much heat => QPSK Demodulator IC doesn't need a metal-heatpipe uses LNBP16 (not LNBP13) => 650mA (was: 500mA) for LNB 2 Watt safety - less crashes because of heat symbolrate 8-45 Mbaud	Dev Info Details
Rev.2.1 sold as: Hauppauge WinTV Nexus-s Rev 2.1	supports: DVB, VDR Connections: Sat in Sat out (only BSRU6-701a Tuner) Connector for Audio/Video cable Connection for IR-Receiver	Compared to other Revisions: Sound not that brilliant (has 81dB dynamic at 16Bit) IR -Remote included (Nexus) Connectorcable included (digitaler audio output, Video...) symbolrate 1-45 Mbaud	Dev Info Details Product link (recent Nexus)
Rev.2.2 sold as: Hauppauge WinTV Nexus-s Rev.2.2	supports: DVB, VDR Connections: Sat in Sat out (only BSRU6-701a Tuner) Connector for Audio/Video cable Connection for IR-Receiver	Compared to other Revisions: like Rev. 2.1 but other Vendor-ID and other Soundchip Sounds better (has 101dB dynamic at 24bit) IR -Remote included (Nexus) Connectorcable included (digitaler audio output, Video...) symbolrate 1-45 Mbaud	Dev Info Details Product link (recent Nexus)

DVB-S Budget Cards

The way to go if you own a recent computer and are not willing to spend too much money for state-of-the art technology.

Manufacturer / Model number / Price	Supports	Tuner / Chips	Connections	Others	Pictures
Digital Rise DTV PCI Sat CI	DVB		Sat in Common Interface	TwinHan Card List	constructor page
Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-SE2 Modell 639	DVB		Sat in
Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-S PCI Modell 541 [1]	DVB, VDR		Sat in		[2]
Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-S-Plus Modell 794	DVB, VDR	CX24123, ISL6421	Sat in S-Video in Video-Chinch (FBAS)-In iR-Remote Audio-LineIn
Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-CI PCI Modell 588 [3]	DVB, VDR		Sat in Common Interface		[4]
Fujitsu Siemens Activy DVB-S Budget	DVB, VDR		Sat in
TechnoTrend PCline budget DVB-S[5]	DVB, VDR		Sat in Common Interface
TechnoTrend TT-budget S-1500[6]	DVB, VDR	BSBE1-502A, SAA7146A, LNBP21	Sat in IR connector Common Interface
TechniSat SkyStar 2 TV PCI / Sky2PC	DVB, VDR		Sat in
TELES Strato SkyDSL PCI rev1.4	DVB	SAA7146, S5H1420 TechnoTrend design	Sat in
TwinHan Technology	DVB, VDR		Sat in, some Sat out	TwinHan Card List
Hercules VP-1030 and Clones Smart TV Satellite alias Pinnacle PCTV Sat CI TechniSat SkyStar 1 CI(v3.0 only)	DVB		Sat in Common Interface	TwinHan Card List
DViCO FusionHDTV DVB-S		CX2388X + STV0299B + LG QPSK NIM	Sat in x 2
Pinnacle PCTV Sat
KNC1 TV-Station DVB-S English	DVB	Philips SAA7146 chipset Philips SU1278 tuner (warning : SH and SHA flavours supported Philips Tuner 1278/SH-2,TUA6100 (PLL) is supported since Kernel 2.6.19	Sat in Common_Interface
KNC1 TV-Star DVB-S English	DVB, since kernel 2.6.16	Philips SAA7146 chipset Philips SD1878 tuner	Sat in Sat Out
LifeView FlyDVB-S [7]	DVB supported in v4l-dvb	Philips SAA7134 Philips TDA8262 tuner Philips TDA10086 frontend Intersil ISL6421ER LNB supply	Sat in S-Video in Composite in Remote in	Support Linux kernel 2.6.10. analog only

• Twinhan VP-1020
• Twinhan VP-1020A
• Twinhan VP-1030
• Twinhan VP-1030A

Currently Unsupported DVB-S PCI cards:

If you own one or more devices from the following list and you want to help with support development, please contact the Linux-Media Mailing List (LMML). Note that if your device is similar to or contains components for which driver development is currently being undertaken, then it is possible that you will pique the developers' interest and can obtain some assistance that, possibly, leads to full support for your device.

However, please note that inquiries to the mailing list:

• Should NOT be treated as an order drop-off queue. You're soliciting help from volunteer developers who work on V4L-DVB matters in their spare time, and such work can be non-trivial (i.e. requiring even thousands of hours work). So being demanding is one sure route to being ignored. (Honestly, this point really shouldn't even need to be written, but you'd be surprised at the number of irrational individuals who write into the mailing list demanding this or that).
• May pass without garnering a response—a distinct byproduct of the fact that there are a limited number of developers, whom might be able to help, that are associated with the project. Often times, even if they wished to help, their energies are entirely tied up with other projects. In such cases, the best path might be to try to spearhead the driver development for your device yourself, or hire someone who can.