Hi dk,
I understand that you are cautious about buying the 6903x card, and it is no longer news that 6903x/6909x work slower under Windows than other dvb cards. Under Linux, however, it's a different story. It beats most dvb cards in this respect.
Instead, they offer what most cards cannot because of the hardware. The 6903x, for example, identifies and can lock in 256APSK mode.
Of course, in today's conditions, transmissions with such parameters are few, or perhaps we will fail to find them. But even if we see them, most of them are for Data. This does not mean we should not buy such cards, as we find that more and more transmissions, especially feeds, use the latest parameters.
The 6909x card was also designed for streams, but if you're not going to deal with that area, then the 6903x is sufficient for your personal needs.
I want to point out one thing to remember: even though it seems like I'm making a plea for the 6903x/6909x cards, I don't want to urge anyone to buy them.
I try to detach myself from my subjectivity when writing about 6903/6909x not to give the impression that every user should buy them. Far be it from me to think that, as there have been some buyers, some even dxers, who have been disappointed that they purchased these cards thinking I don't know what.
That's why, as with any significant purchase, you think long and hard, as you are doing now, whether it's worth "risking" such an expensive purchase. As I did myself in 2010 when I decided to buy a costly dvb card from several manufacturers. I didn't know TBS existed but was very interested when I saw the product offerings and prices.
There were no reviews about TBS cards on the forums, so they were little known. The most exciting card was 6925, with tempting features like 16/32APSK modulation. It cost $250!
Nobody assured me that it was worth buying, but as my passion for receivers was strong, I decided with a heavy heart to buy it. When I tried it for the first time, I was the happiest man alive and congratulated myself for choosing it. After only a year, the card broke; it wouldn't lock in 8PSK mode.
You can imagine what I went through then, but thank God, the card was under warranty, and the seller sent me another one at no extra charge.
However, I used the card so often that it broke again after a few months. Again, I had the same emotions as the first one, but to their credit, TBS sent me another one.
In the meantime, I discovered that other buyers had suffered the same with the 6925, so the manufacturer released the 6983/6903 with a better chip and secure card protection during heavy use. Since then, I haven't had any problems with TBS cards, and he has proven attentive to buyers' opinions.
What I'm saying now seems pathetic/dramatic, but like anything in life, when you set out to do something, any other considerations are less important. As they say, the goal comes first, and the means to achieve it are put in its place.
I think I wrote too much about a matter that should not concern me, but seeing your doubts about buying this card, I thought you were in the same dilemma as me when I decided to buy an expensive card.
So the decision is yours...
. But you make it unnecessarily difficult for yourself and the questioner with these long texts. My English is not the best, so I had it translated. Maybe that's also the reason.
