(Because the forum cannot accept more than 10000 characters, I have to present this article in several tranches.)
1.
TBS6590 Multi Standard Dual Tuner Dual CI PCI-e Card
In the following,I present the tbs6950 card,as tested on a computer running Windows 10. The
tbs6590 card, having the same hardware components as the tbs6522 card (chip Silicon Labs Si218
and Silab 2157 tuners), allow to you watch and/record simultaneously two tv programs on different
channels (which can be broadcast in different standards). Compared with the 6522 card, the tbs6590
has two CI slots, which allows for the utilisation of two CAM modules,and by using a valid card (or
two cards) it makes possible to watch and record coded tv programs, regardless of the employed
digital standard (the recording is done on computer, by using dvbs players).
The TBS6590 will take SCV-S2,DVB-T2/T,DVB-C2/C standards, that is, practically everything that a
true dxer needs today. Changing from one digital standard to another is easily done, as long as both
tuners are fed with signal. Thus, the tuners of the hard drive will process simultaneously two
different frequencies and standards, such as satellite/cable, cable/terrestrial, satellite/terrestrial.
Also, my tests have shown that they are capable of receiving two different frequencies from the
same digital standard or two tv programs from the same frequency.
As with the 6522 card, we must recognize that it is a great advantage to have access to different
signal sources and different transmission standards, without having to change the cable. But above
all, in order to choose the signal source and the standard that we want,it is mandatory to use the
ChangeModeTool utility, specially made for 6590. With its help, we initialize the tuners for the digital
standard we want.
Then I checked and viewed a tv channel from Astra and one cable channel by using DVBDream
players. Switching from one tv program to another, regardless of standard and frequency, is the
same as on any tbs card. Also using the ChangeModeTool, I picked tuner 0 for cable and tuner 1 for
terrestrial. To watch programes on cable and terrestrial, I used the DVBDream players, which in my
opinion are the best at handling bda drivers.
I did the same for receiving the satellite and terrestrial signal, and then viewing both channels on
both standards simultaneously.
The first combination I chose with ChangeModeTool was for satellite and cable signal reception,
i.e.tuner 0 for Astra at 19.2E,and tuner 1 for cable from RCS-RDS provider. To be sure that the tool
initiated correctly the signal sources, I used the utilities Crazyscan for satellite and Crazyscan2 for
cable.Scanning with the two utilities can be done separately or simultaneously. As I had a signal at
both tuners, I scanned both standards directly at the same time and encountered no problem.
Then I checked and viewed a tv channel from Astra and one cable channel by using DVBDream
players. Switching from one tv program to another, regardless of standard and frequency, is the
same as on any tbs card.
Also using the ChangeModeTool,I picked tuner 0 for cable and tuner 1 for terrestrial. To watch tv
programes on cable and terrestrial I used the DVBDream players, which in my opinion are the best at
handling bda drivers.
I did the same for receiving the satellite and terrestrial signal, and then viewing both channels on
both standards simultaneously.