DViCO launches PCIe-based FusionHDTV7 dual HDTV tuner card

Heads-up, OTA lovers. DViCO has just announced the formal launch of its FusionHDTV7 PCI-Express card, which claims to be the "world's first dual HD (digital or QAM) tuner PCIe card." The device is designed to pick up digital (ATSC) / analog (NTSC) terrestrial signals, and the twin silicon tuners also provide picture-in-picture support as well as the ability to watch and / or record two high-definition broadcasts simultaneously. And at just $140 (available now), we have a feeling this one's going to be a fan favorite.

[Via TVSquad]

[mrbob1000 @ May 3rd 2008 6:24AM]

WANT!

[RC @ May 3rd 2008 6:38AM]

Engadget, can you please do a comprehensive tuner card review or roundup? I dunno, maybe it's just me but I need some insight on this issue at the moment. Especially with the transition to digital signals and whatnot.

[Alex @ May 3rd 2008 6:54AM]

i second that request. and since i'm in germany i'd be interested in dvb-c/-s/-t and decryption compatibility. and mac support of course...

[John @ May 3rd 2008 6:59AM]

Thirded.

[deyanimay @ May 3rd 2008 7:09AM]

fourth could you have express card 54 ones also with built in antenna

[Adam Reineke @ May 3rd 2008 6:39PM]

I'll 5th that. I've been looking around, but haven't committed yet. Cover PC/Mac compatibility if you can, as well as system requirements. :-)

[Zorque @ May 3rd 2008 7:08AM]

It seems kinda weird that they'd even bother including NTSC. Hopefully, if I'm imagining this right, both chips will be able to process either type of signal. I'd be kinda pissed if one was NTSC-only.

Still, I want one.

[Kurian @ May 3rd 2008 7:58AM]

These minor details are a real pain in the ass, considering that there is no difference in the video stream regardless of these false region branding.

[Leo @ May 3rd 2008 7:34AM]

Sixth!

F*ck

[Mario @ May 3rd 2008 8:00AM]

Anyone know whether those yellow things on the tuners are thermal pads (for heat sinks)?

[onix @ May 3rd 2008 11:29PM]

They are likely designed to cover up the manufacturer of the tuner chips. A piece of plastic (like that) would hold in heat, not give it off.

[ScOObyDoo @ May 3rd 2008 8:54AM]

And of course, Vista MCE STILL won't support the damn thing.

I wish Microsoft would get off their asses and fix digital cable. They put a load of effort into cablecard, and nobody I know uses it.

[OneLove @ May 3rd 2008 2:55PM]

This is OTA. I have the Hdtv5 and yes vista does support It.

[ScOObyDoo @ May 3rd 2008 4:48PM]

OneLove: Article clearly says "Digital or QAM". No QAM support in Vista MCE with the exception of one or two terribly hacked together beta packages.

[OneLove @ May 3rd 2008 7:07PM]

I saw that, but you said "...and Vista MCE STILL won't support the damn thing". My bad, I guess.

[King Kang @ May 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

Are we not men?
We are Dvico!
Are we not men?
D-v-i-c-o!

[phanbouy @ May 3rd 2008 11:04AM]

Monkey men all
In business suit
Teachers and critics
All dance the poot

[John McDole @ May 3rd 2008 9:39AM]

I don't know about you, but when I see a giant metal can, I don't think "silicon tuner". Silicon tuners are much much smaller than that (size of an eraser on the end of a pencil). I'm willing to bet the two smaller chips are just demodulators.

Now, this device says it does Analog TV as well. This is interesting as there are 1000+ lower power analog stations that don't have to switch to digital in 2009.

The biggest question I have is: will this actually decode video (set-top-box on a chip) or is it another in a long line of demodulators that the PC then has to decode?

[Radarwrench @ May 3rd 2008 9:42AM]

How long til mythtv/mythbuntu supports this card?

[Ryan @ May 3rd 2008 10:16AM]

never, mythtv doesn't even support the avermedia card that does analog and hd over pcie.

[ralphl @ May 3rd 2008 12:03PM]

Myth will support this card soon! The Linux driver developers have the cards and are working on drivers. They have already added support for the single tuner version of this card so it shouldn't be to difficult to add support for this card

[Radarwrench @ May 3rd 2008 9:44AM]

Wonder how long til Mythbuntu/mythtv supports this card?

[Robert Gerrity @ May 3rd 2008 9:47AM]

Does Windows XP Media Center (2005) support multiple digital tuners yet? I know it used to support only one (plus a number of analog tuners), but it seems like maybe that's been updated by now?

[Justin @ May 3rd 2008 10:21AM]

Where are the cheap cable card adapters for PC's? Most cable providers have made QAM semi-worthless by moving all the non-OTA content to encrypted channels.

[StaticDet5 @ May 3rd 2008 10:36AM]

That's interesting, because Hauppage has had one of these for a little bit now.
http://www.hauppage.com/site/products/data_hvr1800.html

I've been trying to decide whether to turn my old MoBo into a DVR box, but I can't figure out if these things will decode the FioS signals.

Someone said it above, and it's a great idea: Engadget, help us out! Do a round up of TV tuner cards, including such topics as Digital Cable Ready, CableCard, and things we should be looking for!

[BeillSmith @ May 3rd 2008 11:36AM]

The Hauppage is duel tuner, but only one HD and one analog, not Dual HD.

[StringfellowHawke @ May 3rd 2008 5:53PM]

Hauppauge does have an external device that actually tunes from digital cable boxes now. Looks better than their OTA products to me.

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html

[Joe Dombrowski @ May 5th 2008 2:02AM]

I have that card, it does in fact support ATSC and QAM.

[El Taco @ May 3rd 2008 11:35AM]

I'm still waiting for my expresscard HDMI=out that I can put in my laptop

[tapetum @ May 3rd 2008 11:43AM]

Mythtv supports the FusionHDTV5 PCIe. I'm using it right now. ATSC only but they say the NTSC support will be coming. Unless they strayed too far with this, it will be supported as well.

[ralphl @ May 3rd 2008 12:03PM]

Linux support for the Dvico Dual express will come soon, They just added support for the single tuner version of this card which is the FusionHDTV7 RT Gold

[Michael @ May 3rd 2008 12:08PM]

Sweet. This appears to be a PCIe x1 card.

So I'll still have room for an additional 8800GT and a PCIe AGEIA Physx card later. :)

[Danny @ May 3rd 2008 12:15PM]

I read somewhere that MCE has support for "QAM" but not for "ClearQAM", just checking if anyone knew the difference and if this was a valid statement?

[Ian @ May 3rd 2008 1:39PM]

One word CableCard. That's what this needs.

[iofthestorm @ May 3rd 2008 5:01PM]

From what I've read CableCard has to be in an OEM-built PC only, which pretty much ruins the deal for any enthusiasts.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ May 3rd 2008 10:54PM]

CableCARD requires your system be CableLabs qualified, and it's all but impossible on a PC. They have to check that every component in your system preserves the protection on the content and that the system as a whole cannot be modified to bypass this.

Any home-built system is not CableLabs certified and thus can't use CableCARD.

To be honest, it's incredibly stupid and puts us at a huge advantage against the Europeans. They have DVB, which is a real standard, not one pushed by the cable companies and it's a lot easier to (legally) make a DVB receiver than a CableCARD one.

[Ian @ May 3rd 2008 1:43PM]

CDMA2000 and WCDMA are not that far apart. Thus DT could integrate services using new chipsets IMHO that would make one heck of a world service.

[OneLove @ May 3rd 2008 7:09PM]

Just in time for my new vista media center build.

[ryuryan @ May 3rd 2008 8:44PM]

Heh Aussies have had this for quite a while, I've actually got the below dual hybrid tuner in my HTPC, so i can watch/record two HDTV streams or mix and match between 2 analogue streams
http://www.hauppauge.com.sg/web-content/pages/products/data_hvr2200.html

[why not the LS2LS7? @ May 3rd 2008 10:49PM]

"Digital or QAM"? QAM is digital. You mean QAM or 8VSB. It probably does COFDM too.

Probably the best way to say it supports ATSC over QAM or OTA (over the air).

[MasterCKO @ May 4th 2008 1:33AM]

holy crap. I've been waiting for SO LONG for DViCO to make this card. Now I don't need to get the HDHomerun. 8^D w00t.

[Simon Waddington @ May 4th 2008 7:59PM]

Great, patience is rewarded - I've been waiting for the ATSC version of their dual-tuner PCIe card for a while now. I have their USB5 Gold tuner and it works well but I'd like it integrated and dual tuners - this will do the trick. And great news the MythTV will support it soon - this could finally allow me to ditch Windows (although BeyondTV works nicely for me if that is your thing)

[Doug @ May 13th 2008 7:06PM]

I think I'm going to buy this product. I may PM some of you guys to findout about this MythTV or whatever..

[TickTock @ Jul 13th 2008 2:18PM]

This card works great in XP MCE 2005 SP2 (for OTA/ATSC anyway). Like most I've been waiting for this card and couldn't understand why it took so long for someone to make it.

Installation was painless. Just uninstalled the drivers for the previous DTV tuner (ATI HDTV Wonder) in the device manager, swapped cards, cancelled the "Found New Hardware" wizard, installed the DViCO SW (but not the MPEG2 codec), then reran the MCE TV Setup using the automatic detection option. Reboot. Done.

No stability issues noticed. My system also has the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 which I use to record from two STB dish tuners (VIP-222) via the composite inputs. I ran for ~hour with all four tuners going and then with normal activity over-night. No hangs or weirdness.

Quality is identically perfect to the HDTV Wonder on both DViCO tuners (I get a very good signal from a $20 antenna in the attic).

Very happy with the product.