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Pinnacle 3010ix PCTV Dual Hybrid Pro TV Tuner DVB-T $30 Landed! (Now about $40)

510

Dual HD TV tuner capture card PCI-e For PC.
my favorite functions are capture directly to DVD (with Pinnacle software), record two shows at once, or watch one and record another

product specs on the link: (snarfed from xpmediacentre)
PDF on the card: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PressKits/EMEA/PCTV/North/Q&APinn…

dual HD tuner turn your PC into a PVR.
2x HDTV support (Australia only) requires an Intel® Pentium®D processor

I know a lot of people don't like ebay because of limited supply but this guy has hundreds and thats all he seems to be selling and for 20 bux + 10 postage its too good to miss been looking for this exact same thing but most of the same spec cards are 200+
with all his positive feedback looks good.

keep in mind that its pci-e not PCI/USB thats seems to be the only catch, (ie can't use on a laptop, different to PCI) it uses 1x PCI-e, (not the graphics slot, although it also fits in that if you have 2)

mine has now arrived,
I've been updating the link, with new batch, this guy sells them fairly constantly.
Yes this is HD, yes this is a dual DIGITAL tuner. (each tuner is digital AND analogue)

7 second issue hasnt been a problem in AU… (see below comments) i have not experienced these problems a typical channel change takes 2 seconds.

received my card in the morning before work, had 5 minutes to set it up and test.
my thoughts with 5 minutes:
windows 7 64 picked it up right away no intervention required.
no 8 second channel change delay
media centre noted that it had a dual tuner installed.
i didn't plug the audio internal cable in and sound worked fine with the digital tuners, didn't worry about checking if it worked for analogue.
I won't be using analogue except for the svideo connector
problem i've found is that when i record i get a signal issue on the channel i'm recording, didn't have enough time to investigate. Edit: upon further investigation found a compatible driver link provided.

for 30 bux you cant really go wrong!

blackgold compatible new drivers. with thanks to blurn
http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=…

Grab these ones: I've only tried the 64 bit ones, update your windows driver.
BGT3540 Driver 6.0.0.49 64 bit Vista 64, Windows 7 (Windows 7 Limited pre-release support)

first batch (now sold out)
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190330…

second batch (now sold out)
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pinnacle-PCTV-Dual-Hybrid-TV-Tuner-Re…

third batch current + 5 AUD but still an absolute bargain.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pinnacle-PCTV-Dual-Hybrid-TV-Tuner-Re…

another batch:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pinnacle-PCTV-Dual-Hybrid-TV-Tuner-Re…
bit more expensive again but with the strong AUD still only 30 bux plus cheap post…

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closed Comments

  • Hmmm, nice find! Just done some quick googling on this model and it seems to be very good in general.

    I was going to get the HVR-2200, but at 1/5th the price, I think I'll have to give this a shot

  • "keep in mind that its pci-e not PCI/USB thats seems to be the only catch"

    can someone pls tell me diff between PCI and PCI-E.

    Also do PCI tuners give better quality than USB tuners.
    Are these desktop only (I know some PCI ones are), ie not usable for laptop.
    Last question, are they easy to install?
    Thanks. I have been looking for one. Was gonna go with the AVLabs one at MSY (approx $40)

    • -2

      i was jsut gonna comment on this card but ill try answer this too. PCI-express (PCI-E) is faster than PCI, therefor the tv card will be faster. the slot is normally used for most new graphics cards, so if you already have a relaively new graphics card than u may not have any room for this card. unless your motherboard is like mine and its got 2 PCI-E slots (its there to crossfire two graphics cards) then u can use one for the graphics card and one for the tv card. also it wont fit into a laptop. to install the hardware its basically, slot it into the PCI-e slot and put in one screw to hold in place. software wise…this is probably an OEM version so it might not have the software cd with it, u can always go on the internet and search up drivers for thsi card

      edit: actually theres a big picture there showing it does come with an installation cd

      • +4

        so if you already have a relaively new graphics card than u may not have any room for this card

        I think you'll find the graphics card uses the PCI Express x16 slot.

        This TV tuner card uses a PCI Express x1 slot, so there shouldn't be a problem.

        • ahh i stand corrected, shouldnt have rushed to comment =S. you are right good sir

  • It says "Digital & Analog TV" tuner, not 2 x Digital Tuner as claimed

    • im pretty sure 'dual' means 2 digital tuners =], though for 30 dollars you would be very suspiciuos

    • It actually can record 2x DVB-T at the same time.

  • wouldnt touch this with a barge pole, if you have any exp with dual tuners ie the dvico then you will stay away from cheap ones like this.

    • are u saying dvico tuners arent good? cos im using one now and its pretty good

      • lol they are okay, there certainly is much better, great when you get them working :) though they can be difficult to configure

        • yeah, i had troubles using the included software (fushionHDTV) because it kept freezing. but now using media centre, its prefect. plus it wasnt cheap lol paid over 100 bux for it though it was 3+ years ago, time for an upgrade!

          • @looseylu: i did the same about the same time ago (where were you whe i needed support :)) i gave up with it beacuse i could never get sbs all the other channels were fine just not sbs (not a reception issue)

            • @Mikinoz: I've been using a Dvico dual tuner with MythTV for about 8 months now. Rock solid!

            • @Mikinoz: Hmmm, interesting issue, I had the same with a cheapo USB job from GoLo, worked great for all other channels HD & SD; just no SBS or SBS Radio at all, very weird, like you say - reception fine! A more knowledgeable mate reckons the tuners in them can be faulty, causing this! ;)

  • +2

    Yikes, good deal.. I know Pinnacle are a good brand too.

    Works fine in VMC with TV Pack apparently but some issues in Win7 with slow channel changes (8 sec delay). There are some alternative drivers to fix this supposedly - read http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/p/67677/362813.aspx#362813

    • noo..i wanted to use it with windows 7…8 seconds is wayyy too long. thanks for the link

      • No worries, there are some fixes for it but still a few people saying there's problems.

        Apparently works flawless on Vista Media Centre with the 2008 TV Pack.. shame!

        Would have picked one up but upgrading to W7 so it would be quite frustrating.

        Someone also said you only need one aerial plugged in to get dual DVB-T, not sure how true it is but sounds very handy, again, sadly a no-go.

        EDIT: Also read this about a similar model (uses same drivers, same chipset) and the issues with Win7 - http://www.avforums.com/forums/graphics-cards-tv-tuners-webc…

    • +2

      Bought one of these today. Being the proactive hardware enthusiast that I am, I've gone ahead and found - what I think to be - the latest drivers. The drivers on the Pinnacle site are dated way back to 2007 but taking note from the quantex link someone posted earlier, I found BlackGold's drivers dated Jan 2009 which are much more current.

      Link to BlackGold drivers: http://shop.blackgold.tv/epages/BT3159.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=…

      • these work great, the ones windows installs are later than this (feb) but i kept getting a signal issue with win7 64
        Thse:
        BGT3540 Driver 6.0.0.49 64 bit Vista 64, Windows 7 (Windows 7 Limited pre-release support)
        are the ones that are compatible with this card(if anyone has any issues.)

  • Looks like its only SD not HD, which is fine for under $30 I guess.

    • Pretty sure it's HD. Add-in cards for computers rarely distinguish between SD/HD. They're all HD.

  • So is this actually a dual hd tuner ie record two hd channels at once or have we all been bluffed by a misleading title ?

    • nah its dual HD tuner from my research. EACH tuner is analogue and digital capible.

  • +1
    • Thanks for the info , okay actually sounds okay after reading the above link and reading reviews , glad i didnt neg it :)

  • 2x HDTV support (Australia only) requires an Intel® Pentium®D processor.

    Its an OEM card so no remote or other accessories. Its probably just shipped in a padded bag along with a software driver disc. Just not sure how protected from damage this is.

    Check that you also have a free pci-e. As some computers have larger pci-e video cards that can take up two slots. Thus blocking one of the 1x pci-e slots

  • do i need a tv antenna to be able to use this?

    • .. Yes. Roof aerial ideally.

      • You probably need two so both tuners can tune in

        • I think a diplexer/splitter will probably suffice for this purpose! ;)

          • @StewBalls: Having an on-board splitter would've been better though.

            • @Funkdafied: you may only need to plug one into it… the other one might be an out
              or a FM antenna,
              i know my current single tuner has one for tv one for FM.
              guess ill find out soon enough!
              edit:
              see jakentta post a few posts down, looks like you only need to plug one it?

    • Yea, and you need a computer too, and you'll need a monitor to view it on… and possibly a keyboard and / or mouse to control it with

      :)

      • that's unnecessary

        • Even the card itself becomes redundant when you have the correctly constructed tinfoil hat! ;)

  • do you need to aerial inputs to tape 2 channels?

    is there anyway of splitting a single aerial input for this card?

    • You just need an antenna splitter (not sure if thats what you call it). You can buy them at supermarket, $2 shop for a few bucks.

      • If the information (point 5) provided in kogi's link just above http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PressKits/EMEA/PCTV/North/Q&APinn…
        is correct, then one antenna should do just fine for receiving all the normal free to air channels on both tuners. But a roof aerial is what you are really talking about. The small ones that come with some usb tuners are worthless in my experience.
        Well, I ordered one anyway. Hoping for the best now.

        • This guy has been selling 100's of these cards dating back to June, not a single neg. relating to the function of the card. Should be a safe buy!

          If not suitable, I'm sure the card can be liquidated on ebay Oz for a small profit!

    • +1

      You only need one anntenna in Australia in most cases since we get both analog and digtal over the air through the same antenna.

      The two connectors are for some countries that get say analog over the air, and digital through a cable.

  • this batch has been sold out

  • The remote control isn't included in the package. What other remote control you can use with this?

    • Windows Media Centre remote. You don't want the cheap ones that come with these anyway, they suck. Any decent HTPC will have a WMC remote or a universal one like a Logitech Harmony.

      http://staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=media+center+re… for some ideas.

      • Yeah, the MCE remotes are awesome, best $35 I've spent in a while! Jaycar sells a knockoff for ~$25 IIRC, should be compatible too! ;)

        • See my post below :) Much better than the jaycar knockoffs.

          Be wary of the cheap ones on ebay (the ones everyone seems to sell). They emulate a keyboard/mouse rather than clone the official MS MCE remote.

          • @MetalPhreak: Interesting, I've never actually seen the Jaycar ones in action, I was assuming (cringe) that Jaycar wouldn't be shifty enough to sell the dodgy keyboard emulating jobbies, but yep, it appears you're right! ;)

            Actually, for $21 you couldn't go wrong with those HP ones! Thanks for the tip! Cheers! :)

  • So, i can use it to watch HD tv on my computer? is that right?

    anything else i needed?

    thx!

    • should do, just need to make sure your PC has a PCI-e interface free. (new computers).
      most do, as its only 1x you can use it in 1x,4x,8x and 16x slots/ports.
      you need to open your your case and slot it in.. (pretty easy to do even if your a newbie)

      haven't received it as i only just bought it, but have used HD capture cards in the past which have worked well.

  • I couldn't resist, great bargain - I snapped one of these up myself! :)

    I'm running Win7, but what the hell, I'm always up for a challenge! :p

  • +1

    Anyone looking for a remote to go with these, do a search on ebay for "HP MCE Remote". They are EXACTLY the same hardware wise as the microsoft ones :)

    Oh did I mention they are $21 delivered? :D

    http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Goezshopping__W0QQ_sacatZGoez…

    This guy has heaps.

    • Nice remote and good price!

      Can this remote be used to control the master volume of the computer when NOT running MCE?

    • When you say EXACTLY the same as the Microsoft one, do you know whether that's version 1 or 2 of the MS remote?

    • Will these work on Windows XP Professional?

      • It should with any DVB-T viewer. I think it comes bundle with some software telly but you could probably check out DScaler too?

  • +1

    Great find … now where can I get a cheap and good quality indoor antena with F connector ?

  • Q: Is this card supported under MythTv? I have Googled for Linux support, but it's not listed on the mythtv wiki, and there was no answer to this question on the linux-dvb mailing list or this question on a forum or this question on linux-media, so at the moment I'm suspecting the answer is probably "no".

    • You could try to find another brand card with the same chipset, then see if that's supported under MythTV! This card does seem to be supported by MeediOS and well regarded by that userbase, but to be truthful I've never used either! :p

      I'm quite infatuated with XBMC under Windows ATM, which is really worth a look! ;)

  • Can someone confirm that this will work in Australia? Even though Aus and UK are both PAL regions, the tranmission method over the air is slightly different. I know of a friend who brought over a HDD recorder/DVR from the UK and it doesn't work here in getting a reception.

    • the add as this on it:
      2x HDTV support (Australia only) requires an Intel® Pentium®D processor

      so based on that id say yes… however, i wouldn't promise anything as i haven't tried it personally as yet.

      for 30 bux its a risk I'm willing to take for such a large pay off.
      :D

      I can let you know once i get mine if your worried about it…

  • sold me… also this page has some useful info: http://www.quantexzone.com/guides/pinnacle_3010ix.htm
    Nice find :)

    • well then vote it positive! all these people saying they bought one then they don't vote it pos! :D

      • lol, sorry forgot to vote, don't shoot me ;)

  • Hmmmm to buy, or not to buy…. are the channel changes really that slow? That would be a deal breaker for me. :(

    • yeah me too but there is apparabtly a fix for it, and according to http://www.quantexzone.com/guides/pinnacle_3010ix.htm you can use other drivers for it as well.

      I'll report my findings after i get it if your still monitoring this thread. again for 30 bux worth the risks.

      two things that stuck out:
      Driver Tweaks
      The most important tweak for the 3010iX, if you want to use it in software such as DVBViewer, is to enable the automatic locking of frequency offsets.

      To enable this, you need to create a DWORD named EnableAutoOffset with a value of 1. This is set in the registry and to find the location, search for TDA8275A_LNA_ in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class. This is the location to create EnableAutoOffset.

      and you'd think this would fix it if its still a problem:
      Driver Information
      The Pinnacle 3010iX (and 7010iX) stick closely to the NXP reference design for the SAA7162/TDA10046/TDA8275, and it is possible use drivers for similar designs on these cards. Examples include the BlackGold GDI BGT3510/BGT3540 and DigitalNow DNTV Live! Dual Hybrid PCI-E S2, among many others.

      Windows Vista can automatically download drivers from Windows Update for the Pinnacle 3010iX card. These drivers are compatible with Windows Media Center and allow for the use of dual digital terrestrial (DVB-T) within Media Center.

      If you have problems tuning all channels, particularly if you have 1 antenna input connected rather than both, you can try the drivers on BlackGold's web site for the GDI/BlackGold card. Due to the similarities in design (same chipset) you can safely switch between the different drivers.

      • Please let me know how it goes with Win7 and changing channels if you're trying it, I'd buy one asap if it could change in 1-2sec.

      • I couldn't help myself… I ordered one anyway. :) I use Vista MCE, so apparently that should be fine… the slow channel changes seem to be Windows 7 MCE only, so hopefully by the time I migrate my HTPC to 7, that'll be fixed (since it's either a driver issue or a 7 MCE issue).

  • I've ordered one - looks good to add to my WebScheduler (TVScheduler) box - providing an extra tuners will be handy when TV programs clash!!

  • wisc, this guy is probably very thankful for your post on ozbargains. the last two days his sold over 100 of these

  • i want to know how it goes with win seven as well.
    Also remote is an issue no skip with win7 on my cheapo speed remote(or anyone know remote that works with win7)
    Anyone know a fix for it?

  • sold out :(

    • Damn! that was quick, ill keep an eye out im sure he will have another batch shortly!
      edit:
      new batch up!

  • "Sorry to all new customers, the price has gone up by £3, but it is still the best deal in the market for similar cards."

    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pinnacle-PCTV-Dual-Hybrid-TV-Tuner-Re…

    $25+10 = $35 delivered. Still a bargain ;)

    • Well after PayPal's generous conversion rates it was about $34-35 before, probably closer to $40 AUD now (19 GBP = $37.7~). Still an AWESOME deal though, and I snapped one up earlier, now I'm thinking I should have gotten another (even though I already have.. 4 USB DVB-T tuners and would be adding another 4..)

      • mine went though for under 30 :D
        i'm also tempted to buy another for the media PC, but it doens't have PCI-e, but i do have a spare PCIe board, but it wont fit in that case… would be cheaper to buy another case for the media PC and stick one of these cards in it though :D

        mines shipped too should arrive early next week as its marked as posted too :D

        • Good to hear yours is arriving soon.. mine should be here the next week after (ordered yesterday). I'm running Windows 7 but going to run it anyway, surely I'll figure out the slow channel change problem.. right!?

          EDIT: Mine says shipped now too, wonder how long it takes now :)

          • @cyssero: yeah me too, 64 bit, its compatible with other drivers that are still highly supported, worst case you should just have to use the other brand drivers that use the same chipset.

  • Just ordered one :)

  • Hurrah, mine has shipped

  • Yep, mine too! I got the confirmation email today, and internet banking tells me the converted price is $34, can't complain about that! Thanks a bunch wisc, great find! :)

  • Just ordered one. New cost is $37 via pay pal
    Good deal tho. Well done

  • If anyone finds the solution for the slow channel problem in Windows 7, please post it!

    • According to one guy on xpmediacentre - http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/tuners-windows-7/3…

      It seems our friends in the UK are the ones experiencing issues while no one in Australia has mentioned any problems with Windows 7 and the Pinnacle.

      I was the one who raised the flag about the W7 issue but after a bit more research I bought one anyway. I'm confident we'll works something out, or that there won't be an issue out of the box. Positive thinking, yeah? :)

      • after receiving the card this morning can confirm my machine with win 7 RC 64 bit does not suffer from the 8 second stutter, check the original post, for a review.

        • Gee, that was fast shipping. The absence on the 8 second delay sounds encouraging. Look forward to hearing your review later on.

        • WOW, awesome news! Can't believe you got it that quick! When did he ship it? Same day you posted the bargain? Mine should be here in just a couple of days then.

  • how do u know if the order has been shipped? does he send out a email because I haven't got a confirmation email yet only a email from paypal that the money has been sent

  • +1

    Check your "my ebay page" under items "won". If the little parcel icon (on the right of your item's title) is illuminated then it means the seller has flagged it as shipped.

  • oh thanks alot^^

  • Just need some clarification on the inputs to this card for capturing from an old VCR.

    Is it s-video input only or both composite and s-video?

    Thanks

  • TV card seems ok for normal viewing however as soon as i start recording something (without touching the computer or changing the channel)getting this error message after about a minute:

    "There was no TV signal on Channel X so "y" could not be recorded. Reschedule the recording after verifying the TV signal is working for that channel."

    trying to figure out what it means now and how you fix it, tried moving the antena, plugging both antenna ports in however no luck so far.

    however the recording seems to continue so looks like a bug of some type.
    havent tried new drivers yet

    • Thanks for the update Wisc….. I have had this error message when trying to install a third tuner into my HTPC. The cause was that the signal strength was too weak to allow the extra tuner. Often the program would record after the signal error pops up, but just a black screen would be visible when played back.

      What sort of antenna are you using?

      In any event, what is the channel change time like for the one tuner that does work?

    • I read about that bug, that it throws up an error but it still records. Hmm.. definitely give the other drivers a go.

  • +3

    ok just reinstalled the drivers and its pure gold, she is puring like a kitten. id say it would be my machine fault,

    put the drivers for vista on there did a channel scan had a system crash put the new ones windows finds by its self back on topgear is taping with no issues what so ever.

    got an antena on the roof think there is also a booster in there as well. but working perfect.
    happy ++.

    spoke to the selling guy he seems really nice… anyone considering buying one of these, recommed++!

    LOVING IT. paused big bang while top gear is recording, to type this update

    still got the two tuners plugged in to the antenna but should be able to unplug one..

    Edit update: unplugged one(so only one tuner is plugged into the wall), taping good news week, and good game. no problems. can press the back button to switch between them in the recoded channels can also record two shows and watch a recorded third.

    when i had the problem i couldnt find anyone else with this issue so must just be my machine.. all good now though.

    anyone got any more questions?
    so in short
    * dual HD tuners.
    * PCI-e interface. (its currenlty working flawlessly in a 4x in my system as the 1x has a huge heatsink in front of it.)
    * works in media centre win 7 64 no problems.
    * no seven second delay while changing chennels.
    * had a hick up when recording, but after reinstalling the drivers that seems to have gone.
    * dont need the internal audio cable plugged in, just slots right into the motherboard and works.

    amazed at how great it is!
    edit again… my CPU is jumping around 0-1-2% and im recoding two shows. so no real CPU usage. just looked at the program its running and its the motherboard monitoring tool. media centre recoding 2 shows 0% cpu usage.

    • Thanks for keeping us up to date wisc, great news that everything is working fine.

      Just whacked W7 32-bit on the HTPC and another 1TB HDD, just waiting on the Pinnacle to arrive.

      Can you tell us how long (days) it took for your unit to arrive? Mine was marked as posted nearly instantly so it shouldn't be too far away.. very eager to use it :)

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