Digital Everywhere have produced a set of MCE drivers for their FiredTV / FloppyTV capture cards. This supports 2 tuners carrying encrypted DVB-S (eg Canal +), DVB-T (eg. Top-Up TV) and DVB-C (most European cable operators).
http://www.digital-everywhere.com/cms/en/index.php
For those not familiar with Digital Everywhere products, the FiredTV is an external capture device that connects to the PC via firewire. the FloppyTV is an internal device, taking up a 3.5" slot. Both have a CI interface that accepts multiple CAMs. Both products decide DVB-S/C signals without a set-top box.
These products have been on the market for some time now, working with My Theatre and DVB Viewer (among others). This is their first MCE driver.
This is a step forward from other solutions from the likes of Technotrend and Twinhan, which can only support a single encrypted TV channel at any one time. The universal DVB- receiver produced by MCE Germany only supports DVB-S FTA channels.
Limitations;
- for DVB-S, only Astra 1 @ 19.2oE and Hotbird @13oE is supported
- not all Cams have been tested. Notably the T.Rex cam (which allows use of Sky and Sky Italia NDS smartcards) is not supported
- for DVB-C, NTL and Telewest in the UK are not supported.
For mainland Europe however, this is a big step forward.
regards,
Paul