TBS5520SE USB What's the catch?

[s-band]

TBS5520SE Multi-standard TV Tuner USB Box

This is around £80 and looked interesting to add to an i5 MacMini (via VM) to actually watch TV (a novel application, I know). I've seen little mention of it apart from it being supported by Crazyscan. It seems like a bargain and too good to be true, so probably is. Does anyone have experience of it?

 

[Channel Hopper]

No experience, their forum has some queries though

TBSDTV Community Forum • View forum - TBS5520 Multi-standard TV Tuner USB Box

 

[CrazyCat]

VM is bad idea

 

[s-band]

The catch is that blind scan is flaky.

I bought one and noted that the frequency scan is very fast compared to the 6983 and the RF level reported by Crazyscan is ~16dB higher than the TBS6983. The 6983 is reasonably accurate. I've only played with it for a while so far on a W7 quad core Q8300 PC, the same one I use for the TBS6983.

I can't see what the front end chip is but the demodulator is an SI21832

Blind scan takes ages and doesn't find as much as the 6983. It also did a strange thing when scanning just 11440-11465 (using the cursors to define the scan width). It found 11449 then went past 11455 then jumped back to the 11449 and re-discovered it then 11455 appeared then it repeated in a loop never reaching the end of the scan at 11465.

5520SE Scan

6983 Scan

Double clicking on a transponder only finds it if it is relatively wide. The narrower TPs required the symbol rate to be entered and blind scan switched off. Clicking on 11456 caused it to apparently lock on to 11450 but it wasn't a valid lock (see constellation):



11458.2MHz 543ks/s wasn't found by either card but could be locked by direct entry of the symbol rate. 5520 is the left hand one of the two pairs below.



Fransat and RAI multistreams worked but would only lock if the blind scan was enabled in constellation monitoring (i.e. the opposite to narrow TPs). Another weird thing, when the data is streamed, the SNR indcates zero. That's the same for multistream and single stream.



I have an old installation of DVDream which has outdated channel info stored. The 5520 appeared to be OK with that where the channel info was still valid.

I tried DVB-T but I didn't do much more than check it works.



Initial impression is that this

It seems like a bargain and too good to be true, so probably is.

is right. However, it is small, does DVB-T and is easier than carrying a desktop PC to the dish when playing.

@CrazyCat I was using Crazyscan 1.0.2.148 with StreamreaderEx 1.2.4.36 Do you have any comments on the results? (Ok, I won't use it on a VM;-)

 

[margusten]

I received My TBS5520SE and compared to TBS5925 professional box.
Yes graphs are not so smooth as TBS5925 can do.
But blindscan speed is little bit better than TBS5925, but it can take up to 1 houre.
After testing on weak UK beam transponders, I can say TBS5520SE has better sensitivity.
TBS5925 locking at 5,7dB minimum on lower (DVBS) 28E transponders.
TBS5520SE locking at 4,8dB minimum on same transponder (5,0dB bad picture received).
In real world difference is wery small because good , stable picture starts at 6,0dB both tuners.

 

[updatelee]

1 hour for blindscan !?!?!? wowzers !!!!

UDL

 

[mar-val]

5925 is best calibrated PC card. Lock for DVBS 5/6 is around 5,6db. So the 5520 is a little bit out of reality.

 

[margusten]

Аstra 1L 19,2E, Dolby Labs Test Stream - 11009V, SR22000, FEC: Auto (20), DVB-S2X/QPSK/HEVC
5925 can not receive this but 5520 can. So TBS5520SE is not wasted money.
Actually there is a few S2X channels only.

 

[jeallen01]

FWIW, and not having either this or the PC card, I wonder if it is any good at powering a DiSeQC motor because most USB tuners are very slow because of the limited available power from a USB port?

 

[updatelee]

FWIW, and not having either this or the PC card, I wonder if it is any good at powering a DiSeQC motor because most USB tuners are very slow because of the limited available power from a USB port?

Most (if not all) USB satellite tuners require external power. So it's not an issue, a USB tuner will move the motor just as fast as a pcie one

UDL

 

[s-band]

FWIW, and not having either this or the PC card, I wonder if it is any good at powering a DiSeQC motor because most USB tuners are very slow because of the limited available power from a USB port?

I don't use DiSeQC but the 5520 doesn't have an external supply option. However, there is a place on the PCB for one but no socket or hole in the case.

 

[jeallen01]

I don't use DiSeQC but the 5520 doesn't have an external supply option. However, there is a place on the PCB for one but no socket or hole in the case.

That place on the PCB - does it look as if the missing connector is a micro-USB or simple co-ax type?

 

[s-band]

That place on the PCB - does it look as if the missing connector is a micro-USB or simple co-ax type?

Probably a co-ax power type see attached

 

[jeallen01]

Probably a co-ax power type see attached

Looks like you are correct, so very easy to fit one - wonder why they don't do that at the factory (apart from the miniscule extra cost)?

 

[Pierangelo]

Dears,
you are technical people, I am simply interested in watching tv.
Considering the price is even lower now, I simply ask you:

The card works well with typical dvb programs and even multistream?

thanks
Pierangelo

 

[Pierangelo]

I have a problem with my skystar hd2 usb CI, Wndows 10 release 1709 goes out of order.....

 

[satesco]

Аstra 1L 19,2E, Dolby Labs Test Stream - 11009V, SR22000, FEC: Auto (20), DVB-S2X/QPSK/HEVC
5925 can not receive this but 5520 can. So TBS5520SE is not wasted money.
...

It should be known that each card has a chip/demod for a precise function,some know how to do better or worse than others. These demodulators are of different generations, the last ones have integrated functions that the oldest do not know,but all offer the same basic functions,that is,to find and watch the TV and radio channels that an ordinary consumer desires.
And from this point of view,so far,most of the tbs cards from TBS that have been launched on the market have two major demodulators manufacturers which have endowed their devices,namely STM and Silab.
From my point of view,the first company offers demodulators more performant in terms of an enthusiast,and probably more expensive,and the latter offers,at an affordable price, a demod capable of providing last-minute capabilities,I refer to the S2X extension, which for the time being is very little used by program providers.But STM also has such demodulators,and it is now up to manufacturers to be able to use such receivers/dvb-s cards in their production.
But we need to add an essential thing when talking about these devices,no matter what demodulator and brand are used for them, namely the major role that application developers have.Ultimately they are the ones who value the possibilities which these demodulators have.Only with their help we were able to use our cards to a level that we did not know that is possible.And the best known and rightly is @CrazyCat with his applications,and from his mantle,other developers have risen.
I will not discuss this topic now,which has a polemic potential, but I wanted to emphasize something that we need to keep in mind when we want to buy a dvb-s card.In short no card/devices is a waste of money if you know what you want from it.And as with any electronic product we need to know before what the demodulator is used and who produces it.And do not forget another equally important thing ,that all these devices have the performance of the years in which they were produced.That is true for,say,TBS6925, TBS5925, Omicom, Prof8000,SkyStar2 HD etc

 

[Pierangelo]

I share your view, so...
Does this card work well with typical dvb programs and even multistream?
Thanks

 

[satesco]

I do not have this device,instead I have others with Silab demodulator,both know and lock multistreams.About two I wrote reviews :TBS6522 and TBS6590

 

[CrazyCat]

Does this card work well with typical dvb programs and even multistream?

Yes, MIS+PLS work with latest DVBDream, ProgDVB, SmartDVB. Same as 65xx PCI-E cards with same Silabs demod.

P.S. + Full MIS+PLS support in Linux V4L DVB driver