DTV In The UK

[jeremymacmull]

Dear All,
Ive got a Laptop and i would like to be able to recieve the free to air DTV channels and also record the Channels.

Has anyone had any experience with the USB version of the hauppage Win TV nova t usb or DEC 2000 t or any others by other manufacturers etc. either in viewing or recording using the software provided?? as i believe it can record to MPEG2 ??


and on a separate point in what format is UK digital terrestial television broadcast in ? What resolution etc interlaced etc. and what quality is the sound broadcast in aswell ie 96k mp3 equivalent ??

any other technical info on UK DTV free to air would be appreciated as well??

anyway thanks to all for their help in advance

Jeremy MacMull


SORRY THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN POSTED TWICE CAN A MODERATOR PLEASE DELETE ONE OF THEM

[kindred]

I've played a *little* with the USB, seemed pretty much the same as the PCI version of the NOVA-T.

It records the channel you're tuned into in an MPEG2 variant called PVA (search these forums, you'll see plenty of talk about it, even in this DVB section IIRC). Its a format native to the Hauppauge cards, but there's a program called pvastrumento (http://www.offeryn.de/dv.htm) which will strip the file to leave the normal MPEG2.

UK DTT is broadcast at either 720x576 or 704x576, with sound usually 192kb/s or 224kb/s MP2 AUDIO. And of course the video is interlaced...

There's too much to go into - you're better reading up on the various newsgroups (for example uk.tech.digital-tv, go look through the google archives).

[temporance]

The problem with piping DTV to your PC using USB is that the max bitrate allowed on USB is only around 6Mbit/s.

DTV can use bitrates up to 15Mbit/s. So, sometimes (most likely during fast sport or pop music concerts) it might not be possible to get all of the video to the PC and you'll notice missing video frames.

I'm not sure how bad this problem actually is, perhaps someone who owns one of these boxes can say if they've seen this happen.

I'm waiting for Hauppauge or someone else to come up with a firewire version of the DEC2000-T. And I'm also waiting for the capability to play a captured MPEG-2 video on my PC via the DTV box to a SCART TV.

EDIT: answer to first question...

> what format is UK digital terrestial television broadcast in ?

usually 720x576 interlaced 4:2:0

> what quality is the sound broadcast in aswell ie 96k mp3 equivalent?

typically 256kbit/s MPEG-2 Layer 2 (can be played by mp3 decoders).

[sam_b]

Yup it's 720x576 interlaced with 224/256 mp2 usually 48k but not always. It's on 6 multiplexes with 4-5 on each. Bitrate is pretty much CBR 4mbps in my experience. BBC channels look much better and have better stats-multiplexing (VBR) than the others it seems.

I have a Nova-T card but I have yet to come across the term PVA and have had no problems yet decoding the streams. What does PVA format stop you from doing?

@ Temporance so is 12Mb/s only a summed bitrate?

[cofferscuffs]

Average bitrate for DTT in South East is 2-4.5mbit/s.

BBC One/Two is 224kbps 48khz audio
ITV/Channel 4 is 192kbps 48khz audio

My transmitter is yet to be updated so I guess it will get better, as I've seen samples of 6mbit/s average.

[jeremymacmull]

Woah Thanks For All the reply's That is wonderfull its just what i needed to know. Especially the last post about the south East as i live in london. Anyone had any experience capturing off DTT using the Happauge WINTV nova T (USB OR PCI)??

Whats the quality like with UK DTT with The above mentioned devices ?
The Radio Stations which are broadcast as well as the DTT what quality are they ? 224k MP2??

If yes anything i need to know. Ive got a p3 850 is this fast enough to watch TV and Do something else in the back ground or just the TV etc.

Thanks in advance for all the answers it just what i wanted to find out!!

[cofferscuffs]

http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/t/44863/ds.html is a good link on how to get the nova-t pci setup the best way with pvr so capping is easy.

the quality depends on what type of signal you have (and if your local transmitted has been upgraded). im guessing you'll be using the crystal palace one so you should be ok as long as you have a decent antenna. your cpu should be fine for doing other stuff so no worry ;)

[jeremymacmull]

hey thanks copperscuffs that digital spy forum is amazing and is exactly what i needed to find out

do anyone know if any of the stations on free view are broadcast with DD 5.1 or better than mp2 224 etc and what quality the radio stations are broadcast at

cheers

[cofferscuffs]

there is no dd 5.1 sound to my knowldge... except on some *select* sky channels and even then you cannot get the streams as the cam is publically not availible.

dunno about the radio stations, expect them to be same as bbc/itv audio

[saptecai]

What DVB card are you guy using? Everybody seems to have Nova's and on the uk.tech.digital-tv more and more swear on Nebula.
I am interested in getting one soon.
Ta

[jeremymacmull]

I am using NOVA -T USB as i have a laptop and their are not many options out there for a laptop

The card is good quality excellent but the software is crap !!

one question tho how does one cut out adverts before encoding

above some one mentioned PVA cut how does one get hold of this is it freeware etc??

Thanks

[cofferscuffs]

1. demux source files in pvastro.
2. mux the demuxed files in bbpeg as mpeg2
3. create dvd2avi project of muxed file
4. do quick avs script for dvd2avi project file
5. open in vdub, find the time codes you want to cut at
6. use tmpeg to cut with those timecodes.

theres prolly a shorter way to do that but i do it this way for a reason which doesnt concern this....