All posts by peter
Below are all of peter's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Briantst,
I'm not sure I can justify spending about £130 for a BGT3595 (Dual DVB-S2 but only DVB-T) PCI-E card just to add C4 HD on Satellite.
Do you know for certain that C4 HD FTA will stay on a DVB-S2 transponder? After all BBC One HD, BBC HD and ITV HD are all on DVB-S.
I know the BBC have said they will be moving to DVB-S2 in the future, but AFAIK there is no announced time scale for this to happen.
If C4 HD is definitely going to stay on DVB-S2 then I will probably just wait for Freeview HD coming to my area instead, and then go for a BGT3620 (Dual DVB-T2) PCI-E instead for about £110.
As you can guess, I'd be happiest if C4 HD went to a DVB-S transponder.
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Briantst: Thanks for the link to Nova-HD-S2. This may wellbe a possible option, albeit it looks to only have one tuner, so I might need 2.
My belief was that the PSB broadcaster were staying with DVB-S so that they would be supported on older kit for compatibility reasons, but I'd love to know the real reason.
I've also sent C4 a question asking them whether they will be using DVB-S (like the other PSBs) or staying DVB-S2.
For interest, I am already using Windows 7 with Media Center (under test) with 4 DVB-T feeds (2 from the BGT3540 and 2 from Hauppage USB Sticks) - this means I rarely run out of tuners now.
I have the 2 satellite feeds from the BGT3540 currently through DVBViewer but want to switch these into Media Center as well when I get the time. I believe Windows 7 Home Premium Media Center can support up to 12 tuners.
My plan is to ditch my Virgin V+ service later in the year and just use the PC instead.
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I've just had a response from C4...
Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer
Enquiries regarding CHANNEL 4 HD.
We do plan to be using the DVB-S2
transmission mode in alignment with the
strategy of our satellite transmission
provider, therefore, I am afraid that PC
cards, or for that matter, any other
receiver that cannot receive DVB-S2, will
suffer as a result. Freesat HD branded
equipment should be OK, however, with DVB-
S2.
Please note that other broadcasters may
adopt DVB-S2 transmission in the future
also, which will present the same problem
again.
Thank you again for taking the time to
contact us here at Channel 4 and for your
interest in our programming.
Look like I'll need a new card then for C4 HD...
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David,
I am really annoyed with the BBC. I know the BBC had said that they were going to switch HD services from DVB-S to DVB-S2 but do you know:
1. Why they are making the change now?
2. Why they are only giving 4 days notice?
I am a bit special in that I am viewing the BBC HD services via a Windows 7 Media Centre PC and a Twin DVB-S PCI/E card (I also have 4 DVB-T tuners), but I was planning to wait until HD went on Freeview in my area in March 2012 and then go for YouView, or a Freeview+ HD box, or buy a replacement DVB-T2 PCI/E card.
Instead I now either have to lose HD for the next year, or buy a replacement Twin DVB-S2 card for over £100.
When Channel 4 HD started in DVB-S2, I was a bit miffed, but not excessively since this was a new channel and there wasn't much I wanted in HD on Channel 4. Now, with this change the BBC are taking my current service away.
I assume I will also lose ITV HD, as it is sharing the same transponder as BBC One HD and BBC HD.
I know buying a Freesat HD box is an option, but I am loathed to buy one at the moment with the G2 spec around the corner, and I wanted to stay with Freeview so I could keep getting channels like Dave.
I also want to avoid Sky or Virgin if I can and stay Free.
I've had a quick search around the BBC web site and can find no notice of the DVB-S2 change. How did you find out about it?
Peter
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Brian,
Thanks for the link - I've posted my query/concerns on their blog as well - and sorry for calling you David!
Rgeards - Peter
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Well - I lost BBC One HD and BBC HD on my DVB-S PC this morning as promised by the BBC. The good news is I did a rescan with DVB Viewer and both ITV HD services are (currently) still there and I also found NHK World HD so these are still on DVB-S.
Now to decide how (and if to bother) to try and get access to the BBC HD channels again.
I hope those with 3D sets appreciate the capacity being freed up by switching to DVB-S2 for the (alleged) BBC Wimbledon 3D experiment.
Perhaps the BBC will now switch the rest of their SD tranmissions to DVB-S2 to make further capacity savings...
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Trevor,
This site is all about FREE television and not really for those who can afford 3D televisions and 3D camcorders and pay Sky over £60 a month to get 1 3D channel.
Just because you can afford 3D doesn't mean that everyone can - especially in these difficult economic times.
You must learn to stop using marketing claims by Sky (and other vendors) as facts to support your arguments.
There are a lot of other skeptical sources (such as The Register) that do not believe what these marketing groups are saying.
There is the additional bandwidth required for 3D over 2D and until a true downward compatible 3D>HD>SD system is available it will require additional bandwidth for a relatively small customer base who actually want 3D.
Rather than quoting marketing groups, have you any independent customer analysis that supports your assertions - i.e. that 3D will be common place (whatever that may means) by 2016?
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Perhaps the BBC should just stop paying the Platform Contribution Charge?
Then the Sky customers could complain that they are not getting the full EPG; and would not be able to record future programs. They would then be left with only the "subscription" channels as they don't have iPlayer with Sky either.
The Sky customers then could force Sky to pay the BBC to populate their proprietary EPG.
As you can guess, I am not a fan of Sky or Mr Murdoch...
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@trevorharris
Like a needle stuck in the groove of a record, I was expecting your usual comments about 1920x1090 and 3D...
You've made it quite clear that you do not use Freeview HD and you mainly watch Sky Sports HD on satellite, so why do you have to keep on raising the SAME subjects, and make the SAME comments that very few others on this forum appear to agree with?
I agree that the PQ of current HD is no way like it was when HD first started, but it the BBC (and others) had stayed with 1920x1080 and 19.2 mbit/sec we would only be getting 2 HD channels on a transponder from the BBC and Sky.
Personally I am very pleased that there is going to be another HD channel made available as part of Freeview HD (when it arrives down south).
I appreciate your VIEW that the encoders have not improved enough for 5:1 compression but what DATA do you have to back up this assertion?
Brian - if you count this as being disrespectful, please feel free to delete it.
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Page 1
Tuesday 8 February 2011 8:15PM
Briantist,
The other problem with C4 HD going from DVB-S to DVB-S2 is that those using older (non-Freesat) receivers that are not DVB-S2 compliant will not be able to receive C4 HD.
Freesat HD receivers may be okay with DVB-S2, but for me, using a Blackgold BGT3540 card in a PC (and others with non-Freesat receivers) will not be able to receive C4 HD if it stays DVB-S2 when FTA.