HD broadcast on freeview

[garyeuph]

Apparantly the MUX with the HD will also be moved to DVB-T2. As this is a different 'technology' will the nova-t still be able to understand the data broadcast?

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/...tement.pdf

[Pob]

If you can't wait, Freesat should launch this spring - see http://www.freesat.co.uk. Free to air satellite transmissions with HD. Go get an HDTV Martin123...

Launch of the new Freesat service in the UK is 'confirmed' for this May - this will be the earliest official way to get High-Def, without a subscription, in the UK. Although may have to wait a bit longer for some of the HD channels due to existing contracts that Channel 4 & 5 have with Sky.
Lots of info over on the DigitalSpy forums:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forum....php?f=142
The question now is how to get it working with GBPVR! It has a completely new EPG to enable the SKY+ PVR type features that will be available.
Personally I am quite excited by this development, and considering building a dedicated GBPVR PC for it, as I reckon you could build a PVR for less than a retail one. I wonder if anyone with a DVB-S card is able to see any of the test transmissions yet?

[Pob]

SNIP

To be honest, I'm not that excited about HD as some genres of programme really don't make the most of it (or aren't particularly suited to it). I have a friend who works in post-production for the BBC and who's recently been working on HD production. He reckons, depending on content, some of it isn't really any more impressive than SD. He did admit that some of the HD wildlife/nature programmes are quite stunning though.

I think it's a chicken or egg situation - if you buy a HD TV, SD generally looks pretty poor, and HD looks much better. Comparing exactly the same TV programs (albeit downloaded ones), I have not found one that does not look a lot better in HD - though SD is perfectly watchable...

[bgowland]

Apparantly the MUX with the HD will also be moved to DVB-T2. As this is a different 'technology' will the nova-t still be able to understand the data broadcast?

Good question - the document shows that DVB-T2 modulation uses a different technique to DVB-T and that existing STBs and DTVs won't be able to demodulate the signal.

Whether existing DVB-T capture cards (such as the Nova-t) could handle it, depends on how much of the process is handled by software. If demodulation is done in software then updating the drivers could handle it, but if this is currently done by the analogue electronics in the tuner module, then it would mean new hardware would be needed.

Cheers,
Brian

[sub]

I'm fairly sure DVB-T2 means new tuner hardware.

[martint123]

I'm fairly sure DVB-T2 means new tuner hardware.

Bugger!

[bgowland]

I'm fairly sure DVB-T2 means new tuner hardware.

I posted a question on the Hauppauge forum and the response confirms this.

Another reason not to be too excited by HD.

Cheers,
Brian

[BigMoose]

I wonder if anyone with a DVB-S card is able to see any of the test transmissions yet?

I've got a skystar2 DVB-S card and can watch the BBC HD channel fine in GBPVR. The BBC are using DVB-S for their HD channel not DVB-S2 like sky (I believe!). I hope ITV and C4 will use DVB-S too, but I have seen some comments on Digitalspy which hint that the BBC might switch to DVB-S2 which I guess means a new card!

[frankmcg]

Although given these are already available (hauppauge have 2 models, the -S2 and the -4000) I reckon by the time it switches over they should be pretty cheap to pick up.