DVB-T Card Recommendation? Confused about Chips, MPEG2/MPEG4 Compliance

[jksmurf]

Well, our two local FTA stations have gone DVB-T (I hope that's the correct flavour) starting 1st Dec 2007. (Small Yippee...)

Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) has chosen the middleware of MHEG-5 for its interactive services as this middleware is widely used in one of the world's most successful DTTV markets, the United Kingdom, and will soon be adopted in New Zealand and possibly Singapore.

Apparently they will transmit HD FTA from 31st December 2007.

Local shops currently only have one STB, labelled "Olevia ZMT-620FTA" "Digital Terrestrial Receiver". The Box has MHEG5, DVB compliant decoders MPEG2/MPEG4/AVC, DOLBY 5.1, EPG, HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite, 16:9, 4:3, DMB-T Modulation, 576p/720p/1080i blah blah blah.

I'd just like to get HD FTA into my HDTV (preferably via HDMI) and record it/play it. I'd like to use GBPVR (of course). Right, now to the Q's:

• Is there a PCI card (or USB Stick?), single or Dual Tuner, which will do the same as this "Box", that I can stick in my PC, and use my USB-UIRT to change channels and record programs sent via DVB-T FTA in SD AND HD?
  
• Any recommended cards? The WinTV-NOVA-TD Diversity Stick seems like a USB Candidate, but doesn't seem to do MPEG4/AVC?
  
• Similarly, the WinTV-NOVA-T-500 seems like a possible card, but also doesn't seem to do MPEG4/AVC?
  
• Any advantage of cards over USB or vice-versa? That wee stick doesn't seem to have as much in it as the cards :-)
  
• Even if I could find a device that "did" MPEG4/AVC would GBPVR support it?
  
• Do I really need this MHEG5 thingy? Apparently this in the UK and eNZed?

Thanks
k.

[sub]

Is there a PCI card (or USB Stick?), single or Dual Tuner, which will do the same as this "Box", that I can stick in my PC, and use my USB-UIRT to change channels and record programs sent via DVB-T FTA in SD AND HD?
Any recommended cards? The WinTV-NOVA-TD Diversity Stick seems like a USB Candidate, but doesn't seem to do MPEG4/AVC?
Similarly, the WinTV-NOVA-T-500 seems like a possible card, but also doesn't seem to do MPEG4/AVC?

Any DVB-T device with BDA drivers should be compatible with GB-PVR. The device itself doesnt know anything about MPEG2/MPEG4 etc, thats all taken care of in the software - so in effect all DVB-T cards support MPEG4/AVC as long as the software supports it.

Even if I could find a device that "did" MPEG4/AVC would GBPVR support it?

Just a few weeks ago they started high def MPEG4/AVC DVB-T trials in NZ, and it seems to work pretty well with GB-PVR. I've used a few DVB-T devices with good success (HVR-1300, HVR-900, HVR-4000).

With MPEG4/AVC channels, GB-PVR can watch live preview tv, and record, and playback those recordings. It cant do timeshift mode tv, and cant watch an in progress recording.

Do I really need this MHEG5 thingy? Apparently this in the UK and eNZed?

I've not bothered adding support for it. MHEG5 doesnt offer anything of value here. It just gives you a slightly different looking EPG.

[jksmurf]

Any DVB-T device with BDA drivers should be compatible with GB-PVR. The device itself doesnt know anything about MPEG2/MPEG4 etc, thats all taken care of in the software - so in effect all DVB-T cards support MPEG4/AVC as long as the software supports it..

The "software" being GBPVR? So the already-encoded SIGNAL is MPEG2 (or MPEG4), the card just receives it? The Olevia box blurb says someting about an "MPEG4/AVC decoder (HD)" :confused:

Just a few weeks ago they started high def MPEG4/AVC DVB-T trials in NZ, and it seems to work pretty well with GB-PVR. I've used a few DVB-T devices with good success (HVR-1300, HVR-900, HVR-4000)..

I'm confused. Those HVR devices all quote MPEG or MPEG2:confused: encoders. Why would they need one, or are you saying that it takes the MPEG4 signal and encodes it to MPEG2? Would that be taking HD down to SD?

btw the NOVA series are listed (UK Site) as being the Terrestrial DVB-T Ones?

With MPEG4/AVC channels, GB-PVR can watch live preview tv, and record, and playback those recordings. It cant do timeshift mode tv, and cant watch an in progress recording..

OK, not too worried atm, is it possible in future, with GBPVR?

I've not bothered adding support for it. MHEG5 doesnt offer anything of value here. It just gives you a slightly different looking EPG.

Cool, it did just seem to be another boring acronym I don't need.

Apologies for the dummy Q's, it's been easy with 2xPVR150's and Analog TV. This is a whole new ball game...

k.

[stefan]

The Olevia box blurb says someting about an "MPEG4/AVC decoder (HD)" :confused:

I guess that something in the box needs to decode the mpeg4 signal and output it to your tv In GBPVR that is done in software (an mpeg decoder of your choice)

btw the NOVA series are listed (UK Site) as being the Terrestrial DVB-T Ones?

DVB-T stands for terrestrial. There is also DVB-S (satellite) and dvb-c (cable). There is definitely a nova-T series which is for dvb-t, and I think there is also a nova-s series for dvb-s... not sure about dvb-c.

[jksmurf]

I guess that something in the box needs to decode the mpeg4 signal and output it to your tv In GBPVR that is done in software (an mpeg decoder of your choice)

Ah...ding....:o

DVB-T stands for terrestrial. There is also DVB-S (satellite) and dvb-c (cable). There is definitely a nova-T series which is for dvb-t, and I think there is also a nova-s series for dvb-s... not sure about dvb-c.

Yup, I was just confused why sub mentioned the HVR-series, when it (seemed) the NOVA-T series was more applicable?

k.

[stefan]

Ah, gotcha... the HVR-series are hybrid thingies... they can do both DVB-T and analogue. For the analogue part they need the encoder.

[stefan]

Seems some of them can do dvb-s, too

[jksmurf]

The Olevia STB says "DMB-T demodulation" which I see is a Chinese standard, also to be used in HK & Macau. Is this going to be an issue for either:

• Any of those DVB-T devices like the NOVA-T or
  
• GBPVR (muxes etc?)

k.

[stefan]

I wouldn't bet on the nova-t devices for DMB-T As I understand it, that's a completely different technology...

[sub]

Sorry, I dont know anything about DMB-T.