New Freeview HD hardware: eXtra Terrestrial Freeview HD tuner

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4098 posts

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#172810 22-Oct-2008 16:17

Thanks guys - I know I have to get the signal level increased somehow - Its my problem now.
I have rung the aerial guy back and will see what he can come up with.

Regarding the comment about the upgrade from 1.04 to 1.05 possibly showing the signal strength indicator lower after the upgrade - it was just an observation and I hadnt measured it - It didnt make any difference to the picture quality (or pixelation that I am getting) so I am definitely not pointing fingers at anyone.

Great news about being able to record from this box at some stage in the not too distant future - I biffed my VCR in the rubbish a couple of years ago - Would be handy to be able to record TV once in a while.

Did anyone else find the subtitles out of sync? or is it something to do with my poor signal - I recall the subtitles were displayed around 2s before the speech.
regards
Robert

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

robjg63

4098 posts

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#173381 24-Oct-2008 15:53

Hello again - I have had a look in the roof cavity and found the wiring and splitter box for the aerial.
The aerial comes straight down to the input on a splitter box and that feeds out to 4 output cables.
I only know of 3 jack points on the wall - so not sure where the last one goes......
The connectors are all F type and screw nicely into the splitter box - I have checked they are all tight.
The wiring was put in around 6 years ago with the aerial.
As I mentioned before I am getting really good analogue reception on VHF and UHF, but hardly any signal strength showing on the ET box.
I have had a look at Dick Smith's site to see if you can get a plug that would let me plug the aerial plug into the F type connector lead that goes to the ET box. (so I can bypass the splitter box) I cant actually see such a plug. Has anyone heard of such a thing?

I also noted that the splitter box has the following markings:
5-1000Mhz
130db RFI

Are these specs ok for a splitter box that is feeding a ET STB? I'm just trying to check that I havent got an unsuitable piece of hardware in the middle causing problems.

Any advice on the above would be welcome.

Robert

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Spyware

3761 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#173406 24-Oct-2008 18:19

Use http://www.freeviewshop.co.nz/type-inline-adaptor-femalefemale-p-107.html (joins F types) to bypass splitter. A 4 way splitter would lose 10 dB on each leg. 65 dBuV at decoder should be fine though.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

pete9321

105 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#173407 24-Oct-2008 18:22

hamilton in fill...is at ward and anglessea st...can cause a prob...if antenna sis lookin at te Aroha....
will give yoyu mixed sig strengths

Gemini

429 posts

Ultimate Geek

#173841 27-Oct-2008 12:11

pete9321: E.T news update....
have met with factory, and we are working on a simple PVR function...upgradeable via usboff website..i.e. rec whatever you are watching now....
Later when Freeview upgrades its mheg5, we will add scheduling to it...for more advanced rec features.

Thanks for the update Peter
USB record is a must have feature for me as the picture the ET delivers over S-video to my DVD recorder is appalling.
What picture quality can we expect over USB?

robjg63

4098 posts

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Subscriber

#174556 30-Oct-2008 08:57

I dont have any inside knowledge of how they intend to implement the recording feature, but it appears that what some other similar devices do to achieve a simple recording feature is to effectively save the data stream onto the USB drive. Playback envolves feeding that stream back through the decoder - so the playback quality would appear the same as originally broadcast. Of course you couldnt take that file and play it back on anything else.

I saw on another forum how one manufacturer did this (record the data stream) and the group were working out ways to convert the data file into an avi or divx file - sounded like they had made some progress as well.

Someone can shoot me down if they know different!

I couldnt comment on the recording via S-video issue other than s-video as I understand it (via wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-video ) only supports standard definition - so its not going to look as good as the hi-def broadcasts. You cant feed the component or composite output from the STB to your DVD recorder? I havent played with that either but I gather the beauty of this STB box is that it doesnt have the hi-def output knobbled on these outputs like some other STBs.

Robert

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

robjg63

4098 posts

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#174558 30-Oct-2008 09:00

Opps - Actually it doesnt look like composite output supports hi-def either - So I guess to get the best recordable (hi-def) output you would need to be able to handle hdmi or component on your DVD recorder.

Cheers

Robert

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

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coolvibe

39 posts

Geek

#174589 30-Oct-2008 11:31

robjg63:
Opps - Actually it doesnt look like composite output supports hi-def either - So I guess to get the best recordable (hi-def) output you would need to be able to handle hdmi or component on your DVD recorder.
Cheers
Robert

I have yet to find a freeview set top box that outputs standard def as good as the updated mysky HDI box (the zinwell may be ok). The native mysky box suffers the same issues as all the free view boxes. Once the my sky firmware updates it is as good as it gets.One thing to note, when a mysky hdi signal is paused on SD it reverts to the crappy original issue where the same lines are duplicated or in some cases tripled. giving that horrible diagonal line pixelation. but when playing it is perfect and can be rcorded on another device.

Jaxson

8042 posts

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Trusted

#174606 30-Oct-2008 12:48

robjg63:
Opps - Actually it doesnt look like composite output supports hi-def either - So I guess to get the best recordable (hi-def) output you would need to be able to handle hdmi or component on your DVD recorder.
Cheers
Robert

This is the stupidness of the copy protection systems, how many consumer recording devices do you know of that accept hdmi or component inputs?!
Only HDMI or component standards are capable of hi def resolutions and most pvrs can only accept composite or svideo video input at standard def. The Zinwell component out is limited to SD but its SD output is pretty good.

Gemini

429 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174617 30-Oct-2008 13:49

Yeah the DRM seems to work on the theory that because we can't record it in HD we'll watch it live instead ... think that might only be true for videophiles and they'd watch it off blu-ray anyways!

Hinko

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174737 30-Oct-2008 21:29

CHINESE TV and LATEST UPDATE

I had expected Chinese TV to be simply added in automatically. Nope. Still not there even after repowering. OK do new AUTO search and what do you know it then adds it, and of course the Zinwell download channel also! Hmmm How do I get rid of that?

Pete can you advise?

Also while you are advising, can you update us as to when the next update Reply # 170132 posted on 9-OCT-2008 12:06 where it was said..."we have the clock ...standby issue fixed...and software will be on websites next week..."
Next week has well passed now.

Thirdly, how is the composite sound issue evolving, please update us on that too.

pete9321

105 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#174740 30-Oct-2008 21:38

clock is still being sorted....note...internal clock is fine....just the standby seems to go out of sync...PVR coming soon...

Hinko

273 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174743 30-Oct-2008 21:48

Mmmm

Thank you Pete.

And deleting the Zinwell channel?

And the composite sound - what is happening there please.

I think many people will want the unit stable ahead of new features (that may also be unstable...) Of course the PVR will be nice but lets get the quality sorted first please - what do others think? PVR and misbehaviou - or sorted and then PVR?

robjg63

4098 posts

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Subscriber

#174794 31-Oct-2008 08:59

I updated to the latest firmware 1.05 when I got the box a couple of weeks ago. It picked up Chinese TV straight away.

Actually, I think the 1.04 as supplied in the box also picked it up.

Do you live in Auckland? I think it only goes to air in Auckland - not nationwide - though you bring up an interesting point.

I saw some discussion about the unit needing a firmware update for Cue TV recently (Cue is Hamilton only I think). As a result I have a channel labelled as Cue (here in Auckland) - Its actually Maori TV. No big deal, but will the box need an update each time there is a new channel (though Chinese TV just appeared) and it tunes that channel in ok. I also noticed a couple of other channels pop up when scanning - Sony something. They dont show up in the list of tuned stations - Are they 'special channels' - antone got any idea what they are?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

robjg63

4098 posts

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#174797 31-Oct-2008 09:06

Sorry Hinko, I re-read what you said and you said that you retuned and Chinese TV appeared, so you now have it?

Are you saying that the box should pick up new channels without retuning? I'd guess that perhaps when you retuned there was a Zinwell firmware upgrade channel in operation - I guess they appear and disappear occasionally. I wouldnt know how the STB is meant to handle them. Maybe they are like the 'Sony reserved' (or whatever they were labelled) that I saw flash up when I autotuned the box. They dont show up in the list of channels and you dont expect to see the Zinwell one either.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

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