Australian Receiver compatibility with NZ Freeview

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KiwiRes

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Topic # 31178 7-Mar-2009 20:26

I was able to get my hands on a DW8022 HDMI PVR with 200GB HDD TWIN TUNER TERRESTRIAL + SATELLITE receiver marketed by Mediastar in Australia.

I've had it tested by 2 friends who are in that line of business, i.e. selling Freeview receivers and installation. They tell me the Satellite part of it works OK but they haven't been able to get any channels via DVB-T.

Before I go back to Mediastar and ask a silly question, does the forum have any advice?
While it does say in the spec that it is MPEG-2/DVB Compliant, wouldn't that affect both DVB-S and DVB-T playback?

The fulls spec is here: http://www.mediastar.com.au/DW8022PVR/buy.html

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Reply # 199806 7-Mar-2009 20:33

Freeview DVB-S is MPEG2 so the device will work fine for satellite in NZ.

Freeview DVB-T here in NZ uses MPEG4/H.264 and also uses 8MHz channel steps rather than the 7MHz used in Australia. This device will not work for DVB-T.

KiwiRes

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Reply # 199829 7-Mar-2009 22:51

Would the fix be a firmware upgrade, if it was available from the manufacturer? Or would it require a chip change? Or no fix at all?

allstarnz

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Reply # 199840 8-Mar-2009 00:04

i would say that it's more than a firmware update for DVB-T, MPEG2 and MPEG4 are quite different beasts. Then there's the added complexity of AAC-LATM audio. I would almost place money on it not being able to work in NZ for Freeview|HD. Satellite should be fine though.

sbiddle

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Reply # 199851 8-Mar-2009 07:45

It's a fundamental hardware redesign. If the box doesn't do H.264 it's not something you can just add with new firmware.

cyril7

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Reply # 199857 8-Mar-2009 08:53

Just to re iterate what Steve and allstarnz have said, the decoder in a aussie box is mpeg2 only. mpeg4 is used on the NZ DTT system, this requires conciderable hardware (in the form of actuall silicon) to docode not just firmware, there are no upgrades to allow mpeg4 decode with a mpeg2 decoder. So the box will work fine as a Sat reciever but will never, repeat never work on the NZ DTT system.

Cyril

KiwiRes

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Reply # 199875 8-Mar-2009 11:14

Thanks to all for the quick lesson. Cheers,

Deev8

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Reply # 199894 8-Mar-2009 12:39

KiwiRes: I've had it tested by 2 friends who are in that line of business, i.e. selling Freeview receivers and installation. They tell me the Satellite part of it works OK but they haven't been able to get any channels via DVB-T.

You might have expected anyone in the business of "selling Freeview receivers and installation" to know that the Australian MPEG2-based and the New Zealand MPEG4 and H.264 based DVB-T systems are incompatible.

That lack of knowledge may tell us something about the problems some people are having with Freview.

KiwiRes

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Reply # 199903 8-Mar-2009 14:02

Being a real noob at this, the question I have is why the difference between 2 countries who are more and more becoming a single entity (as long as we don't have to wear the green and gold and sing "Waltzing Matilda")?
Is one standard more open that the other, or next generation-proofed?

sbiddle

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Reply # 199906 8-Mar-2009 14:27

H.264 is just a newer video format offering better quality and uses less bandwidth.

New Zealand was one of the first counties to roll out a H.264 based DVB-T network, before this DVB-T was always MGED2 based. All new DVB-T rollouts and the upcoming UK DVB-T2 rollout are all using H.264

Deev8

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Reply # 199942 8-Mar-2009 18:25

KiwiRes: Is one standard more open that the other, or next generation-proofed?

In those terms, New Zealand has chosen next generation standards for our DVB-T system. Australia had a DVB-T network before us, and they chose the generally accepted MPEG2.

On the positive side we get a system that more easily supports Hi Definition broadcasts. On the negative side we can't use DVB-T receivers or hard disk PVRs produced for say the Australian or the British markets, and we have to put up with the teething troubles of boxes manufactured for a leading edge technology.

bigbob

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Reply # 200197 9-Mar-2009 17:21

Australia commenced DVT-B broadcasts in 2001 and back then DVD was king and MPEG2 was the codec of the day that we all thought was the '' ducks nuts''. I still have my original box (it cost AUD$899 back then), and yes it is nothing more than a dust collector over here in NZ.

I am guessing that MPEG4 (h264) was on the drawing boards back then, maybe not. So even though NZ is late to the DVB-T party, the benefits of better bandwidth utilisation for the quality is a real advantage.

If you look to some of the discussions in Australia at the moment, there is significant debate being generated as the TV networks consider dropping quality i.e. reducing the MB's/sec to squeeze in more channels.

Rob

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Reply # 200215 9-Mar-2009 18:36

The most significant advantage NZ's H.264 rollout has is the fact there is no need for duplicate channels for SD and HD content of the same broadcasts. This is one of the biggest problems Australia has. Here in NZ we can have 1 TV3 feed that is 1080i and any downscaling is done by the box.

bigbob

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Reply # 200238 9-Mar-2009 20:45

sbiddle: The most significant advantage NZ's H.264 rollout has is the fact there is no need for duplicate channels for SD and HD content of the same broadcasts. This is one of the biggest problems Australia has. Here in NZ we can have 1 TV3 feed that is 1080i and any downscaling is done by the box.

Very true, I expect there will be growing pressure to dump the SD simulcast channel to free up bandwidth. Although it will not be popular the only chance of improving the bandwidth otherwise will be to realllocate bandwidth that is freed up when the analog channels are switched off.

Rob

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Reply # 200239 9-Mar-2009 21:08

bigbob:
sbiddle: The most significant advantage NZ's H.264 rollout has is the fact there is no need for duplicate channels for SD and HD content of the same broadcasts. This is one of the biggest problems Australia has. Here in NZ we can have 1 TV3 feed that is 1080i and any downscaling is done by the box.

Very true, I expect there will be growing pressure to dump the SD simulcast channel to free up bandwidth. Although it will not be popular the only chance of improving the bandwidth otherwise will be to realllocate bandwidth that is freed up when the analog channels are switched off.

Rob

THat would be great but unfortunately can't happen - there is already a huge base of IDTV's and STB's that aren't HD capable.

It would probably be logical for Australia to move towards DVB-T2 running in parallel with their DVB-T if and when they have spectrum available (remember much of their digital is also VHF). They could then look at options to possibly shut down the DVB-T in another 10-15 years. This seems to be the way of thinking in the UK.

RickD

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Reply # 200250 9-Mar-2009 21:57

I e-mailed Mediastar last year and got a reply saying they were working on a DVB-S/T combo receiver for NZ, but the time they said it would be on the market has long since passed and I've heard nothing more about it.

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