DVB-T : Can I use MP to see MPEG-4/H.264 TV ?

[mazou]

Hi,

Is-it possible to see channels encoded (and encrypted) in MPEG-4/H.264 with MP and FireDTV/FloppyDTV DVB-T and a subscription with a provider ?.

Thanks

[Havoc]

Mazou,

As I've gathered it is possible. FireDTV supports it (do always check if the firmware and drivers) and MP should as well.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it to work.... YET!!!

[ezukas]

Hello!
I also didn't managed to make DVB-T FireDTV to receive H.264 TV broadcast with MediaPortal internal TV engine. H.264 DVB-T does work with the TV server TVEngineV3. TV server solution is OK if you run TV server on a separate machine and if you need multi seat solution. But to run TV server, SQL server and MediaPortal on the same machine does not appear as a nice solution. So, I really look forward to see MediaPortal internal TV engine working with H.264 DVB-T. At the moment it seems like H.264 TV is disabled in the MediaPortal, because in the MediaPortal Configuration the H.264 Video decoder selection for Television is blanked. Is it blanked intentionally or it's
only users of FireDTV/FloppyDVT DVB-T boxes have this problem?
Kind regards!

[THDBASED]

I don't think digital Tv will be included in the internal tv engine. The future is the Tv server so all the "new" things will go into the Tv server, the internal engine will be replaced in good time by the server so a smart way to go!
Why don't you like having everything on the same machine? I think a single seat config runs a lot more stable then a multi seat and plus even then you still have the choice...I say try it you will like it especially with digital TV.

[ezukas]

Originally Posted by THDBASED

I don't think digital Tv will be included in the internal tv engine.

I think digital TV is already included in the internal engine and works with MPEG-2, just it does not decode H.264? I think in MediaPortal v.0.2.2.0 there was no H.264 decoder selection field in the configuration, it was added in v.0.2.3.0, if I remember correctly. So, it probably means that something is under development there. At the moment H.264 decoder selection is blanked in the MediaPortal Configuration application, but you can change H.264 decoder if you do that from the Setup menu in the MediaPortal application. I can receive audio, but no video. It seems like MP is simply not enabling H.264 decoder. Maybe someone from developers can answer?

Originally Posted by THDBASED

Why don't you like having everything on the same machine? I think a single seat config runs a lot more stable then a multi seat and plus even then you still have the choice...I say try it you will like it especially with digital TV.

Server have it's purpose - to serve multiple users. So, why should I install all those hundreds of megabytes of SQL server and load my machine with unnecessary tasks if I need just a single seat configuration? To run server for a single seat configuration does not appear logical and optimal for me.
I did tried a single seat installation of MP and TV server on the same machine. It was working, but not well. Video continuously had momentary freezes, even with the TV server running alone without MP application, just recording. So, now I'm trying to find out if the MP internal TV engine can/will work with H.264 decoder.

[THDBASED]

I meant HD TV, kinda got mixed up there...
The TV server has a lot of benefits, just check the WIKI it's all there...

[ezukas]

Originally Posted by THDBASED

I meant HD TV, kinda got mixed up there...
The TV server has a lot of benefits, just check the WIKI it's all there...

HDTV is too far away on DVB-T there is Lithuania... Even existing "standard" resolution broadcast is in terrible quality, because broadcasters have allocated too little bandwidth per program by squeezing as much as possible programs.
What benefits of TV server do you mean? There is this comparison of TV engines http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/TV-Engine_0.3/overview . There are obvious benefits for the multiseat network, but in the situation when MediaPortal is running on the single dedicated machine with DVB-T receiver I don't see any benefit of TV server. But now I did noticed one important thing in that overview, related to the subject of this thread - MediaPortal TV engine does NOT support DVB-S2, but TV server does. This means H.264 is not supported by the MP internal engine. With current focus on the TV server development there is probably too little hope for changes in the internal engine any time soon. But I still very much hope that someone from developers will give a clear answer.
Kind regards!

[ezukas]

Now I have installed TVserver and MediaPortal on Windows Vista as a single seat setup - on Vista it works much better, than on XP.

[pnyberg]

Originally Posted by ezukas

Now I have installed TVserver and MediaPortal on Windows Vista as a single seat setup - on Vista it works much better, than on XP.

What do you mean exactly, channel change times etc, picture quality (EVR?) or... just curious?

Thinking on upgrading my system myself because of stuttering prpblem with VMR9 and DXVA as explained here:

Micro stuttering (judder) with hd2600xt HW accelerated H.264

Regards

[ezukas]

Originally Posted by pnyberg

What do you mean exactly, channel change times etc, picture quality (EVR?) or... just curious?

Micro stuttering (judder) with hd2600xt HW accelerated H.264

Exactly stuttering is gone. I had this problem with TVserver and MPclient on XP, but there is no stuttering with such setup on Vista.
Kind regards!