HD and PC TV Cards

Following on from the DTT cards thread...
has anyone managed to use a PC card to get HD signals outside of the
London trials?

If so, is there a way of linking the PC to a HDMI socket on a plasma
screen?

I've tried Googling and DigitalSpy Forums but can't find anything
coherent about the UK scene.

TIA

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael

MarkD wrote:
Following on from the DTT cards thread...
has anyone managed to use a PC card to get HD signals outside of the
London trials?

If so, is there a way of linking the PC to a HDMI socket on a plasma
screen?

I've tried Googling and DigitalSpy Forums but can't find anything
coherent about the UK scene.

TIA

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael

Tell us a bit more about your setup e.g. what card, OS & cpu you are using.

The first problem is that mpeg4 hdtv which is what terrestrial & satellite is
using takes so much power that I think only the relatively new cpus handle it
and there aren't any hardware decoder that can can do hdtv yet.

It may be possible to stream the mpeg4 data into a software decoder on a dual
core cpu and get a good picture. I know that nebula are making a hdtv decoder in
the app for their card but their website says that it's experimental and I think
you'd have to pay for an mpeg4 licence.

Also terrestrial trials are only being transmitted in London so that doesn't
help most people. Cable & Sky can't be decoded on a pc so that leaves only free
satellite channels like the BBC. That said hdtv on satellite is not transmitted
on dvb-s but a new standard called DVB-S2 which needs to be supported in
hardware. DVB-S2 cards can pick up a DVB-S signal but not the other way round.

Once all that's dealt with all you have to do is buy a graphics card with a hdmi
socket to connect to your plasma screen.

Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.

The confusion over exactly how to get a HD signal in the first place
and then how to get it to my screen is getting to me.

I could go via satellite or even possibly via aerial?

Are there any online guides you've come across for the UK?

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael
Tell us a bit more about your setup e.g. what card, OS & cpu you are using.

The first problem is that mpeg4 hdtv which is what terrestrial & satellite is
using takes so much power that I think only the relatively new cpus handle it
and there aren't any hardware decoder that can can do hdtv yet.

It may be possible to stream the mpeg4 data into a software decoder on a dual
core cpu and get a good picture. I know that nebula are making a hdtv decoder in
the app for their card but their website says that it's experimental and I think
you'd have to pay for an mpeg4 licence.

Also terrestrial trials are only being transmitted in London so that doesn't
help most people. Cable & Sky can't be decoded on a pc so that leaves only free
satellite channels like the BBC. That said hdtv on satellite is not transmitted
on dvb-s but a new standard called DVB-S2 which needs to be supported in
hardware. DVB-S2 cards can pick up a DVB-S signal but not the other way round.

Once all that's dealt with all you have to do is buy a graphics card with a hdmi
socket to connect to your plasma screen.

MarkD wrote:
Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.

I think that on the 2.4GHz HDTV *might* be watchable but upgrade it if you can.
You'd also need the £100+ unit for hdtv via satellite.

The confusion over exactly how to get a HD signal in the first place
and then how to get it to my screen is getting to me.

I could go via satellite or even possibly via aerial?

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?", "must it
be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

If the answer is yes to all the above then upgrade your cpu and get the
expensive dvb-s2 nebula satellite card when it comes out. Terrestrial doesn't
look like it will hold much of a hdtv service but I could be wrong. Otherwise be
happy with standard definition for a while.

Are there any online guides you've come across for the UK?

None that I've seen yet. Part of the trouble software wise is that the trials
use mpeg4 avc with something called CABAC (dunno what it stands for) for
compression and most mpeg4 codecs don't support that yet.

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael

"Darren Wilkinson" wrote in message
...
MarkD wrote:
Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.
I think that on the 2.4GHz HDTV *might* be watchable but upgrade it if you
can. You'd also need the £100+ unit for hdtv via satellite.

The minimum requirement according to Microsoft is 2.8GHz for 1920x1080.


The confusion over exactly how to get a HD signal in the first place
and then how to get it to my screen is getting to me.

I could go via satellite or even possibly via aerial?

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?",
"must it be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

If the answer is yes to all the above then upgrade your cpu and get the
expensive dvb-s2 nebula satellite card when it comes out. Terrestrial
doesn't look like it will hold much of a hdtv service but I could be
wrong. Otherwise be happy with standard definition for a while.

Are there any online guides you've come across for the UK?
None that I've seen yet. Part of the trouble software wise is that the
trials use mpeg4 avc with something called CABAC (dunno what it stands
for) for compression and most mpeg4 codecs don't support that yet.

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael

Agamemnon wrote:

"Darren Wilkinson" wrote in message
...
MarkD wrote:
Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.
I think that on the 2.4GHz HDTV *might* be watchable but upgrade it if
you can. You'd also need the £100+ unit for hdtv via satellite.

The minimum requirement according to Microsoft is 2.8GHz for 1920x1080.

Isn't that likely to be a minimum to decode MPEG2 at 1080p? I doubt such
a machine could handle AVC MPEG4 with all the bells & whistles and at
1080p purely in software. An Athlon XP 3200+ machine of mine can just
manage AVC, all options, at 1360x768 (which I've used as it suits my
plasma). Bear in mind though many codecs aren't yet as optimised for
speed as they could be.

Also, I'm not familiar with the codec options used by broadcasters. I
had thought Sky were sticking to MPEG2 but maybe that's completely wrong.

The confusion over exactly how to get a HD signal in the first place
and then how to get it to my screen is getting to me.

I could go via satellite or even possibly via aerial?

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?",
"must it be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

If the answer is yes to all the above then upgrade your cpu and get
the expensive dvb-s2 nebula satellite card when it comes out.
Terrestrial doesn't look like it will hold much of a hdtv service but
I could be wrong. Otherwise be happy with standard definition for a
while.

Are there any online guides you've come across for the UK?
None that I've seen yet. Part of the trouble software wise is that the
trials use mpeg4 avc with something called CABAC (dunno what it stands
for)

FWIW Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264

for compression and most mpeg4 codecs don't support that yet.

Hardware implementations you mean? There are plenty of software decoders
which do.

--
Michael
m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t

"Michael Rozdoba" wrote in message
...
Agamemnon wrote:

"Darren Wilkinson" wrote in message
...
MarkD wrote:
Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.
I think that on the 2.4GHz HDTV *might* be watchable but upgrade it if
you can. You'd also need the £100+ unit for hdtv via satellite.

The minimum requirement according to Microsoft is 2.8GHz for 1920x1080.

Isn't that likely to be a minimum to decode MPEG2 at 1080p? I doubt such

It's WMV at 1080p. No problem on my 3.2GHz P4.

WMV is MPEG-4 I think.

a machine could handle AVC MPEG4 with all the bells & whistles and at
1080p purely in software. An Athlon XP 3200+ machine of mine can just
manage AVC, all options, at 1360x768 (which I've used as it suits my
plasma). Bear in mind though many codecs aren't yet as optimised for speed
as they could be.

Also, I'm not familiar with the codec options used by broadcasters. I had
thought Sky were sticking to MPEG2 but maybe that's completely wrong.

The confusion over exactly how to get a HD signal in the first place
and then how to get it to my screen is getting to me.

I could go via satellite or even possibly via aerial?

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?",
"must it be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

If the answer is yes to all the above then upgrade your cpu and get the
expensive dvb-s2 nebula satellite card when it comes out. Terrestrial
doesn't look like it will hold much of a hdtv service but I could be
wrong. Otherwise be happy with standard definition for a while.

Are there any online guides you've come across for the UK?
None that I've seen yet. Part of the trouble software wise is that the
trials use mpeg4 avc with something called CABAC (dunno what it stands
for)

FWIW Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264

for compression and most mpeg4 codecs don't support that yet.

Hardware implementations you mean? There are plenty of software decoders
which do.

--
Michael
m r o z a t u k g a t e w a y d o t n e t

SNIP
Thanks guys,

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?", "must it
be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

You know that feeling there's a party going on and you haven't been
invited?

I guess I'll have to wait for my cable company to catch up in the
autumn.... ;-(

(btw, on my cable company, NTL/Telewest - Telewest already have HD
available, NTL won't til November! Go figure....)

Cheers,
Mark,
M/cr

to reply by email, please take the michael

I fear that the OP is very much at the "Bleeding Edge" of technology
here. HD DTT is still someway off. Saphire have released an HDMI
graphics card but, I believe it is only 780p native. NVidia have had a
big push on "PureVideo HD" see
http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo.html.

This is combined hardware/software solution which MAY offload some
decoding onto the video card. A couple of GeForce 6600 series with HDMI
outputs are either just released or about to be released.

It strikes me that the safest route to HD on the PC might be through
HD-DVD/BluRay. Samsung (I think) are scheduling a combined drive for
Autumn 06 release. If the price is not stupid, it might be worth a look.

In article . com,
writes

Agamemnon wrote:
"Michael Rozdoba" wrote in message
...
Agamemnon wrote:

"Darren Wilkinson" wrote in message
...
MarkD wrote:
Thanks Darren,
it still seems like a minefield...I haven'y got a card yet (I was
looking at the Nebula as the most likely) and have a single core
2.4GHz processor in the room next door or a 1.2 GHz laptop.
I think that on the 2.4GHz HDTV *might* be watchable but upgrade it if
you can. You'd also need the £100+ unit for hdtv via satellite.

The minimum requirement according to Microsoft is 2.8GHz for 1920x1080.

Isn't that likely to be a minimum to decode MPEG2 at 1080p? I doubt such

It's WMV at 1080p. No problem on my 3.2GHz P4.

WMV is MPEG-4 I think.


wmv9 is mpeg4 part 2

h.264 is mpeg4 part 10 which is significantly harder to decode. In
additional they are broadcasting in interlaced MBAFF format which many
h.264 decoders don't support.


--
Keith Bailey

"MarkD" wrote in message
...
SNIP
Thanks guys,

The most important things to ask are "is hdtv that important to me?",
"must it
be a pc card I use to get it?" and "can I wait?"

You know that feeling there's a party going on and you haven't been
invited?

I guess I'll have to wait for my cable company to catch up in the
autumn.... ;-(

(btw, on my cable company, NTL/Telewest - Telewest already have HD
available, NTL won't til November! Go figure....)

NTL in Westminster are strictly Analogue, and I have it in writing from NTL
that they have no plans to upgrade the system, ever. The idea of HDTV from
NTL here is a joke.

We have no widescreen, no RGB, no interactive services, PAL footprint, cross
colour, mono sound, but worst of all grainy pictures on all channels. Not
that there are very many channels, and the programmes I used to watch have
moved to channels that are not included.

People in Westminster have to go to great lengths to get Sky inspite of
there being a dish ban everywhere. The dish ban should be a license to print
money for NTL, but they are not interested. There are many apartments here
with a Sky dish looking out of a window which has to be kept open in all
weathers (wasting energy), while those not lucky enough to have a view in
the right direction have to pay over the odds for a very long cable to run
to a hidden location if they can find one, or go without digital TV.

NTL do not deserve the cable franchise for Westminster. In my opinion they
should be forced to upgrade it to Digital Cable, and made to forfeit their
other telephone, broadband and cable tv franchises until they do. I was a
customer of NTL for 15 years until I finally managed to get Sky, and I am
absolutely disgusted with them.