Euro 1080 Up & Running Today

[RTFM]

Euro 1080 started broadcasting today with HD coverage of the New Years Day concert from Vienna.

The picture quality and sound were first class.
We used a Zinwell STB outputting 720p into a Sim2 HT 300 Link DLP projector.

[zAndy1]

Are the Zinwell STBs available to buy now then? If so how much?

Cheers,
Andy.

[bayards]

I watched last night (31 Dec) on my PC using ProgDVB - I have a p4 3Mb chip, 1 Gb mem and SATA disc array. It came through very pretty indeed - but I haven't watched today as I'm knee deep in video editing a holiday thing....

Is the Zinwell available in UK - and what is the model number - their page doesn't mention it yet. Thanks

H:rolleyes:

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Hi Jeff,

Any reason you chose to go out in 720P?

Happy New Year!

Gordon

[RTFM]

Hi Gordon,

Happy New Year to you.

You have a choice of outputs on the Zinwell STB, namely 576i, 576p, 720p and 1080i.

Using pixel to pixel on the Sim2 HT 300 Link the 720p output gives the best picture.

Jeff

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Thanks Jeff. I knew the outputs of the box just wondered f you'd done it because the box seems better at the 1080i to 720P ing than the PJ is. Looking forward to checking it all out myself later in the month

Gordon

[RecordablDVDfan]

So is a now very cheap Skystar 2 pc card going to display these 1080 broadcasts ok ? Is there anything from Australia also as they have had HD transmissions for 2 years now. Even Channel Nine's breakfast show Today is in HD !!

[Chris Muriel]

For Zinwell STBs look here : http://www.zintech.com.tw/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=6

(cut and paste the whole link).

I know Sony use one of these in their UK labs.

A Skystar card will work (with ProgDVB and Elecard mpeg codec) whilst they remain unencrypted. This does really need a 2.0GHz P4 or better .
There have also been brief tests from TF1 on Hispasat (30 degrees West) and from another entity on Hells-Sat (39 degrees East) - but I wasn't around at the right time to catch these.

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

[zAndy1]

But where can you buy a Zinwell STB from?

Cheers,
Andy.

[RecordablDVDfan]

So is a now very cheap Skystar 2 pc card going to display these 1080 broadcasts ok ? Is there anything from Australia also as they have had HD transmissions for 2 years now. Even Channel Nine's breakfast show Today is in HD :-)

[Chris Muriel]

Aussie Channel Nine is terrestrial (DVB-T).
Info : http://ninemsn.com.au/tvshows/digital_info.asp?BlipID=4150#onair
(cut and paste whole link).

The cheap SS2 cards will work on Euro1080 with a 2GHz P4 PC
(for the non-encrypted material at least).

Chris Muriel

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by Chris Muriel
Aussie Channel Nine is terrestrial (DVB-T).
Info : http://ninemsn.com.au/tvshows/digital_info.asp?BlipID=4150#onair
(cut and paste whole link).

The cheap SS2 cards will work on Euro1080 with a 2GHz P4 PC
(for the non-encrypted material at least).

Chris Muriel

Yep in fact all 5 main channels on Oz broadcast a number of progs in HD terrestrially so even more of a feat than HD via satellite. Must be costing heeps...

I would like to see some screenshots from an SS2 to prove Euro1080 does definatly work...

[Rittberg]

Originally posted by RecordablDVDfan

I would like to see some screenshots from an SS2 to prove Euro1080 does definatly work...

A screenshot from today.

Rittberg

[bayards]

I'm using a Pinnacle Sat card (with card reader in case!) and ProgDVB. I have to use the Twinhan setting rather than the Pinnacle device - but it's all smashing. Recorded a rather large mpg file I can put up on my websiye if anyone want to nab it to look at. Let me know here and i'll upload to a spare page.

Aitch

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by Rittberg
A screenshot from today.

Rittberg

Thanks but far too small. How r u receiving ?

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by bayards
I'm using a Pinnacle Sat card (with card reader in case!) and ProgDVB. I have to use the Twinhan setting rather than the Pinnacle device - but it's all smashing. Recorded a rather large mpg file I can put up on my websiye if anyone want to nab it to look at. Let me know here and i'll upload to a spare page.

Aitch

Please upload whatever you have. Am I right in thinking most FTA Sat cards will decode HD with the right s/w then ?

[Chris Muriel]

Am I right in thinking most FTA Sat cards will decode HD with the right s/w then ?

Indeed. Provided they can make use of the Elecard mpeg codec ;
there are also Ravisent codecs that will work if you have an ATI graphics card (works with my Radeon 8500LE-128 ok).

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

[aligebes]

I'm about to puchase a PCI sat card, if I'm reading this correctly should I go with the Pinnacle card and ProgDVB?

It's just that I have the chance of a Skystar 2 card, and I would like to make sure I have a card that can handle the HDTV channel.

I'm running an Athlon 2400XP System with 1gig ram,80gig IDE HD,2 80gig SATA Drives, Radeon 9000 graphics under Windows XP, Is this system powerful enough?

[RecordablDVDfan]

It seems one of the best sat cards around is the Skystar 2. There is a review I found at :-

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sat-europa/message/140

Is there any limit on channel storage with any of these SAT cards ? Do any of them also decode the 4:2:2 channels ?

[Rittberg]

Originally posted by aligebes
It's just that I have the chance of a Skystar 2 card, and I would like to make sure I have a card that can handle the HDTV channel.

I can confirm that I am running Euro1080 perfectly smooth( 1920 X 1080P @ 75Hz ) using the SS2, DVBViewer (full version) SW & the Sonic Cinemaster filters.

P4 2.53, 512, Radeon 9700Pro, WinXP + SP1.
CPU usage = 25 - 35 %

Rittberg

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by Rittberg
I can confirm that I am running Euro1080 perfectly smooth( 1920 X 1080P @ 75Hz ) using the SS2, DVBViewer (full version) SW & the Sonic Cinemaster filters.

P4 2.53, 512, Radeon 9700Pro, WinXP + SP1.
CPU usage = 25 - 35 %

Rittberg

Let's have some mpegs then !

[ajb]

I second the request for Mpegs!

Andrew

[Rittberg]

Originally posted by RecordablDVDfan
Let's have some mpegs then !

Go to :

http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/files/Euro1080%20-%20Promo.zip

http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/files/Euro1080%20-%20New%20Sample.zip

Rittberg

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by Rittberg
Go to :

http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/files/Euro1080%20-%20Promo.zip

http://dvbportal.dyn1.de/files/Euro1080%20-%20New%20Sample.zip

Rittberg

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /files/Euro1080 - New Sample.zip on this server.

[Rittberg]

Originally posted by RecordablDVDfan
Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /files/Euro1080 - New Sample.zip on this server.

Opps,

If you like to test your system you can go to :
http://www.dvico.com/hdtv/download.asp

And you will find several clips(Don't DL the SD).

BTW - I don't know how to upload a large MPEG file from my HTPC :)

Rittberg

[RecordablDVDfan]

Amazing quality TFT makes all the difference for video like this. So this is how good Euro1080 is ?

I can only d/l the first clip though as password is needed for the rest

[Chris Muriel]

Is there any limit on channel storage with any of these SAT cards ? Do any of them also decode the 4:2:2 channels ?

The cards will receive 4:2:2 video (as used by some EBU broadcast links) as long as the Elecard s/ware codec is being used.
I know ProgDVB will support this.
Channel storage depends on the PC software that you are using.
For my Twinhan VP1020 & Broadlogic BL2030 cards, I use Hans' DVBApps. This reads/stores channels from a comma-delimited Excel file (CSV-file) - easy to edit in Excel.
The DVBApps software will not work with Skystar cards though
(see www.dvbapps.com for more details about his s/ware and the cards).

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

[RecordablDVDfan]

Originally posted by Rittberg
Opps,

If you like to test your system you can go to :
http://www.dvico.com/hdtv/download.asp

And you will find several clips(Don't DL the SD).

BTW - I don't know how to upload a large MPEG file from my HTPC :)

Rittberg

So are you running the Fusion II sat card ? I notice this has analogue and digital satellite reception but I can't find a price on any of the UK links given under 'where to buy'

[rigman]

We used a Zinwell STB outputting 720p into a Sim2 HT 300 Link DLP projector

Hi
do you know if the receiver outputs tri level sync? If I bought one of the JVC 4000 HD video recorders I need either a transcoder or a card for my projector to use it on my Barco 808s.

Would this still be the case with the HD sat receiver?

thanks
Darren

[Rittberg]

Originally posted by RecordablDVDfan
So are you running the Fusion II sat card ? I notice this has analogue and digital satellite reception but I can't find a price on any of the UK links given under 'where to buy'

In my HTPC is also installed the Dvico Fusion II card, I purchased this card when I was looking to have a reliable playback solution for HiDef (ATSC) material that I receive recorded on D-VHS tapes or HDD from US and Korea (Japanese - BS Material).
This card is not suitable for satellites (frequency spectrum) and for PAL broadcasting(only NTSC). But I find that beside the HiDef (ATSC) material playback capabilities, the card has a very good analogue input (better and cleaner than my previous Hauppauge Win-TV card ) So by connecting any analogue output (cable TV, VCR, etc) to the Fusion II S-video input and using the D-Scaler SW you get an excellent PQ.

In order to run the Euro1080 I am using the SS2 & DVBViewer SW.

You can find the Fusion II at Digital Connection US :
http://www.digitalconnection.com/Products/Video/fusion2.asp

I hope it helps,

Rittberg

[RecordablDVDfan]

Thanks for info but it may not be worth it as Euro1080 will be partly encrypted from May and fully from next year :-

> Our broadcastings are non-encrypted at this moment. From May on, new
material will be encrypted and from 2005 on, all material will be encrypted.
Therefore you will need the CA-card which should be for sale shortly and
will cost about a 100 euros. The signal is FTA afterwards, at least for the
first couple of years. I can't give you any more specific information on
this issue right now.

[LY2BIG]

Originally posted by Chris Muriel
there are also Ravisent codecs that will work if you have an ATI graphics card (works with my Radeon 8500LE-128 ok).

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

Chris,
I'll get my ATI's All-In-Wonder 9800-PRO in abt 1 week. It will go into P4 3.2G/2G RAM. What else I will need to get/decode the euro1080 signals, and feed them into PLV-70 PJ by DVI cable?

Finally I may get use of the 720p/1080i capabilities of my beloved SANYO projector..... :)

Anyone else you experienced guys can give a good advice?

Thanks,
Vic

[Chris Muriel]

A PCI satellite tuner card, dish aimed at Astra on 19 degrees east, Universal LNB for dish and a length of satellite quality coax cable ; then you need relevant software that will work with your sat-tuner card and include HD-capable video codecs (Elecard or, for ATI, Ravisent codecs that use some hardware acceleration inherent in later ATI cards).
You should be able to use your ATI's DVI output directly.

That's about it in a nutshell.

Chris Muriel,Manchester.