HDTV - Euro1080 facts- UK

[1Jazzy]

Hello everyone,

new here, already looked through various threads, but would be very helpful if someone could confirm the current situation with Euro1080/HD1 for the UK:
1. Is there really only one STB (from QualiTV, costs £500+) that can decode HD MPEG2?
2. If I obtain the STB and set up the dish etc, how and to whom do I pay the subscription? There is nothing on the www.hd1.tv webpages for this, they just say 'go speak to your local sat shop'.
3. HTPC: I understand that with a cheap DVB card, off-loading MPEG2 decoding to the CPU, is one way of doing it. BUT, there is MPEG4 coming, in fact HD1 has already probably started broadcasting in MPEG4. What about that? Taking a step back, is there a PC card I can use to watch Euro1080 in MPEG2 or even better, MPEG4?
Have built many PCs in the past, don't mind to build one for this, just need to clear up some facts about Euro1080.

Thanks in advance
A.S.

 

[Piers]

Welcome,

Hope that I can answer most of your questions:

1. There are 2 Quali TV boxes, one with a CA slot, one without. Pace also make one (but not sure if this has been released for public sale yet).

2. The receiver comes with a card which lasts until 2010.

3. Encryption is Irdeto 2 and the (Quali) STB does not do MPEG4 so I would be surprised if HD1 is also transmitting MPEG4.

 

[Rob20]

Is there anything actually worth watching on 1080 yet?

 

[Stephen Neal]

According to a recent magazine article HD-1 will be simulcast in MPEG4 and MPEG2 - with MPEG2 expected to continue until 2007 currently.

A PC card will potentially allow you to receive MPEG2 or MPEG4 with suitable software to display the video. However it is possible that many broadcasters will use the change-over from MPEG2 to MPEG4 to also introduce a change in modulation (i.e. how the data is actually broadcast - not what the data contains) - from DVB-S to DVB-S2. (This is also happening in the US - some services have moved over already, as it allows you get more real data onto the same transponder)

A PC card solution might not cope with the DVB-S2 transmission scheme - but then £50 for a card isn't a huge amount to lose out on I guess. £400 on a receiver is a different matter?

Of course Euro1080 may decide to continue with DVB-S standard modulation.

I got on to the Euro1080 e-mail list, it is possible to purchase a card (there is no subscription, just a one-off card purchase) from them directly I believe.

At the moment the channel is FTA during the afternoon, moving to encryption in the evenings I believe. There are satellite receiver cards with CAM slots that will accept the Irdeto decryption module I believe - I bought a Nova-S and CI interface on Ebay a while back - but haven't got round to installing it yet...