DVB-T PC Card -MPEG4?

Myxomatosis

I'm planning on ordering a DVB-T card, possibly a analog-digital hybrid, later on tonight.

As we all know the future Irish DTT will be mostly done in MPEG4, but current DVB-T cards were probably designed with MPEG2 in mind.

With DVB-S, there is DVB-S2, although you do no require DVB-S2 to view for example BBC-HD which obviously uses MPEG4/H.264

So, would I be totally wrong in thinking that a DVB-T card will take in the data packets not really caring about the content and pass them onto an application to decode them.

Or will the structure of the data packets be totally different for MPEG4 to work and current DVB-T cards will not work?

watty

The software that comes with the card may not do MPEG4

Many cards, especially hybrids have terrible SW and don't work with 3rd party software.
You also need x4 CPU power for MPEG4 codec and x16 CPU or GPU for HD 1920x1080 MPEG4 codec.

I've returned three DVB-t /Analogue adaptors so far.

Myxomatosis

I was buying a wireless router last night and I decided that I might as well buy a tuner and hope for the best when the time comes. Plus it makes me feel I'm getting more value out of the delievery cost, buy spending an extra 50euro, go figure.

TerraTec Cinergy HT PCI

I was having a look at the minimum reciever spec on http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/ and the Transport Stream for Mpeg2, Mpeg4 SD + HD are all the same standard. (ISO/IEC 13818-1[3])

I'll install the TV card using the BDA drivers, allowing at least Media Center and MediaPortal to use it, and decode using me Raddy and X2 5600+

Myxomatosis

Well I got the card and did a quick digital scan using an oldish 'one all for' indoor aerial and I'm picking up all the digital channels coming from Mt Leinster.

The reception is a bit variable so the video / audio is very choppy.

I get signal strength of 99 and quality at best 60 or so. When I stick the aerial out the window and if I hold it steady enough pointing at the mast on Mt Leinster I can get quality up to 88 which means the video / audio is perfect.

As the crow flies I probably live 5 miles from the mast with clear line of sight to the house.

Would I get away with an indoor aerial like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=220879&&source=14&doy=7m6

Or would I be better off getting something thing like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=97488&doy=7m6

Or maybe even one of these guys:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36354&&source=14&doy=7m6

Infact, is there a guide anywhere which explains aerials?

Sam Russell

If you put the antenna at rooftop height pointing at the mast, almost any antenna will do a good job, if you get a good analogue signal, you will get a perfect digital one. The wideband unit costing 15 pounds would be the best bet.

Myxomatosis

I got a bit of coax cable, striped the end and stuck it out the window, plugged the other end into the TV card. Getting a solid 70 quality. Obviously a very strong signal in the area I live. And apparently it's only

The Cinergy HT PCI is very good. The software that comes with it is good, nice remote control + IR receiver, FM aerial, and svideo/composite input. It seems to install as three different BDA devices, an analog device, a digital device and a capture device.

So third party applications that don't support analog like DVBViewer just use the digital device and it works perfectly well with it.

HD Ireland works on the card so hopefully that bods well for the future. Plant Earth in HD is savage cabbage.

I'm VERY impressed with the EPG that RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4 have. 8 days of listings with details. I'm used to the now and next EPG that comes from FTA satellite.

I have the USB version of your card. Works grand for HD Ireland but Oireachtas TV requires Windows Vista with TerraTec's bundled software (so if it stays that way you'll need Vista for the official service). It works fine with DVBViewer on XP though.