May 29, 2006
UPDATE: We've been discussing the Dreambox DM800 for ages now on the forums, but it looks like it's now being distributed over January 2008 to suppliers: DM8000 in March 2008 ??? Press-release, from Dream Multimedia - 29th May 2006 Dream revolutionises HDTV First HDTV receiver with hard drive and burner. Lünen, 29 May 2006. Dream, the leading producer of Linux-based ...
Dreambox DM8000 HD announced!
by BGonaSTICKUPDATE: We've been discussing the Dreambox DM800 for ages now on the forums, but it looks like it's now being distributed over January 2008 to suppliers: DM8000 in March 2008 ??? Press-release, from Dream Multimedia - 29th May 2006 Dream revolutionises HDTV First HDTV receiver with hard drive and burner. Lünen, 29 May 2006. Dream, the leading producer of Linux-based ...
May 24, 2006
Will I be able to watch the BBC HD trial on my Skystar card? This is a question that's been asked on a lot of forums, but the bottom line is only just starting to fall into place - so here's the latest word from the street. The BBC have now started their HD trial using DVB-S1, and will move to DVB-S2 at 'some point in the future'. This is pretty well accepted now, as more than one independent source has confirmed this as coming directly from the BBC in 1:1 correspondence. That 'some point in the future' will hopefully be after the World Cup, but that is NOT a ‘given’. The Skystar 1 and 2 cards (including all variants thereof) will not handle DVB-S2, so based on what the BBC have stated above, this is therefore not a long-term solution for BBC HD reception. The main reason then, that a whole heap of effort is going into keeping the Skystars afloat on the Hi-Def sea, is the hope of watching the World Cup. If you’re not a footy-fan, you may want to switch off now! The BBC transmissions will be in MPEG-4 and not MPEG-2 (the originally intended mode of the Skystars) from day one. Many people think that because the current decoding capabilities of the Skystar cards are limited to MPEG-2, that it's just not possible to push MPEG-4 encoded video into the front end of your card and get true Hi-Def out of the back of your computer. They think that High Definition means MPEG-4 and that MPEG-4 decoding is in turn solely a function of the chipset. The fact is that neither of those two statements is true. The first is known not to be true by many Skystar owners, who have been watching MPEG-2 HD test transmissions for some good while now. High definition simply means a 'High Definition' picture - a high resolution. It's not synonymous with MPEG-4 or DVB-S2 per se. It would be misleading though, to suggest that the future will not see these two standards adopted across the board for HD. MPEG-4 has many compression advantages (especially when combined with DVB-S2). That means less bandwidth, and that in turn means either more channels per transponder, or less cost per channel for the broadcasters.Read the full article on the Satellite TV Forum
BBC HD on my Skystar card?
byWill I be able to watch the BBC HD trial on my Skystar card? This is a question that's been asked on a lot of forums, but the bottom line is only just starting to fall into place - so here's the latest word from the street. The BBC have now started their HD trial using DVB-S1, and will move to DVB-S2 at 'some point in the future'. This is pretty well accepted now, as more than one independent source has confirmed this as coming directly from the BBC in 1:1 correspondence. That 'some point in the future' will hopefully be after the World Cup, but that is NOT a ‘given’. The Skystar 1 and 2 cards (including all variants thereof) will not handle DVB-S2, so based on what the BBC have stated above, this is therefore not a long-term solution for BBC HD reception. The main reason then, that a whole heap of effort is going into keeping the Skystars afloat on the Hi-Def sea, is the hope of watching the World Cup. If you’re not a footy-fan, you may want to switch off now! The BBC transmissions will be in MPEG-4 and not MPEG-2 (the originally intended mode of the Skystars) from day one. Many people think that because the current decoding capabilities of the Skystar cards are limited to MPEG-2, that it's just not possible to push MPEG-4 encoded video into the front end of your card and get true Hi-Def out of the back of your computer. They think that High Definition means MPEG-4 and that MPEG-4 decoding is in turn solely a function of the chipset. The fact is that neither of those two statements is true. The first is known not to be true by many Skystar owners, who have been watching MPEG-2 HD test transmissions for some good while now. High definition simply means a 'High Definition' picture - a high resolution. It's not synonymous with MPEG-4 or DVB-S2 per se. It would be misleading though, to suggest that the future will not see these two standards adopted across the board for HD. MPEG-4 has many compression advantages (especially when combined with DVB-S2). That means less bandwidth, and that in turn means either more channels per transponder, or less cost per channel for the broadcasters.Read the full article on the Satellite TV Forum
SKY Italia selects Pace for HD
bySKY Italia selects Pace for high definition launchPace press release, 22nd May 2006 Pace Micro Technology plc, the leading dedicated innovator of technology solutions for the payTV industry, has been selected by SKY Italia as a launch partner for its high definition (HD) TV service. Pace is supplying its next generation HD set-top box to SKY Italia - the DS815NS - part of the Pace HD family of products. The DS815 incorporates DVB-S2 technology - giving up to a 30% improvement in performance - and H.264 compression decoding to optimise bandwidth utilisation. It also comes with HDMI connectivity, with HDCP, to ensure secure transferral of data to HD-Ready displays.SKY Italia`s HD service launched on 17 May with live coverage of the European Champions League Cup Final. In June, SKY Italia will provide full coverage in HD of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Mark Williams, SKY Italia COO commented: "High definition is the ultimate way to enjoy television. We are very excited about our launch, especially with the FIFA World Cup only weeks away. Pace was a natural choice as an HD partner as we launched our initial digital service together and also recently our PVR service at the beginning of the year." Neil Gaydon, Chief Executive Officer added: "SKY Italia is among the first major payTV operators in Europe to start deploying HDTV - as Premiere is doing in Germany - and Pace has been the launch partner for both."It is our experience in delivering HDTV to the States over the last four years that has given us this lead in the development of the HD technologies for Europe. We are pleased that we can continue to build on this success with our key customers across Europe."
May 22, 2006
Sky has delayed the installation of high-definition TV (HDTV) in 17,000 homes because its supplier has failed to deliver enough set-top boxes.The satellite operator's HD service is launching with channels showing films, sport and entertainment. But many subscribers have been told they must wait several weeks for installation. Sky said "more than enough" boxes were ordered but not all had arrived, and it was "very sorry" to let people down. ...
Sky HDTV launch runs into trouble
by AnaloguesatSky has delayed the installation of high-definition TV (HDTV) in 17,000 homes because its supplier has failed to deliver enough set-top boxes.The satellite operator's HD service is launching with channels showing films, sport and entertainment. But many subscribers have been told they must wait several weeks for installation. Sky said "more than enough" boxes were ordered but not all had arrived, and it was "very sorry" to let people down. ...
May 17, 2006
Toecutter is on the move again.The huge pirate satellite TV forum Toecutter's Den appears to have had a bit of a clearout. The database has been emptied of all discussion threads, and the following message reposted by Toe in his inimitable style:THIS SITE IS DEAD AND SO IS TOECUTTERTHERE WILL BE A NEW ONE TO REPLACE IT THE URL WILL BE STARWARSBAR.COM SO WATCH THE URL A REJOIN WILL BE NEEDED AND I WILL BE F**KIN OFF THE BACK STABBERS THERE WILL BE ONE BOSS I'm sure everything will have changed again within a week.Good luck to Mike, whatever he does next.
Toecutter’s Den reinvents itself
byToecutter is on the move again.The huge pirate satellite TV forum Toecutter's Den appears to have had a bit of a clearout. The database has been emptied of all discussion threads, and the following message reposted by Toe in his inimitable style:THIS SITE IS DEAD AND SO IS TOECUTTERTHERE WILL BE A NEW ONE TO REPLACE IT THE URL WILL BE STARWARSBAR.COM SO WATCH THE URL A REJOIN WILL BE NEEDED AND I WILL BE F**KIN OFF THE BACK STABBERS THERE WILL BE ONE BOSS I'm sure everything will have changed again within a week.Good luck to Mike, whatever he does next.
May 16, 2006
I stumbled upon a little gem whilst, unbeknownst to my good lady wife, I was sniffing out some powerful yet cheap hardware to power my next project.
Amongst other things, I like to build my own PC's. Have done for many years. It's great fun, but it sort of has a 'dark' side.
Well come on then, what 'dark side'?
It's actually the technology itself.
Unless you're ...
If you ever wanted to build a fast, cheap PC…
by BGonaSTICKI stumbled upon a little gem whilst, unbeknownst to my good lady wife, I was sniffing out some powerful yet cheap hardware to power my next project.
Amongst other things, I like to build my own PC's. Have done for many years. It's great fun, but it sort of has a 'dark' side.
Well come on then, what 'dark side'?
It's actually the technology itself.
Unless you're ...
May 14, 2006
Just found out about a very exciting range of High Definition receivers waiting in the wings from Kaon. A well-know brand, with a good name in the satellite industry, they have a range of five STB's lined up for release at some time in the (hopefully) near future. One is a cable box, and one a purely terrestrial box, but the other three are very interesting to the satellite community. The KSF-S700 is the 'basic' High Definition satellite receiver, but looks very well put together. The KTSF-S700 is an intriguing satellite and terrestrial combination machine, whilst the star of the show is surely the beautiful looking KSF-S700H2.It's not just a pretty face either. Under the bonnet lies a pair of twin satellite tuners and, wait for it, a PVR facility!Here's the basic spec:- 2 Tuners PVR- Compliant MPEG-4/H.264 & Fully DVB-S2 (High Definition) - Simultaneous 6 Record and 1 playback - Simultaneous Time-shifting & Dual Recording - Dual Decoding from Live stream or Recorded stream (PIP: Picture-in-Picture)- MP3(MPEG-1 Layer-3) Transfer & Play from Internet via USB 2.0 - RGB and YPbPr and S-Video and CVBS and HDMI video Outputs- Powerful & Stable Trick mode - USB 2.0 support for Fast transfer via PCOh yes, it has the USB socket to boot, if you'll excuse the double entendre ;)It supports full 1080 resolution, Dolby AC-3 and has the essential HDMI connector (although only one).Read the full specification on the Satellite TV Forum
Dreaming of the Kaon KSF-S700H2
byJust found out about a very exciting range of High Definition receivers waiting in the wings from Kaon. A well-know brand, with a good name in the satellite industry, they have a range of five STB's lined up for release at some time in the (hopefully) near future. One is a cable box, and one a purely terrestrial box, but the other three are very interesting to the satellite community. The KSF-S700 is the 'basic' High Definition satellite receiver, but looks very well put together. The KTSF-S700 is an intriguing satellite and terrestrial combination machine, whilst the star of the show is surely the beautiful looking KSF-S700H2.It's not just a pretty face either. Under the bonnet lies a pair of twin satellite tuners and, wait for it, a PVR facility!Here's the basic spec:- 2 Tuners PVR- Compliant MPEG-4/H.264 & Fully DVB-S2 (High Definition) - Simultaneous 6 Record and 1 playback - Simultaneous Time-shifting & Dual Recording - Dual Decoding from Live stream or Recorded stream (PIP: Picture-in-Picture)- MP3(MPEG-1 Layer-3) Transfer & Play from Internet via USB 2.0 - RGB and YPbPr and S-Video and CVBS and HDMI video Outputs- Powerful & Stable Trick mode - USB 2.0 support for Fast transfer via PCOh yes, it has the USB socket to boot, if you'll excuse the double entendre ;)It supports full 1080 resolution, Dolby AC-3 and has the essential HDMI connector (although only one).Read the full specification on the Satellite TV Forum
May 11, 2006
UK television history is made, as the BBC begins FTA High Definition trialThe BBC is beginning the first public free-to-air high-definition television transmissions in the UK as part of a 12 month trial, ahead of the official launch of Sky HD, while research shows that licence fee payers expect the BBC to offer high-definition broadcasts as standard.Following the broadcast of a promotional preview from midday on 11 May, the BBC is planning to broadcast the first five episodes of the natural history documentary Planet Earth and sixteen episodes of the classic Dickens drama Bleak House over the Whitsun Bank Holiday from 27-29 May.Starting on 9 June, the BBC World Cup coverage will be simulcast in HD, as will major Wimbledon matches.From July onwards, the BBC will transmit high-definition highlights of drama, documentaries, events and music for a few hours each day.The broadcasts will initially be available to satellite television viewers with high-definition compatible receivers and displays. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which is launching a full HD service, will start installing compatible set-top boxes from 22 May, having received over 40,000 advance orders.The BBC HD channel will also be carried in some cable areas in time for the World Cup, following an agreement reached with NTL Telewest.Terrestrial reception will be limited to a BBC trial service in the London area, as there is currently not enough capacity available nationally for the high-definition broadcasts. Test streams have already been received in the capital.Research conducted by GfK NOP for the BBC showed that the majority of those sampled expected the BBC to broadcast in high-definition free-to-air on all platforms in the future.A representative sample of 1,500 respondents revealed that 73% had heard about high-definition television. Of those, 87% said they expected the BBC to broadcast in high definition in the future; 93% expected those broadcasts to be free to air; and 95% expected them to be available on satellite, terrestrial and cable television.“These are small but exciting first steps in the BBC’s ambition to offer the option of high definition to all in the future,” said BBC director of television Jana Bennett. “It’s clear that licence fee payers expect high-definition broadcasts from the BBC, the same way they have moved to colour television, widescreen, digital radio and online services with us in the past.”
BBC starts UK HD broadcasts today
byUK television history is made, as the BBC begins FTA High Definition trialThe BBC is beginning the first public free-to-air high-definition television transmissions in the UK as part of a 12 month trial, ahead of the official launch of Sky HD, while research shows that licence fee payers expect the BBC to offer high-definition broadcasts as standard.Following the broadcast of a promotional preview from midday on 11 May, the BBC is planning to broadcast the first five episodes of the natural history documentary Planet Earth and sixteen episodes of the classic Dickens drama Bleak House over the Whitsun Bank Holiday from 27-29 May.Starting on 9 June, the BBC World Cup coverage will be simulcast in HD, as will major Wimbledon matches.From July onwards, the BBC will transmit high-definition highlights of drama, documentaries, events and music for a few hours each day.The broadcasts will initially be available to satellite television viewers with high-definition compatible receivers and displays. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which is launching a full HD service, will start installing compatible set-top boxes from 22 May, having received over 40,000 advance orders.The BBC HD channel will also be carried in some cable areas in time for the World Cup, following an agreement reached with NTL Telewest.Terrestrial reception will be limited to a BBC trial service in the London area, as there is currently not enough capacity available nationally for the high-definition broadcasts. Test streams have already been received in the capital.Research conducted by GfK NOP for the BBC showed that the majority of those sampled expected the BBC to broadcast in high-definition free-to-air on all platforms in the future.A representative sample of 1,500 respondents revealed that 73% had heard about high-definition television. Of those, 87% said they expected the BBC to broadcast in high definition in the future; 93% expected those broadcasts to be free to air; and 95% expected them to be available on satellite, terrestrial and cable television.“These are small but exciting first steps in the BBC’s ambition to offer the option of high definition to all in the future,” said BBC director of television Jana Bennett. “It’s clear that licence fee payers expect high-definition broadcasts from the BBC, the same way they have moved to colour television, widescreen, digital radio and online services with us in the past.”
May 8, 2006
Satellite broadcaster BSkyB will begin installing its high-definition television boxes in the UK and Ireland on 22 May, after receiving 40,000 advance orders since 13 April when the UK's dominant pay-TV supplier began taking bookings from the general public. The number of orders for the long-awaited service is higher than the total number of sales of the Sky+ personal video recorder in its first year. The buzz surrounding Sky HD—which promises pictures four times sharper than standard definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound—has seen sales forecasts for this year rise from 1.4m units to 2m, with the cumulative total expected to be 2.7m at the end of 2006. Sky HD will also launch its programming line-up on 22 May. Highlights for the day and the rest of the month include live Test match cricket between England and Sri Lanka, and the Guinness Premiership rugby union final. There will also be US drama series 24 and Rescue Me, and a number of recent hit movies such as 2005's final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, and the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit In The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Sky HD will cost £10 per month in addition to a Sky digital subscription (currently priced between £15 and £42.50 per month). Subscribers will also pay £299 for set-top box that will incorporate a 160GB hard drive, allowing them to record 30 hours of high-definition programmes or 80 hours of standard definition content using the full functionality of Sky+. Last month, the satellite broadcaster offered HD customers £100 cash back on new Sony BRAVIA HD Ready TVs as part of a marketing tie-up between Sky and Sony UK. Of all televisions sold in February 2006 with a screen of 26 inches or larger, 46% were HD-ready, compared to just 3.4% in the same period a year earlier.
Sky HD advance orders hit 40,000
bySatellite broadcaster BSkyB will begin installing its high-definition television boxes in the UK and Ireland on 22 May, after receiving 40,000 advance orders since 13 April when the UK's dominant pay-TV supplier began taking bookings from the general public. The number of orders for the long-awaited service is higher than the total number of sales of the Sky+ personal video recorder in its first year. The buzz surrounding Sky HD—which promises pictures four times sharper than standard definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound—has seen sales forecasts for this year rise from 1.4m units to 2m, with the cumulative total expected to be 2.7m at the end of 2006. Sky HD will also launch its programming line-up on 22 May. Highlights for the day and the rest of the month include live Test match cricket between England and Sri Lanka, and the Guinness Premiership rugby union final. There will also be US drama series 24 and Rescue Me, and a number of recent hit movies such as 2005's final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, and the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit In The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Sky HD will cost £10 per month in addition to a Sky digital subscription (currently priced between £15 and £42.50 per month). Subscribers will also pay £299 for set-top box that will incorporate a 160GB hard drive, allowing them to record 30 hours of high-definition programmes or 80 hours of standard definition content using the full functionality of Sky+. Last month, the satellite broadcaster offered HD customers £100 cash back on new Sony BRAVIA HD Ready TVs as part of a marketing tie-up between Sky and Sony UK. Of all televisions sold in February 2006 with a screen of 26 inches or larger, 46% were HD-ready, compared to just 3.4% in the same period a year earlier.
May 2, 2006
Scientists are preparing to enter a new era of mega-accurate timekeeping, in a significant move away from the traditional atomic clock. Very accurate clocks are vital in telecommunications, GPS, and other modern technological applications. The new technology will actually redefine time.
Strontium resonates 429,228,004,229,952 times each second, that being one of the reasons it enables more accurate time measurement.
Traditional Caesium-based atomic clocks have been ...
Anyone got the right time?
by BGonaSTICKScientists are preparing to enter a new era of mega-accurate timekeeping, in a significant move away from the traditional atomic clock. Very accurate clocks are vital in telecommunications, GPS, and other modern technological applications. The new technology will actually redefine time.
Strontium resonates 429,228,004,229,952 times each second, that being one of the reasons it enables more accurate time measurement.
Traditional Caesium-based atomic clocks have been ...Sky Italia boosts capacity for HD
bySKY ITALIA BOOSTS EUTELSAT HOT BIRD™ CAPACITY TO SUPPORT LAUNCH OF SKY HDParis, 2 May 2006SKY Italia, Italy’s leading pay-TV platform which broadcasts exclusively from Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood, has unveiled its planning for the launch this month in Italy of its new SKY HD package dedicated to HDTV content.In order to support its expansion into HDTV, SKY Italia began leasing an additional HOT BIRD™ transponder on 1 May, taking its total capacity used across Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD satellites to 18 transponders. The new service will launch on 17 May with live coverage of the European Champions League Cup Final. In June, SKY Italia will provide full coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, enabling subscribers with HD-ready equipment to benefit from panoramic views and razor-sharp detail of all 64 matches. Broadcasting in DVB S2 with MPEG4 compression, SKY Italia will be able to accommodate up to five HDTV channels in a single HOT BIRD™ transponder.Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, SKY Italia will launch its HD bouquet, with channels dedicated to movies, sports and general entertainment. Access to the SKY HD package will cost €7 per month, in addition to the main subscription. Subscriptions will be available from 8 May.Commenting on the upcoming HD launch, Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO said “We are delighted that our HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood, which ten years ago accompanied the launch of Europe’s first digital video channels in DVB, is also the platform of choice for commercial HDTV broadcasting to satellite homes. SKY Italia’s move into HD further consolidates the important role it plays in Italy’s dynamic television market and opens the door to a new broadcasting experience for Italian TV homes”.This new offer will take SKY Italia's channel line-up to over 160 TV and radio channels serving a subscriber base in Italy of more than 3.6 million homes.
