FTA (422) format

[fergiz]

Hi guys,

Can someone please explain to me what "equipment" is required to view feeds in 422 format?
I have seen feeds listed as this format but I am unable to pick them up, do I need a special reciever or a PC card or what?

regards... fergiz

[$ly]

A simple SkyStar2 will do it for you, or I run an original Skystar1 in software mode to achieve the same effect.
A Qualitv HD reciever wil also do it but for about £450 more.

Rgds


L.

[BGonaSTICK]

LOL, beat me to it Lancelot

I nicked this from a m8 on another forum, and it explains 4:2:2 nicely. I'm sure he won't mind me reproducing it here


[quote=haggard]To explain 4.2.2 and 4.1.1 etc would take a long tutorial. If there's a wish I can write one that is technically correct.
For here, cutting corners:
To record or transmit an RGB pic at top resolution takes far too much bandwidth. So although the pics we get are 720x576, there is some averaging/compressing, spatial and temporal, to get the stream down to e.g. 4Mbps.
Full RGB is called 4.4.4 because averaging is usually done on a block of 4 pixels (2x2) and there is no averaging in RGB i.e. 4 R pixels, 4 G pixles and 4 B.
Now it has been long known that the eye is more sentive to b/w (called Y) so it is usual to record/TX all Y pixels.
Therefore before recording or TXing, the colour space is rotated from RGB into (say) YUV. Y is now R+G+B. The other two components are chosen to be the ones that fox the eye best. Studio recordings and live txs are moved about in 4.2.2 which means there is horizonal averaging of 2 pixels in the 2x2 block. This is the format on e.g. a digital beta tape. This is what is shipped in a 4.2.2 TX, the sort you are talking about, 4 Y pixles, 2 U pixels and 2 V pixels per block of 4.
mpeg2 does even more averaging over the 4 pixels and you will typically get 4.1.1 which means 4 b/w pixels bit just 1 each of the colour combinations in a block of 4. DVD is the same. "PAL" is less compressed than "NTSC". The quotes means that the terms PAL and NTSC are legacy names because the encoding is no longer old PAL.

Now hear this. If you want to watch 4.2.2 at home, you will need something that will convert it into a stream understood by your receiver, PC or Mac or TV. e.g. I have a YUV input to my TV but the receiver (DB) converts the mpeg to analogue YUV. YOu may have a brill receiver or nice software but it is probably not as good as the pro converters that change 4.2.2 into mpeg at the up]

STICK

[fergiz]

Thanks for the answers guys.

Stick.... that was post 666 you made

If I'm a good boy Mrs fergiz might buy me one for my birthday
Does the skystar2 have any other attributes that my technomate 1500CI+ does not?
I know for example that it can be used with your PC to record programes, can it be used for feedhunting?

[$ly]

Indeed it can.
There is a lot of software written for it , and freely available too.
A very good ,cheap,and versatile reciever. You'll have loads of fun with it.
Had my PCI card for many trouble free years and wouldn't be without it.

Rgds


L.

[fergiz]

Sounds good, I had better get the dyson out.

[BGonaSTICK]

I don't think the Dyson can do 4:2:2

The Marigold 3 is also a winner if you're after new hardware, or maybe you could try gently adjusting Mrs Fergiz into the horizontally polarised position?

The Skystar 2 is a bit of a toy TBH, but it will teach you more about satellite than virtually anything else out there. Don't forget it does DVB-S High Definition too

It doesn't like one or two GeForce4 motherboards though. Check before you buy.

[fergiz]

I've been such a good boy recently that Mrs fergiz has let me order a "Skystar 2", 2 months before my birthday. It should arrive next week sometime, so prepare yourselves for some stupid questions from me in the "Satellite TV on my PC" forum on how to set it up.


regards... fergiz.

[BGonaSTICK]

Cool

Grab yourself the latest version of ProgDVB from www.progdvb.com (currently V4.72.5)

Also grab yourself a copy (from the same download page) of V4.56.2. You may need to fall back to this version if you have problems, but I think the latest version has restabilised now after a major rewrite.

You might also want to consider upgrading to a twin LNB if you're running two receivers.

If you'll be using the Skystar to drive a DiSEqC motor, then read on. If not - don't bother!

You may have to use one of the slightly older drivers and DiSEqC plugins from elsewhere in this section. The current drivers are at V4.4.0, but the latest version supported by the plugin is V4.3.0 (though there is a test version of 4.4.0 floating about AFAIK).

I have a copy of the original Technisat 4.3.0 drivers if you can't find them anywhere else.

Confused?

Basically, you have to install the original driver software, and then overwrite just the SkyNET.sys file with the patched version of the same version number. This only applies to DiSEqC motors.

STICK

[fergiz]

Hi STICK,

Thanks for your reply, The main reason I am getting the Skystar 2 is for the 422 feeds, let me give you an idea of my set-up at home and I will try to explain what I would like to do.

I have a laptop and 2 PC's wirelessly networked in the house with one of the PC's connected with the null modem cable to my TM 1500CI+ and audio cables to the DVD player. I also have a Freeview box connected to the DVD player and the TV obviously. I use the freeview box through the DVD surround sound to listen to the five live (etc) commentary whilst watching the footie.

Now, I was hoping I would be able to use the SS2 connected to the "loop through" on the TM 1500 but I'm not quite sure if or how this works. I know this is possibly not the way to get the best out of the Skystar 2 but I will probably change to the twin LNB set-up at a later date.

My apologies if this post is confusing, I'm not great at explaining things at the best of times, never mind when I'm not even sure what I'm talking about.


:roflmao:


Regards.. fergiz