strong 4663x is ok,do you know that the strong we are using in nigeria is a clone one. The original strong should cost more than 30k. I came accross strong 4663x yesterday in osodi and I checked the webforum of strong and i saw the software for art outo update software for this strong.

Enitan, I was the one who sent you a text on Discom; I still get their frequency on CH29 but no content, although I am using Strong 4650 terestrial box with a down converter. I am very sure that the difference we are talking about here is not on the frequency but modulation. DVB-C uses QAM, while DVB-T uses COFDM; now the question here is, are you sure we are not mistaken? because, Trend uses 64QAM in modulation and they call it DVB-T. I shall continue the research, I am sure DVB-T can receive DVB-C; may be with additional hardware. Research also shows that DVB-T is a modified DVB-C of 1995 which was born in 1997.

@ mecussey,
i thought you promised to call me last midnite, but you didnt, i need more clarification on that your discovery.

@ justx24,
i will definitely send the info u need as a text message to your phone

@ badaru,
didnt you have a look at my lst post, will you be free by next weekend?

@ OLA,
how far with that your installation yesterday, i would have really like to give you a midnite call today, but 'madam' needs to talk to me through out this nite, so i wont be able to make that call maybe next time.

And to all those who will be calling me this midnite, am sorry to say i wont be able to attend to you, maybe i will be able to do that by tomorrow nite

You are my real guys. i have strong receiver 4653,and when ever i use 6969 am asked to punch keys. can somebody help me out, please. i stay in jos.

hi guys been reading this forum for almost a year. live in abuja have a 1.8m dish but cant get mbc persia FOX MOVIES,SPACE TOON ENGLISH, ART sprt1-9, show cinemas,comedys,national geo basicly channels on atlantic bird 4.

Badaru,

Please fill in the blank spaces. when u say the 4661 is ok, do u mean it works just like the normal strong we know and are used to. are the screen displays similar, does it open encrypted channels like etv, does it accept softcams, or can u manually edit the keys by pressing 8282, is it like the normal strong we know, i guess that is what i am basically asking. another thing is the pvr function it has, have u been able to try it out, is it only flash drives it supports or does it take usb external hdd? quite a lot of questions bah, please fill us in if u can.
also about the original strong decoders costing around N30,000. i seriously doubt that, cos that translates to above 200 dollars which isn't what i see been qouted at all these online sites, and since it is the mytv guys sponsoring it, it would account for why they are cheaper, but then again, i will not pretend to be knowlegable about that subject.

please house i need ur help, i am using Hitv i tried searching for FTA channels, there is no audio/ video signal. what do i do to get the signal.

all,
OSMI feed for UEFA Champions league and premiership free to air matches,etc, on NSS703 C-band 57*East (3912 Vertical 2220).It is a closely guarded parameter amongst partner tv stations but I took the risk giving all c-band owners.I just got the new additional feed used for OSMI a few minutes ago.It is on 4055 vertical 25999 C-Band NSS 703.GOFITEC,Mide2008 and other C-band users,please note it.The signal strength is always around 56%.

Nilesaters,
Showtime/ART keys have been out since Thursday.Please enjoy it while it lasts.I watched all the Premiership matches live this weekend through Showtime Sports 1-4 and Showtime Maghreb.ART sports also show Uefa champions league.Please get a Nilesat system as RDV is out.Mide2008 informed me on Friday that there is a 0.2db ku band quad lnbf called GSAT which is stronger than Fuji.It is being used by two of his friends in Ibadan and Osogbo who were using Fuji on 3m dish.He is yet to find time to come down to lagos to get one for himself though he might not really need it as he has a 3.6m dish.According to him,the moment they installed the new lnbf,all the weak signals shot up by about 15%.Even the weak Showtime sports are now seen 24hrs a day instead of 18hrs.I went to Alaba Market almost immediately to get the wonder lnbf but lo and behold,it disappointed me as it was weaker than the Fuji and Strong.So,I had to return the Fuji on the Nilesat after spending 6hours troubleshooting it(1-7pm today).I saw hell before I could get it at Alaba.Just two sellers have it.Mide's friends got it at N2500 at Alaba but the guys insisted on collecting N3000.Fuji is now N2000 at Alaba while a digital satellite finder goes for N1300.Showtime and ART are the best on satellite for now.

badaru1/mide2008/Pitodenz/gangsta/Nilesat gurus,
what could have gone wrong with the GSAT lnbf inspite of the perfect parameters which worked perfectly for Fuji and Strong.The lnbf is working but it gives me 56% on BBC World while Fuji gives me 70%.What could have gone wrong with mine as the two other users of GSAT on 3m dish are really enjoying the boosted signals on it?

Folo,
I think I will drop the GSAT for you to try on your system.In case you cant make use of it,I would give it out to any other Nilesat user especially Obnelly to try.I think both of you need to adjust your fuji lnbf to get better signals especially with the keys now out.I checked your dish pix again,and found out that you need to bring down the lnbf a bit with the cable pointing towards the south east while facing the dish.I will try to get the pix of mine by next weekend.and finally

Enitan,
I really mean every bit of the word DISAPPOINTMENT.Why should you come up with a research and decide to use us as 'guinea pigs'?When you came up with the now controversial dvb-t/dvb-c topic,I told you about my skepticism about its availability at Alaba.You said you were 100% sure we will get the second hand there.I spent 2 hours at Alaba on Saturday morning looking for a dvb-c set that is out of circulation,even in the UK.You confirmed your confusion in your post yesterday by stating that it is very scarce in the UK,yet you made Linksman and I to waste valuable time at Alaba after giving the impression that we will find it there.Even,the Alaba guys were genuinely shocked to learn that somebody could fool me to believe I could find dvb-c recievers in the market.In fact,I saw a very small dvb-t somebody brought in from UK for sale.It looks like a photo camera.Please stop working on assumptions.A lot of the gurus expressed their reservations on this and other assumptions of yours.Please tender your apology to Linksman and others who went on a wild goose chase to Alaba.The next time you are working on a new discovery,please conclude it before announcing.Nothing stops you from going to the market to check for its availability instead of using us.My house is about 120km to Alaba while yours is less than 40km,yet you didnt go there to conclude your findings.On your argument with IWES,I think the guy is making some sense except for the yagi antenna being able to convert dvb-t to dvb-c.That got me confused.I think both of you should deliberate on it instead of flexing knowledge muscles.I am interested in seeing a breakthrough for cable users from both of you.I remember when mide2008 told me about GSAT,he specifically mentioned the fact that he saw it working excellently at his friends' residences and not his.He did the honourable thing.Even though I am yet to enjoy the GSAT I bought,he is not liable and still remains my pal.He is very reliable and always careful about his research as he tries hard to avoid altercations and controversy.oko Chioma,Please dont think I am lambasting you.I am just being blunt,speaking out my mind and that of some aggrieved senior gurus.Regards.

Cable users,
Yesterday,I got information from a pal who is the former manager of Discom cable satellite,Ikeja that their system is customised i.e.,their dvb-c receiver can not be tampered with just like DSTV decoder.You can get it from only the company and accredited agents.Besides,the company has a limited quantity of the decoder as it is being phased out in Europe where it is manufactured.Forget about geting any second hand at Alaba.You can now see the reason I felt bad about my Alaba trip on Saturday.The guy still makes jest of me over it.

Orokoyo,
please try Fuji lnbf or GSAT if you can get it in Abuja.You can make use of my 0.2db GSAT if you can hook up with me in Lagos before October.If it works fine,then keep it.

@Gangstar101

Presently am using strong 4663x in my house,it has all the features of 4651x-4653x in addition to pvr function which it carries out via external hard disk through usb. I got the current software yesterday with art auto update. Let me tell u something,from past experience of strong which I ve been using since 2001,the update of all other strong may cease so as to create market for this.

@Enitan2002,
I am back to the forum after a short break. However, I visit this forum on daily basis and I have been amused by the recent postings on DVB-C, DVB-T and DVB-S topics. Well, Let me not post anything on that since I am not a guru in DVB-C and DVB-T. I am Just busy trying to discover if there are some useful 'extra' FTA frequencies and feeds on PAS7/10 within the following frequency ranges: (i) between 11170 - 11472 MHz (a 'space' of 302 MHz) and, (ii) between 11674 - 12522 MHz (a 'space of 848 MHz). I am fully convinced that there must be some good stuff in these 'spaces'!! Does anyone know what feed frequency eTV uses to transmit UEFA matches and other sports to broadcasting stations in Africa? (note that I do not mean the 12722 V 26657 on PAS 10). To all gurus in the house, if you come across something in these frequency ranges let us know. I promise that as soon as I get something I will shout "I have found it!!" on this forum, for the benefit of all to rescan their FTA decoders.
Kind regards.

@All

I returned to Abuja about 2 weeks ago. So am back again fully to the forum.

I have now joined the league of Enitan, Azeezbaba and Pitodenz (and also the others who might take the risk) in the frying of decoders. I "successfully" fried my 4653x yesterday after loading a patch. The patched was successfully loaded and the system information showed it was updated to 1.67P.

However, the decoder tripped off after working for about 3 hours and all effort to revived it proved abortive. Thank God, the 4650 was still in the house so i quickly switched to it so that my daughters can enjoy MBC3. I hope to get a new (original) decoder soon. Now, I believe strongly that most of the 4653X in the market are all fake.

@BADARU
You didn't send the patch as promised. Anyway, how is the Humax and Nano decoders? how much do they go for in Naija. Can they open eTV and ART/showtime? Please let me know.

@ toxnaija,
I personally am very disappointed at your outburst, well am not surprised cos for any controversy to happen here in the forum, you will surely be in the centre of it.
I still maintain this, i owe nobody an apology for the conclusion i came about concerning the the DVB-T/C i research.
I categorically stated that for those who are really intrested should make that trip, and linksman made that, though he wasnt disappointed about the trip he got some new findings, no knowledge is lost at all.
I now see the reason you didnt pick up my midnite call, i'm just reading your post now, never knew you've posted that last nite, if i had read it i wouldnt bother calling you.
I still maintain my stand on the DVB-T/C, and dont think because you are in the broadcast world you know everything concerning, what i think you know is only presentation and making adverts.
I, in some few months back will become a certified telecommunication engineer, and so i know what i say my brother, i dont need anyone to tell me what i know.
I am also the simple type but let out the other part of me out when am 'touched', i can become very ruthless, cos i believe in the saying: 'Live and let others live'.
You always think , , let me save that for another time.

@ all,
dont ever get discouraged, and thats teh main problem we have in Nigeria, we get easily discouraged when things dont come easily to us, there're some things that needs to be achieved when you go an extra mile, and i think some guys here l;ike OLA, justx24, badaru, dont give up easily on things like this. I will still pursue my research till the end.
You mentioned that i should have made that trip to ALABA, do you know what am going through at the moment that didnt allow me moving about, am not even suppose to be posting regularly on this forum, its just because of the love i have for satellie and not for anybody that makes me come here on a regularly basis, and also because i have an internet connection right at my desktop.

My advice to you is dont start what you wont be able to finish, cos it's like i've been pushed to the wall, and i am left with nothing to come back at you, i have no any other option, and who do you think you are for demanding an apology from me to the whole house, there;re so many people that have already gone out in search for this guys like linksman, OLA e.t.c these are the 1st set of people to make that trip and werent successful about it, but that dont make the whole findings to be fake. These guys should be the one that are really worth me giving my apology to (only if there's need for that).
Though, you might be far advanced than me in respect of my age, but a young person also need to receive respect from the olders ones.

It seems there'll be a little diversion from this topic for the next few days because of this

I couldn 't have believed that Toxinaija would sound so ****** . Do you think scientists or inventors initiate what they research on? What is wrong in somebody presenting a research he cannot finish; for anyone who is interested to continue from where he or she stopped. I am very disappointed on how you sounded so naïve; if engineers, scientists or technicians, should work or think like you; there wouldn’t have been results.

Let me not digress from the topic, from the latest research; the only difference between DVB-T and DVB-C is in modulation. DVB-C uses between 16 and 256 QAM modulation, while DVB-T max is 64QAM, and I think DISCOM is on 128. I still get their frequency on CH29, 538MHZ but the Strong 4650 DVB-T+ box could not demodulate it. Note their line of site is not in the same direction with that of Trend but about 5 degrees left from that of Trend’s. Another option to this is to replace your DVB-T tuner with that of DVB-Cs; which may not be found, otherwise buy a DVB-T/DVB-C PCI card for your PC. All these, I have not tested critics please don’t crucify me. I also learnt that a full DVB-T set top box is now in USB flash drive with its antennae for $34, who knows how possible is that?

Enitan, sorry for the disappointment; midnight call is not an easy thing after all day hard work. lol

Enitan/Toxnaija,

No, there will be no diversion from the FTA issues being discussed here, because you guys are not going to start a posting war here, since u both know each other personally and have your personal nos, i suggest you call yourselves and thrash this thing out. Too many people here hold both of u in high esteem cos u guys are probably the most regular posters on this thread, so don't do any damage to your images, always remember 'Whatever you post on the Net, stays on the net' .

Toxnaija,

About the LNB stuff, there is this thing installers do when they are trying to install nilesat, they  remove the dielectric plate at the base of the decoder and saw off the metal part that it is attached to before mounting, this gives a significant gain in the reception of signals originating from a distance such as nilesat, and can be the difference between receiving poor signals like showtime/cnn or not. if your new decoder is similar to the supermax decoder you can try this, or alternatively ask mide2008 to ask his friends if that was what they did. all the best.

Badaru

thanks for the info, i appreciate your taking your time to answer and with such good details too. it seems that decoder wouldn't be such a bad acquisition. but regarding that humax decoder, if i remember correctly u once said it can take the JSC dcw's, so do u still open jsc sports with it, and more importantly, how i did u get it, cos i have searched in four different towns but couldnt get it, and finally does it open ART/Showtime as well? thanks

@ Enitan/Toxnaija,
i love u guys three much!!!!! i never knew u guys cared about me this much to the extent you decided to include me smack right in the middle of una lovers quarrel!!!!
bottomline is, kisss and make up because i have a DVB-C decoder to hunt down, be it at alaba or kafanchan!!!!! and i need u guys by my side for technical support when i finally locate one.
if this is another plan of Nilesaters to discourage me from getting my beloved mbc2,4 and action here in Lagos, abeg e no go work oooo!!!!!!! . to me this DVB-C stuff is the only solution for those of us who don't have space to mount 1.8m or 3.6m dishes in another man's compound!!!!
@ all,
abeg, let the research flow like ocean waves!!!!!!!
if at the end of the day, i can not find a tokunbo DVB-C decoder to buy, then discom office here i come!!!!! shikena

@Toxnija & Enitan

Please guys you are suppose to lead by example. Sorry Both you guys. Trust me , the trip to Alaba is sometimes very hash on your systems. So i understand what toxy guy is saying , but don't take it out on poor brother Enitan, hes just trying to let us all into the stuff is working on lately. With the response from members I think it got the forum going again. At least information are passed on and we are learning , new stuff. Enitan really did not mean any wrong with his information. So please Toxy you don't need it , and in fact i saw your message as a joke, Please let it all go. Enitan you dont have to apologies to anyone, but you can try and be the peace maker.


@all

Interesting topic in the house now and am with you guys all the way, Trust me , want to be among the first to break any DVB-c/t signal in the country. Don't think senate go have time to make any law against such, abi e don day our law book

justx24

@ enitan
bros, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Abeg control ur anger.I know how u re feeling about this.I ll always give ur research 100% and still waiting for someone to prove u wrong with PORTHARCOURT CMTV CABLE COMPANY.

@ TOX
thanks for the osmi feed frequency.But our people say A WINE TAPPER DOES NOT SAY EVERYTHING HE SAW ON TOP OF PALM TREE.Plz these should end here.
About th gsat lnbf,go to any dstv dealer and ask for it, the one u bought in alaba might not be the original one.u can also try SHOP lnbf its also form dstv and its 0.2db.

@ badaru
we all know that the strong receiver we re using re all clone,but at least it is our own standard and it from the company direct.See, the different is that,though all this receivers work the same but in case of damage,these fake receivers re irreversible.
But is not like the 4666x (or whatever ) might not be the same standard with the original strong receiver from company,but who knows?

@ enitan
i ll post all the details u need for ur 1.8m dish setup later but hey! dont go buy anything till u got my message this because of ur space problem.
enjoy!

@ pitodenz,
i've heard that so i will waiting for further instructions from you, thanks so much

@gangsta101
Humax can open art/showtime in addition to jsc. It also has acrd sharing facility. Go to kano rd by ahmadu bello way kaduna,you will get it.

@pitodenz,this model of strong is from the same that produce 4653x and co. Go to strong you find all the info. There is no so much diference bw 4653x and 4663x. Everything is the same except pvr functions.

Badaru,

The thing is that i have checked that area at least twice, although i have to admit that i didn't go to every shop sha, but i'll go back in a few minutes. do u have any shop in particular that i should check?

Why must Toxnaija be the only person here (apart from me ) that will be attacking members directly.
Its quite unfortunate that a respected Guru like Enitan2002 will be your victim.  Even if he has made any mistake, is there no private way of telling him that? Its sad too because you always demand for apologies, why? If anybody is to apologize  its not Enitan2002.

Enitan doesn't deserve any attack from anyone on this forum because he has sacrificed a lot.

Well done Nairalanders.

I have got 3 questions for you gurus;

1. Is it possible to track Eutelsat W2 with DSTV dish size?

2. If I want to track Nilesat with 1.8m dish, are there any specific height I need to meet to be able to get it right?

3. And which Satellites can I track with Ku Band Dish (DSTV Size) in Nigeria, Lagos precisely.

dcollins14:

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[quote][/quote]
WTF How is this FTA related?

All of sudden there is so much "Ego" going around this forum. i really don't know what the big deal is in tracking satellite and mounting dishes. you don't see Bill Gates or Steve Jobs going around calling themselves gurus. most of what you guys credit to your self are readily available on the internet anyway.

there are a million and one dedicated FTA forums on the internet and you don;t see people attacking themselves or criticizing another member's grammar. abeg enough is the enough. if your post is useful am sure people will commend you, if not so be it.

Oga Moderator, i believe that it's time you take charge. all these ego tripping is beginning to give headaches.

@ All

Below is an information I got from the web about DVB. I hope you find it useful.



Doom9
8th May 2004, 16:39
When I decided to get started with DVB, I was in for a rough ride. I couldn't find a site that told me everything I really needed to know, and so even though I already has a basic knowledge when I went to a store for the first time, I was still at the mercy of the salespeople. This is an attempt to give you some of the information I think might be useful to you, and which helps you to become a better informed customer.

The DVB standard currently consists of 3 major parts:

DVB-S
DVB-C
DVB-T

The last letter indicates the way the signal is transmitted. DVB-S is based on satellites, DVB-C is based on the cable network in your house, and DVB-T is based on terrestrial transmission. All technologies supercede existing analogue TV via satellite, cable and terrestrial antenna. But the DVB standard is broader than just -S/-C/-T. DVB-H (http://www.dvb.org/documents/white-papers/wp07.DVB-H.final.pdf) is an upcoming standard to broadcast TV content to mobile devices like PDAs or mobile phones. DVB-S2 (http://www.dvb.org/documents/white-papers/wp06.DVB-S2.final.pdf) is an extension of the DVB-S standard which is both more efficient than the existing DVB-S standard, and offers more services. It is also geared towards the transmission of HDTV content.

Before we get started a bit more info about satellite reception, which is currently the most commonly used way to consume DVB content. You need a satellite dish that is pointed into a fixed direction (unless you use a system with a motor, in this case your dish has to be repositioned to receive from a different satellite). Yet, it is still possible to receive from more than one satellite using just one dish. All you need is satellites that are not too far apart (satellite positions are usually indicated in degrees East / West - those correspond to the geographical of a satellite. Here's a list of satellites: http://www.lyngsat.com/), and an LNB (low noise blocker, also known as LNC - low noise converter) that receives the satellite signal from the dish (the signal is reflected from the dish, for a graphical view check this guide: http://www.doom9.org/DigiTV/dbox-positioning.htm). An LNB can receive from exactly one signal, so you need an LNB per satellite if you have a fixed dish (or one for a mobile one). Note that while a mobile dish sounds like a good idea at first, it's much harder to setup and generally a bit more problematic from an operational standpoint.

Satellites can transmit in two bands: low band (10.6-11.6GHz) and high band (11.6-12.7GHz) using horizontal or vertical polarization. The LNB maps the signal down to 950-2050MHz for cable distribution, lowering the frequency by the LOF (local oscillator frequency) which is usally 9.75GHz for low band and 10.6GHz for high band. An RF cable can only transmit one of the 4 possible combinations (low/vertical, low/horizontal, high/vertical, high/horizontal) and the signal is selected by LNB power supply level (14/18V) for H/V switching and a modulated 22KHz tone for selecting the high band. You can have three types of LNB: Single output LNBs can serve only a single receiver. Then there are two types of multiple-output LNBs: LNBs with a built-in switch have 1, 2, 4 or 8 outputs, and can serve the same number of receivers as they have outputs. Other LNBs output either each of the 4 possible signal types separately (quad output) or offer only low band, separated into vertical and horizontal (2 outputs). Those require a DiSEqC multiswitch, allowing one or multiple receivers to get the proper signal.

If you have a single output LNB, you can connect one DVB-S receiver. Many receivers loop the signal to another RF output, allowing you to connect multiple receivers in serie. However, if you have a multi satellite setup, looping the LNB means that each receiver can only receive from the same satellite (different channels are still possible). If you want each receiver to be able to chose a satellite independently of the other receivers, you need a DiSEqC switch, which allows each receiver to select the proper input signal. A receiver sends a specific 12 KHz signal to the switch, telling him from which input it wants to receive the signal from. Depending on the number of outputs of the switch, you can connect a certain number of receivers independently of each other.



Besides the means of transmission, what are the main differences between the 3 DVB standards? Channel bandwidth and signal modulation.

On a satellite, we have a number of so-called transponders. Those are circuits that receive the signal from the earth, modulate, amplify and re-transmit it back to the earth. There are about 20 - 30 transponders on a single satellite, and each has a bandwidth between 27 and 72 MHz (most transponders use 36 MHz, which offers about 38 Mbit/s). A TV channel occupies only a fraction of this bandwidth (how much?) and bitrate (many DVB channels use a lower bitrate than DVD, so the average is below 5 MBit/s), which allows for a number of channels on a single transponder. Most satellites also carry digital radio, which of course uses a lot less bandwidth. The signal sent back to earth using QPSK modulation. This means, a single transmitted symbol contains two bits, and every symbol has the same amplitued and is 90° apart from the next.

[b]On a cable network, the available channel bandwidth is smaller (8 MHz), and the modulation scheme used is 64QAM. As one symbol can have 64 values rather than only 4 as in DVB-S, more information can be transported per symbol, which leads to the same available bitrate per channel (38MBit/s). 64QAM is more complex to decode and more error-prone, but since the signal quality is better than when receiving from a satellite (keep in mind that the distance from the satellite to your dish is huge), you're still likely to get a less distorted signal.

The youngest deployed DVB standard, DVB-T uses regular house antennas. Channel bandwidth is 8 MHz just as in DVB-C and the modulation scheme used is COFMD (Coded Orthogonal Frequency division multiplex) - the same as for terrestrial digital audio broadcast (DAB).

Besides the modulation coding, DVB also uses convolutional coding, and forward error correction (adding additional information to the transmitted signal, which permits its reconstruction if a part of the signal gets lost / is corrupted), but a full understanding of this requires a college degree, and not everybody likes signal processing (I've had it and didn't particularly enjoy it).

So, now we know why a DVB-S receiver can't handle DVB-C/-T broadcasts and the other way round[/b].

It is important to understand that so far, the term channel wasn't used for a single TV channel, rather it applies to a transmission channel, which can contain multiple radio and TV channels. However, the term channel still makes sense, because what is being transmitted is essentially one channel, or using the appropriate technical term: a transport stream:

DVB uses MPEG-2 compression for video, and either MP2 (MPEG-1 audio layer 2) or AC3 (Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1) for audio. Audio bitrates used are usually in the 192 - 256kbit/s range for MP2, and 192 - 448 kbit/s for AC3. If you've ever used an MPEG-2 encoder, you may have noted that you have two output options: elementary streams and program (system) streams. The former will give you one audio (.mp2) and one video (.m2v or .mpv) file, whereas the latter will give you one single file containing both audio and video (usually an .mpg file). When you create the latter format, your encoder, divides audio and video into packets of a common size (the size can vary). Each packet of such a stream (known as PES: Packetized Elementary Stream) has a 8 byte header which besides a 3 byte startcode, contains 1 byte for the stream ID, a 2 byte to indicate the length of the packet and two timestamps: the DTS (decoding timestamp) and the PTS (presentation timestamp). The former indicates when a packet has to be decoded, and the latter when the decoded packet has to be send to the decoder output. Why do we have two timestamps? Because MPEG-2 allows for bidirectional encoding (b-frames), which requires certain frames to be decoded out of order (as an example b frames reference previous and future frames, and in order to decode, both referenced frames have to be available. So if frame N references frames N-1 and N+1, and N is a b-frame, the decoder has to decode the frames in the following order: N-1, N+1, N, and sends them to the output in the following order: N-1, N, N+1).

On a DVD, we have a program stream, which is a multiplexed collection of PES packets, all coded according to the same reference clock. The video stream is divided into access units, each containing one frame and an identifcation number corresponding to the order in which the frame has to be displayed. Audio is also grouped into packets of the same size (each audio frame has the same size). Both video and audio stream(s) have their own reference clock so they can be synchronized.

To transmit digital video, another structure is used: Transport streams. A transport stream can in fact contain both multiple video and audio channels (in contrast: a program stream allows only for one video stream), thus, a transport stream can contain multiple TV chains, each encoded at different bitrates and having different timestamps. A TS stream is also based on PES packets, but in order to identify which packets belong to which station, additional information is needed: the PSI (Program Specific Information) is used to tell a decoder which packets belong together (video, audio and additional data like subtitles, teletext, etc.).

The PES packets in a TS stream are all 188 bytes large. The first 4 bytes is used by a header, which contains a transport error indicator, a packet identificator (more about this later), some scrambling info (for scrambled TV channels) a continuity counter (which allows the decoder to determine if a packet has been omitted, repeated or been transmitted out of sequence), and some more fields that shouldn't concern you unless you write an application that should handle TS streams. To have a common clock (ticking at 27 MHz), the adaptation field is periodically used to insert a global timestamp (PCR: Program Clock Reference)

Based on the PSI, a decoder can extract the packet identifiers (PIDs) that belong to a certain TV channel, and decode only those if you're watching a certain channel. If you've ever seen a program capable of recording multiple audio streams at once, or even multiple channels at once, you notice that for this to work you have to indicate the proper video and audio PIDs so that the decoder can extract the proper data. Alternatively, you can record the entire TS with all the channels it contains, and later on extract whichever content you're actually interested in. Note that this only works for TV channels on the same transmission channel, unless you have a device that can tune into different channels at the same time.

So now that you know how the signal is transmitted, and what you're receiving, you might be wondering about the possible recording formats. TS seems to be the obvious choice, it's the only format where you can be sure to get everything you want (multiple audio channels if available, and all the timing information allowing your application to create a proper program stream again). However, most DVB softwares can only record in PVA or MPG (program stream) format. So which should you pick?

PVA is the native format of the Technotrend (Skystar1 compatible) cards like the Hauppauge Nexus. It's main advantage is that it allows the storage of multiple streams of various types, which isn't possible in MPG (depending on the type of streams of course). However, if you're using a different card, the additional processing of converting the data into the PVA format could introduce additional errors, thus making the PVA format less efficient. So, if you need subtitles or PCM audio streams, PVA seems like a good choice, but otherwise you can safely use MPG. Of course, TS is still your best option, it offers a demuxing program the best possibilities to correct errors, and it's the only format that allows you to capture any kind of transmitted streams, and not restrict you when it comes to capturing multiple TV channels/ audio channels concurrently.


Resolutions, aspect ratios and framerates:

Even though DVB is mostly used for regular (SD) TV broadcasts at DVD resolution (720x480, 30 fps with drop frame flag, resulting in 29.97 playback fps for NTSC and 720x576 25fps for PAL), the standard also supports HDTV. So far, HDTV over DVB is only frequently used in Australia's DVB-T broadcasts. For SD broadcasts, a variety or resolutions is supported:

720/544/480/352x576 (or x480 for NTSC, for NTSC we also have 640x480), and 352x288/240 (PAL/NTSC respectively. Interestingly enough, one can often find resolutions that are not part of the specs (ETS TR 101 154), like 704x576 or 528x576. All PAL resolutions require 25fps framerate, except for 720x576, where 50 fps is also allowed. All frames can be either progressive or interlaced except for 50fps which has to be progressive.

In the NTSC area, 23.976 and 29.97fps is always supported. Additionally, at 640x480 and 720x480 24fps and 30fps is also allowed and at 720x480 we also have 59.94 and 60 fps (both progressive or interlaced).

So far, all resolutions can be used for either 4:3 or 16:9 content (except for the 640x480 resolution, where only 4:3 is allowed).

For HDTV, DVB supports resolutions of 1920x1080 (at 23.976, 24, 25 and 29.97fps progressive and 29.97/30 fps interlaced) 1920x1035 (25, 29.97 and 30 fps interlaced), 1440x1152 at 25fps interlaced and 1280x720 at 23.976/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/60 fps progressive. All those resolutions are only allowed for 16:9 content.

Even though resulutions, framerates, bitrates and audio for SD streams looks like it is DVD compatible, DVB video streams must not be DVD compatible. While bitrate is usually not a problem, the GOPs can be longer than allowed for DVD. While many players can handle that (if you get your authoring program to accept the streams), it could lead to playback problems (stutter, or picture freezing).


Last but not least: DVB offers more services: It allows Internet access (commonly used for satellite, but it seems to be possible using the other DVB standards as well), and to encrypt channels (for Pay TV). DVB content can be encrypted on PES or TS level. The DVB-CA standard (http://www.dvb.org/index.php?id=50) defines how a decoder can decode encrypted channels. A variety of encryption standards is supported, for instance Nagra, Irdeto and Viaccess. In order to decrypt a channel, a CI (common interface) is used. It is based on a standard PCMCIA slot in a DVB receiver. In it, you plug a PCMCIA card which holds a decryption card that looks just like a bank card. You need a different CI module for each encryption standard. Some receivers can also directly read certain descrambling cards, thus saving you from buying a CI module.


Sources:
www.dvb.org
http://www.dvbviewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2492&hl=dvbmagic
http://iphilgood.chez.tiscali.fr/
http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/

@Baba egun
Sorry about your 4653x decoder, I was also experimenting last night with mine, and the software I loaded did not crash my own 4653x.  I will suggest that when next anyone at all want to buy Strong decoders, we should go directly to Strong office along Mpape Road, Abuja for purchases. I am sure theirs must be an original.

@ gangsta and all lovers of Humax
I am also interested in this decoder. Please let me know as soon as it can be purchase.

As regard the new LNB, my installer also inform me yesterday, and he insisted that it is readily available in Abuja and also swear he had used it to install for people and it worked wonders.  I look forward to see him install for my nilesat too.

And as I am closing for the day now, I am on my way to try and patch my decoder with some software too, I hope It did not fry my decoder and also, I succeed in opening ART channels too. I had been on it since weekend.

@ Enitan
Bury the hatchet. We all know you are right and Tox is CLEARLY wrong.   Forget it, and let us move on.

Iwes,

WOW, the details in that is unbelievable, i will not pretend that i grasp every concept expressed there, but it really gives insight into some of what i have learnt in the last few months. what i'm not sure of is if it is someone else's research, yours or a combination of both (not trying to be petty), whatever sha, that was a good one.

Badaru/Twinstaiye,

I just left Kano road, where i went in search of the Humax decoder, i didn't get it, but i got something better, I got MY Decoder! Let me explain, if u guys can remember, i posted a few weeks back that i had gotten a decoder which was an ALI product and was very fussy about the whole thing, only to return a few days later and post that from all the information available to me, it was impossible to patch this decoder since it uses a very of ALI processor that was functionally unstable and didn't have support for decrypting channels. since then i have gradually grown to HATE the decoder and couldn't see anything good about it, so this afternoon when i went in search of the humax decoder and didn't find it, i went back home, got my decoder and took it back to the guy who sold it to me, with the intention of asking him to exchange it for another decoder, maybe the new strong. well after listing out all the various issues i had with the decoder, he calmly set about helping me solve them, he showed me how to manually input keys and after inputting keys for showtime, VOILA, it opened right before my eyes. anyways, it's nice to know i can finally open encrypted channels with it, though i still have to watch out for the possibility of it overheating.
About the Humax, i have asked him to place an order for me, i will get back to you Taiye if it is possible to get it.

F_Marshal,

Nice to know you are still out there, it's been a while since we heard from you. don't be so harsh on that post though, i think he mentioned he is into fabrication, for those of us dreaming of getting a 5.5m dish to receive one of those Eurobirds, it is nice to know people like this are around.

Gangsta101:


F_Marshal,

Nice to know you are still out there, it's been a while since we heard from you. don't be so harsh on that post though, i think he mentioned he is into fabrication, for those of us dreaming of getting a 5.5m dish to receive one of those Eurobirds, it is nice to know people like this are around.

Gangsta101!!!  Didn't mean to be harsh. It was the mention of "Bore Hole and Erection" that threw me off, thereby making me not to process the Dish Fabrication part of his/her post.

@ all
c-band users should check out this http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/t10_c.html.
if u guys can remember when i post about thaicm 5 @ 78'e,i was able to get it here in ph.and now this is 76',i ll still give it a try from tommorrow cos i ve 2 mesh motorize dish to work on in the next 2 days.

pitodenz:

@ all
c-band users should check out this http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/t10_c.html.
if u guys can remember when i post about thaicm 5 @ 78'e,i was able to get it here in ph.and now this is 76',i ll still give it a try from tommorrow because i ve 2 mesh motorize dish to work on in the next 2 days.

i believe you will require between a 2m-2.8m dish depending on where you are in Nigera. this is based on the coverage map u posted from lyngsat. the furtherest i have been able to get with motorized pan 1.8m dish is Intelsat 4 @ 72E, it has some zambian (ZNBC) channel showing. that is actually the farthest my jack will go before blinking E2