DVB-T2 status

[LeonG]

Does anyone know if Sentech has started encrypting channels? I can't receive any channels on the 738Mhz frequency even though I get a full signal.
If they did start encrypting channels then I would like to know how do I decrypt them

I am still receiving channels on 770Mhz, but the quality of the channels is a blocky mess.

 

[LeonG]

I guess nobody knows

 

[Broadcom]

Yes, they have recently added MNet channels to the second mux in my area and these are encrypted. Pay TV - You need a card and TV or STB with CI slot

 

[LeonG]

Thanks for the info.

Hmmm, it's not worth it then. There were too many problems that I noticed before they switched over to encryption.
Issues like:
- Video Bitrates of some channels are too low. VERY Blocky.
- Audio quality is very bad with the 64Kbps HE-AAC streams they used. Why not just take off 32Kbps/64Kbps off the video stream and add it to the audio stream? With a good LC-AAC encoder transparency can be achieved in the 96Kbps to 128Kbps range.
- The test HD channel has a bug where the channel reports that it has an AAC audio stream, but it actually has an AC3 stream causing software such as VLC not to decode the audio.
- Couldn't find a de-interlacing filter that didn't cause 'twitching' on content. Very noticeable on still images.
- eTV was suddenly reporting itself as 16:9 when in fact it was 4:3. This caused the image to stretch on that channel.
- Why are we still using 4:3 in this day and age?

When I was in Poland I briefly used my USB DVB-T2 tuner and I was amazed at the quality of their channels. They are using the DVB-T standard. Not the DVB-T2 standard like we are using. What is our excuse for being so mediocre?

 

[Quantum Theory]

Thanks for the info.

Hmmm, it's not worth it then. There were too many problems that I noticed before they switched over to encryption.
Issues like:
- Video Bitrates of some channels are too low. VERY Blocky.
- Audio quality is very bad with the 64Kbps HE-AAC streams they used. Why not just take off 32Kbps/64Kbps off the video stream and add it to the audio stream? With a good LC-AAC encoder transparency can be achieved in the 96Kbps to 128Kbps range.
- The test HD channel has a bug where the channel reports that it has an AAC audio stream, but it actually has an AC3 stream causing software such as VLC not to decode the audio.
- Couldn't find a de-interlacing filter that didn't cause 'twitching' on content. Very noticeable on still images.
- eTV was suddenly reporting itself as 16:9 when in fact it was 4:3. This caused the image to stretch on that channel.
- Why are we still using 4:3 in this day and age?

When I was in Poland I briefly used my USB DVB-T2 tuner and I was amazed at the quality of their channels. They are using the DVB-T standard. Not the DVB-T2 standard like we are using. What is our excuse for being so mediocre?

This is not a commercially available product yet. The launch is long overdue, but you cannot expect the best, from what is essentially a test transmission.

 

[Broadcom]

I think try to find an update to your software for your usb stick. Sounds like the DVB-T2 implementation is not quite up to par, whereas the DVB-T backward compatibility part is.

The reception on my new 32" Samsung is stunning, really. Especially since they are relaying SABC 3 through the HD channel at 1080i.

The quality on my DroidTV with built-in DVB-T2 and Chinese firmware - not so much.... Very blocky..

 

[Broadcom]

Leon, I think when they combined the scrambled and the free to air channels in the same DVB-T channel (multiplex) they must be now using Multiple PLPs. Russia have also recently gone this route, so you might find some help or drivers that support multi-PLP if you do some googling.

I think the blockiness we are seeing relates simply to poor deinterlacing on the receiver side. Samsung have got it right on my TV, pans are so smooth it send shivers up my spine!!

 

[LeonG]

Thanks Broadcom,
After some hours of googling russian forums I managed to get more channels from 770Mhz on PLP 1.

On 770Mhz PLP 0:
Lesotho TV
SABC1
SABC2
SABC3
And some other locked channels

On 770Mhz PLP 1:
DTTV - Looping DTTV Trial video.
eAFR
eTV
Soweto
And some other locked channels

On 738Mhz PLP 0:

On 738Mhz PLP 1: