Tata Sky+ DTH Service: Tata Sky DVR STB supports MPEG4

[kumararvind]

There is no backward computability of Mpeg 4 to Mpeg 2.

If your STB is latest and supports Mpeg 4, it should be able to support Mpeg 2.

If you have an old stb that supports Mpeg 2, it wont be able to support Mpeg 4.

Tata Sky can't beam signals both in Mpeg 2 or Mpeg 4, they need to select one and beam accordingly, as all their STB are mpeg 2, guess they will continue to beam on the same.

Also there is no difference between both , Mpeg4 allows u higher compression, so u can beam double the channels compared to Mpeg 2, but there is no change in quality of picture or sound, mpeg 4 helps in increase the no of channels using the same bandwidth

TS will be beaming MPEG2 for all SD Channels for time being But it is going to beam HD (NGC HD Coming soon) in MPEG 4 and they have done away with HDMI and given Component out and Digital out along with cables (Big TV does not give cables) to reduce the cost as the stingy people can crib alittle less. There will be no TS+ HD Box coming again as this is the TS+ HD (Both different for SKY in UK). So people who want to watch HD whenever it comes and have a PVR start ordering ... Cheers

 

[MenTaLLyMenTaL]

I believe when they start transmitting in mpeg4, the STB will be able to record about 130-140 hrs as opposed to just 45 hrs right now on that 160gb harddisk. Currently, the bitrate for 45hrs on 160gb turns out to be roughly 8000kbps which is same as highest quality DVD (mpeg2). For mpeg4, for the same quality, the bitrate of about 2500 - 3000 kbps is very good. So 3.2 or 2.6 times more record duration!

 

[Sushubh]

ahem. broadcast might be in whatever quality. your recorder decides how much space it takes for saving the media on the internal hard drive!that's what i believe...

 

[MenTaLLyMenTaL]

I dont think its that way.
The box says "MPEG4 PVR Receiver Decoder". So it means it can only receive the mpeg4 format and decode it to output it to the TV. But it cant encode into mpeg4. So it will just dump whatever format it receives, onto the HDD. If there had been an mpeg4 encoder in it, then just 45 hrs on 160gb seems extremely inefficient.

 

[elepton]

um, I guess the recorder saves the content in the format it received, which is the same as the format it was broadcast. Converting the content format in realtime to store in a hard disk is too processor intensive. So the recorder in the set top box stores it in the format it received the show.Another way can be that the recorder in the set top box takes as input the final signal which goes to the TV, and convert it itself, independent of the receiver. Then the conversion process can be illustrated by:MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 (receiver from satellite) -> composite video -> MPEG4 (recorder to hard disk)Also, if it is planned to burn DVDs of recorded content from the set top box, the receiver might prefer to record in MPEG-2, as another conversion will not be needed if the user writes a media file to DVD.The space taken on the hard disk of a recorder very much depends on the format and quality the content is received in.

 

[MenTaLLyMenTaL]

composite video -> MPEG4 (recorder to hard disk)


That is again a processor intensive task. My P4 3.0GHz takes 3.5 hrs to convert fairly uncompressed video of 1 hr from handycam to DivX.


Also, if it is planned to burn DVDs of recorded content from the set top box, the receiver might prefer to record in MPEG-2, as another conversion will not be needed if the user writes a media file to DVD.


That could explain the presence of USB but they've written in FAQs that recorded video cant be transferred.

 

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[tomythomas01]

TS will be beaming MPEG2 for all SD Channels for time being But it is going to beam HD (NGC HD Coming soon) in MPEG 4 and they have done away with HDMI and given Component out and Digital out along with cables (Big TV does not give cables) to reduce the cost as the stingy people can crib alittle less. There will be no TS+ HD Box coming again as this is the TS+ HD (Both different for SKY in UK). So people who want to watch HD whenever it comes and have a PVR start ordering ... Cheers

I do not think this understanding is correct. I am not aware of any broadcasters providing HD content without HDMI and HDCP. This is required for preventing piracy of the high quality of the signal. Again all HDCP compliant equipments is bound by the license agreement not to give HQ audio and video through other connectors.

More over I have not come across anybody giving the HDMI cable free in India along with the equipment since it is costly (2.5K onwards for a good one). So when Tata decides to give HD they have to come out with another STB capable of HD with HDMI connectors. So we need to shell out again
SD, HD does not directly mapped to MPEG 2 or MPEG4. You can give HD in MPEG-2 or SD in MPEG-4. For ex: Blue ray supports both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (H.264- MPEG-4 Part 10). I have Blue ray movies in both formats. Same with SD. For ex: Sun direct gives SD in MPEG-4, so more delay in switching channels with slow processor STB. Manorama News is always in MPEG-4, supposed to be India's first MPEG-4 news Channel .....
MPEG-4 STBs in the market are capable of receiving MPEG-2 also.

 

[kumararvind]

I do not think this understanding is correct. I am not aware of any broadcasters providing HD content without HDMI and HDCP. This is required for preventing piracy of the high quality of the signal. Again all HDCP compliant equipments is bound by the license agreement not to give HQ audio and video through other connectors.

More over I have not come across anybody giving the HDMI cable free in India along with the equipment since it is costly (2.5K onwards for a good one). So when Tata decides to give HD they have to come out with another STB capable of HD with HDMI connectors. So we need to shell out again
SD, HD does not directly mapped to MPEG 2 or MPEG4. You can give HD in MPEG-2 or SD in MPEG-4. For ex: Blue ray supports both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (H.264- MPEG-4 Part 10). I have Blue ray movies in both formats. Same with SD. For ex: Sun direct gives SD in MPEG-4, so more delay in switching channels with slow processor STB. Manorama News is always in MPEG-4, supposed to be India's first MPEG-4 news Channel .....
MPEG-4 STBs in the market are capable of receiving MPEG-2 also.

I am sorry to disappoint you but all HD equipment does have component and digital out as option. HDMI is only required for HD Audio as the bandwidth supported by the optical out or digital out doesnot support the bandwidth required for HD audio. I already have a PS3 and keep watching Blu Rays on it thru my HT system. Definitely HDMI is supposed to be HDCP Compliant but not that it denies any component out or digital out options.
Also HDMI cable is now a freebie with any 5k worth of DVD player. So I guess its not that costly. Recently bought a Sony dvd with free HDMI and 1080 upscaling for 5K. (PS3 does not support the original DVDs in India as it is region locked to Region 5 i.e. India... but that becomes another topic)... I hope this clarifes your doubt. Though I had asked the TS CC that will they be coming for another upgrade and he said No. Another thing will come somewhere if you google properly that TS is testing a Mpeg4 channel on its transponder...I guess that should be NGC HD. Again NGC is supposed to launch 4 channels in November. Wait for another NGC Gold Package from TS. Cheers

 

[s_parkhi]

I dont think its that way.
The box says "MPEG4 PVR Receiver Decoder". So it means it can only receive the mpeg4 format and decode it to output it to the TV. But it cant encode into mpeg4. So it will just dump whatever format it receives, onto the HDD. If there had been an mpeg4 encoder in it, then just 45 hrs on 160gb seems extremely inefficient.

Out of 160 GB, they have 80 GB reserved for live recording and pause functions. So effectively 45 hours recording is on 80GB HDD only.

 

[tomythomas01]

I am sorry to disappoint you but all HD equipment does have component and digital out as option. HDMI is only required for HD Audio as the bandwidth supported by the optical out or digital out doesnot support the bandwidth required for HD audio. I already have a PS3 and keep watching Blu Rays on it thru my HT system. Definitely HDMI is supposed to be HDCP Compliant but not that it denies any component out or digital out options.
Also HDMI cable is now a freebie with any 5k worth of DVD player. So I guess its not that costly. Recently bought a Sony dvd with free HDMI and 1080 upscaling for 5K. (PS3 does not support the original DVDs in India as it is region locked to Region 5 i.e. India... but that becomes another topic)... I hope this clarifes your doubt. Though I had asked the TS CC that will they be coming for another upgrade and he said No. Another thing will come somewhere if you google properly that TS is testing a Mpeg4 channel on its transponder...I guess that should be NGC HD. Again NGC is supposed to launch 4 channels in November. Wait for another NGC Gold Package from TS. Cheers

I think my posting was not made it very clear what I want to say. All HD equipment comes with component video out as well as HDMI, but you will get 1080P/ 1080i / 720P only through HDMI port. Component video output is limited to 576P max. This is copy protection license I am talking of. You will never get HD video through component RCA connectors eventhough it is possible to design the device to do that. Since HDMI logo prevents the manufacturers to do that for copy protection, you cannot tap HDCP (compliant) protected video through HDMI cable to any commercially available recorders.

As per HDCP rules
"High-definition digital video sources must not transmit protected content to non-HDCP-compliant receivers. Additionally, DVD-Audio content is restricted to CD-audio quality or less on non-HDCP-digital audio outputs (analog audio outputs have no quality limits). Licensed adopters cannot allow their devices to make copies of content, and must design their products in ways that "effectively frustrate attempts to defeat the content protection requirements."

But you can record it through component video / AV etc to a maximum of 576P, nothing more.
I hope it is clear now. I still do not believe Tata Sky will give HD without HDMI connector, software upgrade can support it in the existing STB, but license restriction play a role here.

I have a PS3 and other high gears to watch 1080P, and when I bought all these none of manufactures give me HDMI cable free, whether it is my DVD player with 1080i upscaling or Onkyo AV receiver with 1080P upscaling or PS3, MAC etc... I had to buy the HDMI cables separately from the market. I am sure anything has changed for the last one year Branded cables might have become little cheaper Still I doubt anybody give HDMI cable free. May be I am wrong.