DVB-T + BDA + VLC

[KenS]

And thanks for the streaming command line. In streaming to my media player (DLink DSM-320), I need to filter the ts stream for an individual program id as the DSM doesn't do 1080i high-definition, only 720p, and the media server software will only handle a feed with a single video stream. I tried the program=program-id option (in various places in the command line, including before and after "dvb-t://") but still seemed to get the full transport stream in the "Program" menu of VLC. Any ideas?

Try instead
:programs=<program pid> :sout=#duplicate{dst=std{access=http,mux=ts,dst=<your host ip>:<your port>},select="program=<program pid>"}
Note that programs is plural and you can select multiple programs (comma separated).

[grobinson]

Try instead
:programs=<program pid> :sout=#duplicate{dst=std{access=http,mux=ts,dst=<your host ip>:<your port>},select="program=<program pid>"}
Note that programs is plural and you can select multiple programs (comma separated).

Thanks KenS, that worked a treat.

I'm now down to one video stream and I got the media server to accept the URL from VLC (but as mms not http - but that's probably the server software). It was too late in the evening to upset "the boss" to try it out, so I'll test it in full tonight from DVB card to DSM via VLC! Fingers crossed.

BTW, how do you know when your updates (to fix the caching) are included in the nightlies?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Try instead
:programs=<program pid> :sout=#duplicate{dst=std{access=http,mux=ts,dst=<your host ip>:<your port>},select="program=<program pid>"}
Note that programs is plural and you can select multiple programs (comma separated).

Thanks KenS, that worked a treat.

I'm now down to one video stream and I got the media server to accept the URL from VLC (but as mms not http - but that's probably the server software). It was too late in the evening to upset "the boss" to try it out, so I'll test it in full tonight from DVB card to DSM via VLC! Fingers crossed.

BTW, how do you know when your updates (to fix the caching) are included in the nightlies?

The night after he commits it. So now, it should be ok.

[KenS]

BTW any fix on the way for the H264 channels issue ?

Is that the aspect ratio problem? If so its happening another module that I am not familiar with so I wont be much help. (remember - the bda module is just pumping out a stream of packets but does not do anything with the contents)
A couple of things to narrow it down:
What happens if you play back a .ts file?
What happens if you save a ts stream as mpeg2 and play back?

[Lotesdelere]

Is that the aspect ratio problem?

Yes, aspect ratio is not correctly working for H264 channels only. I got a 1570*576 image whilst it should be 768*576 or 1024*576 depending on the aspect ratio. It works fine with MPEG2 channels though.

What happens if you play back a .ts file?

I've tried many H264 files, using different containers and also TS files.
They are all working fine, the resolution is always correctly detected and automatically working as it should.

What happens if you save a ts stream as mpeg2 and play back?

I'll have to try that next week because H264 channels are unscrambled only few hours a day and not on week ends


Edit:
I have found a H264 .TS file where the resolution is switching from 4:3 to 16:9 and the file is playing fine.
However on many H264 files there is no codec information available. At all. The window is empty and it's the same when playing live H264 DVB-T channels.

[Freak]

Hey guys, sorry for this slightly off-topic post....

Does anyone know if i use a DVB-T card for 1080i with VLC, if it will obtain flicker on a Dell 2407WFP..

Apparently Dells 24" LCD's don't support interlaced signals via DVI.
So i'm wondering how all this will effect my DVB-T and VLC viewing?

Am i likely to see flicker via 1080i if my monitor is at 60hz?
Does or will VLC have an option to deinterlace this images?

The 1080 resolution is fine but not interlaced...

So i'm wondering if there is anyway around this in software or if it's a problem when viewing via VLC.

Keep up the great work on the BDA/DVB-T work....

[EarthwormJeff]

Hi,
I was wondering if your BDA module is working with dvb-s too.

If this is the case, I would like to try it, but i can't find the command line syntax to make it work. (I tried linux-like syntax allready but seems not to work)

Can someone help me ?

Thanks

[KenS]

I was wondering if your BDA module is working with dvb-s too.
If this is the case, I would like to try it, but i can't find the command line syntax to make it work. (I tried linux-like syntax allready but seems not to work)

It should work with dvb-s but has not been tested by anyone yet.

dvb-s://:freq=<frequency>:azim=<azimuth>:elev=<elevation>:long=<longitude>:pol=<polarisation>

Azimuth, Elevation and Longitude are all in tenths of degree
Polarisation is H or V

Let me know how you get on

[EarthwormJeff]

Thank you for you quick answer

The command line seems to be accepted by vlc, but it displays nothing.
I tried : "vlc dvb-s://:freq=11283000:azim=1802:elev=353:lon
g=717:pol=V". Vlc seems to find my adapter because it displays an error only if an other software is using the dvb-s board (hauppauge hvr-3000). But I don't know why I should put the azimut elevation and longitude since I have no motor on my antenna.

I found that vlc accepts the "srate" option.

what I usualy need (ex. with progdvb) is the Signal ID, video Pid, Audio Pid
optionnaly the network Id and the transponder ID.

do you know if those things are avaible through the command line.

[KenS]

The command line seems to be accepted by vlc, but it displays nothing.

Please post your log file

But I don't know why I should put the azimut elevation and longitude since I have no motor on my antenna.

You don't. That's just my ignorance of DVB-S

I found that vlc accepts the "srate" option.

It does indeed. What value did you use?

what I usually need (ex. with progdvb) is the Signal ID, video Pid, Audio Pid
optionnaly the network Id and the transponder ID.

You don't need those here. The module picks up all programs in the stream and lets the demux sort it out. If you want you can use :program=<program id>

[EarthwormJeff]

The vlc release is from sunday (trunk-20070513-0000)

The command line I used :

vlc dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000 --verbose=2

This is the log :

Code: Select all

main debug: CPU has capabilities 486 586 MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 FPU main debug: looking for memcpy module: 3 candidates main debug: using memcpy module "memcpymmxext" main error: Reloading playlist not implemented. main debug: waiting for thread completion main debug: thread 4032 (preparser) created at priority 0 (playlist/thread.c:81) main debug: waiting for thread completion main debug: thread 4048 (fetcher) created at priority 0 (playlist/thread.c:107) main debug: waiting for thread completion main debug: thread 4052 (playlist) created at priority 0 (playlist/thread.c:117) main debug: rebuilding array of current - root Liste de lecture main debug: rebuild done - 0 items, index -1 main debug: looking for interface module: 1 candidate main debug: using interface module "hotkeys" main debug: thread 4076 (interface) created at priority 0 (interface/interface.c:218) main debug: adding item `dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000' ( dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000 ) main debug: looking for interface module: 4 candidates main debug: using interface module "qt4" main debug: rebuilding array of current - root Liste de lecture main debug: rebuild done - 1 items, index -1 main debug: starting new item main debug: changing item without a request (current -1/1) main debug: using item 0 main debug: creating new input thread main debug: waiting for thread completion main debug: `dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000' gives access `dvb-s' demux `' path `:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000' main debug: creating demux: access='dvb-s' demux='' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000' main debug: thread 4344 (input) created at priority 1 (input/input.c:330) main debug: requesting art for dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000 main debug: looking for access_demux module: 0 candidates main warning: no access_demux module matched "dvb-s" main debug: creating access 'dvb-s' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000' main debug: looking for access2 module: 1 candidate main debug: art not found for dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000 bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x DVB-S Tuner/Demod bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x TS Capture bda debug: FindFilter: Connected BDA MPEG2 Transport Information Filter bda debug: Register: registered Graph: VLC BDA Graph 00bb3a80 Pid 000007e4 main debug: using access2 module "bda" main debug: pre buffering bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample

I think there is something missing...

[KenS]

The filter graph is finding your device but isn't tuning in to a signal

I have now added some more DVB-S parameters which should be in tonights nightly build

dvb-lnb-lof1: LNB low band LOF (usually 9.75 GHz)
dvb-lnb-lof2: LNB high band LOF (usually 10.6 GHz)
dvb-lnb-slof: LNB switch frequency (usually 11.7 GHz)

I thought these had default values set in the system tuning space but perhaps not. Enter values in kHz

vlc dvb-s://:freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000:lnb-lof1=9750000:lnb-lof2=10600000:lnb-slof=11700000

[Lotesdelere]

What happens if you save a ts stream as mpeg2 and play back?

So I saved the whole stream to a TS file using this command:
dvb-t:// :dvb-frequency=578000 :dvb-bandwidth=8 :demux=dump :demuxdump-file="E:\Test\VLC\H264test.ts"

This stream contains MPEG2 channels + H264 scrambled channels + H264 unscrambled channels.

The aspect ratio is working fine for H264 channels when playing the file.

[EarthwormJeff]

I have now added some more DVB-S parameters which should be in tonights nightly build

Ok, I'm waiting tonights build.

If I understood every thing here, all channels on this frequency should be displayed in the navigation menu ?

with the last build I tried the log changed at the end but still the same error :

Code: Select all

bda debug: Register: registered Graph: VLC BDA Graph 00bb42c0 Pid 000003b8 main debug: using access2 module "bda" main debug: pre buffering bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample main error: cannot pre fill buffer main warning: cannot create a stream_t from access main debug: removing module "bda" main debug: finished input main debug: dying input main debug: dead input main debug: thread times: real 0m4,640625s, kernel 0m1,203125s, user 0m0,078125s main debug: thread 4320 joined (input/input.c:466) qt4 debug: *********** NAV 0 main debug: starting new item main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1) main debug: nothing to play

[KenS]

The line to watch for is
bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample
which means it is not receiving a signal

You will need to fiddle around with the tuning parameters till you get a signal. When you do everything will magically happen

[grobinson]

When you do everything will magically happen

With all your help I've got all that part of the magic happening with my DVB-T card, even filtering to one channel in the transport stream and streaming that.

The part of the magic that's not happening is, I think, a broader VLC issue in that the only thing that will pick up the URL I'm streaming is VLC. My mediaserver won't recognise the http URL. It will recognise it if I use mmsh - but nothing streams. Graphedit won't accept either URL. But VLC happily chugs away streaming audio and video flawlessly!

Doco for the mediaserver says that if graphedit will render it, the mediaserver will play it. VLC plays the stream so, I figure, I've got the necessary codecs (intstlled the K-Lite pack). Network troubleshooting is not my strong point! Any thoughts or suggestions?

[EarthwormJeff]

Hi KenS

I have a warning before the getbuffersize :

main warning: no access_demux module matched "dvb-s"

is this one causing the GetBufferSize warning ?

Code: Select all

main debug: creating demux: access='dvb-s' demux='' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000:lnb-lof1=9750000:lnb-lof2=10600000:lnb-slof=11700000' main debug: looking for access_demux module: 0 candidates main warning: no access_demux module matched "dvb-s" main debug: creating access 'dvb-s' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000:lnb-lof1=9750000:lnb-lof2=10600000:lnb-slof=11700000' main debug: looking for access2 module: 1 candidate bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x DVB-S Tuner/Demod bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x TS Capture bda debug: FindFilter: Connected BDA MPEG2 Transport Information Filter bda debug: Register: registered Graph: VLC BDA Graph 00bb4198 Pid 000005c8 main debug: using access2 module "bda" main debug: pre buffering bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample main error: cannot pre fill buffer main warning: cannot create a stream_t from access

[EarthwormJeff]

I tried something else :

I can emulate dvb-T transponder with dvb-S transponder using my card drivers.

when I do this I can display the channels and VLC works fine (with standard channels, it bugged with HDTV after few seconds but I don't know if the picture is in mpeg2)

the driver only need some registry values to remap the sat transponders to the terrestrial ones. Do you wish me to post thoses values ?

Is there a way to force the FEC by the command line ?

[KenS]

What happens if you save a ts stream as mpeg2 and play back?

So I saved the whole stream to a TS file using this command:
dvb-t:// :dvb-frequency=578000 :dvb-bandwidth=8 :demux=dump :demuxdump-file="E:\Test\VLC\H264test.ts"

This stream contains MPEG2 channels + H264 scrambled channels + H264 unscrambled channels.

The aspect ratio is working fine for H264 channels when playing the file.

Theres not a lot I can do to help you here. A couple of suggestions to help track down where things are going awry.
Compare the logs from playing the stream live and playing back from file.
Also, try specifying sout to play locally when playing live. This seems to cause vlc to do things slightly differently.
Make sure you are using the caching option.

[KenS]

When you do everything will magically happen

With all your help I've got all that part of the magic happening with my DVB-T card, even filtering to one channel in the transport stream and streaming that.

The part of the magic that's not happening is, I think, a broader VLC issue in that the only thing that will pick up the URL I'm streaming is VLC. My mediaserver won't recognise the http URL. It will recognise it if I use mmsh - but nothing streams. Graphedit won't accept either URL. But VLC happily chugs away streaming audio and video flawlessly!

Doco for the mediaserver says that if graphedit will render it, the mediaserver will play it. VLC plays the stream so, I figure, I've got the necessary codecs (intstlled the K-Lite pack). Network troubleshooting is not my strong point! Any thoughts or suggestions?

It all depends on what your mediaserver supports. Maybe it does not like TS. Maybe try streaming mpeg PS instead.

[KenS]

Hi KenS

I have a warning before the getbuffersize :

main warning: no access_demux module matched "dvb-s"

is this one causing the GetBufferSize warning ?

Code: Select all

main debug: creating demux: access='dvb-s' demux='' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000:lnb-lof1=9750000:lnb-lof2=10600000:lnb-slof=11700000' main debug: looking for access_demux module: 0 candidates main warning: no access_demux module matched "dvb-s" main debug: creating access 'dvb-s' path=':freq=11283000:pol=V:srate=27500000:lnb-lof1=9750000:lnb-lof2=10600000:lnb-slof=11700000' main debug: looking for access2 module: 1 candidate bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x DVB-S Tuner/Demod bda debug: FindFilter: Connected Hauppauge WinTV 88x TS Capture bda debug: FindFilter: Connected BDA MPEG2 Transport Information Filter bda debug: Register: registered Graph: VLC BDA Graph 00bb4198 Pid 000005c8 main debug: using access2 module "bda" main debug: pre buffering bda warning: BDA GetBufferSize: Timed Out waiting for sample main error: cannot pre fill buffer main warning: cannot create a stream_t from access

No - it just issues the warning because dvb-s is an access only module with no demux. It then finds the dvb-s access module ("creating access dvb-s")
It will be all down to the tuning parameters. You have specified the most common values but they may not be right for your service.

[KenS]

I tried something else :

I can emulate dvb-T transponder with dvb-S transponder using my card drivers.

when I do this I can display the channels and VLC works fine (with standard channels, it bugged with HDTV after few seconds but I don't know if the picture is in mpeg2)

the driver only need some registry values to remap the sat transponders to the terrestrial ones. Do you wish me to post thoses values ?

Please post the values. It might even give a clue as to the satellite parameters needed.

Is there a way to force the FEC by the command line ?

Not yet.

[EarthwormJeff]

The registry values are :

Code: Select all

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HCW88bda\DVBS_as_DVBT\198500] ; #8 "dvbs_freq"=dword:AC2A38 ; 11283000 "dvbs_polarity"=dword:2 ; 2 "dvbs_srate"=dword:6B6C ; 27500 "nit_onid"=dword:7E ; 126 "nit_tsid"=dword:9DD0 ; 40400 "nit_nid"=dword:1 ; 1

and this is the significations of the values are :

dvbs_freq : Frequency in KHz
dvbs_polarity : Polarity of the signal (Horizontal=1, Vertical=2)
dvbs_srate : Symbol Rate in MSps, Eg. 27500
nit_onid : OriginalNetworkID,
nit_tsid : TransportStreamId, and
nit_nid : NetworkID of the DVB-S stream.

the "nit_onid" value is the network Id on the satellite
and the "nit_nid" is the terrestrial emulated network Id

in the HKEY directory the "198500" is the terrestrial frequency

In my opinion we have to tell vlc witch network Id and Transportstream to use. I have not yet seen another dvb-s software not needing them.

[KenS]

Try setting :srate=27500
The DShow documentation says symbol rate is in sps but I suspect from the registry settings that it is in fact in ksps

[EarthwormJeff]

allready tried, didn't work