4:2:2 Signals. No video image only audio

[johnyboy88888]

I've just installed my Skystar2 card and I'm trying to pick up signals from Intelsat 603 that I know are 4:2:2 ones. When I pick them up I can hear the audio but can't see the video. I believe it is possible to view them if the viewer is setup correctly. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Guest Oliver]

You need the Elecard/Moonlight MPEG2-decoder for displaying 4:2:2.

 

Bye

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks for that Oliver. I know I can 'google' but d'you have a link to where I can download it and what do I do with it when I get it ?

I must say that although I'm sure the system will eventually work fine (because I'll make sure I make it work), I think all the messing about with codecs, decoders, filters and other stuff is incredibly unintuitive and needs someone who know what they're doing to sort it out. We're not all software developers and need simple software that's intuitive and easy to use. This certainly aint by any stretch of the imagination. I've also just upgraded to the full version because my Skystar2 card didn't include the full version and I've been left having made a payment but with no further communication from the seller, no passwords or details where to download the full version from.

I not impressed with the service at all. I shall now go and have a cup of tea and try to simmer down. I have a couple of sites myself and accept payment by PayPal but the whole thing is done automatically and purchasers are passed on to the download after payment. This is very poor by comparison.

Let's just hope its worth all the aggravation once I get it up and running as I need.

[Klausing]

http://www.elecard.com/ftp/pub/mpeg/decode...r/EMpgDec20.zip

http://www.jetzweb.de/hoshy0001/dateien/EMpgDec20.zip

http://de.geocities.com/marko_pasewaldt/EMpgDec20.zip

ProVersion of DVBViewer you can buy on www.DVBViewer.com.

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Klausing......I've downloaded the MPEG2 decoder. Do I need to put the .ax files into the 'Filters' folder for DVBViewer, or do I just leave them in the Common Files folder ?

My problem is that I've already paid for the upgrade but I need a password to access the Full download setup file. No one from DVBViewer has sent me the password or any further details at all which I think is a very poor service. I'm not impressed with them at all.

Any further help you can give me to get me up and running would be appreciated. I'm trying to view 422 signals on Intelsat 603 but can only hear the audio. Once I have installed the MPEG2 decoder from Moonlight, will things happen automatically or do I need to activate the filters in some way ?

Thanks.

[johnyboy88888]

My password to download full version of DVBViewer arrived, so thanks to Bernd.

Now my next hurdle is to get my 422 pix. If anyone can explain what I do with the Moonlight filters that would be a great help. Where there is a will, there is a way !!

[Guest Oliver]

what I do with the Moonlight filters

Just install the package.

 

Bye

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Oliver. I've done that and will try tomorrow (Friday) when the bird comes into view. It's inclined and at the moment I don't have an incline motor to track it so I need to wait until the signal becomes strong. Unless you have a source of another 422 signal that I can test now.

I've attached my MPEGDecoder log if you can see anything that might interfere with the Moonlight one.

Thanks again for all your help. I really do appreciate it.

MPEGDecoder.txt

[KGM11]

You seem to have MPEG-2 decoders with merit values higher than the one of the Elecard decoder, so you will need to tell DVBViewer to use the Elecard Decoder (see the manual available here, especially the sections concerning Directshow).

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks KGM11. I've set it up so it uses the Moonlight filter as you suggested, so I'll give it a go Friday and see what happens. Keeping my fingers crossed. Jeez, aint this just a pain. Whatever happened to plug n play ? So many possibilties I suppose and we all need different things. God knows how some people manage to get things up and running. Here's to forums !!

[johnyboy88888]

I think I may have cracked it. There is currently an ITN Feed up on 20W. I couldn't see it on my d-box although I could hear it. However, on my newly configured SkyStar2 card with the Moonlight MPEG2 decoder installed, I could both hear and see the full thing.

So, thanks to all you guys.

[Griga]

I think all the messing about with codecs, decoders, filters and other stuff is incredibly unintuitive and needs someone who know what they're doing to sort it out. We're not all software developers and need simple software that's intuitive and easy to use.

 

There is currently an ITN Feed up on 20W. I couldn't see it on my d-box although I could hear it. However, on my newly configured SkyStar2 card with the Moonlight MPEG2 decoder installed, I could both hear and see the full thing.

 

There you are. DVBViewer is based on the MS DirectShow architecture, which is very flexible and gives a lot of freedom. On the other side, you have to to learn how to handle it. Almost everything is possible, by using different decoders / filters. And almost everything may go wrong...

 

Whatever happened to plug n play ?

 

It's in your d-box. However, you're at the mercy of the built-in hardware. E.g. try to use it to watch HDTV...

 

Many users want both - all the possibilities provided by a DirectShow based app, and additionally plug n play, which doesn't match. So whatever they get, they'll find a reason to complain, in this forum or somewhere else.

 

Only few people are able to understand that getting a lot means having to handle a lot - and having to learn how to.

 

So, you got your first lesson - welcome in the circle of DirectShow nerds

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Griga..You are of course right....My impatience was just leading to frustration......However, there is a little history behind it which may be relevant......I have only just got my satellite system up after a couple of months looking for an installer who could do it......In my area the installers only seem to understand Sky.......I got the system installed and was told that my 1.2m dish should have no problem getting a signal from 20W, which is inclined up to 2.2 degrees......I found quickly that this is not the case and they will have to come back to install a new mount that can take a second motor for the incline.......They also told me that the d-box could handle it all and again I quickly found out that that is not the case.....I've spent much of my last couple of weeks with various foums trying to get the correct information but I'm now on my last leg, or so I hope........Perhaps I'm trying to get signals that are difficult or ones that others don't want me to get but whatever I'm doing, it seems to be much more difficult than I had been led to believe.........So, the frustration with DVBViewer was the last straw because I'd been told by someone else that all I had to do was to install the card and my signals would be viewable.......Anyway, I have settled down now because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to this forum.......

[Griga]

Sometimes there is an expert for feed-hunting, receiving strange satellite positions etc. lurking around here (Derrick ).

 

AFAIK he owns a d-box, similar configuration... maybe he will drop by and give you some hints. Well, I'm quite sure he will be attracted by the topic title. So stay connected...

[johnyboy88888]

Will do....thx for the tip.......

[johnyboy88888]

How frustrating is this

 

Now that I think I may have the software sorted I can't seem to get a signal. As I've said before I don't as yet have an incline motor to track 20W so have to wait for it to get in the right part of the arc for me to pick up the signal. This seems to happen for me every day at about 12:30 to 16:00 or so. Prior to that the SNR is about 45% but then gradually increases to 66% when I can lock on to the signal. It then often rises to about 80% before falling again as the bird drifts away.

Today the signal started rising at the usual time but never got above 59% and I couldn't lock on to the signal at all. Any ideas why this should be the case ? Hopefully all this will be solved when I get an incline motor but I would have though with my 1.2m dish I should be getting a better performance. Should I try a different LNB that is better for Intelsat signals ? I don't know but I hope one of you will be able to point me in the right direction. Seems like two steps forward but then one back. Bugger...........

[Guest Oliver]

How frustrating is this 

Oh, it's getting even worse... The Skystar2 doesn't support DiSEqC >1.1. That means you'll have to use the D-box for moving the dish.

 

Bye, Oliver

[Derrick]

Hi,

 

somebody mentioned my nick

 

Tracking inclined orbit satellites is not possible with the dbox1 (with dvb2000 of course). You´ll have to control your 2nd actuator manually. Though you can control your 1st actuator with the dvb2000 if you have an echostar LT8700 or a chaparral analog receiver. Dbox and analog receiver have to be connected via a rs232 cable.

 

Many 4:2:2 feeds can be watched on 7E. Get Griga´s TransEdit and scan this bird from time to time. I´ve attached a 0070.ini

 

With your dbox/dvb2k you can warch 4:2:2 as well if you have connected the box via scsi to your computer. You have to record it with the dvb200 recorder. At the same time you can play the file and watch the programme with the internal mpegplayer or with Griga´s TSPlayer Here´s a 422 screen shot from august 2001

 

 

btw. to figure out when's the best time to watch inclined sats without a correction possibility of the polar mount, check lyngsat´s sat tracker

 

http://www.lyngsat.com/tracker/i603.html

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Oliver and Derrick.

I'm aware that I'll need to move the incline motor manually but just wondered why today I couldn't get a signal at all. I used the dbox to line up on 20W but the SNR never got above 59% at any stage. Yet for the whole week since I set the system up at least one signal (ITN Feed at 10461 3437 3/4) has managed to get locked onto at some time of the day. A mystery........

[johnyboy88888]

While I'm here, can anyone tell what PAT, PMT and SDT stand for in the Status box in the Edit and Tune Channels. In my scan I'm getting PAT in yellow quite a lot and the other two boxes greyed out.

[Griga]

Download the external scanner TransEdit from the Service Center.

 

It provides additional scanning facilities. In the readme you'll find an explanation of PAT, PMT, SDT and more... will probably shed a light on all that stuff.

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks for that Grig a.....Most useful......Things are getting clearer...probably

I shall do a scan when the bird comes back, possibly tonight and/or tomorrow. Meanwhile if anyone has a recent 20W .ini file that would be most helpful. There wasn't one on any of the usual sites........

[Derrick]

Hi,

 

here's a fresh ini

[Derrick]

..and here a screen shot (when I took it, the incl. was already -0,6 degree)

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Derrick. I was at Cheltenham races today so couldn't reply earlier. Do you have a polar motor so you can track the incline, or was your signal coming in without ?

What advice could you give me in order for me to get stronger signals ? I have a 1.2m dish with a motor to track from satellite to satellite and I shall be adding a polar motor next week. Do I need a special LNB or what because I dont seem to be able to get a very strong signal the last few days.

[Derrick]

johnyboy88888, I was just inspired by your posting

 

Afair Intelsat 603 was positoned on 27W. No I don't have any means to follow inclined satellites and I didn´t care about related threads on other bords. 20W is similar to inclined Eutelsat W6 at 21.5°E with feeds mostly from the UK

 

Here you can get a tool for leeching .ini files directly from lyngsat

 

..if you need help about the german links, just ask

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks again Derrick. I'll give the tool and my German is OK so thanks for the offer. A friend has told me that for feeds a Nokia 9600 with dvb2000 is a better bet than my d-box. Any thoughts ?

[Derrick]

..short how to for this editor which is ment for the linux dbox2:

 

check lyngsat and "create progdvb ini-file". You have to edit the satellites.ini file (mine is rather incomplete with 20W as the latest entry )

 

About the dx-capability.. it's not a matter of the type (dbox, 9500, 9600s) but the tuner version. You need a tuner with auto-SR. The short tuner model NDT1006A should be the best (look through the ventilation slots of the cover if you don´t want to open the box)

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Derrick..........I may have finally found the reason for my loss of signal over the past few days. We've had some high winds and I think the dish was simply out of alignment. I've found a submenu on the Dreambox control that will allow me to fine tune the motor settings and by a couple of small movement towards W I managed to find the ITN Path 2 signal which is always nice and strong.....Good news....The Moonlight decoder on my Skystar card is also working as it should because I can hear the ITN feed on the Dreambox but not see it, yet I can hear and see it through the Skystar. Moving forward...........Now I just need to add a polar motor so I can manually keep 20W in view..........

[johnyboy88888]

OK, rather than continuously disconnecting the signal from the SkyStar to the Dreambox to adjust the settings, I assume I can use some sort of splitter so the LNB signal can be sent to both the Dreambox and card at the same time. If I do that will the signal quality be reduced significantly and if not what would be the best splitter for me to use for my purposes. BTW there is an 'LNB Out' on the Dreambox which I could use instead but my installer said that there is a bug in the box that interferes with the signal somehow. Is that so as it doesn't sound right to me ? I think I may give it a try anyway......As always, thanks in advance for all your help. It's an interesting journey.....

[johnyboy88888]

Well things get just more frustrating with this DVBViewer. I had a really strong signal today and using the 3400.ini file that Derrick uploaded as a start I scanned the frequencies using the Channel Scan. In Status it found 12 but when I went to the list only one seemed to be appearing (Scan & Update selected). An image for this channel lasted no more than 5 seconds when this channel was chosen and then it froze. The correct filters seemed to be being used (Moonlight MPEG). I then phoned a friend who told me that there was an FTA pic on 11121 which, using the Dreambox I could actually see but when I used the Skystar card and DVBViewer to scan the frequency the PAT came up yellow and the rest red. No channel was added. Now obviously I'm doing something here thats incorrect or something is amiss with my computer which has a fairly high spec of 2.8Mhz P4, 1G Ram, XP Professional. Whatever the case I'm starting to get really p****** off and desparately need help before I do some violence

[Griga]

An image for this channel lasted no more than 5 seconds when this channel was chosen and then it froze.

 

Which source filter has been used? SkyStar? Marfis? DVBViewer Fiilter? That is - besides the decoders - an important matter. And which DVBViewer Pro version? 2.2? 2.3 Beta?

 

In Status it found 12 but when I went to the list only one seemed to be appearing (Scan & Update selected).

 

Probably the others were only updated, or some were data channels without video/audio?

 

when I used the Skystar card and DVBViewer to scan the frequency

 

I'd rather use TransEdit. I don't like the DVBViewer scanner, and I don't trust it. The scanner engine is similar, but the UI... If TransEdit finds 16 channels, it will show 16 channels. For getting complete results, have a look at the filter options in the TransEdit scanner window. Use the popup menu that appears after right-clicking the scanner window for exporting the results to the DVBViewer.

[johnyboy88888]

Griga........Thanks again for your response. I know you probably think of me as a bumbling twit but I really am pretty computer litterate yet I'm finding this setting up to do something which I think should be fairly simple, quite unintuitive and difficult. Which I really don't think it should be. Perhaps I'm trying to do something odd but I doubt it.

Anyway, I'll take a look at the source filters which I get a strong signal tomorrow. Which should be being used ? I'm using vers 2.2 of DVBViewer. The other channels certainly weren't data channels because later I could see one of them as FTA channels at 11121 on my Dreambox which DVBViewer didn't show at all.

I've downloaded your TransEdit and did in fact use that first. It appeared to find about 10 channels but when I exported them as an ini file to the DVBViewer Transponder file I couldn't find them in the DVBViewer app. Where do they appear and how do I export them, if I did it incorrectly? I must admit I can't recollect a pop-up window for export. Perhaps I used the wrong way to export

Anyway, your help has been invaluable and I'm sure I'll crack it in the end. As long as I dont have a heart attack in the process

[Guest hackbart]

No need to be pi**ed off! If you would try to use the search function or even google you would know why:

 

http://www.DVBViewer.com/forum/index.php?s...st=0entry6902

 

Right now there are only a few decoders (Elecard for example) capable to play 4:2:2 mpeg streams.

 

Inside the pro version you can easily switch the decoder in order to watch them.

 

Christian

[johnyboy88888]

Thanks Christian. But I have the Elecard installed and when I look at 'View Filters' the Moonlight MPEG decoder is right there in the list, so I assume its being used. But the image froze after just 5 secs.

I may have something else interferring with it because I think my PC is up to spec and can handle the data stream. What should I look for ?

[Klausing]

If you record this stream wihtout viewing ... can you play the recordet file ?

[johnyboy88888]

Klausig.....Good question. I haven't tried but I will tomorrow if I have the same problem. What would it tell me if I could ?

[johnyboy88888]

The odd thing was though that I could see the 422 ITN feed channel without a problem with the same decoders being used..........

[Derrick]

..but when I used the Skystar card and DVBViewer to scan the frequency the PAT came up yellow and the rest red. No channel was added.

 

..same thing happened to me a couple of times with transedit. No problem with dvb2000. I know, I should have made some transponder dumps but I was too busy optimizing the reception Now it will take a while before I can scan the satellite agin.

[Klausing]

What would it tell me if I could ?

On the one site you can see its a general problemof your system or DVBViewer.

On the other site you can play a little bit with this recordet file and graphedit to find out where the problem is.

If you have a working graph you can use this with graphselector plugin in DVBViewer.