Elgato Eye TV for DVT able to receive and watch BBC HD?

[gangst]

Hi,

I've seen in quite a few places on the internet that people with DVB-T tuners on Windows PC's are able to receive and watch BBC HD, by installing several plug ins.

Is it possible to view BBC HD on a Mac using an Eye TV DTV which picks up DVB-T? At the moment the BBC HD channel shows up in the Eye TV 2 EPG, but all I get when I select it is audio and no video, is there any way to get the video, as it would be great with the World Cup being shown on BBC HD.

Also, how can I wactch H264 .TS files on a Mac, when I view them in VLC it crashes on Quad Powermac G5 (may be something to do with hardware acceleration, but I don't know how to turn it off!), are then other programs which will play transfer streams?

Thanks for any answers to my questions!

 

[MRU]

Hi,

I've seen in quite a few places on the internet that people with DVB-T tuners on Windows PC's are able to receive and watch BBC HD, by installing several plug ins.

Is it possible to view BBC HD on a Mac using an Eye TV DTV which picks up DVB-T? At the moment the BBC HD channel shows up in the Eye TV 2 EPG, but all I get when I select it is audio and no video, is there any way to get the video, as it would be great with the World Cup being shown on BBC HD.

That would be sweet. I hope there is a way. HD is so frigging expensive with SKY.

 

[robbieduncan]

At the moment Freeview HD is in a trial stage with a very small number of users in London (I know one of them). It uses a different part of the frequency spectrum to transmit than standard Freeview. This means that when it launches (in a couple of years time) you will need a new tuner that can tune to this part of the spectrum, or if we are really lucky new firmware for our existing ones.

At the moment though you cannot use EyeTv to get HD over the air in the UK.

Sky is your only option today.

Edit: I've just read your post more closly and it sounds like our existing tuners can see this part of the spectrum already (which is pretty sweet). Did you have to to an exhaustive scan to find it? Perhaps an email to Elgato is needed to get them to develop the software a bit more...

 

[yogi477]

Actually Telewest is the cheapest way to get HD, although you have to be in a cable area. The box has 3 tuners as well, and a bigger HD than Sky+ so it all sounds pretty good, not got a HDTV to watch it on yet though!

From what I have read about the EyeTV it can receive HD singals from over the area, the problem is as the previous poster pointed out, it isnt being broadcast in the UK yet (apart from the trial area) and is unlikely to be expanded until much nearer the switch over.

So, basically, BBCHD is for SkyHD and Telewest viewers for the time being.

 

[gangst]

Edit: I've just read your post more closly and it sounds like our existing tuners can see this part of the spectrum already (which is pretty sweet). Did you have to to an exhaustive scan to find it? Perhaps an email to Elgato is needed to get them to develop the software a bit more...

No, I live in Essex and get pretty good reception, I am not using the antennae which came with the Elgato EyeTV, but have it connected to coaxial point in the wall, and used a standard scan, not exhaustive.
In the programs list I can see BBC HD, ITV hd, Ch4 HD and five HD trial, but just like BBC HD I cannot get any video, only audio and sometimes selecting the channel crashes the eyeTV software

 

[gangst]

Actually Telewest is the cheapest way to get HD, although you have to be in a cable area. The box has 3 tuners as well, and a bigger HD than Sky+ so it all sounds pretty good, not got a HDTV to watch it on yet though!

From what I have read about the EyeTV it can receive HD singals from over the area, the problem is as the previous poster pointed out, it isnt being broadcast in the UK yet (apart from the trial area) and is unlikely to be expanded until much nearer the switch over.

So, basically, BBCHD is for SkyHD and Telewest viewers for the time being.

I'd agree with you on that, I'm not in a Telewest area, but have a Sky HD box on order, but due to shortages I doubt I will get one before the end of the World Cup! I thought that if there was a way to get the video on BBC HD then it would be great for the time being.

Anyone got any other suggestions because I'm pretty sure DVB-T can pick it up if several plug-ins are installed etc...

 

[yogi477]

I'd agree with you on that, I'm not in a Telewest area, but have a Sky HD box on order, but due to shortages I doubt I will get one before the end of the World Cup! I thought that if there was a way to get the video on BBC HD then it would be great for the time being.

Anyone got any other suggestions because I'm pretty sure DVB-T can pick it up if several plug-ins are installed etc...

Its not about plug-ins though really, as far as I know the Elgato is HD ready its just there is no signal. The BBC Online coverage is pretty crap quality too but it has to be so that it will be available to all, not sure why they insist on using Real/WMP though I hate both those codecs. Flip4Mac does a good ojb at it though.

 

[gangst]

Its not about plug-ins though really, as far as I know the Elgato is HD ready its just there is no signal. The BBC Online coverage is pretty crap quality too but it has to be so that it will be available to all, not sure why they insist on using Real/WMP though I hate both those codecs. Flip4Mac does a good ojb at it though.

Ok, thanks. I was just wondering why people on PC's are able to decode it using a DVB-T tuner. As far as I know what is being shown on the Freeview BBC HD is the same as what is being shown on the BBC HD on Sky HD and the Telewest service, it also says this in the eyeTV EPG.

Your right the eyeTV is HD ready both 720p and 1080i, but I thought the problem may lie in the fact that BBC HD is being broadcast as a H264 transfer stream and eyeTV is not able to decode that, only the standard MPEG2 transfer streams for the usual channels.

 

[mikehowett]

I bought a Miglia TVMini hoping to be able to watch the BBCHD Freeview trial, but as I discovered the current version of the EyeTV software doesn't support H.264 decoding (http://faq.elgato.com/index.php/faq/more/408/).

 

[gangst]

Ok, I've kind of found a way to do it, well its a compromise.

In EyeTV even though you cannot watch the HD material live for BBC and ITV, you can record it. So if you record for example World Cup Match of the Day, it will record.

Then go to Documents>EyeTV Archive>then locate the thing you recorded in HD, the file will be .eyetv , right click it and open with VLC. The recorded HD program will then playback in VLC.

So HD, can be recorded and watched, but not live.

I think that the H264 codec for EyeTV will probably come with the next big upgrade, hopefully!

 

[mikehowett]

Ok, I've kind of found a way to do it, well its a compromise.

In EyeTV even though you cannot watch the HD material live for BBC and ITV, you can record it. So if you record for example World Cup Match of the Day, it will record.

Then go to Documents>EyeTV Archive>then locate the thing you recorded in HD, the file will be .eyetv , right click it and open with VLC. The recorded HD program will then playback in VLC.

So HD, can be recorded and watched, but not live.

I think that the H264 codec for EyeTV will probably come with the next big upgrade, hopefully!

How did you actually manage to get it to play back in VLC? When I tried it just a few mins ago all I got was audio and scrambled video. VLC then crashed after a few seconds.

 

[gangst]

How did you actually manage to get it to play back in VLC? When I tried it just a few mins ago all I got was audio and scrambled video. VLC then crashed after a few seconds.

Try downloading the latest nightly build, I was more successful with that. Apparently one of the next builds will be a lot more compatible, so hopefully it won't be long.

Do you have an Intel Mac btw? (I don't). Tell me how you get on.

 

[mikehowett]

Try downloading the latest nightly build, I was more successful with that. Apparently one of the next builds will be a lot more compatible, so hopefully it won't be long.

Do you have an Intel Mac btw? (I don't). Tell me how you get on.

That certainly made a difference, but it still didn't play back smoothly.

Maybe my 2.0GHz Core Duo isn't fast enough

 

[gangst]

That certainly made a difference, but it still didn't play back smoothly.

Maybe my 2.0GHz Core Duo isn't fast enough

PLayback is not good on my Quad G5!

If you have Boot Camp installed, you can install CoreAVC on Windows or Media Player Classic and play these files pretty well.

 

[mikehowett]

PLayback is not good on my Quad G5!

If you have Boot Camp installed, you can install CoreAVC on Windows or Media Player Classic and play these files pretty well.

Will give it a go now

EDIT: Given the size of these files, I don't think my 500GB HDD would keep up with a full 90mins of a game

 

[gangst]

Will give it a go now

EDIT: Given the size of these files, I don't think my 500GB HDD would keep up with a full 90mins of a game

I know! I recorded Germany vs. Poland and it took 52GB! But it is defonately worth it.

 

[mikehowett]

I know! I recorded Germany vs. Poland and it took 52GB! But it is defonately worth it.

Hmmm, only getting audio when playing back using windows media classic??

 

[gangst]

Hmmm, only getting audio when playing back using windows media classic??

I'm not to sure about using it on Windows, as I don't have a Windows PC, and haven't tried it. I think there is a H264 plug-in needed to for playback.

Try this thread as this has a huge amount of information and is PC based http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=355160 , that is where I first read that it is the H264 codec which eyeTV is lacking.

It says a lot about hardware, but just find the stuff about the Windows software required.

 

[mikehowett]

I'm not to sure about using it on Windows, as I don't have a Windows PC, and haven't tried it. I think there is a H264 plug-in needed to for playback.

Try this thread as this has a huge amount of information and is PC based http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=355160 , that is where I first read that it is the H264 codec which eyeTV is lacking.

It says a lot about hardware, but just find the stuff about the Windows software required.

Downloaded CoreAVC and media player classic, and it worked! Tested it with 5 mins of the SWE v PAR game on ITVHD and the quality is amazing! Now if only we could watch it live!

 

[gangst]

Downloaded CoreAVC and media player classic, and it worked! Tested it with 5 mins of the SWE v PAR game on ITVHD and the quality is amazing! Now if only we could watch it live!

Maybe if you started recording the file, then opened it in Windows Media Player Classic or CoreAVC, you may get near realtime? I don't know if this is possible to run both Mac OS X and Windows at the same time?

But as it stands, I've got to wait for the next VLC nightly build and hope , your pretty lucky, HD is great.

 

[mikehowett]

Maybe if you started recording the file, then opened it in Windows Media Player Classic or CoreAVC, you may get near realtime? I don't know if this is possible to run both Mac OS X and Windows at the same time?

But as it stands, I've got to wait for the next VLC nightly build and hope , your pretty lucky, HD is great.

Think you might be on to something there. I just tried playing the live buffer that eyetv keeps in VLC and it played as it updated. On the subject of running OS X and XP at the same time, the only way to do that is using parallels and I don't have that, also not sure if you can access the OS X partition via XP in order to play the file. Maybe you could try it over a wired network with the XP machine accessing the OS X one and playing the file over the network?? If that makes any sense?

 

[gangst]

Think you might be on to something there. I just tried playing the live buffer that eyetv keeps in VLC and it played as it updated. On the subject of running OS X and XP at the same time, the only way to do that is using parallels and I don't have that, also not sure if you can access the OS X partition via XP in order to play the file. Maybe you could try it over a wired network with the XP machine accessing the OS X one and playing the file over the network?? If that makes any sense?

Yep, I may try this in the next 2 weeks as my brother is getting a decent gaming PC, so it should be powerful enough for playback, In the mean time I'll record plenty of content, and keep checking for VLC updates.

Personally, I'd really like to try and do this on an Intel Mac, but unfortunately I don't have one . If there is an update for VLC I think that playing these live buffers would be really easy and hopefully successful.

 

[mikehowett]

Personally, I'd really like to try and do this on an Intel Mac, but unfortunately I don't have one . If there is an update for VLC I think that playing these live buffers would be really easy and hopefully successful.

Yeh, fingers crossed for the update

 

[nobblytanner]

don't try to watch HD using Eye TV

The software has a bug which drives the Mac into a nasty loop.

If you have already made this mistake (as I did), here's the solution:

1) kill the loop by Options Apple Esc keys together - this will allow you to stop the Eye TV application. It takes a few goes, but eventually you'll catch it.

2) Once killed, go into Systems Preferences, and under Accounts, take Eye TV out of the Startup Menu, otherwise you'll just go back into the loop again when you reboot.

3) Remove the firewire feed from Eye TV box to Mac (pull the plug out).

4) Launch Eye TV - it will try to look for the troublesome HD channel again by default (as this was the last channel you selected) but won't get a signal.

5) Now the hard bit (but clever). Be ready to change the channel to a non HD one - e.g. by selecting Channel 1 for BBC1. As SOON as you put the firewire plug back in, it will resume its search. So - plug in and click immediatedly on Channel 1 - i.e. get it to change channel. If you quick, you'll be successful, and the problem will be gone (just don't EVER retune to HD).

6) If you fail, it will go back in its loop. Try pulling the firewire out again, and repeat step 5. If this fails, return to step 1 and try again.

It's a pain, but this does solve the problem.

PS: what a shocking bug - Elgato - sort this nonsense out.

Rick

 

[dcv]

The software has a bug which drives the Mac into a nasty loop.

<snip>

I found this problem too with the BBC HD1 feed - I ended up pulling out the FireWire cable, waiting a few secs for the connection to die, then replugging and selecting another channel - as you said, you need to do this straight away otherwise it'll try to lock onto that channel again.