[plusman]

I downloaded the latest digi-HD TV beta tonight (3.6.0.2) and was able to pick up BBC HD1 OK. The picture was a bit stuttered on the fooball but better on some of the preview programmes. However I get no audio (audio source indicates that it is AC3 but this is greyed out). How do I get the audio stream?

hanks fo rhelp.

[beardedwonder]

Maybe you could try installing the AC3filter, a google should help. Not sure if this will help as i'm not in the right area to test it.

[HyperReality]

Good suggestion, but unfortunately AC3Filter won't help as DigiTV uses it's own internal codecs (and does not use DirectShow).

@plusman:
* Are you getting audio okay on SD channels?
* What soundcard/device are you using?
* Are you using SPDIF output to a receiver, or using analogue output to speakers?
* If you are using SPDIF, do you have SPDIF AC3 passthrough enabled in the DigiTV audio settings? Does changing this setting or some of the other audio settings help?
* Have you checked the "Audio Source" menu option when tuned to an HD channel - what options are available in the submenu?

[plusman]

I think the problem was down, in part, to my own stupidity.

I normally run the sound through the speakers on my plasma screen (Hitachi 42PD3000 - not HD Ready but I want to see what the picture quality is like as it has 1024 pixels) and for the normal DigiTV program the sound has been fine. When I tried the Digi-HDTV program, the sound was OK for SD programmes but not for the BBC HD1. I checked the audio source and the MPEG2 stream was greyed, but the AC3 was highlighted (My previous posting was incorrect, sorry).

After I started this thread, I played about a bit more and found that I was able to get the sound through my amplifier (using the SPDIF output from my PC). It was coming up as a 5.1 signal and I had to ramp up the volume a bit to hear it, but it was definitely audible (it was Planet Earth and David Attenbrough's commentary appeared to be at a low volume). So I can get the sound through my amplifier, but not through my TV speakers - I can live with that.

The picture is still a bit jerky. I have tried setting the priority to "High" in the task master process, and that has helped a bit.

I'm running it on a dual-core 3.0GHz P4 with 1Gb RAM, and using a NVidia GeForce 6700XL with 128Mb RAM.

I can pick up ITV HD, CH4 HD and five HD as well as BBC1 HD (my postcode is IG9), but so far have only seen the placeholders on the former channels. Picture quality on BBC1 HD is definitely sharper; however it also seems that the picture quality on SD transmissions (e.g. BBC1) is sharper using the digi HDTV program rather than the digi TV program (or is it just my imagination?).

I'm trying to get the decoder licence from Nebula, but so far can only get a blank page when I link - so I'm limited to 1 minute slots of HD viewing at the moment!

[beardedwonder]

[Integrator]

In answer to Plusman's question and to anyone else who would like to use their DigiTV PCI card to see the HD Trials (ie. World Cup and other show case events) you need to do the following (apologies to those who have already sussed this):

Go to "File", "Settings", "Licensing". Click on "H.264 High Definition Licence", then click "Purchase Licence". This takes you to Nebula's website page for "DigiTV Enhanced Function Licensing". Your current licence key is shown above a list of other licence upgrade options, eg. Networking, IPTV, HDTV. The 1-year HDTV upgrade that you originally selected is shown, but you can also select an unlimited licence (for extra cost ), or other options if you so wish. You then have to click on "Proceed" at the bottom.

This takes you to an almost blank page (!!!) with no further obvious instructions . You then have to click on "Buy Online", then "Spare Parts for your DigiTV" at the bottom of the next page shown. This then takes you to your "Current Shopping Basket" where you can see the cost of the licence that you have just ordered listed . You then have to click on "Go to Checkout" to complete the payment process as normal over a secure connection.

The 'system' will issue you with a temporary licence key that you need to keep safe. This has to be cut and pasted into the "Licence Key" window in the DigiTV Licensing Settings Menu. You then have to click on "Submit". The H.264 HD Licence should then appear ticked in your Current Licences window below the default Network Licence. The Expiry date of the new licence is also shown.

You will also need to go to [link] and look under under "Nebula News". Click on "UK HDTV Trial" to find out the latest info on their developments. The software release to use with these trials is DigiTV (v3.6.02). Although the current standard official release is DigiTV (v3.5.21) but this won't be able to decode the HDTV video, only the audio . In this case the HD channels will show up as Type "None" in the Tuned channels line up. The next official release (v3.5.22) should address many of the issues associated with the HD Trial. For the time being, you need the v3.6.xx software to be able to see the HDTV channels and the licence (cost £14.99 + VAT for 1 year) to be able to view them for longer than 1 minute .

After a couple of days Nebula Sales will email you a 'permanent' (1-year or whatever you paid for) licence key that you have to cut and paste into the Licensing menu in Settings. It is worth keeping a copy of all these licence keys in a separate Word doc as a backup. At the moment the video is still somewhat jerky (~16 fps) , but the resolution is excellent . You need a powerful PC with a fast CPU and GPU though. Future optimisations to the code should improve matters.

It is a pity that this procedure could not be better explained on the Nebula website, or that the licence ordering process was more straightforward instead of us punters having to figure this out the hard way .