Topfield TF7710HTC1

[kiwisteve]

I have a Topfield TF7710HTC1 DVB T box to try for a few days
Mpeg2 Mpeg4 / H.264 HD

I made a quick trip to Otaki Beach with the Topfield and a medium gain UHF antenna plus
petrol generator . Signal from Mt KauKau was 95% Level and Quality 99% with antenna mounted on 2 metre pipe on rear bullbar of 4wd . Triangle on analogue from Mt KauKau on ch40 was very snowy and just making colour and Maori TV just had a very slight snow/ noise background .
Picture of the Triangle TV signal shows how poor an analogue can be of similar power transmitter to a good lock on digital

TVNZ Sport Extra Info screen was showing on several of the channels plus CSI and another video loop on the others. Several channels came up as reserved inc 2 reserved HD channels

cheers
Steve
:D:D

[Apsattv]

38.33 miles 61.69 Km

[paulw]

What sort of price do these cost? Twin HD tuners?? Saw a similar one on a UK news group for about 450 pounds

[Tony Dunnett]

I looked at your off air triangle signal, and when we tested the MPEG 2 version during the trials the Triangle picture we had you could not even make out what was on the screen so really you were'nt at max distance for that system combination as i could clearly define what the picture content was.

In fact it just happened we were using a panasonic same as yours but 14inch one for digital one for analog with a good splitter and good cable . We made it so that the panasonic was snow / blue screen snow / blue screen.

The results we had were that the DTT would continue to lock and load on CNR's less than 3DB where as Double and some more was needed for watchable analog.

I note u used a 23 element antenna by the time you increase that to 91 elements and perhaps two 91's on a twin boom with a matching harness, yes we used them in the UK 35 years ago and a good FET amplifier i think some suprising reception locations are going to be seen.

Great effort STEVE backs up what i have been driveling about nicely.

T.D

[kiwisteve]

Tony
I should have mentioned I was able to turn the yagi so triangle was only just in the noise and the DVBT was just locking but with noticeable glitches . Prime and MTS at that point were just under the point of producing colour .

Price of the Box ??
Unknown at this time Its a sample I have borrowed !!

[Apsattv]

Tony
I should have mentioned I was able to turn the yagi so triangle was only just in the noise and the DVBT was just locking but with noticeable glitches . Prime and MTS at that point were just under the point of producing colour .

Price of the Box ??
Unknown at this time Its a sample I have borrowed !!

No amp and heck even my letterbox is higher than that antenna. What next an inland test? with a bigger antenna. Maybe with a variable attenuator?

What brand model is that antenna? 10 - 13 dB gain?

[kiwisteve]

Tomorrow I will test from an inland location with severe obstruction loss to KauKau plus two cellphone towers and Teamtalk UHF just a few metres away . Hopefully the tuner wont suffer any intermod issues

The brand of the Antenna is :

Supreme Antennas SAU 16
Made here locally

[herbie_g]

Steve, did you happen to go vertical & swing the UHF northward & try for Wharite, or has the fire not been stoked there yet? Would be interesting to see if co-channel will be an issue in fringe areas, and if so, what it's characteristics will be..

[kiwisteve]

Howdy

No Wharite is not finished . The riggers have more to do on the tower

:D:D

[kiwisteve]

A test with an antenna mounted about 2m above ground , looking through tress and 71km Obstructed path to Wharite .
Quality was showing %51 on Ch59 just slightly above the dropout point and with the occasional freeze frame and squeak on the audio

Some pictures of Maori TV on Ch46 analogue for comparison

[openmedia]

Can you get TVNZ 6 at the moment. I'd be interested to hear what you think of their audio quality given they switch from MP2 to AAC audio.

[kiwisteve]

There is currently no audio on TVNZ 6 on our transmitter

[bartender]

Hey Steve

I was trying to figure out how much these boxes would cost, and after a bit of googling I think they are called a TF7710HTCI (I not 1)... But still haven't found a good price on them. I am sure you would have got yours as a loaner from TVNZ/Kordia.

Seems like the Czech Republic are the only country selling them so far.

Hooktech have a brochure, but nothing like a price: http://www.hooktech.co.nz/pdf/ebrochure/TF7710HTCI.pdf

But would love to have an idea on what the street price will be.

[openmedia]

There is currently no audio on TVNZ 6 on our transmitter

Steve - can you do a rescan and see if you get audio. I've got audio on TVNZ 6 here in Auckland but it is AAC rather than MP2.

[bartender]

Done a bit of searching on STB's and found one great link on Linux based MPEG4 Decoders, and their costs:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=99402

However on pricing I have found some interesting links, there is a guy in Singapore selling TF7700HTCI for $350 Sing Dollars, which is about $300 NZ, which isn't that bad really, but still a bit on the pricey side. Have a friend just about to fly out there, so will see what he can pick up for me.

Most of the TF7710HTCI seem to be sold in the Czech Republic for ~$500 NZ, but that could be because of import duties / tax etc...

[richms]

Can the topfield output HD component and interlaced component at the same time?

Also, can it output analog downmixed audio while also outputting the raw bitstream (not that I have a reciever that does AAC multichannel yet anyway)

I would be wanting to drive multiple TV's off it. RGB scart and HD component would be ok too since I could convert it to component to distribute.