Want to resurrect your D/D2 MAC kit?

[Captain Jack]

What do you mean by non stable image? What options are you using and are you playing a file or a test pattern?

 

[BSBSquarial]

What do you mean by non stable image? What options are you using and are you playing a file or a test pattern?

What do you mean by non stable image? What options are you using and are you playing a file or a test pattern?

just trying a test card for now.
The image sometimes unlocks and rolls but when it is locked it has glitches that also click on the audio.
Can I upload a video here or do I need to host it and send a link?
Direct connection with DC block.
DMAC FM
I get the best result with 19.5 MHz sample rate
The picture rolls at 20.25mhz
TX again 1db
And it will only work with CCIR-405 pre-emphasis filter on.
Not sure if the issues are due to speed of the PC, the clone HackRF or just settings.
Regards
Chris

 

[steeviebops]

At the end of the GUI window it will show the parameters used. Copy and paste them here. You’ll need a lot more than 1dB though.

 

[Captain Jack]

I set gain to 47 (max possible), filter on and sample rate of 20.25MHz.

You would get buffer under runs if the speed was the issue (a lot of UUUUUs in the console output), so I suspect it's something else.

Upload the video to YouTube and link to it here.

 

[BSBSquarial]

I set gain to 47 (max possible), filter on and sample rate of 20.25MHz.

You would get buffer under runs if the speed was the issue (a lot of UUUUUs in the console output), so I suspect it's something else.

Upload the video to YouTube and link to it here.

I was setting the gain higher but it didn’t seem to help. Actually seems to make it worse so I assumed it was overloading the tuner?
1 to 4 dB seems to work but I can’t set between 5 to 10 dB as it gives an error saying it needs to be between 0 and 47db. Must be a bug.
10 to 47db works but as I say it seems to be worse the higher it’s set.

My Core i3 desktop was streaming UUUs in the console but I didn’t know what that meant.
On my core i5 laptop I get maybe 4 or 5 Us then they stop.

 

[Captain Jack]

Very odd! This doesn't look like a gain or speed issue. I believe, however, this to be a Windows one. I saw very similar when I very briefly tested it on my Windows VM.

 

[steeviebops]

I was setting the gain higher but it didn’t seem to help. Actually seems to make it worse so I assumed it was overloading the tuner?
1 to 4 dB seems to work but I can’t set between 5 to 10 dB as it gives an error saying it needs to be between 0 and 47db. Must be a bug.
10 to 47db works but as I say it seems to be worse the higher it’s set.

My Core i3 desktop was streaming UUUs in the console but I didn’t know what that meant.
On my core i5 laptop I get maybe 4 or 5 Us then they stop.

You're right, it is a bug! I put some quotation marks where they shouldn't be. Have corrected it now so can send you an updated version.

Regarding the jumpy video, I've seen that happen when there's a lot going on in the background. For example, if I'm doing a file copy while hacktv is running. You might need to close background processes.

 

[BSBSquarial]

You're right, it is a bug! I put some quotation marks where they shouldn't be. Have corrected it now so can send you an updated version.

Regarding the jumpy video, I've seen that happen when there's a lot going on in the background. For example, if I'm doing a file copy while hacktv is running. You might need to close background processes.

That would be great if you could send me the update.
Thanks Stephen.

 

[Captain Jack]

If anyone feels like playing with it, RPi 4 is allegedly powerful enough to drive a MAC signal with test pattern.

 

[homercartman]

If anyone feels like playing with it, RPi 4 is allegedly powerful enough to drive a MAC signal with test pattern.

Hi Captain Jack,

To come to this conclusion, did you bench the required cpu power for this specific hacktv scenario and compared with the perf of the Pi4? If so, what about the perf numbers required for other scramblers?

Thanks!

 

[Captain Jack]

No, this is something I've been trying to find out as well.

MAC will always be the least CPU/memory bandwidth intensive format with PAL et al requiring expensive colour lookup tables. Using FIR filters will also have an impact on CPU as well as higher sampling rates.

 

[BSBSquarial]

Finally got this to work and it’s great!
Turned out to be an issue with the bandwidth on my PCs front usb sockets! Connected the HackRF to a motherboard usb and it works fine.
Thanks everyone for your hard work and help.

 

[BSBSquarial]

Interestingly on my Tatung BSB receiver the on screen graphics show The Movie Channel.
It doesn’t show on my Ferguson receiver.
It doesn’t change whichever frequency/ channel number I broadcast to so I presume this is being transmitted by HackTV?
If so is it possible to edit this naming?

Also I’ve tried the logo overlay on Fsphils windows gui but it’s not working.
Any idea how to make this work? I’ve managed to find png files of the original BSB channel logos so it would be great for this to work. I can upload these if anyone wants them.
Fantastic work fellas!

 

[steeviebops]

The logo function doesn't work on Windows. It looks to me that there's something missing in ffmpeg when cross-compiling but I don't have the time to look into it at the moment.

Regarding the USB port issue, now that you say it, if I plug the HackRF into the ports on the left side of my laptop, it doesn't work properly. I have to use the ones on the right.

 

[Captain Jack]

Cross compilation is an enigma to me. I spent a good few hours trying to compile even the original repo but wasn't successful (on Fedora). Should try again at some point.

Do send BSB logos!

 

[steeviebops]

Well I got the logo working in Windows! Rather unexpectedly I must admit.

My fiancée was out for an hour at the gym so said I'd revisit this. The last time I looked at it, it seemed to be that zlib was missing when ffmpeg was compiled. After a bit of googling, I amended the build script to cross-compile zlib before compiling ffmpeg. I also had to edit hacktv.c a little but nothing too major. Works a treat. @Captain Jack I can send you the details once I have it ironed out.

Now to see if I can get the timestamp working too.

 

[Captain Jack]

Ohhh nice one! Yes, please send the working build script. I would like to be able to build it myself and upload it to repo - doesn't sound like it's as straightforward as it is OK Linux/Mac..

 

[BSBSquarial]

Here are the BSB channel logos I located.
Stephen, is the updated GUI on OneDrive yet? I'll give it a try when I get chance.
Captain Jack, any idea as to the channel name appearing on my Tatung receiver and not on the Ferguson? Is this in the receiver somewhere of is it being sent by HackTV?

 

[steeviebops]

So I got the timestamp working too! It was a productive day for me.

@BSBSquarial - yes the corrected version is up there now. If @Captain Jack is OK with it, I'll upload the Windows EXE with the working timestamp and logo features too.

 

[BSBSquarial]

Outstanding work!
Can’t wait to try it.