H264 encoder box experiences?

Ideas, technical topics, help and discussion for ATV repeater builders
Post Reply
g8gtz
Posts: 1733
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by g8gtz » Mon Dec 27, 2021 10:51 am

I'm looking at the options for rebuilding GB3HV and am interested in current thoughts on the Chinese encoder boxes.

Are they still available and from where, did the early analogue audio input problems get sorted and is anyone using one to do both streaming and live transmit?

Presumably they can be use to drive the IPTS input on Portsdown?

73
Noel - G8GTZ

User avatar
G3GJA
Posts: 337
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:44 pm

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by G3GJA » Mon Dec 27, 2021 5:14 pm

I got one from eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353731466884recently before the price went up to around £100. I'm hoping to use it in an all digital version of GB3EY.

Any browser will display the HTTP output and the IPTS monitor on the P4 does show an RTMP stream from the box. It also works well with the BATC streamer.

So far, I have not been able to make it work with the Portsdown as an IPTS feed and I'm fiddling in the shack with packet sniffing software looking at the feed to the Portsdown to try to understand the difference between the FreeStreamCoder output that does work and the UDP output from the H264/H265 encoder box.

If I get anywhere I'll post here

Clive

Basil
Posts: 295
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:28 pm

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by Basil » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:22 pm

I await your endeavours with great interest as I too bought one before the price hike. I need to reply to whoever kindly enquired how I was getting on with it, but I have been nursing a sick cow and have to get some sleep, please forgive me, I'll try and catch up tomorrow! Good luck.

User avatar
G3GJA
Posts: 337
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:44 pm

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by G3GJA » Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:59 pm

Initial results are disappointing.

The packet capture seems to be unable to find any UDP traffic coming from the encoder addressed for the Portsdown. When using the FreeStreamCoder there is a continuous stream of UDP packets marked up as MPEG data.

Further testing needed to confirm...

Clive G3GJA

g0mjw
Posts: 2330
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by g0mjw » Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:57 am

They work fine. We discussed this at length back in 2019 when it was looking like a promising option. I think Rob has it working for GB3KM. The H265 encoding in not as good as a graphics card at low SR but it is good enough and they are limited to HD, so no 4K, but that's not really an issue for DATV.

You need to programme them properly via their API. The Pluto firmware does this already and so does the Jetson Nano application. Dave G8GKQ was using one for a while on the net I think. I assume the Portsdown could do the same, but it would need someone (not Dave) to implement it. There is limited control possible via the built in web interface that can do most things but not everything. Also there are different versions of the firmware to be aware of.

Mike

Basil
Posts: 295
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:28 pm

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by Basil » Tue Dec 28, 2021 12:52 pm

g0mjw wrote:
Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:57 am
They work fine. We discussed this at length back in 2019 when it was looking like a promising option. I think Rob has it working for GB3KM. The H265 encoding in not as good as a graphics card at low SR but it is good enough and they are limited to HD, so no 4K, but that's not really an issue for DATV.

You need to programme them properly via their API. The Pluto firmware does this already and so does the Jetson Nano application. Dave G8GKQ was using one for a while on the net I think. I assume the Portsdown could do the same, but it would need someone (not Dave) to implement it. There is limited control possible via the built in web interface that can do most things but not everything. Also there are different versions of the firmware to be aware of.

Mike

Has this procedure ever been documented at all please Mike?

g0mjw
Posts: 2330
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by g0mjw » Tue Dec 28, 2021 2:52 pm

I don't know. There was a CQTV article perhaps or something in the forum. Try google. It came up with this thread viewtopic.php?t=6618

Mike

M0DTS
Posts: 653
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: H264 encoder box experiences?

Post by M0DTS » Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:57 pm

I put some info on my github a while ago about remote setup of these encoder boxes.
Yoy can find it here: https://github.com/m0dts/HDMI-Encoder-Tools

Rob

Post Reply

Return to “ATV Repeater Technical Topics”