H264 HD 4:2:2 video is not supported

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SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Sep 3, 2008
195
9
I was reviewing the firmware release notes of earlier releases and found this:

AZBox Beta Firmware: 0.9.2238
for both AZBox Premium HD & AZBox Elite HD

Changelog / Release Notes:
Quote:
Limitation
- MPEG2 HD 4:2:2 video is supported.
But H264 HD 4:2:2 video is not supported, currently.

Subsequent release notes have not addressed this issue
.
Can anybody confirm whether or not H264 HD 4:2:2 video can be decoded?
 
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The AZBox will support H264, the firmware installed may need to be more recent than what you mentioned. What you do with the recorded file afterwards is the problem. If you want to record it to a DVD, you will need a software program that also supports H264. Xilosoft will work to convert it, but that is a program that you must pay for, there are other programs that are freeware that will work. Try DVDVideoSoft.

RADAR
 
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The AZBox will support H264, the firmware installed may need to be more recent than what you mentioned. What you do with the recorded file afterwards is the problem. If you want to record it to a DVD, you will need a software program that also supports H264. Xilosoft will work to convert it, but that is a program that you must pay for, there are other programs that are freeware that will work. Try DVDVideoSoft.

RADAR
H264 is not the issue. H264 with 4:2:2 chroma is the problem. H264 with 4:2:0 chroma works fine.

The release notes in 0.9.2238 specifically state:
But H264 HD 4:2:2 video is not supported, currently.
I've checked all subsequent release notes and have not found any notes stating that the problem is fixed. I do not have any H.264 4:2:2 video clips to test.

One of the main reasons for the popularity if this box is the alleged support for DVB-S2 HD with 4:2:2 video.
 
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One of the main reasons for the popularity if this box is the alleged support for DVB-S2 HD with 4:2:2 video.
I can confirm that the AZBox will play DVB-S2 HD 4:2:2 - The feeds for CBS Network and some TNT Sports feeds are what I'm using as the example.
 
It's next to impossible to find on the web a sample of video encoded in H264 with 4:2:2 chroma. VLC site claims, no such samples exist, its work in progress. For AZBox to support that format decoding, someone should develop such encoder / decoder (codec) first, not only claim its support in a published standard designed for future expansion. It may be hard at times to run ahead of the train for some FTA fans... ;)

One can learn more about AVC/H.264 High 4:2:2 Profile encoding advantages from this article in Broadcast Engineering Magazine.
 
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Even in 2008, there were a few Ku band YES feeds which were DVB-S2, 4:2:2 HD ( 72Mbps video stream) . I watched them on my TT-3200 and PC. It's so rare that there's no telling what the AZbox would do. Earlier in the season, it could only decode the Tandberg 4:2:2 signals, but how handles other encoders as well. Everything in life is in flux, we'll just have to see what comes down the lane.
:)
 
Even in 2008, there were a few Ku band YES feeds which were DVB-S2, 4:2:2 HD ( 72Mbps video stream) . I watched them on my TT-3200 and PC. It's so rare that there's no telling what the AZbox would do. Earlier in the season, it could only decode the Tandberg 4:2:2 signals, but how handles other encoders as well. Everything in life is in flux, we'll just have to see what comes down the lane.
:)


As ACRadio pointed out to me....DVB-S2 is NOT necessarily MPEG 4, nor does it have to be. The CBS DVB-S2 4:2:2 channels are mpeg 2, for example, at an extremely high bitrate, and the Azbox does them fine. :up
 

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