Dolby transcoding for Icecrypt T2400

Owners of the Icecrypt T2400 will be pleased to hear that a new firmware update is being tested at the moment, which will add Dolby digital transcoding to the unit.

In my original review, that was one of the main points against it, so if this works well, it will be very good news for users.

I hope to start testing the update in the next couple of days, and will post more about it next week.

The magic number: 6.2.1

Those who’ve followed the saga of Freeview HD since its launch, and the discovery by many early adopters that they couldn’t actually get surround sound using their existing equipment, may recall that I mentioned all that was going to change.

Well, in theory, that day is here. The latest version of the ‘D Book’ which contains the technical specifications for Freeview HD kit in the UK is now being used for testing. It’s version 6.2.1 and it apparently clarifies further two of the important aspects of Freeview HD.

One is the transcoding of surround sound, which means that even if you have older equipment that can only be connected via optical, or HDMI kit that only understands Dolby Digital, you should be able to get surround sound through your existing system, even when the broadcasters are using AAC audio, as they do at the moment. (If you want a crash course in surround sound, start here)

The second feature is support for the enhanced interactive services (called the MHEG Interaction Channel), which are used to provide the BBC iPlayer via the Red Button service.

The DTG has been helpful enough to announce on their website that Sony’s new Freeview+ HD box has been certified to D Book 6.2.1, so you should be able to buy the SVR-HDT500 safe in the knowledge that it’ll do everything you want.

But it’s not likely they’ll be doing that for everything else – and that means you’ll find some equipment on sale that has been tested with the new version of the D Book, and some that was tested with the older version, which may or may not provide iPlayer or Dolby Digital transcoding.

All you know is that if a product has the digital tick and the Freeview logo, it has passed DTG testing. There is no way for a consumer to know which version of the tests it used.

In time, that won’t make so much difference, but right now, it’s pretty stupid. There should, at least, be a list of equipment tested under the previous version of the D Book, so that consumers can make an informed decision about whether or not to buy older kit – they’d know, at the very least, that they would have to enquire further to find out exactly what functionality was supported.

Update: The DTG told me this morning that they are working on such a list. More details when I have it.

Sharing information

I have my own list on this site, but I’ve not been able to try every box out there, let alone every version of firmware for them; as I posted yesterday, if you have kit that’s not on the list, or can offer more information, perhaps we can crowdsource a more comprehensive one.

Why’s that important? While all new kit should support surround sound, and iPlayer, the older stuff isn’t going to vanish from shelves overnight, and it’s likely to be around for a while. It will also often be discounted, making it cheaper for many users who want to buy HD kit, so it’s important that they are informed about just what they’ll be getting.

What the new specs say

Although the D Book itself isn’t publicly available, the Freeview HD licence that manufacturers have to agree to is, and that outlines the changes. There are three main ones to focus on:

1. Support for Audio Description on channels using AAC audio is mandatory, since 1^st January 2011. As long time followers of this will recall, it was the need to offer Audio Description that made broadcasters choose AAC audio, causing the whole transcoding issue, so the fact that it wasn’t even mandatory for receivers to support AD made things even more frustrating.

2. Audio Transcoding; D Book 6.2.1 ‘clarifies’ this and the following features are mandatory since 1^st Jan 2011:

Via HDMI:

Where the HDMI sink does not support the native bitstream audio, the receiver shall be able to perform one of the following, presenting the same number of channels as broadcast:

• Transcode to AC-3. • Transcode to DTS. • Output linear PCM.

For the uninitiated, ‘HDMI sink’ means the thing the box is plugged into, such as an AV receiver or a TV. And there’s still pretty much nothing on the market that does support AAC multi-channel audio; AC-3 is old-fashioned Dolby Digital, which most home AV kit will support, giving you proper 5.1 surround via HDMI; DTS is an alternative system, but I suspect most kit will simply output Dolby Digital.

Via optical:

If SPDIF supported, the receiver shall be able to output any multi-channel audio, regardless of the broadcast encoding, in one of the following formats, presenting the same number of channels as broadcast:

• AC-3. • DTS.

So, finally the specs make transcoding mandatory, and this should be true of all of this year’s kit – but I’ll certainly post about any I find where that turns out not to be true.

3. From 1^st April 2011,

Receivers shall support the MHEG InteractionChannelExtension and ICStreamingExtension, as defined in Chapters 11 to 19. This requires receivers to provide a broadband network interface supporting TCP/IP (e.g. Ethernet or IEEE 802.11).

Equipment tested between 1^st Jan and 1^st April doesn’t have to support the latest spec, and so won’t necessarily support iPlayer.

Where are we now?

Essentially, any kit tested now must support both iPlayer and transcoding of surround sound. Any kit tested since Jan 1^st must support transcoding. Kit tested earlier doesn’t have to support either – but it may support transcoding anyway (see my list for kit that does).

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as saying “Only buy products released from now on” as the testing process can often happen quite some time in advance of kit being on sale. And the lack of a public list stating what was tested when, or even an addition to the Freeview HD labelling, indicating support for transcoding and iiPlayer is something of a shame, to put it mildly.

The forthcoming list from the DTG will hopefully help choosing equipment a little easier.

Freeview HD surround sound updates

I’ve just made a minor update to my list of equipment that can transcode surround sound for Freeview HD, adding information about the TVonics DTR-Z500HD, which I’m reviewing at the moment for Register Hardware.

I’ll also be posting a more general update about the topic in the next few days. Meanwhile, if you have already bought Freeview HD kit, and have it connected up to your surround sound system, please do let me know whether or not you are able to get surround sound from it. I’d like to try and build up a more comprehensive list of the 2010 kit – which is likely to be sold off cheaply as new models come out – so that those looking for a bargain can be sure what they’ll be getting.

How to check

The best way to check whether or not your kit can decode surround properly is either to watch the BBC test card, which is on during the daytime, or to catch one of the programmes that is always broadcast in 5.1 audio, such as Later with Jools Holland or A little Later. You should see your AV kit indicate that it’s receiving a Dolby Digital signal, rather than Pro Logic or simple PCM audio.

If you are able to check and let me know, please do – the email address is at the top of this page, or you can post in the comments. Remember to say exactly what model number your FreeviewHD receiver or TV is, and if possible which firmware version. It would also be helpful to know if you have connected it to your AV gear using an optical connection or an HDMI one.

If enough people supply information, then we can create a useful table for others to refer to when they are thinking of buying Freeview HD kit.

FreeviewHD surround sound equipment list upated

Another small update to my list of Freeview HD equipment that can provide surround sound, to add the Humax HDR-Fox T2 to the list of equipment.

For those who are new to this site, essentially for technical reasons, if you connect your Freeview HD box to your surround sound system, you may not actually get anything more than stereo, unless you buy one of the products that is included on my list.

For more details, and a glossary of some of the jargon involved, the best place to start reading is probably this post.

Surround sound update for Humax HD-Fox T2 FreeviewHD box

Humax has release a new firmware for the HD-Fox T2 Freeview HD box, which enables transcoding of the AAC sound used on Freeview HD to Dolby Digital 5.1, so viewers with home cinema systems can enjoy surround from programmes that have it.

My list of equipment that can transcode has been updated.

List of FreeviewHD Dolby transcoding kit updated

I have updated the list of FreeviewHD equipment that I’ve tested with details of the most recent bits of kit to pass through my living room. Three more products have been added, together with information about whether or not they transcode the AAC audio used on Freeview to Dolby Digital for home cinema systems.

I’ve also added extra details regarding the Bush/Vestel box and the Digital Stream PVRs.

The list is here.

i-Can EasyHD to get FreeviewHD surround updates

ADB, the makers of the i-Can Easy HD receiver that came out top in the group test I did for Register Hardware, tell me that they’re working on updating the box for Dolby Digital output.

This is likely to happen in two stages, with the first update in around six weeks to give two channel Dolby output, and then another update later in the year to give full 5.1 Dolby Digital surround.

More info when I have it.