How to connect Set Top Box

Connecting Set-Top box to TV and VHS/DVD Player
================================================
There are 3 hardware that need to be connected here.
i) TV set (analog, non-digital)
ii) Set top box (for receiving digital TV stations onto non-digital TV)
iii) VHS Recorder / DVD player combo.

Requirements - what we want:
i) To be able to view non-digital TV stations
ii) To be able to view digital tv stations
iii) To be able to use VHS recorder player to record both digital and non-digital stations.
iv) To be able to play DVD.

I am writing here to share my experience after I bought the set top box. I already had the TV and the VHS/DVD unit before. Basically, on top of the old functionalities, I wanted to view Digital TV as well as record it after I bought the set top box.

The connections are very simple once I figured it out - but initially, the instructions did not make much sense. Here is the KEY - the TV as well as the VHS/DVD units have multiple inputs for video signal known as AV1, AV2, etc. Once I understood this, everything became easy.

Connection TYpe: We will be using the 3 plug (RCA) Composite cables.
Red and White are for audio, Yellow is for the Video signal.

TV aerial:
i) Connect Wall Antenna to set top box (IN) with one TV cable.
ii) Connect the set top box (OUT) to the VHS/DVD unit (IN) with a second TV cable.

This is like chaining the antenna from wall to set top box to video recorder.

Set top box to VHS/DVD: connect this together via the composite cable (red-white-yellow plugs) from the output of the set top box to AV1 (input) of the VHS/DVD unit.

VHS/DVD to TV: Use a second set of composite cable to connect from the VHS/DVD unit (OUT) to an input on the TV set (eg another AV1).

What's Happening? Essentially the analog TV signal first goes to the set top box which converts to analog signal. From the set top box, the raw analog TV signal (analog TV channels) is re-transferred to the VHS player. The composite cable from set top box to VHS unit carries the digital TV channels.

Since the VHS/DVD player now has both analog and digital tv stations, the key to access both is that:
i) analog channels are accessed by switching the channels on the VHS/DVD unit.
ii) digiatal channels require the VHS/DVD unit to use AV1 or AV2 depending on which port you plug the 3 cables to the unit.
iii) the VHS can record both analog and digital channels.

VHS/DVD to TV: This requires one connection only using the 3plug composite cable. The signal from the VHS/DVD unit (OUT) to the TV (IN AV1, or IN AV2) can carry both analog and digital channels. So both analog and digital channels are available. Note that the AV1 or AV2 here belongs to the TV, and is different to the AV1 of the VHS/DVD unit. We must select AV1, or AV2, in order to get the signals from the VHS/DVD player.


Operating the Remote Controls
==============================
There are 3 remote controls, let's call them:
RC-STB for Set Top Box
RC-DVD for DVD
RC-TV for analog TV

The operation described works for the specific connections that I have described above. If you choose different connections, eg using AV2 instead of AV1, then you have to operate the Remote Control accordingly.

1. Switch on TV, DVD/VHS and Set Top Box in any order
2. Use RC-TV to select the TV's AV1 - never change this again.
3. For viewing or recording Digital TV signals (analog and digital from Set Top Box),
- use RC-DVD and select VHS in the VHS/DVD option buttons
- use RC-DVD and select A1 (stands for AV1)
- use RC-STB to flip through the digital channels and/or record to VHS tape.
4. For viewing or recording Analog TV signals (raw analog signal)
- use RC-DVD and flip through 1,2,3, etc..... and view and/or record to VHS tape.
- no need to use RC-STB at all here.

Notes Video Capture

Notes Video Capture
===================

See also NotesDVD

Contents
=========
Abstract
Capture Video via Virtual Dub
Experiment with Virtual Dub - Video Compression
Compress AVI (video and audio uncompressed) using Virtual DUB.
VirtualDub with DivX

VirtualDub filters plugins
VirtualDub MPEG2 codecs
How to Improve Video Capture Quality


Abstract
==========
These instructions uses
- Virtual Dub
- DivX codec
- mp3 codec
- video capture / tv tuner card

Video capture is done from miniDV camcorder into *.avi file using Virtual Dub.
The second stage compresses the *.avi file into another *.avi file.
Note between the two *.avi processes, an intermediate process is required to extract the sound from the first avi file into a separate wav file.


Capture Video via Virtual Dub
================================
1. Connect AV cable on Canon to COMPOSITE on TV card, yellow-video, red/white-audio

Do NOT
2. Switch on TV View program.
3. Select Video Source on TView program (select until display on PC screen)


DO:
2. Open Virtual Dub
3. File -> Capture AVI (to go to capture mode)
3.5 Video -> Video source -> Video Composite
4. Device -> Conexant Capture
5. File -> Set Capture File (give a filename)
6. Video -> Compression
Cinepak Codec = 6.6:1
Indeo Video 5.1 = 10:1
(Experiment with Virtual Dub - Video Compression)



Experiment with Virtual Dub - Video Compression
=================================================
Set the following:
- Capture - "Hidden display while capture", 29.97 fps
- Video - "Noise reduction enable", "Enable RGB filtering"
- Audio - MP3, 48kBit, 22kHz
- Record Duration about 20s

Uncompressed RGB YUV = 95.977MB
Cinepak Codec = 1.842MB
Indeo 5.1 = 2.734MB
Indeo 3.2 = 7.197MB
Indeo 4.5 = 2.591MB
Intel YUV = 55.044MB
MS Video1 = 41.639MB

MSVideo - Smoothest picture with smallest filesize

Audio better is using:
1) Raw (no compression)
2) Windows Recording Line Volume = 38%, better than higher volume.

Video - choose either
1) Intel YUV (better compression with DivX)
2) MS Video1


Compress AVI (video and audio uncompressed) using Virtual DUB.
===============================================================
1. Exit the capture mode from previous process
2. Open and select the *.avi file which contain the video and uncompressed audio from previous video capture process.
3. Audio - Source Audio, Full processing mode, Compression (mp3, 48kBit, 22kHz)
4. File -> "Save WAV ..." as MP3 - this process strips the sound from the previous *.avi file into a separate *.wav file.
5. Audio -> Audio From Other File - Select the file that was saved.
6. Video -> Full Processing Mode - Compression (DivX, High Quality)
for Good quality DivX, try
6.5 Audio -> Interleaving - adjust by testing if video out of sync with audio
7.File -> Save as AVI -> this will combine the video from the previous *avi and the newly saved *.wav file to produce a compressed DivX, MP3 *.avi file.
In terms of size, continuing from the experiment, the now compressed files have the following sizes:
IntelYUV_mp3 55.044MB -> 2.046MB
IntelYUV_raw audio 38%Vol 55.416MB -> 1.867MB
MSVideo1 raw audio 40.452MB -> 1.879MB
MSVideo1 raw audio 38%Vol 44.390MB -> 5.443MB


VirtualDub with DivX
======================
1. From the main Menu -> Video -> Compression -> DivX Codex -> Configure
2. In the DivX Codec Properties -> Main -> Profile = "High Definiion Profile" -> Rate Control = "1 Pass" -> Bitrate = 1500 kbps
Fairly good quality vs size -> Profile = "1080HD Profile" -> Encoding Presets = 8 -> Rate Control = "1 Pass" -> Bitrate = 3000 kbps



VirtualDub with DivX
======================
1. From the main Menu -> Video -> Compression -> DivX Codex -> Configure
2. In the DivX Codec Properties -> Main -> Profile = "High Definiion Profile" -> Rate Control = "1 Pass" -> Bitrate = 1500 kbps
      Fairly good quality vs size       -> Profile = "1080HD Profile" -> Encoding Presets = 8 -> Rate Control = "1 Pass" -> Bitrate = 3000 kbps


VirtualDub filters plugins
============================
Filter pack from Dee Mon:
http://www.infognition.com/VDFilterPack/
Jim Leonard's White Balance filter
http://neuron2.net/whitebalance/whitebalance.html

flaXen filter
http://neuron2.net/flaxen/flaxen.html

To use this filter, install Virtual Dub, then install these plugins into the VirtualDub's plugins folder.


VirtualDub MPEG2 codecs
========================
To use the Virtual Dub and encode with the MPEG2, the following codes need to be installed.
Panasonic VfW DV codec
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/panasonic_dv_codec.htm
 Adaptec VfW DV codec
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/adaptec_dvsoft_codec.htm


How to Improve Video Capture Quality
======================================
This step may require additional filters for VirtualDub. See the previous section for filters available for VirtualDub.

White Balance Filter - Jim Leonard
- to correct for white balance problems.
- Example: when the video in general looks orange, blue or too dark.
- may occur when white balance is on automatic mode, so different types of light having different temperatures causes this problem
- this filter can also be used to adjust Hue, Saturation, Intensity, Brightness, Contrast

Deinterlacing filter
- used to remove the effect of interlacing, ie. when not all frames are processed.
- fast motion causes edges of objects to look jagged.
- the filter will also make the video look far sharper

Sharpening Filter
- used when video seem to have soft edges or lack detail.

Dynamic Noise Reduction
- used when video is grainy

Chroma Noise Reduction Filter
- used when there is chroma noise; ie where rainbow effects shimmer across the screen.

VHS filter - flaXen
- used when video has timing issues and skips a bit
- try using the Stabilize section of this filter only