FAQ - New Users reference

[brianh]

Beyonwiz User FAQ

Latest update is shown by the edit date on each post.


Introduction
This set of posts is intended to provide an easy to read reference to frequently asked questions users may have about the Beyonwiz range of Media Players distributed in Australia by Digital Products Group, with links to more detailed information on specific topics.

This first post is the Index, with links to the information contained in each of the other posts.

To add content:
Where more detailed information is involved, consider adding a post either in the FAQ section or the related area of the forum, and a link to it can be added here - this will make the FAQ easier to read and navigate.
For more general content or to suggest a link to another topic, people should post additions below and I will add them when I can. I will then get the mods to move the posts, to keep the thread "clean".

Note - This FAQ relies upon your input, as more is added it will take better shape and provide more value.

URL Link placeholder (work in progress)

FAQ Contents

• Media Player Models
  Reception
  Getting it Going!
  Firmware Upgrading
  General Networking
  Wireless Networking
  Hard Disk Drives
  Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS's)
  USB Devices Compatibility List
  DVD playback
  Playable File types
  Saving off Files
  -- Multiple Connections
  -- Transfer Speeds
  Export File Formats
  Playing Files on a PC
  Using ICE TV Guide
  Audio Settings
  Picture Quality Issues
  Applications for Manipulating Saved Files
  Beyonwiz Technical Information
  How to Change your Beyonwiz HDD

Other posts of interest:
There are plenty of shortcuts and hints in the BW Hot Tips thread


Contacting Beyonwiz

Please read through the above information thoroughly before deciding you have a problem.

If all else fails, Beyonwiz (Digital Products Group) can be contacted on: 02 9618 1016

The old 1300~ number is no longer working.

Also, any 9609~ number you find won't work because 9609 is the Wetherill Park exchange prefix that would relate to their old address/phone no.

[brianh]

More stuff to add - snippets from the following, I will reduce & add then post when done.

Hi Phototaker,

I had been recording a variety of different programs in both SD or HD. When it comes to playing these files back I haven't noticed anywhere that its indicated if the program you are to play back is in SD or HD.

There is a HD indicator on the front panel that is meant to light if the current program is in HD. This indicator has never worked, the bug is listed on the bug list.

I also notice that some but not all programs don't have the audio playback unless I also change settings in the configuration folder or I turn on my surround sound amp which has optical in. Should my audio be set to 5.1, pass through set etc & can't the machine automatically play back the audio at the highest quality that it finds recorded? My machine is connected to the TV via a HDMI cable. I also have the optical out connected to my surround sound amp. Does this mean that I can't hear all programs just through the TV if I wish, or do I need to always have if the external amp is turned on?

At a guess, I would say that your TV does not know how to handle the DD5.1 / AC3 digital audio that is available on the HD channels. Your amplifier, on the other hand, does know how to process this sound. To allow the TV to have sound when the TV station is using DD5.1 / AC3 set the Beyonwiz to 2ch audio output.

5.1ch output should only ever be used if you are using all 6 analogue output connectors on the rear of the Beyonwiz.

I took one very short recording & tried transferring it to my USB stick but found that this could only be done if I had the the stick in USB format Fat 32. No mention of this is in the PDF manual. if this is the case. I played it back from the stick OK & then tried to see what happened if I were to try to transfer it back again. I had thought that it would just be added to the B/W's hard drive but the only move options were under networking. Does this mean that if I wished to transfer either some MP'3 or JPEG's onto the hard drive that I can't do so unless I create a network? If this is the case how does one create a network?

The Beyonwiz is only capable of writing to FAT32 formatted systems. It can, however, also read from NTFS file systems.

The ability to copy files to the Beyonwiz hard disk is not in the production firmware. This feature is currently being tested by the beta testers.

As for the file that's on the USB drive what can I do with it? I notice that it isn't either a MPEG2 file or Transport stream file but rather a series of small 32MB files.

These files are the Beyonwiz .TVWIZ format. They are actually a .TS format file that is broken up into 32MB chunks that can safely be stored on *all* file systems in all operating systems.

Lots of this type of information isn't in the printed manual which isn't surprising since everything changes when the firmware changes. I had thought that with each new lot of firmware that at least the pdf file could be changed. Isn't this the case?

Every firmware update is accompanied by a release notes document that document the changes made for that firmware.

There is meant to be a new and complete manual being developed for release with the next firmware. The beta testers are meant to be getting an advance copy for proof reading. We haven't seen this document as yet.

Regards,
Ian.

[brianh]

Beyonwiz Media Player models
The four current models are DVBt High Definition set top boxes with HDMI, Component & analogue video outputs plus digital coax audio & optical S/PDIF, front and rear USB, *multi format card reader, able to transfer files and stream content from Local Area Networks and between each other, plus IceTV, Ice Interactive and WizTV.

The key differences between models are;
DP-S1 - Twin tuner, HDD, LAN, USB and card reader - plus W-LAN and DVD player.
DP-P2 - Twin tuner, HDD, LAN, USB and card reader - plus A/V input to timeshift and digitally record Foxtel etc.
DP-P1 - Twin tuner, HDD, LAN, USB and card reader.
DP-H1 - Single tuner, LAN and USB - able to turn into a single tuner PVR by adding a USB HDD.
There is also now a FV-L1 - This is a Freeview version which means "skip" has been crippled - it will only Fast Forward or Rewind. Please let me know the further details & I can add them here!

The Twin tuners are true 2.0 twin tuner - that means they can be set to record two shows simultaneously from timers while watching a third previously recorded show. (Some twin tuner units must have the second recording started manually)

The H1 is also reported as being able to record to a USB attached storage device.

Some people new to the brand incorrectly pronounce it as 'bay-on-wiz' or 'bee-own-wize'
Since the company's name is derived from the two words 'beyond' and 'wizard' (i.e. beyond wizardry - loosely translated to mean 'better than the best')
it should be pronounced as 'be-yon-wiz'



Reception
As a digital TV receiver, good reception relies on

• - An aerial/antenna system suitable for the digital signals in your area, correctly terminated and polarised
  - Minimum dual shield coaxial cable, quad shield recommended
  - All connections terminated properly with either F connectors (recommended) or Belling Lee

Here are two excellent sources of information - refer to the DBA Australia for information on transmitters, channel/frequency & signal polarisation; refer also to the DTV Forum for more information and recommendations, feedback from users, etc.

see also NPR's post on ImprovingYour Reception

If you are uncertain whether your system will cope, it may be a good idea to have a professional installer check the signal strength at your location. An aerial system professionally installed should comply with Australian Standards and will also have the braid grounded.
Signal strength may vary and still provide a usable signal but good signal quality is vital. Any less than 99% quality may be more susceptible to interference which will cause pixellation and sound drop outs.

Interference may originate from sources within the home or even be picked up by the aerial if it occurs between the aerial and the transmitter tower.

The signal strength indicator in the Beyonwiz uses a black bar to show signal strength; Generally the black bar should sit inside the green area of the indicator. Yellow shows only marginal strength, and red is for either very low signal strength, or too-high signal strength. Too-high signal strength can cause overloading of the input stages of the receiver, resulting in distortion and bit errors. Unfortunately, this indicator doesn't show signal quality (as far as I know).

Channel and Services
The terms Channel and Service often cause confusion - following is peteru's definition to explain channel vs service, & its impact on recording:

You need to understand that there is a difference between a channel and a service.

A channel is a part of the radio frequency spectrum. It is defined as a center frequency, with a certain amount of room reserved on each side. A channel is something that the tuners receive. In digital broadcasts, a channel can contain a large amount of digital data.
A service is a combination of sound, picture, teletex and other system information that together forms something you can watch. Each channel can carry many different services.
Recording a service requires the tuners to tune the corresponding channel and the the hard disk to store the data relevant to a service. The Beyonwiz is designed in such a way that it can tune two distinct frequencies (channels) and it can record two distinct services to the hard disk. It can also independently decode (play back) a service. The source for the decoded service can be one of the tuners, the hard disk, the network or some other device.
I hope this helps you understand not only why there are certain limitations, but also what you can do.

[brianh]

Getting it Going!
For those that need help with the Remote Control Unit here is a sticky for
Remote Control AP-U1 codes

If you run into problems you may need Dave?'s
Error message "decoder"
...and Tony's
fix for unsupported format

prl posted a good guide on Setting Timer Padding

The following addition is thanks to diesel:
Auto Delete
With the release of the long awaited new firmware version 01.05.301 for the various Beyonwiz models (DP-S1, DP-P1, DP-P2, DP-H1 & FV-L1), a new feature has been added to the functionality of these PVRs called Auto Delete.

Auto Delete allows users of the Beyonwiz PVRs to schedule the automated deletion of recorded files. By default, this feature is not switched on after upgrading to .301 Firmware, however, users can choose to either apply a global setting or localised per file setting.
The global Auto Delete feature is located in SETUP->MISC->PREFERENCE menu.
Individual file setting of Auto Delete is accessed either at the Timer setting menu, or using the Popup menu in the Fileplayer

The Auto Delete options when enabled are:
NEVER ? set not to delete
1, 2, 3, ?.365 Days ? delete after days you set

When a timer or recording has the Auto Delete function enabled, the file will be automatically deleted once the auto delete period expires. e.g. if Auto Delete is set to 7 days, the file will be auto deleted 7 days after the recording was made.

Activating the Auto Delete function creates a Trashcan folder at the HDD root level. This will collect all Auto Deleted recordings (like the ?Recycle? bin in Microsoft Windows).
The Trashcan folder will continue to fill with Auto Deleted programmes until one of two things happens;
1. the user permanently deletes some or all file(s) in the Trashcan
2. the PVR HDD has less than 6GB free space at which time ALL the contents of the Trashcan folder is permanently deleted.

Users can also move/copy files from the Trashcan.

Bear in mind this is the first version of Auto Delete and that some features where removed from the official release because of unresolved issues or non agreeance as to the best way to handle that feature.




Firmware Upgrading

For those who have their BeyonWiz connected to the internet, Firmware updates can now be accessed directly from the WizTV pages using the remote control. If there are problems updating this way or you don't have an internet connected BW, refer to the sticky at the following location -
Reccomended Firmware Upgrade Procedure
There is also a thread on the Recovery Procedure in case it all goes horribly wrong...

As with any device of this type, firmware is continually being improved. Upgrades can be downloaded from the main Beyonwiz Web Page. Users can upgrade the firmware through the Set Up menu, from a number of locations - Networked HDD, USB memory device, etc. Following the upgrade, the Beyonwiz will need to be power cycled. While many have found that simply powering down and up again works OK for them, it is strongly recommended to:
1) Power off at the wall for about 30 seconds
2) Perform a Factory Reset (through the menu) - this will mean re-loading all settings and timers, but as new firmware can sometimes use parts of memory differently, this can cause problems with settings that were stored by the old firmware.
3) While re-formatting the Hard Drive is also recommended by the manufacturer, it is probably not needed unless you experience significant problems with the new firmware.

Firmware can be upgraded or "downgraded" directly to any version without having to go through intermediate versions. It has been reported that recordings made using one version of firmware may not play if you then load an earlier version of the firmware.

If you experience any issues with new firmware, it can also be an idea to re-apply the upgrade in case it didn't "take" properly the first time (this can happen with any electronic device during an upgrade). If you still have trouble, bear in mind that Beyonwiz tech support are likely to advise you to perform all of steps 1), 2) & 3) above.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DP-P2 (courtesy of IanB):

Any DP-P2 with an -LF or later stepping chip set, serial number 1032098B00001 and later, must use a firmware built with a compatible toolkit.

That is any 01.07.xxx firmware or 01.05.304 or earlier.

The chip set will deadlock when trying to initialise the video co-processor if a firmware built with the newer "DVD fix" toolkit is installed, i.e. 01.05.305 and latter.

An emergency firmware recovery with a 01.07.xxx firmware is the only way to recover the unit.

==================================================

Older DP-P2 units may use either 01.05.xxx or 01.07.xxx firmware.

The choice is :-

* 01.05.xxx supports DVD playback from .iso or video_ts directories. Display of H.264 video as used in the 3D trial broadcasts will stutter badly.
* 01.07.xxx correctly displays all H.264 video. It does not support any form of DVD playback other than raw .vob files.

==================================================

If there is any doubt then use a 01.07.xxx series firmware.

[brianh]

General Networking
Information for Windows based computers can be found in these threads:
Network Tips - XP Pro Networking to your PC with Vista
Using Shares with DP-S1 (& P1)

When scanning the Network from the Beyonwiz, it is usual for the progress bar to stall at 49% and appear to stop; it is still scanning 100%, it is only the progress dispaly that appears to stop short.

Try this tip from Dave? if the Beyonwiz sees shared directories as empty,
This may be of use to some - Network Connectivity Tester (netdiag.exe): This command-line diagnostic tool helps isolate networking and connectivity problems. It performs a series of tests to determine the state of a network client and whether it is functional. To download this tool for XP SP2, click the following link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... layLang=en

For those with Mac's, there is some good information here:
Network Tips - Mac


Wireless Networking
Wireless networking can sometimes be tricky to set up depending on the combination of devices in use. You should pay particular to all the settings and ensure SSID, encryption type, authentication, passkeys etc. are all set as per the rest of your wireless network (W-LAN)
Here is a link to
Setting up a simple wireless network on Windows XP

Here are some notes about the Beyonwiz using WEP Encryption (posted by danielicetv) -
"It seems that the Beyonwiz doesn't like the "Auth" to be set to "Auto", once this was changed to "Open" (and ensuring DHCP was on) the network connected and the guide downloaded immediately.
...for WEP there are two security types which are "Open system" or "Shared Key". Auto should choose the correct one for the network, but it wasn't in this instance so it had to be specified."

Another user has reported that using a WPA-PSK password of 128 characters is too long, and that a much shorter string worked OK (between 8-16 characters was used I think, but no exact limit has been established yet).

[brianh]

Hard Disk Drives
Some people have reported the HDD reporting full when not, and not able to dismiss warning.

If trying to record, you may see a pop-up warning message on screen saying that recording has been stopped due to lack of hard drive space. This issue was reported recently by Mr Flibbles; after trying many things to correct the issue, finally forcing a HDD Check cleared the problem (go into "Set-up")

According to one user, the BW gives you a warning when there's roughly 6 GB left then another warning at roughly 3GB. When the drive reaches %98 you get another message telling you the hard drive is full and you are no longer able to record. The time-shift sill works but you are unable to save the time shift.

Also see the post below for information on How to Change your Beyonwiz HDD

Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS's)
Refer to the following post for a list of compatible/incompatible devices:- BW Compatible / Incompatible External and NAS Drives


USB Devices & Compatibility List
Attached USB devices must be formatted by the Beyonwiz in order to save off recorded files to them.

Unmounting USB/other devices

From Gully - this is shown in the help screen at the bottom as Detach (using the red button) to unmount the device.
prl wrote:
"Detach" should unmount all the file systems on the USB device. After that, no process can access the file systems, and so it's safe to remove the device. If there is any process with any file open on the device, or with its current directory on the device, the unmount operations should fail, and presumably you'll get an error on the Detach.

Some interesting info for the technically inclined, posted by prl - The Beyonwiz Linux kernel is version 2.4.x, which only supports reading NTFS volumes. I think the 2.6.x kernels are where NTFS write support appears. As I understand it, the chipset manufacturer's development kit is based on Linux 2.4 kernel, so Beyonwiz's choices may be limited.

[brianh]

DVD Playback
To play region 1, 2 or 3 DVDs (i.e. DVDs sold in other markets) you need to switch the S1 to DVD-Free mode. You do this, with no menus onscreen, by pressing the Setup button on the remote and then using the number buttons to type DVDFREE. You will then see a popup message stating that the S1 is now Region Free. Most of the number buttons also have 3 letters (i.e. the #2 button has ABC on it). So DVDFREE is the same as 3833733.

In Newer Firmwares, the setting remains permanent. However, it may need to be re-applied after a firmware upgrade. In older firmwares (I can't recall which but it was a while back) it only remains region free for as long as the S1 stays on. If you put the S1 into standby you will need switch it to region free again the next you want to play a non-region 4 DVD.

This link posted by dgrover gives some info on the DVD drive used:
In S1 PVR:
http://www.epo.com.tw/html/dvd-loader.html

[brianh]

Playable File types

Also see the Supported File Types Sticky


See Dave?'s post - Guide to viewing photos on your Beyonwiz

Regarding the display of photos, the maximum photo resolution that the Beyonwiz can display is 12 MP. To allow for rotation, the image should be no greater than about 4 MP.

These size limits *may* be increased in a future firmware revision but this is not guaranteed. There is also a plan by Beyonwiz to try and improve image load times but again this is a plan and not a commitment by them.

It has also been confirmed that at this point in time there is no way that one image can be displayed while another is loaded/buffered. Obviously if Beyonwiz find a way to do it this limitation may be removed but this does *not* look likely at this time.


Saving off Files
Files can be saved off onto Hard Drives (HDD's) on the Local Area Network or attached USB devices (HDD or flash memory). Transfer speed will vary depending on the type of device used. Devices attached to the USB ports should only need to draw minimal power, to avoid damaging the Beyonwiz.
Transfers are initiated either on the Beyonwiz, by using the pop-up menu function while browsing the files, or by using the WizFX appplication from a networked PC/Mac

Macs will need a suitable interface which allows them to run Windows applications in order to use WizFX. "Parallels" is reported as working (see above Networking section).

You can use WizFX to convert Wiz files to a .ts format - How to convert wiz format recordings into a single file using WizFX[/color][/size] [url=http://www.beyonw ... to USB[/b] Sticky

Multiple Connections
You can also transfer more than one file at a time with WizFX. Select the file to download, start it, then select another one etc...
You can also have a WizFX and a BW initiated transfer going at the same time.
You can also have more than one WizFX connection to the BW too, ie multiple PCs can connect to it at the same time.
Note that multiple transfers, or transferring while recording/watching live TV or files may cause a reduction in transfer speeds, the more activities, the more drastic the speed reduction.

Transfer Speeds
File transfer speeds vary; for SD files, users have reported 5MB/s as a reasonable average, with no other activity. It can be possible to transfer a SD file in half the time it would take to watch it.

Recent report from Dr Phil:(edited)
Transfer to my NAS to check and actually got speeds of close to 13 Mbps (Note Mbps and not MBps as I previously stated - be we all know the real units don't we ) Then started a WizFX transfer to my laptop desktop then restarted the BW to NAS transfer. This dropped to between 6 and 7 Mbps (bounced around a bit). Sorry I did not time the WizFX transfer, but it looked like about the same speed (6ish Mbps).

All these were done whilst remaining in file mode.

Some more definitive speed teting has been done in the following thread:
Network Transfer Speed Benchmarking
From tests performed by alwayslooking:
As to the question "Is it faster transferring multiple files at a time via WizFX and or BW Pop-up?"
Slightly faster with results up to 20% faster depending on the network topology, PC hardware and what the BW is doing. It seems a bit quicker doing two WizFX transfers simultaneously than a BW Pop-up copy and a WizFX transfer.


Export file formats:
Files can be exported directly from the Beyonwiz in .tvwiz format or by using WizFX

WizFX is the Beyonwiz application designed to be run on a Windows based PC for exporting files off the Beyonwiz onto a network drive, either in .tvwiz or .ts format.

.ts is a standard "transport stream" file in MPEG2 format.
.tvwiz files are made up of a folder given a ~.tvwiz extension, containing lots of 32MB files and a "header.twiz", "stat" & trunc" file.

Once copied over, Joining, or "stitching" .tvwiz files together into a single file - there are several way to do this.
An application created by Dave? called "Add-Remove .ts" is available at http://pvr-tools.com/
Other methods available from various sites;
(checking apps for this -
VideoReDo
MPEGSteamclip - Update for MPEG Streamclip for Windows an MAC platforms http://www.squared5.com/ a few new features Just rename the extension to TS and then try the files in MPEGStreamclip. It pops a box saying "File open error: unsupported file type", but if you click on "Open anyway", it seems to work just fine. (This is with version 1.9b3 on mac.)
From geoff_f - then Linux command line: cd to the .tvwiz directory, then enter the command cat [0-9]* > program-name.ts, where program-name is a name you choose for the recorded program.

Playing Files on a PC

The best program for viewing files (of many types!) on your PC is the KMPlayer

Here is the link provided by Gully which should get you the latest version:
http://www.kmplayer.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

....and a warning from IanSav:

I would like to post a small warning to KMPlayer users with older versions installed. I have version 2.9.3.1428 installed. When I select "Check Updates..." I get a pop up telling me "The current version is up to date!". As a result of Brian's post I checked the website and found that 2.9.4.1434 is the current version!

My warning is that the older versions (and maybe this newer version) do not correctly check for updates to this program!
Regards,
Ian.

[brianh]

Using ICE TV Guide
Currently the ICE TV guide doesn't allow configuring of updates and there are reports of data not updating regularly. If there is data missing from the EPG, one way of forcing an update is to go into the set-up menu and clear the Ice Guide cache.

Following is some information from Daniel at ICE TV:
To clarify a few things here. There are two requests that the Beyonwiz makes to the server. The first is a channels list (which does contain all the LCN information), this request is limited to once every 24 hours. The second is the actual EPG request, this is limited to once per hour. Also these limits are only in place for devices using the guide via IceTV Remote, for devices that don't use IceTV Remote to get the guide (e.g. Topfield, DGTEC, Windows Media Center) then the downloads are limlited to 12 per day.

[brianh]

Audio Settings

Passthrough
The Beyonwiz can be set to decode the audio itself as either 2 channel stereo or 5.1 channel surround, or set to "Passthrough" mode - this passes the audio to an external decoder for processing, usually via optical or coax to an amplifier/receiver.

Line Mode vs. RF Mode
The following extract explains the difference between the audio settings for Line mode & RF mode -

The Dolby Digital compressors have the ability to further alter the compression profile to compensate for different transport mediums. Most of the time, audio is transported between devices in "Line Mode", where a line-level is used. There is also "RF Mode", meant for broadcasting of Dolby Digital and devices that send audio via RF cables to a TV set. RF mode sound from the decoder uses a higher average volume level (-20 dBFS vice -31 dBFS) in order to correlate volume level well with other, non-Dolby broadcast audio, and also can use a more aggressive Dynamic Range Compression to prevent overmodulating the signal. There is an option in most Dolby Digital encoders to turn on that overmodulation limiter (in Soft Encode, it is labeled as "RF Overmodulation Protection"). Since we are primarily interested in authoring for DVD which will operate in Line Mode, we do NOT want to insert the additional Dynamic Range Compression that RF Overmodulation Protection will add. Therefore, for DVD authoring, the RF Overmodulation Protection option should be turned off.

Information from Philip pjc3:
I have found in reading though the numerous posts on audio output, there has been much confusion. I posted very early on the specifics of each output mode (in the dedicated P1 forum when it existed).

Here is what my P1 and 1.3 compliant HDMI receiver does in every combination:
I use a 5.1 DD test noise pattern played over network.

Beyonwiz output 2.0
HDMI : PCM 2 channel handled as PLII gives four discrete channels L,C,R & Rear effect. No Sub channel
SPDIF : PCM 2 channel handled as PLII gives four discrete channels L,C,R & Rear effect. No Sub channel
Analogue out : 2 channel only. rear channels are output into front L,R. No Sub channel

Beyonwiz output 5.1
HDMI : PCM Multichannel registered but only 2.1 output L,R & Sub No Centre or Surr L, or Surr R
SPDIF : PCM 2 channel handled as PLII gives four discrete channels L,C,R & Rear effect No Sub channel
Analogue : 2.1 channel Only = L,R & Sub No Centre or Surr L, or Surr R

Beyonwiz passthrough
HDMI : Dolby Digital 6 discrete channels
SPDIF : Dolby Digital 6 discrete channels
Analogue : no output.

In my opinion, the internal decoder does not work properly and never has. This has not changed since the original firmware on the P1. I can assume the S1 is the same but confirmation of the above might be helpful.

As to the question as to which is best - this is very dependent on your setup. Those not choosing passthrough to an AVR have a choice of either PLII (four channel) without sub via SPDIF or 2 channel with sub using HDMI or external analogue connections (if you have them). Those who output straight to their display should just use 2 channel (no surprises there!)

Hope this helps
Philip

[brianh]

Picture Quality Issues
The BW has been reported as having over saturated reds. More recent Firmwares have attempted to correct this but not all users have noticed a change; this could be due to the unit needing a reset in order to "force" the change. It has also been reported that the picture quality can be improved by entering the picture settings menu, changing the settings and then using the reset to defaults button in the picture settings menu. It's worth trying, just in case the global reset to factory defaults option does not affect the picture settings.(posted by peteru)

Those who want to know more technical details about the way the Beyonwiz handles various picture resolutions should read the following thread:
Deinterlacing/Scaling on Beyonwiz

[brianh]

Applications for Manipulating Saved Files
Several useful applications are available to manipulate files from a PC or Mac. Here is a brief description of some of the more popular (still being added);
Projectx (freeware) - this is a Java application which will run on Windows or Mac. (add link & desc.)
AutoGK (freeware) - http://www.autogk.me.uk/
this is available for PC only (unfortunately for Mac users!) and is used to transcode files to reduce file sizes. (posted by netmask) For BW users that don't want to make DVD's or want to conserve space on their network connected drives etc AutoGK is till in my opinion the most reliable DIvX or Xvid conversion program. You can set the file size you want, the width of the image - I use 720 and either DivX or Xvid codec. In the case of 4:3 material pillar boxed within a 16:9 frame it removes the black bars at the top and enlarges the picture area in much the same way as the Topfield 'centre cut' mode. There is an extensive help file buried in the installation folder and there is a "secret menu" control F9 that reveals expert settings. As an example one hour documentaries can be compressed down to 350MB and not look blocky on a large panel.
There is an extensive an well supported Forum at http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?f=28

VideoReDo - (can be trialled?) - offers a one-step solution for editing and authoring to a DVD and is widely used
MPEGStreamClip (freeware) - http://www.squared5.com/
Update for MPEG Streamclip for Windows an MAC platforms - a few new features Just rename the extension to TS and then try the files in MPEGStreamclip. It pops a box saying "File open error: unsupported file type", but if you click on "Open anyway", it seems to work just fine. (This is with version 1.9b3 on mac.)

Following is one problem and its solution, offered by an unknown helpful person:

The situation you describe was what I found towards the end of my 'acquired' Breaking Bad (what a show!) episode 3. It wasn't at the same spot each time, but it was always near the end of the show, where it stuttered and lost audio and was basically unwatchable. I don't have the knowhow to use a modifier program to fix it though.

Sounds "similar but different". This Flashpoint issue happened right on the ad-break edit, and happened every time regardless of whether I jumped into the file before or after that edit.

No know-how needed to use MPEG4modifier - though with the Beyonwiz you'll rarely need it; its primary use has been as a tool to make Xvids with "packed bitstream" play smoothly on other network media players and many Divx-capable DVD players (Pioneer's for example). The Wiz deals with either "packed" or "unpacked" bitstreams reasonably well (like all recent Sigma-based devices, though, it seems to play nicer with packed bitstreams) just fine, but in the case of this file, simply re-saving it via MPEG4modifier with "Unpack bitstream" checked fixed the problem.

The program that works this rarely-needed magic is available free (along with some other handy video and audio tools) at http://www.moitah.net/

TSSniper (sic)

TSSniper

This software is not yet completely finished but cutting of transport streams containing H-264 or MPEG2 video should work without problems. The following audio/video formats are supported: Transport streams(.ts) with one video track containing either H.264 or MPEG2 video (with or without PAT/PMT) together with the following audio track formats: MPEG1, MPEG2, AC-3, AAC, AAC-HE. Transport streams containing multiple programs (transponder dumps) can only be processed if the qualifying desciption elements (PAT/PMT) also exist in the dump. Teletext und subtitle tracks are not yet supported. Cuts are placed on I/IDR-frames (This will be expanded to P-frames for cut-endpoints in a future release).

http://www.antidark.org/newforum/viewto ... ?f=13&t=42

I haven't tested this yet but it just might be what LiDiC and A/V users are looking for

Another beauty from netmask!! - TS-Doctor

Cypheros TS-Doctor is designed recorded DVB transport stream to check for errors and, if possible, make it as compatible as it can to play it back without studdering or picture and sound delay. The program tries to change as little as possible in the original stream in order not to create additional incompatibilities. PAT and PMT be adjusted and non-existent PIDs deleted from the tables. The picture and sound streams will be analysed and displayed. Not needed streams will be deleted. The program has a detailed review of H264 and MPEG2 video streams and AC3 audio streams through CRC check.

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/TS-Doctor

TSDoctor update available as of 1/7/09 (Thanks netmask!)

[brianh]

Beyonwiz Technical Information

What's inside a DP-S1? - information from prl & peteru for the techincally curious![/quote]

There's also a very good thread on Beyonwiz DP-S1 Power Supply Repair - Ver 1.4 - 10/04/2009



How to Change your Beyonwiz HDD

To access the innards & Upgrade the HDD of your Beyonwiz (this is for the S1 which has silver or black ?wings?, but the procedure can be adapted for other models)

If you are unsure whether you have the experience, you should consider asking someone who is experienced with building/servicing PCs to help. A simple slip up or a tiny bit of a metal shaving dropped into the wrong spot could render your Beyonwiz completely useless.

Unplug the power so you don't go killing yourself. Don't go scuffing your feet on carpet while handling any electronics (electrostatic energy can kill drives etc). Try to earth yourself to the case of the unit while handling anything to avoid potential differences.

To release the side "wings" on the S1, turn the unit over. There is a rectangular hole in the base on each side. You can see a silver (for silver wings) plastic tab through it. Press it in, and push the wing toward the front of the S1. That will release it and the wing will come out of the slots that hold it.

Undo the screws along the side. Then undo all of the screws on the rear of the S1 and slide the top back and off.

Remove the metal "caddy" entirely first (unscrew the hard drive caddy from the unit) by undoing the vertical screws before trying to undo the screws holding the hard drive to the caddy. There are 3 screws holding the caddy in place 2 at the rear and 1 at the front. Once the screws have been removed the caddy can be removed and the hard drive removed and swapped over.

Thanks to tonymyo1, prl, pjc3, peteru, theedge

[brianh]

link to wiki page on software created for the BW by others

http://www.openwiz.org/wiki/Software

[netmask]

TSDoctor update available

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/TS-Doctor

[brianh]

TS Doctor update posted - thanks netmask!

[brianh]

DONE

(added link to the KMPlayer)


Thanks, chaps!

[Gully]

Hi Brian

That link might change with new releases so this might be better to have as well

http://www.kmplayer.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

so people can find any updates.

[IanSav]

Hi,

I would like to post a small warning to KMPlayer users with older versions installed. I have version 2.9.3.1428 installed. When I select "Check Updates..." I get a pop up telling me "The current version is up to date!". As a result of Brian's post I checked the website and found that 2.9.4.1434 is the current version!

My warning is that the older versions (and maybe this newer version) do not correctly check for updates to this program!

Regards,
Ian.

[brianh]

Done, as above! thanks!

[brianh]

'nother to add....

http://www.videolan.org/


* Free, Open Source and cross-platform
* Independant of systems codecs to support most video types
* Live recording
* Instant pausing and Frame-by-Frame support
* Finer speed controls
* New HD codecs (AES3, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, Blu-Ray Linear PCM, Real Video 3.0 and 4.0, ...)
* New formats (Raw Dirac, M2TS, ...) and major improvements in many formats...
* New Dirac encoder and MP3 fixed-point encoder
* Video scaling in fullscreen
* RTSP Trickplay support
* Zipped file playback
* Customizable toolbars
* Easier encoding GUI in Qt interface
* Better integration in Gtk environments
* MTP devices on linux
* AirTunes streaming
* New skin for the skins2 interface

[brianh]

Yet another beauty from netmask.....

Free video cutter for AVCHD or MPEG2 in PS/TS stream. It is a Frame Accurate video processor and only re-encode first and last gop, middle part of movie remain untouched. Highest speed converting while reserving highest video quality. Supporting M2TS, TS, PS; H.264/AVC, AVCHD, MPEG, DVD etc.


http://www.fame-ring.com/


PS the free version is locked to MPEG2 conversions only but it does handle LiDiC A/V files as well as normal P1, P2 and S1 files. Nice editing interface with a wheel for jogging. It's a sparse GUI interface with no resize. It filled my BenQ 16:9 monitor and has a full screen button. No subtitle support that I can find.

[brianh]

and again....

(AUtoGK)Apart from the so called secret menu control F9 there is another one that may be useful if you want to play around with the audio control F11 opens another window where you can make changes to the audio parameters.

And again.......

TFM Audio Tool can convert audio from movies (AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4 and RMVB) and separate audio streams (AC3, DTS, WAV and MP3) to AC3, DTS (Surcode DVD DTS Encoder required), WAV or 6 Mono WAV's. Can upmix audio to 5.1 audio. Can do framerate conversions between PAL and NTSC. You can set your own upmix matrix. Different skins available to give it an attractive look. At the moment translations in English and Dutch implemented. Freeware.

http://members.home.nl/thefilmmachine/

If this keeps up I will need to give netmask his own dedicated section in the FAQ......