Portsdown 2020 Receive Enhancements - Revision history

G8GKQ: /* Screen Capture "Snap" */

2024-07-07T13:01:12Z

Screen Capture "Snap"

G8GKQ at 20:41, 8 May 2020

2020-05-08T20:41:20Z

G8GKQ: /* VLC Video Player */

2020-05-03T19:55:35Z

VLC Video Player

G8GKQ: /* Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors */

2020-04-17T14:47:29Z

Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors

G8GKQ at 14:46, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T14:46:18Z

G8GKQ: /* Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors */

2020-04-17T14:22:10Z

Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors

G8GKQ: /* VLC Video Player */

2020-04-17T14:20:47Z

VLC Video Player

G8GKQ: /* Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors */

2020-04-17T14:16:52Z

Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors

G8GKQ: /* Pi-Cam and C920 Monitors */

2020-04-17T14:12:03Z

Pi-Cam and C920 Monitors

G8GKQ: /* Composite Video Monitor */

2020-04-17T14:07:44Z

Composite Video Monitor

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 It is possible to store a screen capture ("Snap") of the display when receiving using the Portsdown Receiver, or when using the Comp Video, Pi Cam, C920 or IPTS Monitors.  In all cases the Snap is triggered by touching the lower left corner of the touch screen (to be precise, the lower 1/6 and the left 1/8).  There is no confirmation of the snap at the time.
-Snaps can be viewed from the "Snap Check" button on Menu 2.  If there are no snaps stored, then the button will do nothing (a brief flash of the Portsdown Logo). If there are multiple snaps stored, the most recent is displayed first.  You can cycle through all of the stored snaps backwards by touching the lower left of the screen, and forwards by touching the lower right.  Touching elsewhere exits the snap viewer.
+Snaps can be viewed from the "Snap Check" button on Menu 2.  If there are no snaps stored, then the button will do nothing (a brief flash of the Portsdown Logo). If there are multiple snaps stored, the most recent is displayed first.  You can cycle through all of the stored snaps backwards by touching the left edge of the screen, and forwards by touching the right edge.  Touching elsewhere exits the snap viewer.  The snap number is overlayed at the lower centre of the screen.
 The snaps are also available for transmission as stills in "Composite Video" output mode.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:41, 8 May 2020
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	Software version ~~2020043000~~ introduced significant enhancements to the Receive and video-handling functionality of the Portsdown.	+	Software version 202004302 introduced significant enhancements to the Receive and video-handling functionality of the Portsdown.

	===LNB Voltage Switching===		===LNB Voltage Switching===

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===VLC Video Player===
-The 3 video players available for the receiver are the simple "H264 No Audio" player, "OMX Player", which should display MPEG-2 and H264 signals with audio and the recently introduced "VLC Player".
+The 3 video players available for the receiver are the simple "H264 No Audio" player, "OMX Player", which should display MPEG-2 and H264 signals with audio, and the recently introduced "VLC Player".
-The advantage of VLC player is that it will display some H265 signals.  It will fail to display some signals, and will tear or "fold-over" the picture on others.  The disadvantage is that it sometimes crashes and leaves the RPi with a white background screen, or occasionally locked up; it is hoped to make it better behaved as a greater understanding of its functionality is gained.
+The advantage of VLC player is that it will display some H265 signals.  It will tear or "fold-over" the picture on H265 signals where the vertical height is not divisible by 32.  So pictures that are 576 pixels high are OK, but not 720 (use 704 and it works) or 1080 (use 1056 or 1088).  Some MPA audio streams do not work with VLC, but do work with OMXPlayer.
 VLC player is not compatible with simultaneous display of the signal parameters, so these are obscured as soon as a valid image is displayed.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:47, 17 April 2020
Line 47:		Line 47:
	The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viewer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.		The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viewer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.

−	Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet). This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for use as a source for portable analogue TV.	+	Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet). This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for use as a source for portable analogue TV - the C920 can be used instead.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 The 3 video players available for the receiver are the simple "H264 No Audio" player, "OMX Player", which should display MPEG-2 and H264 signals with audio and the recently introduced "VLC Player".
-The advantage of VLC player is that it will display some H265 signals.  It will fail to display some signals, and will tear or "fold-over" the picture on others.  The disadvantage is that it sometimes crashes and leaves the RPi with a white background screen, or occasionally locked up; it is hoped to make it better behaved as a better understanding of its functionality is gained.
+The advantage of VLC player is that it will display some H265 signals.  It will fail to display some signals, and will tear or "fold-over" the picture on others.  The disadvantage is that it sometimes crashes and leaves the RPi with a white background screen, or occasionally locked up; it is hoped to make it better behaved as a greater understanding of its functionality is gained.
 VLC player is not compatible with simultaneous display of the signal parameters, so these are obscured as soon as a valid image is displayed.
 One other advantage is that VLC player will decode the audio from the Wideband Beacon, although not the video.
 Screen capture (Snap) is available in all the video players by touching the far lower left of the display.  There is, as yet, no indication of a valid snap (see below).
 ===Screen Capture "Snap"===
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 If you want to clear all the images off your RPi, simply delete them and set the number in snap_index.txt back to 0.  If you have a 16 GB memory card, there is currently enough free space for at least 40,000 images, but deletion is recommended before 1000 images have been captured.
 ===Composite Video Monitor===

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 17 April 2020
Line 45:		Line 45:
	The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viewer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.		The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viewer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.

−	Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet). This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for portable analogue TV.	+	Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet). This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for use as a source for portable analogue TV.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, 17 April 2020
Line 18:		Line 18:

	Screen capture (Snap) is available in all the video players by touching the far lower left of the display. There is, as yet, no indication of a valid snap (see below).		Screen capture (Snap) is available in all the video players by touching the far lower left of the display. There is, as yet, no indication of a valid snap (see below).
		+
		+	[[File:Menu 2 2020.jpg\|360px]]

	===Screen Capture "Snap"===		===Screen Capture "Snap"===

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ===Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors===
-In a similar way to the Video Monitor, the Pi Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors, (and the Stream Viewer) are available on Menu 2 and can be screen captured as snaps.
+In a similar way to the Video Monitor, the Pi Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors (and the Stream Viewer), are available on Menu 2 and can be screen captured as snaps.
-The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viwer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.
+The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viewer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.
 Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet).  This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for portable analogue TV.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:12, 17 April 2020
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	If full definition (720x576) screen captures are required, these are still available, but without any preview, from "Menu 2", "More Functions", "Video Snap"		If full definition (720x576) screen captures are required, these are still available, but without any preview, from "Menu 2", "More Functions", "Video Snap"

−	===Pi-Cam and ~~C920~~ Monitors===	+	===Pi-Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors===
		+
		+	In a similar way to the Video Monitor, the Pi Cam, C920 and IPTS Monitors, (and the Stream Viewer) are available on Menu 2 and can be screen captured as snaps.
		+
		+	The IPTS Monitor and Stream Viwer also replay audio; the Pi Cam and C920 monitors currently do not.
		+
		+	Note that the C920 has also been added to the Composite video menu as an available video source (no audio yet). This means that the Pi Cam is no longer the only available Portsdown camera device available for portable analogue TV.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:07, 17 April 2020
Line 32:		Line 32:

	===Composite Video Monitor===		===Composite Video Monitor===
		+
		+	The "Video Monitor" available on Menu 2 enables the video input to the EasyCap to be displayed on the touchscreen. It is reduced in size to 540x432 pixels (75% of original size) as 720x576 overflows the current screen, and more complex size reductions (to fill the available screen space) overload the RPi processor which would result in jerky playback. There is currently no audio passthrough, but it is hoped to add this soon. Screen captures of the monitor can be taken by touching the lower left corner of the screen. Touching elsewhere exits playback.
		+
		+	If full definition (720x576) screen captures are required, these are still available, but without any preview, from "Menu 2", "More Functions", "Video Snap"

	===Pi-Cam and C920 Monitors===		===Pi-Cam and C920 Monitors===