Life With Computer

Hong Kong has started the Digital TV Broadcasting. It has two 1080i High Definition TV Channels from two TV Company. There are two ways to watch the Digital TV.

1. Buy a Set Top Box
2. Buy a USB Stick and Using Compute to Decode

As AverMedia provided the default H264 Decoder, the performance is very poor. Since it is a software decoder. Even my Computer cannot playback HDTV smoothly. My Computer Configuration is

1. CPU : AMD64×2 4000
2. GPU : ATI X1550
3. RAM : 1GB

As we captured the TS Stream and using CoreAVC H264 Codec to playback, we can get a smooth playback. So I started to write a software to use AverMedia A855 DMB-TH USB Stick Directly. Except this issue, all the channels are 16:9. But some of chapters are still using 4:3 when it produced. So it is very strange that a 16:9 contains a 4:3 video. It will has two black borders at both side. You cannot expand 4:3 video to full-screen.

During Development, it is failed to connect the TS Video Stream directly to CoreAVC. It crashs a lots. Finally, I removed the Samples Parameters at MPEG2VIDEOINFO. It works! Here is the Screen Capture.

Here is the Binary of Playback Software. Now, only TVB High Definition Channels will be played. You have to install the K-Lite Codec Pack with AC3Filter, CoreAVC Codec. But it is not yet supported the subtitles, EPG. I am stilling searching the way to implement it.

DMB-TH HDTV Playback Software

Android is a Operating System from Open Headset Alliance. The major partner is Google. Yep! Well, They are using Linux and Java (Not J2ME) as application interfacing. They have released the SDK to public at 12-Nov-2007. It comes with several things:

1. A QEMU ARM Emulator with Linux Kernel (Without Source Code Now), Wow!
2. Using Java UI Interfacing for Display on Each Platform (Linux , MacOS, Windows, etc). It provides a cross platform UI for emulator.
3. A Working OS and Application Interface. You can play and develop applications in Android.

If you wants to do the Android development, you have to :

1. Download the SDK from Android @ Google Code
2. Download Apache Ant (For Building Applications Much Easier) Apache ANT
3. Follow the Instruction in Android Page Installing the Android SDK

If you wants to explore the Android Inside, just the run emulator. Then Open An Command Prompt and run “adb shell”. You can run “ls” command to list the files in the Linux. :p

Finally, read more from the Android, you will ask questions from it Android Developers!

I have received the LCD Panel from UC Hobby for a long time. I have searched for internet for information to connect with it.

Here is a diagram from Samsung ARM Application Notes :

Most of the connections are fine. Just connect with it directly. There is only one problem that the LCD Panel needs a 22V to drive it. It needs some step-up DC-DC to boost from 5V to 22V and Supply to VEE. Then it will works. I am still searching for it.

I got the cheque from Google :p heehee….

I have made a simple FM Radio Clock with Battery Power Supply before. It use around 20mA-40mA. 3AA battery can use up to 80hours. It is already suitable for me to listen radio at bedroom.

It has a problem. The volume is not loud enough. If I take it to outdoor, I can’t hear music. So I decide to make another FM Radio which use Power Supply to boost the volume. During design phase, someone told me that Hong Kong Radio has already supported RDS : Wikipedia for long time. It can provide Radio Station Name, Traffic Information, Time Synchronization, etc. Time Synchronization is good for me. I don’t have use a few buttons to adjust time. It can sync automatically. Also, it can be a Radio Clock.

Be a Radio Clock, it has another problem. Current Design is using TEA5767 and LM4950. Both don’t have any volume control circuits. The simplest way is using a variable resisitor to adjust volume. But it don’t have a soft volume up during alarm. You will be shocked when you’re asleep. So I search for another IC for volume control. Texas Instruments has one.

Components List that is available :

Here is my design diagram: