When we all moved our television broadcasts to digital, it seemed for a moment that we only had to upgrade our set once and a set-top box would be a thing of the past. In Europe, this meant DVB-T standards, whose two-decade reign is slowly shifting to higher definition and more channels for DVB-T2. All of this may seem simple but the transport level alone without a specific codec for the DVB-T2 standard. Thus first generation DVB-T2 devices use MPEG4 or H.264, while recent broadcasts in some countries use HEVC, or H.265. [CyB3rn0id] As a result, we’ve got to navigate through the turmoil, as well as create a Nifty upgrade that integrates a set-top box behind an old DVB-T set.
Not only is the set-top box bolted to a TV the biggest hack, but it also takes things a step further with a 3D printed bracket and an extension that brings the box’s IR receiver to the front of the TV prototyping board. With the power supply of a laptop plumbed directly to the TV, it gives new life to a set that could otherwise go to landfill.
Long time readers will know, we like a TV retrofit here in Hackade.