Spark

FEATURE Spark Receiver Software

The
Wonderful
World of
Spark

Part 6: • Provides broadcaster logos for every channel

TV Wall
• Optimizes channel selection
• Ability to add your own channel logos
• Direct selection from the EPG

112 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 01-02/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com www.TELE-audiovision.com — 01-02/2013 — TELE-audiovision International — 全球发行量最大的数字电视杂志 113

FEATURE Spark Receiver Software

The Channel List
It doesn’t matter if it’s a in every receiver has been
cheap starter receiver or long overdue for an overhaul
a high-end PVR; every re- that would add a new and

Rediscovered
ceiver that can receive TV or modern shine to it. This de-
radio channels via satellite, sire has been fulfilled by the
terrestrial antenna or cable manufacturer Fulan in its
Thomas Haring comes with a channel list. It Spark software: the new “TV
is without a doubt the most Wall” function.
often used function in a re-
ceiver and yet the manufac- The TV Wall is a graphically
tures haven’t really paid all produced and, thanks to the
1 that much attention to it. integrated EPG information,
Yes, of course, they come in very clear and informative
a variety of formats as well replacement to the stand-
as different colors, some- ard channel list. It appears
times they’re nicely organ- at the user’s command in
ized, sometimes not, but in place of the regular chan-
the end they are basically all nel list in any receiver that
the same. operates with Fulan’s Spark
software. The most obvious
We here at TELE-audiovi- characteristic of the TV Wall
sion have long believed that is the display of station logos
this age-old feature found for each and every entry in
the channel list.
2
Thanks to the full-screen
display, a total of 20 chan-
nels including their logos
can be viewed at one time.
In most cases this is more
than a standard channel list
would have room for. A da-
tabase with the logos of the
most popular channels in
Europe and the Middle East
that can be found on the
more popular orbital posi-
tions such as ASTRA 19.2°
east, HOTBIRD 13° east
and even NILESAT 7° west
is provided by Fulan online
at no extra cost. Users can
also create their own logos
3 and integrate them into the
TV Wall. In this way station
logos can be swapped out if
the user doesn’t particularly
care for the original version;
logos can even be displayed
for those channels that Fu-

1. Fulan provides a basic
database for the Spark software
with the most important station
logos that can be downloaded
for free via the Internet
2. The TV Wall in operation. 20
station logos, a live TV picture
and EPG information make it a
perfect replacement for every
standard channel list
3. The TV Wall can also group
CAS, Favorites, HD, satellites,
etc.

114 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 01-02/2013 — www.TELE-audiovision.com

lan doesn’t have a logo for. 4 7 the remote control and, de-
How this all works will be spite the elaborate display of
discussed later on in this re- station logos, there was no
port. noticeable delay in its op-
eration. Since these station
In addition to the 20 TV logos also appear in the Info
channels with associated bar after switching chan-
logos, the Spark software nels, it gives an overall well-
also displays the current rounded impression.
TV channel is a small win-
dow in the upper left corner. The station logos used by
We found this method to be the Spark software must
more comfortable and clear- be 204 x 126 pixels in size
er compared to the blending and in JPEG format. If there
in of a small channel list on are no logos available in the
top of the TV picture. But we proper size for your favorite
especially liked the TV Wall’s channels, we recommend
EPG function that with the se- using the program XnCon-
lection of a channel instantly vert (http://www.xnconvert.
displayed the title of the cur- com/) that can be used to
rent and upcoming programs
5 8 convert not just one but
and at the same time showed multiple logos into the prop-
the live TV picture in a small er format.
window. A momentary push
of the Info button is all that’s In order for the Spark
needed to access the ex- software to know which
panded EPG data for the logo belongs to what sta-
current program; the Spark tion, each individual TV Wall
software presents it in a very entry must be manually en-
clear fashion so that the user tered. This functions quickly
always knows what’s going and without any problems
on in the currently running with the new Spark Editor
program. 1.7, Fulan’s own channel list
editor for MS Windows. This
This is all well and good assigns each station logo
you might be saying right file an individual file name
now, 20 channels per page is which is then associated by
not bad but with satellite re- the Spark software with the
ception you might be dealing appropriate TV Wall entry.
with several thousand chan- 6 9 That’s why it’s absolutely
nels. How are you supposed necessary to copy the newly
to keep track of all those created station logos to the
channels? It’s very simple: file /root/spark/AppUserDb/
on the one hand the TV Wall icon in the Spark receiver.
supports the grouping of en- This can be done with an FTP
tries (such as by satellite, program. Simply enter in the
CAS, FTA, HD, etc.) just like IP address of the receiver
with a standard channel list. in the FTP program and use
On the other hand there’s ‘root’ as both the user name
also a very practical search and password.
function available; simply
enter in the first few letters In case the receiver is not
of a channel and the list is connected to a PC via a net-
then reduced to only those work, it’s also possible via
channels that match the let- the Spark software Settings
ters that were entered. menu to directly import the
station logos from a USB
We here at TELE-audio- storage device and auto-
vision also really appreci- 7. Thanks to the practical search function, you can quickly find your desired channel even among matically copy them into the
4. The TV Wall’s station logos also appear in the Info bar thousands of channel entries
ated how fast the TV Wall 5. The TV Wall with our test channel and our own station logo correct list. We tested this
8. The Info bar of our TAV test channel with our self-made station logo
reacted to commands from 6. The expanded EPG information can be displayed directly via feature using our own TELE-
9. The freely available station logo database from Fulan is quite extensive; even channels on
the TV Wall satellites such as NILESAT 7° west are in the database


audiovison logo and found ing the OK button our TAV the right direction in terms would still prefer the stand-
that it worked perfectly. In test channel with our own of modernizing the classic ard channel list, it can be
no time at all we were able to station logo appeared in the channel list. As we would ex- reactivated with the push of
use the Spark Editor to cor- TV Wall of our Spark com- pect from Fulan, the TV Wall just one button.
rectly label our test channel patible receiver. was perfectly and thought-
with our station logo. Trans- fully implemented. But, really, who would
ferring the necessary files All in all, we very much want to do without such a
in the end turned out to be liked the idea of the TV Wall If, despite all of the ad- wonderful feature like the TV
easy as pie and after press- and felt this was a step in vantages of the TV Wall, you Wall?

10

10. Using an FTP program, self-made station logos
can easily be transferred to Spark compatible
receivers
11. With the help of the Spark Editor, station logos
can be assigned to every channel via a PC

11


SPARK OVERVIEW Spark Receiver Software

Part 1:

The
YouTube

Read Full Report

Wonderful www.TELE-audiovision.com

World of
/12/03/spark

Part 2:
KartinaTV

Spark
Read Full Report

www.TELE-audiovision.com
/12/05/spark

Part 3:
Spark Apps

Read Full Report

/12/07/spark


SPARK OVERVIEW Spark Receiver Software

Part 4:
Web-TV

Read Full Report

/12/09/spark

Part 5:
HbbTV

Read Full Report

/12/11/spark

Part 6:
TV Wall

Read Full Report

/13/01/spark


Spark

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