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ST16 Video Quality

Hello again Ty Pilot.

I feel compelled to inquire a few things if I may....
The first being how long have you had your H and have you ever experienced any sort of problems that simply came naturally like a fly away, battery failure, power loss or anything of the like?
Secondly, I couldn't help but notice that pic of your ST16 that you shared clearly showed that you customized it. Rather than the top portion of the screen displaying Welcome Pilot, you have Welcome Ty Pilot. A very cool and clever greeting I must say. How did you accomplish that I wonder? I was going to ask you initially but was up to the challenge in figuring it for myself. The only thing I managed to accomplish was to set a security lock in place on my ST16 with my tag name and emoji beside it. So now I input a 4 digit number every time I power up. Ya just never know, ya know?

The only issue that I have encountered myself is the way you insert the SD card in the ST16.
There is an illustration adjacent to the slot where you insert indicating proper insertion I know.
But with my ST16, I did just that. Inserting it with the gold pins facing up inward first. When doing so, I felt like I was merely jamming it in without so much as a click? So I tried it the other way (right side-up) going in halfway it clicks in place and funny enough it seems to work? The only problem being that when inserted/clicked in that position is that I can easily pull the SD card out without any effort. When I click again, it pushes the SD card out but in an angled fashion and locks in that awkward position. I very carefully wiggle/wedge it out because simply pushing it back in does not do the trick. And I apologize if all of this sounds very ambiguous in a sexual way but I just wanted to share. :D
 
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1] I've had my Typhoon H for a little over a year and in that time I have had a few compass warnings and the like but fortunately, I have been a sponge of the information and expertise of this forum and have skirted any big disaster so far. These aircraft are pretty reliable when properly maintained and operated but there can be problems no doubt.

2] As for the screen shot of my video welcoming my Avatar's namesake - that is simply an overlay I did on the video as one of those things that some video makers do, it was an overlay on the video - NOT something that an end user can do in the ST-16's programming.

Very Cool Nonetheless. :cool:
 
Sometimes it's hard to diagnose a problem because the language you use to describe what you're doing is slightly different from what 'experienced' pilots and support staff use. That's not your fault, it's difficult to pick up on the terminology that has grown up in the industry.

Welcome to the forum! :D

OK, so - when you fly and record video, it is stored on the SD card in the camera at the resolution that you specify, up to 4K in the CGO3+'s case.

As you fly, the camera also broadcasts a video feed on 5.8Ghz (wifi) frequencies back to the ST-16. That feed is *always* 720p and is what you see on the screen.

The feed to the ST-16 is also stored to its internal memory so you can review flights later. To store it, it has to be compressed (encoded) or else you'd run out of memory pretty quickly.

Now, here's the kicker. If there is interference in the feed, that can 'break' the encoding. The live view just doesn't update very evenly or pixelates, but the encoded file ends up with regions that are just 'blank'. It's a weird artefact of video encoding that blank areas often show up as blocks of bright colour (green!). So when you play back the encoded flight afterwards, you see flashes of green and huge blank spots that you didn't notice during the flight. Note that for various reasons, this problem is more noticeable in Europe than America, as the radio signals are slightly different between the two regions.

None of this affects the data stored on the SD card.

When you put the SD card into the ST-16 and hit play in the flight app, you are *still* only viewing the 720p video feed it recorded during the flight, complete with glitches. To watch the video on the card, you have to hit Pad Mode, quit the app, go to the apps icon on the main (green) screen and open the file browser. Then open External Storage / DCIM and look for the files called YUNxxxxx.mp4 (where xxxxxx is a five digit number) - those are the actual video files recorded on the camera.

There are two problems that can cause playback from the SD-card files to fail. One is an underpowered computer. A lot of people report problems with 4K video, but 1080p / 30 should play back OK on pretty much all modern hardware. Playback on an underpowered computer usually looks like stuttering, or the video just freezing.

The other problem is a poor quality or damaged SD-Card. The card supplied with the Typhoon is good enough for all video modes, but if you buy any additional cards, they should be Marked U3 and from a reputable manufacturer - beware of fakes! It's relatively rare to get a damaged SD-Card, but the symptoms are the same as the encoded files on the ST-16 - flashes of green and corruption during playback.

Note that none of this is a limitation specific to the Typhoon. The laws of physics say a video feed sent from a moving object via a low power (mW) transmitter *will* break up occasionally. The feed stored on the ST-16 is for reference only. There is no easy substitute for popping the card out of the camera and playing that back directly. If that shows corruption you have a hardware problem somewhere. First thing to try is a known good SD-Card.
 
RTFM. Put the SD card in a laptop and view the product at a resolution higher than 780p. If you read the documentation you would know that already. Sorry, but way too many newbies buy an H and don't bother reading the documentation, review the data that comes on the SD card, or visit the Yuneec website to learn more. They come here to ask questions for which they have the answers to already in their hands.

RTFM?

Never mind, got it! Haven’t used that one for a while now. :rolleyes:
 
I do have the antennas pointed or angled I should say.
The CGO3+ did write good video on the SD card, yes.
Everything is calibrated, yes.
The only thing I do not do is wait 12 - 15 minutes for SAT lock because I usually get 10 - 17 SAT locks on both the H and ST16 within a few minutes.
I will see if I can provide the video?

The reason you wait 12-15 min initially is NOT to get SAT lock. It is to populate the GPS almanac in your H. After that you only need to repeat the practice if you haven't flown the H in quite some time or if you're getting some weird GPS behavior. The GPS data in the almanac is maintained by a small rechargeable battery on the GPS module. Should the voltage in that battery drop below a certain level the data may deteriorate. Also, the GPS SATs themselves update their information periodically.

BTW, you simply sit on the ground without props running for the 15 min to perform this. This uses a small amount of the battery capacity to accomplish this.

This is NOT in the Yuneec manuals. Their marketing people like to sell that the H is easy for anyone to fly. It is but their manuals don't fully educate pilots on how they work or best practices.

There are individual efforts to fill in the deficiencies in the Yuneec manuals. This link may help.

Want to help make a better manual?
 
The reason you wait 12-15 min initially is NOT to get SAT lock. It is to populate the GPS almanac in your H. After that you only need to repeat the practice if you haven't flown the H in quite some time or if you're getting some weird GPS behavior. The GPS data in the almanac is maintained by a small rechargeable battery on the GPS module. Should the voltage in that battery drop below a certain level the data may deteriorate. Also, the GPS SATs themselves update their information periodically.

BTW, you simply sit on the ground without props running for the 15 min to perform this. This uses a small amount of the battery capacity to accomplish this.

This is NOT in the Yuneec manuals. Their marketing people like to sell that the H is easy for anyone to fly. It is but their manuals don't fully educate pilots on how they work or best practices.

There are individual efforts to fill in the deficiencies in the Yuneec manuals. This link may help.

Want to help make a better manual?
Thank you for that piece of information Ron. Before acquiring my Typhoon H, I did wait almost 2 years before delving into the hobby. I initially had my eye on the Q500 but decided on the H after viewing many videos on YouTube and reading many reviews such as Best Buy. So I did take the time to do research before I committed to flying. Though I knew there was much to be learned in the process. The primary reason I waited as long as I did other than the cost was because it was still in it's infancy. Typically whenever something new is introduced on the market, especially technological based, there are surely going to be problems as you know with bugs and glitches and such. And there definitely was early on with the H. Yet I still had to have it. Seems like it's still work in progress. Hopefully the H Plus will not succumb to similar problems.
 
Sometimes it's hard to diagnose a problem because the language you use to describe what you're doing is slightly different from what 'experienced' pilots and support staff use. That's not your fault, it's difficult to pick up on the terminology that has grown up in the industry.

Welcome to the forum! :D

OK, so - when you fly and record video, it is stored on the SD card in the camera at the resolution that you specify, up to 4K in the CGO3+'s case.

As you fly, the camera also broadcasts a video feed on 5.8Ghz (wifi) frequencies back to the ST-16. That feed is *always* 720p and is what you see on the screen.

The feed to the ST-16 is also stored to its internal memory so you can review flights later. To store it, it has to be compressed (encoded) or else you'd run out of memory pretty quickly.

Now, here's the kicker. If there is interference in the feed, that can 'break' the encoding. The live view just doesn't update very evenly or pixelates, but the encoded file ends up with regions that are just 'blank'. It's a weird artefact of video encoding that blank areas often show up as blocks of bright colour (green!). So when you play back the encoded flight afterwards, you see flashes of green and huge blank spots that you didn't notice during the flight. Note that for various reasons, this problem is more noticeable in Europe than America, as the radio signals are slightly different between the two regions.

None of this affects the data stored on the SD card.

When you put the SD card into the ST-16 and hit play in the flight app, you are *still* only viewing the 720p video feed it recorded during the flight, complete with glitches. To watch the video on the card, you have to hit Pad Mode, quit the app, go to the apps icon on the main (green) screen and open the file browser. Then open External Storage / DCIM and look for the files called YUNxxxxx.mp4 (where xxxxxx is a five digit number) - those are the actual video files recorded on the camera.

There are two problems that can cause playback from the SD-card files to fail. One is an underpowered computer. A lot of people report problems with 4K video, but 1080p / 30 should play back OK on pretty much all modern hardware. Playback on an underpowered computer usually looks like stuttering, or the video just freezing.

The other problem is a poor quality or damaged SD-Card. The card supplied with the Typhoon is good enough for all video modes, but if you buy any additional cards, they should be Marked U3 and from a reputable manufacturer - beware of fakes! It's relatively rare to get a damaged SD-Card, but the symptoms are the same as the encoded files on the ST-16 - flashes of green and corruption during playback.

Note that none of this is a limitation specific to the Typhoon. The laws of physics say a video feed sent from a moving object via a low power (mW) transmitter *will* break up occasionally. The feed stored on the ST-16 is for reference only. There is no easy substitute for popping the card out of the camera and playing that back directly. If that shows corruption you have a hardware problem somewhere. First thing to try is a known good SD-Card.
Very descriptive Tuna. Thank you. [emoji4] [emoji106]
 
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Typically whenever something new is introduced on the market, especially technological based, there are surely going to be problems as you know with bugs and glitches and such. And there definitely was early on with the H. Yet I still had to have it. Seems like it's still work in progress. Hopefully the H Plus will not succumb to similar problems.

I'm glad you found that information helpful. I hope the link to the manual is especially helpful.

Every new model multirotor aircraft from all companies seem to treat the initial wave of pilots like beta testers. The drones usually fly well enough but there are a number of wrinkles that need to be ironed out. Expect a number of firmware updates on new aircraft. IMHO this is to be expected when you look at the complexity of how they actually fly. For me, I like waiting a year for things to settle down. After a year, the warranties have usually expired and the more experienced pilots have dug into the controller and aircraft for repairs and mods and shared what they've learned both here and on YouTube.

I only started flying my H a year ago so I consider myself a newbie. I have benefited greatly from those with more experience in this forum. I owe a lot to a number of the members here. They have been very generous in sharing their knowledge and experiences. I'm a retired geek so I'm especially interested in the "how" these birds work. I'm not satisfied with "it's a black box just move this" explanations.
 
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Very descriptive Tuna. Thank you. [emoji4] [emoji106]
I have one for you Tuna...
Before viewing pics or video on my PC from previous and most recent flights, the files display the time of day they were shot as you know.
My question to you is how do you sync the time to correlate with SD card? I always fly during the day usually in the pm hours. Yet the files show the time frames being way off in the early am hours. I have the time zone as well as city location set correctly. Is there something I'm missing?
 
I have one for you Tuna...
Before viewing pics or video on my PC from previous and most recent flights, the files display the time of day they were shot as you know.
My question to you is how do you sync the time to correlate with SD card? I always fly during the day usually in the pm hours. Yet the files show the time frames being way off in the early am hours. I have the time zone as well as city location set correctly. Is there something I'm missing?

I believe Android devices use UTC for file times as part of the system. I know this is true for Breeze users that use Android phones to run the Breeze Cam app. Do your times match that difference? (6PM in California would be recorded as 2AM)
 
I believe Android devices use UTC for file times as part of the system. I know this is true for Breeze users that use Android phones to run the Breeze Cam app. Do your times match that difference? (6PM in California would be recorded as 2AM)
That sounds about right as far as the time being out of whack residing in LA
I'll have to further check that out. Thank you
 
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I believe Android devices use UTC for file times as part of the system. I know this is true for Breeze users that use Android phones to run the Breeze Cam app. Do your times match that difference? (6PM in California would be recorded as 2AM)
Hello DoomMeister.
Silly questions if I may....

I know we all have to register our UAS/Drones if it weighs more than 0.55 lbs. but I was wondering if it matters to which website you register with specifically. FAADroneZone
The first link I provided says it's only $5 to register and claim I must register with them yet I registered with another at this link. Droneregistration.com/
The only difference being is that I paid considerably more because I got the ID and several stickers labeled with an FAA Registration Number in tandem with my phone number. Does it truly matter who you register with? And if you only pay $5, do they only offer you a Registration Number via email?
 
The FAADroneZone is through the FAA and registration is $5 for hobbyist pilots and is good for three years. They email you your certification ID, which you can affix to an unlimited number of aircraft. They do not supply labels.

These other sites are there to make money for themselves and sort of mislead people into thinking they are FAA affiliates. They charge a lot more and all you get in return are some fancy labels. Only $5 of that goes to the FAA registration.
 
The FAADroneZone is through the FAA and registration is $5 for hobbyist pilots and is good for three years. They email you your certification ID, which you can affix to an unlimited number of aircraft. They do not supply labels.

These other sites are there to make money for themselves and sort of mislead people into thinking they are FAA affiliates. They charge a lot more and all you get in return are some fancy labels. Only $5 of that goes to the FAA registration.

Guess I'm good to go. [emoji736] Thank you.
 
I had the same problem when watching my video on the st16 controller but I also noticed it made 2 more vids that were perfect... I only made one. So why did it make these 2 extra? One was like 4 min the other 6 min. Seemed to be the same video as the original that was 9 min long. The 2 extra videos even seemed to capture the whole 9 min flight that was really choppy like the original post said.. but I cant explain how it did that. Can anyone explain how amd why it made the 2 extras that were perfect?
 
Where were the videos on the ST16 located? Where in the file system?

The camera usually records videos to the micro SD card in 5 min increments. In other words, if you recorded 10 minutes of video you will see them in two different files. If you recorded 12 minutes of video you'd see 3 video files.
 
Hi L.P. I had exactly the same problem...even replaced the SD card with the best I could find (class 10 ) and it still was intermittent breaks and choppy. Then I removed the camera with gimble from the H and cleaned connections on both with lens cleaner and now perfect..Worth a try.
 
Hi L.P. I had exactly the same problem...even replaced the SD card with the best I could find (class 10 ) and it still was intermittent breaks and choppy. Then I removed the camera with gimble from the H and cleaned connections on both with lens cleaner and now perfect..Worth a try.
Thank you for the insight Enterprise.
I will have to try that.
[emoji361] [emoji363] [emoji328] [emoji95] [emoji375]

[emoji111][emoji41]
 
One of my friends is thinking of buying this antenna for the ST16 controller. Anyone try this range extender antenna by ITElite ? The reviews look good.s-l1600.jpg
 

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