[mythtv-users] New video drivers for the EPIA boards at via

[Michael J. Hammel]

On Mon, 2003-07-07 at 16:05, Adrian Burden wrote:
> Just noticed new drivers over at via for the EPIA series of MOBO's.
> http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=296#cle266

I'm glad you pointed that out, since that page describes the motherboard
I have in the STB I'm trying to set up with MythTV. I'm trying to get
the PLE133T/PLE133/KLE133 display driver working.  Here is the hardware
I have integrated on the motherboard:

   VIA C3(aka Samuel 2), 733/800MHz - CPU
   Trident CyberBlade/i1 - Video controller
   SAA7114 - Video decoder (Tuner)
   RealMagic 8470 - MPEG 2/4 decoder (Sigma Designs)
   VIA Tech VT8601 - PCI Bridge (AGP, NorthBridge)
   VIA VT82C686 - ACPI (SouthBridge)
   VIA VT82C686 AC97 - Audio controller
   Realtek RTL-8139/8139C (1 & 2) - Ethernet controllers

In order to get this working I've had to use Alsa 0.9.4 on RH8.0.  I can
get audio working from the TV tuner *IF* I use the binary tools provided
by the STB maker for setting input from the tuner.  I can set the volume
by using "amixer" to set the master and *video* volumes to unmuted (note
that audio is not coming from LineIn - its coming from Video instead). 
I have X running on both the VGA and TV out with the server configured
with Xvideo and V4l, and can even play a hardware decoded VOB via
MythTV.  But I can't watch TV via MythTV.  I can view one channel with
XawTV - I have to change channels using another binary tool provided by
the STB maker.  XawTV just provides the display space using XVideo (I
think).  I used cscope to verify that MythTV wants to do everything via
V4l and not directly through XVideo, so I'm not sure if (even with the
v4l module loaded) MythTV will work with this setup or not.

The software provided by the STB maker includes Alsa drivers, the Via
display driver (ie a Trident CyberBlade/i1 driver), and the Sigma
Designs software for the EM8470.  What I don't have source for - and
what I don't know how to integrate into MythTV - is the TV tuner stuff.
All I get is black screen when I try to watch TV, possibly because audio
is not playing either.  I tried the trick with "aplay" to verify sound
was coming from /dev/dsp - its not.  Its coming from whatever Alsa
thinks "Video" is (/dev/video0?).

I'm open to suggestions on how to integrate use of these binary tools
into MythTV, at least until I can figure out how to circumvent them with
real code.  Would the 7114 be supported by ivtv?  It doesn't say so
specifically, but does mention the 7115.  It also doesn't mention any
kind of configuraiton like what I have.

It seems like all the pieces are there.  I just have to figure out how
to tell MythTV where exactly to look for those pieces.

-- 
Michael J. Hammel <mythtv at graphics-muse.com>
Graphics Muse