[mythtv-users] pcHDTV 3000: Questions from a MythTV newbie

Brandon Rogers blrogers at ieee.org
Fri Jul 22 11:26:56 EDT 2005


  Thanks.  It seems like I've done this, but I'll try
this when I get a chance.  By the way, 
can anyone post what device nodes are created for a
working pcHDTV 3000 DVB driver (one that you are
actually capturing OTA HD broadcasts on).  Maybe some
specs as well?  Also, maybe exactly which options you
chose in mythtvsetup? (ie Video Device is
/dev/dvb0.frontend0 or dvr0 or whatever).  
  I also adding in the DVB drivers earlier today and
selected pcHDTV in the capture card setup, but I
DIDN'T mention a device (just left it blank) and the
Television input showed up.  Myth seemed to like it,
but mythfrontend freezes when I "Watch TV".  The
message on the backend is that it was tuning to
channel 3 subchannel 1 (which no one is broadcasting
on, possibly explaining the freeze and if I can figure
out how to change to a known working frequency, I
might have a good DVB setup).  It was early this
morning, however, so I'll double check all this just
in case.
  Anyway, is this correct?  Seems strange that I
*don't* have to specify a device for it to work. 
Maybe it's just a problem with me not understanding
the UI.  Then again, maybe it's FC3 that isn't playing
nicely with the DVB drivers.  It could be that Myth is
not looking at the correct device (and just thinks
that it is), which is causing the freeze up.

Any thoughts?
-B

--- Jack Perveiler <perveilerj at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Is the backend running when you enter mythtv-setup? 
> If so, I've found that it
> "owns" the DVB device and won't let mythtv-setup
> access it.  Killing the
> backend and trying again worked.
> 
> --Jack
> 
> --- Brandon Rogers <blrogers at ieee.org> wrote:
> 
> > David,
> >   Thanks for the reply.  I think my question was
> HOW
> > to use the DVB drivers in Myth.  When I install
> the
> > DVB drivers, several DVB device nodes appear, but
> when
> > I tell Myth that I have a DVB card installed it
> tells
> > me that it couldn't open the card.  I believe the
> > reason for this is simply that Myth is looking for
> > certain device nodes set up in a certain way and I
> > have no idea how Myth is trying to read the card. 
> Any
> > ideas?
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > Brandon
> > 
> > --- David Maher <dm at netsol.com.au> wrote:
> > 
> > > I think you should use the DVB driver, don't
> worry
> > > about testing it with
> > > another program, if it's working myth will
> recognise
> > > it when you select
> > > the right card type in mythtvsetup and allow you
> to
> > > scan for channels.
> > > One tip though, make sure mythbackend is not
> running
> > > when you set the
> > > card up in mythtv, or else it won't be able to
> scan
> > > for channels, the
> > > card will be busy.
> > > 
> > >  
> > > Regards
> > >  
> > > David Maher
> > >  
> > > 
> > > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
> > > [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On
> Behalf
> > > Of David Sims
> > > Sent: Friday, 22 July 2005 12:03 PM
> > > To: Discussion about mythtv
> > > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] pcHDTV 3000:
> Questions
> > > from a MythTV newbie
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Take a look at this thread:
> > > 
> > >
> >
>
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/135131?
> > > 
> > > do=post_view_threaded
> > > 
> > > Sounds like you might have the same problem.
> > > 
> > > I think the long term answer is to figure out
> how to
> > > use the dvb  
> > > drivers.  I'm still using the v4l drivers with
> my
> > > hd-3000, because  
> > > that's what I got working first and haven't
> taken
> > > the time to get the  
> > > dvb drivers working.  I've had difficulty like
> you
> > > have with them, but  
> > > I honestly haven't spent much time on it.
> > > 
> > > - David Sims
> > > 
> > > On Jul 21, 2005, at 10:14 AM, blrogers at ieee.org
> > > wrote:
> > > 
> > > > All,
> > > >    I've been scanning the archives of this
> list
> > > for
> > > > quite some time now and I had a few questions
> > > > regarding the pcHDTV 3000 and it's
> compatibility
> > > with
> > > > Myth on Fedora Core 3.
> > > >    I've compiled the drivers xine-hd (comes
> with
> > > the
> > > > pcHDTV card) and tested HDTV reception and
> NTSC
> > > > reception.  Both work great.  I used xine to
> test
> > > the
> > > > HDTV (ATSC) signals and tvtime to test NTSC. 
> I am
> > > > using the v4l drivers, not the DVB drivers for
> > > reasons
> > > > I'll discuss in a second.
> > > >    When I load the v4l drivers (modprobe
> > > cx88_atsc)
> > > > the cx88xx drivers (NTSC) load as well as the
> ATSC
> > > > drivers.  This creates several devices (duh),
> > > namely /dev/vbi0, 
> > > > /dev/video0, and (I think) /dev/audio0. The
> ATSC
> > > device is created as 
> > > > /dev/video1.  To get xine to recognize
> /dev/video1
> > > as the ATSC driver,
> > > 
> > > > I made a symbolic link to /dev/video1 called
> > > /dev/dtv.
> > > > This works great.  However, when I try to set
> up
> > > Myth
> > > > to read this card (I am using Myth 0.18.1),
> the
> > > ATSC
> > > > card is not recognized.  I can set up NTSC,
> but if
> > > I
> > > > erase all those card settings and try to set
> up an
> > > > ATSC card, mythsetup just tells me that it
> > > couldn't
> > > > find inputs for the device (I know that they
> are
> > > > there, though, because xine works great).  I
> have
> > > > tried to every possible combination of Global
> TV
> > > > settings (NTSC with standard TV, ATSC with
> HDTV,
> > > NTSC
> > > > with HDTV, etc), just on a whim that it might
> > > work.
> > > >   So why am I not using the DVB drivers?  When
> I
> > > load
> > > > the pcHDTV DVB drivers (modprobe cx88_dvb),
> > > several
> > > > devices are created (/dev/dvb0.dvr0,
> > > > /dev/dvb0.frontend0, etc).  However, I don't
> know
> > > how
> > > > to use these devices and none of the programs
> from
> > > > interpreting DVB seem to recognize or even
> look
> > > for
> > > > these devices.  Since, I could test and the
> v4l
> > > > drivers and confirm that they work, I went
> that
> > > route.
> > > >   My system is built on the default FC3 load
> > > (kernel
> > > > 2.6.9), one pcHDTV card, nVidia FX 5200, 2.8
> GHz
> > > HT
> > > > pentium 4, if that helps.  I guess my real
> > > question is
> > > > what MythTV is looking for to discover the v4l
> > > ATSC
> > > > driver and if I should be using DVB drivers,
> how
> > > > should I configure them?  I installed Myth
> with
> > > the
> > > > RPMs available on atrpms (myth-suite package).
> > > >   If anyone could clear up the confusion that
> I'm
> > > > having, that would be great!  I would hate to
> have
> > > to
> > > > spend the time to rig up a pseudo-PVR
> replacement.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks!
> > > > -B
> 
=== message truncated ===



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