[mythtv-users] Comcast & Firewire STB's without 5C/Firewire equipment

[Mark Knecht]

On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 5:30 PM, Brad Fuller <bradallenfuller at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 6:14 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 5:55 PM, Robert McNamara
>> <robert.mcnamara at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 5:50 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Question - can a single 1394 interface running either the newer or
>>>> older Linux Firewire stacks control more than one STB? Clearly 1394
>>>> itself wouldn't have any problem but possibly the Firewire stack in
>>>> Linux isn't good at that sort of thing? No big deal as I probably have
>>>> 3 or 4 old 1394 cards around, but it would be nice not to have to
>>>> worry about running out of PCI slots. My server has 3 and two are
>>>> currently used with PVRs.
>>>
>>> Yep, I've daisy chained up to three before without issues.  Both the
>>> firewire stack and Myth work very nicely with multiple 1394 tuners on
>>> a single box.  I have heard of some people who had issues with daisy
>>> chaining, I just didn't have them myself.
>>>
>>> Note that I only have experience with the old stack, although Jarod
>>> recently did some work to get the JuJu stack working properly, and I
>>> think he had that going-- there are just a lot fewer people with
>>> experience there.
>>>
>>> Robert
>>
>> Good to know. I'll see about dropping a 1394 card into my current BE
>> and getting it working with the old stack. I've got some 1394 disk
>> drives but nothing that uses the DV drivers. Do you know off the top
>> what drivers you had to load?
>>
>> I've watched a few of Jarod's emails go by on the 1394-users list so I
>> knew he was working on it but I haven't paid all that much attention
>> to the results. I'll stick with the old stack until I get more info.
>
> Mark: what is the 1394-users list?
>
> All,
> I went to the Comcast office and picked up a 1394-enabled STB
> (DCH3416). I added the appropriate
> updates to 6200ch.c to change the channel. I can change the channel
> outside of MythTV now, and it changes channel while watching TV or
> recording. So, that _seems_ to work ok.
>
> But, I get the same problem I've seen others mention, it only records
> sometimes. It starts out fine in LiveTV (on ch2) and sometimes when
> switching a channel, it'll switch and display fine. But, subsequent
> channel changing, most other times,  the video locks up (NVP pauses,
> actually) although it switches channel.
>
> I didn't see any helpful hints for this in the Wiki, but I remember
> that some people had this problem. I searched the mailing list for
> some help, but nothing concrete was found. Any hints would be most
> helpfule.
>
> thanks!
> brad
>
>
>
> --
> Brad Fuller

Brad,

   Subscribe to the 1394-users list here:

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/linux1394-user

Main 1394 web site for Linux is here:

www.linux1394.org/

   Stefan Richter is the guy who will likely help yoou. Very
knowledgeable about the Linux stack and has a good memory for these
sorts of issues.

   I will point out that there are two 1394 stacks. I don't know which
you have chosen in your kernel but I think for this application you
are better off with the older stack as the DV stuff hasn't been as
tested with the new stack as the disk drive (sbp2) stuff has been.

   I presume you have the DV driver loaded? sounds like you do. I
think it's required for this application being plug based.

   I'm subscribed to this list - have been for over 10 years now - so
I'll see you there when you get there. ;-)

Hope this helps,
Mark