[mythtv-users] Dream Machine

Brad Sagowitz sagz at sagz.dynip.com
Sat Apr 5 05:04:24 UTC 2003


Hi All:

Just caught this post over on the V4L mailing list.  Some of you may
have seen it as well.

http://www.redhat.com/mailing-lists/video4linux-list/msg19669.html

It describes attempts to get an HDTV card up and running under linux.
 Here's the card:

http://www.dvico.com/products_mul_hd.html  

In reading the post, I noted the following that seem different from
the HDTV cards I've seen to date:

1.  This card seems to just do the tuning & demodulation in HW and
then pipe the signal over to a SW App to decode the MPEG2(?) stream
to a TV window.

2.  Apparently has a BT878 chip which linux is autodetecting.

3.  Has Sony Tuner chip

4.  Has Oren demodulator OR51211AHQC.  On oren's support page I there
was a link to an ftp server, but anonymous access didn't seem to be
working.  I was looking for a datasheet but haven't found it yet.


What's the point? Seems like this might be a good fit for Myth -- If
the board uses the BT8XX chip that bttv works with, and if it will
pass the digital MPEG2 stream straight through to a SW decoder with
no special hardware, it could be a really nice thing.

Now, I realize that you'd have to re-encode the MPEG2 into MPEG4 to
keep the file sizes managable, but, it seems like it might be a step
in the right direction for getting HDTV support on linux.

I'd love to throw out my cable bill every month and just use the
broadcast HDTV channels -- In my market, they're broadcasting
ABC,CBS,NBC,FOX,WB, 2xPBS, and I think a couple more. All with clear
reception and decent sound.

That plus myth to watch TV when I want and without commercials... A
dream.

Does anyone think there's hope to get support for this card under
V4L/Myth?

JF






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