[mythtv-users] myth doc contrib

Joe Byrne mythjoe at joebyrne.org
Sun May 30 02:01:53 EDT 2004


The following is based on the mythtv-users mailing list message from
jcaputo1 at comcast.net of 9 Dec 2003
(http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/44731#44731) and should
be filed under Misc.  Could people more knowledgeable than I validate this
contribution so that it can be added to the docs?

How do I enable the use of an auxiliary input on a tuner card?

It is possible to hook a VCR or security camera up to a free composite or
SVideo input port of  a tuner card, assign a channel number to the port, and
record (via manual scheduling) or view (via live TV) the input to said port.

The first step is to create a new video source for the input port.  Run
mythtvsetup.  Answer no to the initial questions.  Select the "video
sources" menu option and create a new video source.  Call it Aux1, for
example.  Select tv_grab_na as the listings grabber (if a null option were
available, that would be a better selection); leave the zip code field
blank.  Select Finish.  Ignore the subsequent error.  This setting will be
manually set to null in a subsequent step.

The second step is to assign the source to the free port.  Go to the "input
connections" section of mythtvsetup and bind the newly created video source
(Aux1) to the appropriate input port.  Some trial an error may be required
to select the port that corresponds to the actual physical port on the card.

The third step is to associate the port with a channel.  Go to the "channel
editor" section of mythtvsetup and create a new channel.  To minimize
confusion, choose a channel number that doesn't coincide with available
channels on other sources.  A number above the highest one from the other
sources is convenient.  When this step is complete, exit mythtvsetup.  Do
NOT run mythfilldatabase.

The fourth step is to make sure that mythfilldatabase does not try to grab
listing info for the bogus channel just created.  This requires editing the
database and setting the listings grabber to null, since (as of 0.15) null
is not an option.  This can be done with sql commands.

Alternatively, install phpMyAdmin and let your mouse do the walking.  The
latter is easy if MythWeb is installed.  Untar/zip phpMyAdmin to Apache's
document root (e.g. /var/www/html).  Configure it per its documentation.  Go
to http://yourbackend/yourphpMyAdmin.  Select the mythconverg database in
the left-hand frame.  The page redraws.  Select videosource in the left-hand
frame.  Click browse at the top of the right-hand frame.  Click the edit
icon for the source just created (Aux1).  Set the NULL check box for
xmltvgrabber.  Click go.

Done.

At this point, running mythfilldatabase will not try to grab listings for
the bogus channel.  However, it will show up in the EPG.

JB



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