[mythtv-users] 169Time revisited

[Steven Adeff]

On 8/4/06, Gene Stapp <genestapp at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm going to call up my cable company and see if they will allow me to
> add a Motorola DCT 2000 series set top box onto the system. I currently
> have a 6412 dual tuner but almost everything above channel 100 is set to
> 5c=1 GRRR.. anyway if they will let me add it with all the digital
> packages and the HDTV package I already pay for, I definately will grab
> myself one off fleabay and then get a r5000hd mod for it. It's annoying
> having to not get any true HD programming on the HD channels I pay for
> unless I switch over to the set top directly.
>
> Michael Chmilar wrote:
> > The XP machine hosting the r5000hd will talk to a DVHS deck. So, the
> > goal is to make the MythTV machine appear to be a DVHS deck. There
> > are two things that the XP machine needs to be satisfied that the
> > Myth machine is DVHS:
> >
> > 1. The configuration ROM for the firewire port on the Myth machine
> > (not really a "ROM", since you can alter it!) must say that the Myth
> > machine is an AV/C device.
> >
> > 2. The XP machine will send some queries using the AV/C protocol,
> > such as "Are you powered on?", "Do you have a tape inserted?", "Is
> > the tape a DVHS cassette?", and so on. The Myth machine must respond
> > with the correct answers.
> >
> > Once these requirements are satisfied, the r5000hd software will
> > happily stream the MPEG-2 data over the firewire port.
> >
> > ddr1394 has a program that sets up the configuration ROM. It also has
> > a program that does the AV/C chit-chat. However, I found that I had
> > to modify the responses to make the r5000hd happy.
> >
> > I have created a modified version of dd1394 which combines the ROM
> > config and AV/C chatter into one program. I also removed the stream
> > capture from this program, since I want Myth to perform the capture.
> >
> > This setup should work with any device that talks to a DVHS deck,
> > including the 169time.
> >
> > AVSForum.com has a couple of long threads about the r5000hd
> > modification. Reading through it, you will find a number of people
> > who started with 169time, and switched to r5000hd. I don't recall all
> > of the reasons, but it seems like the 169time was just not reliable.
> >
> > The r5000hd is extremely reliable.
> >
> > I am using the r5000hd to record all of the HD channels from Directv,
> > including HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, HDNet, Universal-HD, TNT-HD, and the
> > network stations (NBS, CBS, FOX, ABC).
> >
> > The r5000hd also captures standard definition (SD) channels on
> > Directv (which the 169time may not be able to do, IIRC). However, I
> > have been having difficulty getting reliable recordings of SD in
> > MythTV. The problem is that the r5000hd takes a few seconds to detect
> > that the stream has changed from HD to SD, and resynchronize. During
> > this transition, it is not sending a valid MPEG2-TS over firewire,
> > and this appears to confuse MythTV's firewire capture. I have not
> > spent much time addressing the SD issue, since my primary interest is
> > capturing HD. (I have a second SD-only Directv receiver which is
> > sufficient for my needs.)
> >
> > Is the r5000hd worth it? It is fairly expensive to get the
> > modification, and you have the added expense of an XP machine to host
> > it. However, it is very reliable, and works as advertised.
> >
> > I should also point out that r5000hd provides a complete set of
> > XP-based software, including an application to schedule recordings by
> > date/time (using web browser for program guide). I used the r5000hd
> > strictly on XP for a year before I embarked on interfacing it with
> > MythTV. My main complaint in XP world was that I needed to use the
> > mouse and keyboard all of the time. I much prefer MythTV's interface.
> >
> > On XP, the r5000hd is now integrated into SageTV, as well. SageTV
> > offers some similar features to MythTV such as client/server
> > machines. I have never tried SageTV, so I can't compare it to MythTV.
> >
> > These XP setups allow you avoid having a separate machine acting as
> > an intermediary.
> >
> > I am happy to share my hacked-up software (modified ddr1394 and
> > channel-changing script) with anyone who wants to use them. Both are
> > small enough that I can email them.
> >
> >
> > --- Mario Limonciello <mario.mailing at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Michael,
> >>
> >> I realize now that post was a bit old.  For some reason I read 2002
> >> as 2006
> >> :).
> >>
> >> I emailed Dan Dennedy about this and he was also mentioning
> >> ddr1394.  He
> >> said it is a bit rough around the edges, but said that it could be
> >> hacked
> >> together to something functional if I took some time with it.
> >> Which
> >> firewire config ROM are you speaking of when you say AV/C
> >> capability needs
> >> to be enabled? Have you uploaded these patches to modify ddr1394 to
> >> svn of
> >> linux1394?
> >>
> >> Do you actually use the r5000hd as a recording source for all of
> >> your
> >> programming in myth then with this intermediatary XP Box?  Also the
> >> 169Time
> >> mod, you say that its not as reliable and robust, is that to be
> >> taken in a
> >> literal sense? eg - the box crashes, or streams just dont
> >> consistently work?
> >> I'm just kinda curious about this - as I may invest in one or the
> >> other if
> >> this is really a feasible working project...  If you do use the
> >> r5000hd
> >> often  - how is perfomance?  Would you call it a worthwhile
> >> investement?
> >>
> >> I appreciate the info,
> >>
> >> On 7/31/06, Michael Chmilar <chmilar at acm.org> wrote:
> >>
> >>> --- Mario Limonciello <mario.mailing at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> So anyone on the list actually have a 169Time mod done?  Would
> >>>>
> >> you
> >>
> >>>> care to
> >>>> experiment with linux1394 svn to see if you can grab video?  Or
> >>>> anyone else
> >>>> have an opinion about why this shouldn't work?
> >>>>
> >>> I am using MythTV with an r5000hd mod. This is similar to the
> >>> 169time, but owners who have used both systems seem to find the
> >>> r5000hd to be more reliable and robust.
> >>>
> >>> The r5000hd requires a Windows XP machine as an intermediary. The
> >>> r5000hd software on the XP machine can send the MPEG2 TS over
> >>> firewire to a DVHS deck.
> >>>
> >>> It is possible for MythTV to emulate a DVHS deck and capture the
> >>> stream using the Firewire cable box tuner. These extra pieces are
> >>> needed:
> >>>
> >>> - A modified version of ddr1394 to communicate with the XP
> >>>
> >> machine
> >>
> >>> using the AV/C command protocol, and set AV/C capability in the
> >>> firewire config ROM.
> >>>
> >>> - Use plugctl to set up the firewire ports.
> >>>
> >>> - An external channel change script talks to the XP machine via
> >>>
> >> ssh
> >>
> >>> to change channels.

while very tempting, I don't want to have to run a XP machine just for
this device.

Perhaps they'll figure out a way to have it just plug straight into linux...

-- 
Steve
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