[mythtv-users] Still Can't Get pcHDTV-3000 Installed

R. Geoffrey Newbury newbury at mandamus.org
Tue Jan 3 22:17:13 UTC 2006


On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:56:32 -0500, A JM wrote:
Geoff,

I just saw your thread on the HD3000 and am curious about the PVR-250
application? Are you saying that you don't need the ivtv driver for the
PVR-250's that it's already compiled into the kernel?

I'm having a problem getting my system to recognize 2 PVR-250's and wonder
if that might be the problem I'm running 2.6.1-14. I believe?

Thanks,

AJM,

NO! You have this backwards.

The PVR150/250/350/500 family use the ivtv modules which is loaded by
modprobe.conf (in Fedora).

You need:

alias char-major 81 videodev
alias char-major 81-0 ivtv
alias char-major 81-1 ivtv   #for the second pvr250 card
#alias tveeprom tveeprom_ivtv
alias msp3400 msp3400_ivtv  etc  (from memory)

(The cards will show up at /dev/video0 and /dev/video1)


The HD3000 card uses the cx88-dvb module. From about the 2.6.13 kernel,
the module has been available as a kernel level module. That is, it is
supplied with the kernel source and the kernel is compiled to make use of
it (either compiled in, or as a loadable module). To use the kernel
module, you need to re-compile your kernel to use the video for linux
modules. (But see below)

Both modules/drivers use a sub-module called tveeprom. These used to be
quite different and completely incompatible. From about October of this
year (and ivtv .40 or so) there has been an effective merger. The ivtv
modules will happliy use the kernel version tveeprom so that the
modprobe.conf line alias tveeprom tveeprom_ivtv can be commented out. This
makes the ivtv driver use the kernel version tveeprom. Then both hardware
cards use the same base module. You get errors if it is the other way
round. If necessary, the ivtv driver can be explicitly told to use the
tveeprom_ivtv driver.

If you just have a PVR card, then use the ivtv drivers AND leave in the
alias line, so that the ivtv driver looks to the tveeprom_ivtv module. You
may not have a tveeprom module otherwise presuming you have not recompiled
the kernel. Note, the you may not actually need to recompile the kernel to
get the kernel version module: if you do a yum update or equivalent which
can update the kernel, the new kernel will likely be set up to have
everything including the kitchen sink included/turned on/activated. So
something which worked using a DVD install under kernel 2.6.11 may break
when you re-boot after upgrading to kernel 2.6.14 because you NOW have a
kernel module *which did not exist previously*.

(A prime example of "I upgraded and it broke!".... Otherwise known as "It
wasn't boken so I frixed it!")

If it is included with the kernel, then the kernel version cx88-dvb module
will be loaded on boot. The process appears not to need any modprobe.conf
entry, but it does need to be told which driver to use so you can get ntsc
(the cx8800 driver) or atsc/qam (the cx88-dvb driver)

HTH 

Geoff
R. Geoffrey Newbury                          newbury at mandamus.org
Barrister and Solicitor                         Telephone: 905-271-9600                 
Mississauga,Ontario, Canada              Facsimile:   905-271-1638



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