[mythtv-users] something's missing

Thu Feb 25 02:53:12 UTC 2010

On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 6:18 AM, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org> wrote:

> On 02/23/2010 11:20 PM, sharifah ummu kulthum wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 6:58 AM, David Watkins <watkinshome at gmail.com
>> <mailto:watkinshome at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>     > The output will show you what channels are detected and you
>>    should be able
>>     > to match that with your local environment re missing/extra channels.
>>     > Then you can test a channel, by tuning to it and capturing output
>>    from
>>     > /dev/video (or /dev/dvb/frontend...whatever) using cat to a file.
>>     > And you then can play that file using mplayer.
>>     > (Instructions on the page given above).
>>     >
>>     >
>>     > THEN, and ONLY THEN can you be assured that scanning in mythtv
>>    will actually
>>     > work.
>>
>>
>>    I believe the OP said they were looking at capturing analogue
>>    broadcasts.
>>
>>    I seem to recall from my PVR350 days that Mythtv doesn't have an
>>    analogue channel scanner (although that may have changed now).
>>
>>    I tuned my PVR350 in Mythtv by selecting  European broadcast
>>    frequencies and manually entering the channel frequencies, which I
>>    found by looking at the channel tuning of my television.  The
>>    "frequency" I used was the TV tuning slot number between 1 and 99.
>>    _______________________________________________
>>    mythtv-users mailing list
>>    mythtv-users at mythtv.org <mailto:mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>>
>>    http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>>
>> Yes, I know that using a listing grabber before I have the list of
>> usable channel is working backwards. But I have tried testing the card
>> using cat and other tools, eg: mplayer and tvtime. In mpayer, I didn't
>> get any channels but there is a sound where it seems like it is
>> searching for channels ( you know the sound when the radio reception is
>> not that good, yeah, it sounds like that ). But, still I didn't get any
>> TV shows as it was really what I'm looking for.
>>
>> And really, MythTV does have an analogue signal scanner? Is it true?
>> I've never heard of it though. But if it is, my project is a mess and I
>> don't know how to continue. This is my class project and it has
>> deadline. And I am chasing it. =(
>>
>> Anyway, the script of my country's listing grabbers that I talked about
>> in the previous post, I can execute it now. No more errors. I've asked
>> the python guys. But I don't know how to slot it in inside MythTV.
>>
>> And does the sound of 'the not good reception" means that my card
>> actually works?
>>
>
> Well it would appear that it is not completely broken at least!
>
> You could try using the kaffeine program. It allows you to control an
> analog card and change channels.
>
> I wonder if you problem is that you are not using the correct frequency
> tables. That is, the table of frequencies which your country uses. There are
> at least 5 different NTSC broadcast tables (plus cable) and a half a dozen
> variants of PAL tables. Malaysia uses PAL?
>
> This has been a long thread, so bear with me if some questions have already
> been answered.
> You have installed the firmware and necessary driver?
> dmesg should show something about the card/driver being initialized.
> Generally, dmesg reports the hardware socket which is created. You should
> see a /dev/video0.
>
> Do you get this sort of output? (I think you have reported this is ok.)
>
> Then install kaffeine, or try MyRTv
>
> http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Multimxawtvedia/Video/MyRTv-47362.shtml<http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/MyRTv-47362.shtml>
>
> I have not tried kaffeine for tuning a tv card but I have used it as a
> substitute for mplayer. MyRTv is a GPL tv player/tuner package. The screen
> shots show that it allows you to enter different PAL types and channels.
> That sounds like it would fit your needs!
>
> Regarding using mythtv, it does have a scanner, but it must be told which
> card you are using to get that correct. You might try selecting each and
> every available type of card listed in the pull-downs for card type
> selection. If the card type is entirely wrong, you will see something like
> 'could not probe inputs'. If it is partially right, it might probe, but not
> scan. Without knowing more about your card, I can't help much more.
>
>

> Geoff
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>        Please let me know if anything I say offends you.
>         I may wish to offend you again in the future.
>
>         Tux says: "Be regular. Eat cron flakes."
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>

I have tried using kaffeine before, but it seems like it is only used for
DVB. Is it true? Because I can't figure out how it actually scan for
analogue channels. And yes, Malaysia uses PAL.

So first, to answer your question:

You have installed the firmware and necessary driver?
Yes

dmesg should show something about the card/driver being initialized.
Generally, dmesg reports the hardware socket which is created. You should
see a /dev/video0.

This is what it reports
[    7.374788] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[    7.437520] HDA Intel 0000:00:14.2: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) ->
IRQ 16
[    7.505805] hda_codec: Unknown model for ALC662 rev1, trying auto-probe
from BIOS...
[    7.507103] input: HDA Digital PCBeep as
/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.2/input/input5
[    7.526737] AVerMedia USB Wrapper for H826D version 0.28 loaded
[    7.542841] h826d: module license 'AVerMedia TECHNOLOGIES, Inc.' taints
kernel.
[    7.542845] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
[    7.557120] AVerTV Volar HX AX MAX version 0.10 loaded
[    8.163941] Adding 3943916k swap on /dev/sda5.  Priority:-1 extents:1
across:3943916k
[    8.300729] EXT4-fs (sda1): internal journal on sda1:8
[    8.709850] RPC: Registered udp transport module.
[    8.709854] RPC: Registered tcp transport module.
[    9.223405] Installing knfsd (copyright (C) 1996 okir at monad.swb.de).
[    9.321656] type=1505 audit(1266987141.411:11):
operation="profile_replace" pid=899 name=/sbin/dhclient3
[    9.444192] A827 registered V4L2 device video0[video]
[    9.444217] A827 registered V4L2 device vbi0[vbi]
[    9.444240] A827 registered V4L2 device radio0[radio]
[    9.444482] A827 registered ALSA sound card 1
[    9.444503] usbcore: registered new interface driver AVerTV Volar HX AX
MAX
[   11.521252] lirc_dev: IR Remote Control driver registered, major 61

And so far, in MythTV, it does have the correct probed info. But it does not
scan. I wonder why.
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