[mythtv-users] Re: Fedora Mythtv, pcHDTV and Comcast?

Tue Oct 11 19:50:27 UTC 2005

> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org]On Behalf Of Mark Linford
> 
> Oh, I'm close. I'm sooooooo close ...
> 
> On 10/10/05, Mark Linford <mlinford+mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: Mark Linford <mlinford+mythtv at gmail.com>
> > Date: Oct 10, 2005 5:42 AM
> > Subject: Re: Fedora Mythtv, pcHDTV and Comcast?
> > To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> >
> >
> > On 10/9/05, Dennis Lou <dlou99 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > --- Mark Linford <mlinford+mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Something to do with my PVR-150, perhaps? If I have
> > > > time tonight, I'll
> > > > try removing that card and try again ...
> > >
> > > Sounds like it.  Did you install from atrpms
> > > or did you compile from source?  I've heard of eeprom
> > > conflicts when compiling from source, but I have
> > > been using atrpms and haven't run into it.
> > >
> > > -Dennis
> > >
> > I'm using the atrpms. Besides installing the nVidia drivers by hand,
> > it's a vanilla installation via Jarod's Fedora guide.
> >
> > I'll try removing my PVR-150 card, and see if that fixes things. I
> > hope that's not the case, though, as I still watch a lot of regular
> > content, and I'd hate to lose the PVR card in this box (not 
> to mention
> > I use the PVR's remote).
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Well, after a little more searching, I found the following threads:
> >
> > 
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/151628?sear
> ch_string=hd3000%20pvr-150
> > 
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/ivtv/devel/24044?search_
> string=tveeprom;#24044
> >
> > Looks like there's a known conflict between the PVR-150 and 
> the HD3000
> > with the latest ivtv drivers. So much for my vanilla install ...
> >
> > I think I'm gonna try installing the 0.37a drivers by hand, as
> > recommended, and see if that makes my cards play nice. I'll report
> > back what happens, though it might take me a while :)
> >
> > Mark
> >
> 
> So, I've removed the atrpm ivtv drivers, found a copy of the old 0.37a
> drivers, and complied and installed them by hand. Reboot, and no more
> error messages! The PVR-150 and pcHDTV3000 appear to be living in
> harmony. After testing in and out of mythtv, the PVR-150 is working
> like before, that is, perfectly.
> 
> Onto the pcHDTV3000 ...
> 
> So, I got the latest firmware from pchtdv's site, modprobed, and
> everything is working great. I found the thread Dennis recommended
> (http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/150073?#150073)
> and followed the instructions there. I ran the qamscan that Dennis
> attached in that thread, and it found a bunch of good stations. Next,
> I tried to manually capture some HD channels (azap -r KTVUHD, then cat
> /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 > /tmp/out ) and, voila! I can capture HD from
> my cable connection! After experimenting with some of the channels
> found in channels.conf, I even found a few more channels I could
> capture. So far, here's what I've found:
> 
> KNTVHD:747000000:QAM_256:33:34:1
> ESPNHD:747000000:QAM_256:39:36:2
> KNTV:747000000:QAM_256:49:52:3
> KGO HD:753000000:QAM_256:33:34:1
> KGO SD:753000000:QAM_256:113:116:7
> KQED-E:753000000:QAM_256:49:52:3
> KQED HD:753000000:QAM_256:36:37:2
> KQED-W:753000000:QAM_256:65:68:4
> LIFE:753000000:QAM_256:81:84:5
> KIDS:753000000:QAM_256:97:100:6
> KPIX DT:765000000:QAM_256:49:52:7
> KTVUHD:765000000:QAM_256:145:148:9
> KPIX DT:555000000:QAM_256:49:52:7
> KTVUHD:555000000:QAM_256:145:148:9
> 
> (odd that it found KPIX and KTVU at two different frequencies, but
> that doesn't seem to affect anything)
> 
> Anyway, I'm confident my hardware issues are behind me. Onto 
> the MythTV setup:
> 
> I'm following the instructions in this post
> (http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/150118?do=
> post_view_threaded#150118)
> to manually configure my channels. To start, I'm just using one
> channel to start (KGO HD, which is cable station 707). I figure out
> that the frequencyid is 753000000, the mplexid is 25, and the
> serviceid is 1, so I enter those figures into the mythtv/channel
> table, per the instructions.
> 
> Now, I start mythfrontend. I go to "Watch TV," and pull of the
> onscreen guide. I select channel 707, but only get static. Thinking
> that it might be trying to use the PVR-150, I switch tuners (pressing
> "Y"). Now, I just get a black screen. After about a minute or so,
> LiveTV stops and Myth goes back to the "TV" menu. Thinking I may have
> mistyped something, I go back to the beginning, check my settings, and
> try again, but I get the same results :(
> 
> Running mythbackend from the command line, I see this output:
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.306 New DB connection, total: 1
> Starting up as the master server.
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.342 New DB connection, total: 2
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.343 mythbackend: MythBackend started as 
> master server
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.354 New DB connection, total: 3
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.670 DVB#0 DVB SI Table Parser Started
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.671 DVB#0 Using DVB card 0, with frontend pcHDTV
> HD3000 HDTV.
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.672 DVB#0 ERROR - Could not find dvb tuning
> parameters for transport 0
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.672 DVB#0 ERROR - Failed to get channel options
> for channel 3.
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.681 New DB scheduler connection
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.686 mythbackend version: 
> 0.18.1.20050523-1 www.mythtv.org
> 2005-10-11 10:41:18.686 Enabled verbose msgs : important general
> 2005-10-11 10:41:20.688 Reschedule requested for id -1.
> 2005-10-11 10:41:21.633 Scheduled 189 items in 0.9 = 0.47 
> match + 0.47 place
> 2005-10-11 10:41:21.637 scheduler: Scheduled items
> 2005-10-11 10:41:21.639 Seem to be woken up by USER
> 2005-10-11 10:41:28.693 New DB connection, total: 4
> 2005-10-11 10:41:28.696 New DB connection, total: 5
> 2005-10-11 10:41:28.698 mythbackend: Running housekeeping thread
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.002 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.002 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 0)
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.034 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.034 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 1)
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.050 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.050 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 0)
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.082 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.082 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 0)
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.098 adding: mythtv as a remote ringbuffer
> 2005-10-11 10:41:48.118 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.264 Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.725 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.725 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 0)
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.757 MainServer::HandleAnnounce Playback
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.757 adding: mythtv as a client (events: 0)
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.773 adding: mythtv as a remote ringbuffer
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.797 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.812 DVB#0 Recorder: Card opened 
> successfully (using PS mode)
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.813 DVB#0 ERROR - No PIDS set, please correct your
> channel setup.
> 2005-10-11 10:42:25.817 DVB#0 WARNING - No data from card in 1 second.
> .
> .
> .
> 2005-10-11 10:42:39.862 Couldn't read data from the capture card in 15
> seconds. Stopping.
> .
> .
> .
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.001 DVB#0 WARNING - No data from card in 1 second.
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.966 Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
> 2005-10-11 10:43:12.005 DVB#0 WARNING - No data from card in 1 second.
> 2005-10-11 10:43:12.005 Closing DVB recorder
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------
> Obviously, something's wrong, but I'm not sure what yet ...
> 
> Also, I wrote the verbose output from mythfrontend to a log. It's too
> long to post the entire thing here, but here's an excerpt from the log
> around the time I tried to tune to channel 707:
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------
> X Error: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes) 8
>   Major opcode:  141
>   Minor opcode:  14
>   Resource id:  0x1e3
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.258 Couldn't get the color key color, and 
> we need it.
> You likely won't get any video.
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.274 Broadcasting free space avail
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.274 audio waiting for space on soundcard: 
> have 2336 need 409
> 6
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.291 Broadcasting free space avail
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.291 audio waiting for space on soundcard: 
> have 1472 need 409
> 6
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.306 Broadcasting free space avail
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.306 audio waiting for space on soundcard: 
> have 288 need 4096
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.306 Killing AudioOutputDSP
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.317 OutputAudioLoop: Stop Event
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.317 kickoffOutputAudioLoop exiting
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.661 write->17 33      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 1[]:[]DONE_RINGBUF:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.677 Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.685 write->13 28      
> GET_NEXT_FREE_RECORDER[]:[]1:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.701 write->16 21      MYTH_PROTO_VERSION 15:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.717 Using protocol version 15
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.717 write->16 21      ANN Playback mythtv 0:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.733 write->16 44      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]SETUP_RING_BUFFE.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.749 write->17 21      ANN Playback mythtv 0:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.765 write->18 23      ANN RingBuffer mythtv 3:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.782 write->16 33      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]SPAWN_LIVETV:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.833 write->16 37      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]GET_PROGRAM_INFO:
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.851 Output filters for this channel are: ''
> 2005-10-11 10:42:24.852 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:29.862 taking too long to be allowed to read..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:34.866 taking too long to be allowed to read..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:39.863 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:39.870 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.070 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.078 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.278 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.286 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.486 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:40.494 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> :
> .
> .
> .
> 2005-10-11 10:42:51.719 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:51.727 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:42:51.875 Waited 4 seconds for data to become 
> available, waiting a
> gain...
> 2005-10-11 10:42:51.927 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:42:51.935 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> .
> .
> .
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.897 Waited 14 seconds for data to become 
> available, aborting
> Couldn't read file: rbuf://192.168.1.50:6543/video/buffer/ringbuf3.nuv
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.901 write->16 33      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]IS_RECORDING:
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.905 write->17 53      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]REQUEST_BLOCK_RI.
> ..
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.917 write->16 33      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]IS_RECORDING:
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.933 write->16 34      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]GET_FRAMERATE:
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.949 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.949 Decoder not alive, and trying to play..
> 2005-10-11 10:43:11.949 write->16 32      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]STOP_LIVETV:
> 2005-10-11 10:43:12.077 Changing from None to None
> 2005-10-11 10:43:12.105 Read(): reqd=128000, rcvd=0, rept=0, error=0
> 2005-10-11 10:43:12.113 write->17 33      QUERY_RECORDER 
> 3[]:[]DONE_RINGBUF:
> 2005-10-11 10:43:16.102 write->13 34      
> QUERY_IS_ACTIVE_BACKEND[]:[]mythtv:
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
> 
> So, that's where I'm at so far. I'm going to keep debugging, but any
> advice at this point would be appreciated. Thanks!
> 

Mark-

Yes, you are very close! I have just recently succeeded in getting both a HD3000 and a PVR-150 to work in MythTV, and I believe the Myth part was the hardest. I first setup the Zap2it account with the OTA channels I wanted to capture, and downloaded it via mythtv-setup. Then I ran the Myth channel scanner. Well, this was backwards from what I should have done. I ended up with duplicate channel numbers in the mysql database, but only some of these had corresponding records in the dtv-multiplex table, the latter being populated by the scan program. I had to manually weed out the duplicates, making sure the remaining channels had valid mplexid and xmltvid fields (if I get these field names a little wrong, I going by memory). Make sure that there is a valid channel number in the startchan field (card table?). The last piece of the puzzle was making sure the channels were assigned to a source in the channel config of mythtv-setup, then restart the backend. If any of these pieces are not in place, you get the famous 20 seconds of black screen, crashing backends, and meaningless error messages.

The Myth database is not officially documented that I could find, and additionally there are some deprecated tables left over from earlier versions, so be wary of older postings and howtos. Here's were I found some good information for MythTV >= 0.17:
http://www.ethics-gradient.net/myth/mythdvb2.html

It addresses DVB-T, but it's applicable to ATSC.

Richard.