[mythtv-users] newbie questions about TV hardware/setup

Jeff Stockett jeff at endlesstech.com
Fri Sep 21 18:32:10 UTC 2007


I have mythtv 0.20.2 running under ubuntu feisty with a single DVICO FusionHDTV 5 RT Lite PCI card.  Previously, I had MCE 2005 on the machine, but after a few years of reliable service, it finally hosed itself beyond repair.  It is the last Microsoft OS I have in the house, and after playing around with MythMusic, MythDVD, MythVideo, and MythGame, I'm looking forward to the rest of MythTV but have a few questions on TV specific stuff:

1.  First, hardware questions.  I get SD channels ok, but don't get any HD channels.  I have both the analog and ATSC tuners on the card setup as follows:

Card type: Analog V4L capture card
Video device: /dev/video0
Probed info: BT878 video (DViCO FusionHDTV 5 [bttv]
VBI device: /dev/vbi0
Audio device: /dev/dsp
Audio sampling rate limit: (None) and Do not adjust volume (unchecked)
Default input: Television

-and-

Card type: pcHDTV DTV capture card (w/V4L drivers)
Video device: /dev/video0
Probed info: BT878 video (DViCO FusionHDTV 5 [bttv]
Signal Timeout: 1000
Tuning Timeout: 3000
Default input: Television

I don't think it is a signal issue, because I was getting the HD channels fine under MCE and nothing has changed.

I do notice in the log file that when it attempts to scan for channels or access the HDTV tuner, I get the following in the log file:

pcHDTV::GetSignal_v4l1(fd 19, input 2, v4l2): error(Invalid argument)

What does this signify?  I read somewhere on mythtv.org that this particularly DVICO card should be configured as a DVB DTV card rather than pcHDTV but when I try that, the UI shows:

Frontend ID: Could not open card #0 Subtype: No such file or directory.

Also, I'm not getting any sound on the SD channels - is there a special setting in the ALSA mixer to fix this?  I read somewhere you need to connect the card to your MB with a cable, but as this was not necessary with MCE, I fail to understand why it would be with Linux.  I can probably figure this one out - just need to play with it.

2.  I signed up with Schedules Direct and created my lineup for my zipcode, and when I look at it on their website under Edit Subscribed Channels, all the channels show up.  However, when I look in the channels table, only the SD channels are their.  Do the channels in the DB not get populated until they scan?  Also, do I need to setup two lineups - one with just SD channels for the SD tuner and one with just HD channels for the HD tuner?  I don't have cable or anything, this is all just OTA.

Thanks,  Jeff


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list