[mythtv-users] dct6200 firewire problems, choppy video, scrambled sound (More Info) (SOLVED!)

[Dmitry Shesterin]

Hello Team,

I got it working yesterday:) Ian - thanks for the kind words of  
encouragement!

1. It does not get a full lock on all of the channels from the box  
though, but it gets the job done:)
It gets full lock on all of the HD content though:) Exactly what I  
wanted. It misses 164-150 channel range and picks up again around 120  
and then looses after 100. So only some channels do get full lock.

2. Here's what I have done:

- Compiled 6200ch  - external channel switcher. The default  
provided .c file did not have my hardware ID, so I had to look it up  
and enter in the .c file before compilation. Once added, I also remove  
all other IDs that were listed there. There was a problem with some  
"LONG" variable, so I just went into the code and nuked the entire IF  
statement that was working with this variable. Compiled 6200ch against  
libraries and channels started switching.

- I then added firewire box as a tuner and started recording some  
random channels. This is how I found out that I can get full locks on  
HD, some other channels, but not all of them.

- I had some issues with switching the channels through native  
support, so this is why I use 6200ch as an external channel switcher,  
I found it worked better than just relying on the native support.

- The video was doing just fine, but the audio was scrambled. So I  
tried a bunch of different apps and Xine picked up the sound no  
problem, but not the video. After that I went into my sound setup and  
just changed my sound settings to use ALSA generic. Everything started  
working!

- Then I went through every single channel and wrote down those that I  
could get a lock on.

- Then I went into my account at schedulesdirect and nuked all of  
those channels that I do not get a lock on from the "digital" lineup.  
Mythfilldatabase after that, of course.

- Then I changed the recording schedules that I already have to make  
sure that I record the same shows on channel that are above 200 (HD),  
the most important thing for me was that I can get Colbert and  
Steward, and now I will be recording them on 201 (I think) at 00:05  
instead of 23:00. Firewire has preference as a tuner.

- I left the PVR150 tuner as is, it picks up everything Firewire  
leaves out.

Oh, once I nuked the PVR150 tuner and hoped to work with Firewire  
only, but then Firewire stopped working alltogether.... Not sure if  
those are related, but I did nto invest any more time in researching,  
so just hooked it up all back as it was and it is working just fine now.

The only problem that I have to deal with now and I could not figure  
out yet is to find where I change the settings on my cable box to wake  
up if a # button is pressed. This way Firewire will start recording by  
switching the channel and waking up the box even if my energy  
efficient wife switches the box off.

Any idea where they buried this switch?

I hope it helps.

Cheers,

dscheste