Linux TV Software

psd99 · 2 Nov 2009 at 10:25

I know a lot of you will point me towards linuxtv website

I've got a HVR1100 hauppauge tv card and this is the only element of my linux adventure that is stopping me from going back to the wonderful world of windows.

I just can't get this card working properly.

The closest I got is an application called meTV
it does scan all freeview channels but some of them have a very poor signal. Wasn't like that in windows for me the signal was great.

I think my card's drivers are installed.
So I put it to you out there which software can I use that is almost as good as the hauppauge software on my ubuntu linux? Will that work straight out of the box?

craptakular · 2 Nov 2009 at 12:13

I had my 3000 haupagge working in Totem out of the box. Try totem, I also got BBC HD working!!! Although the codec for HD was pap compared to windows7. At least it worked after 4 years!

Vampyre · 2 Nov 2009 at 12:30

I use MythTV but then that's for my dedicated HTPC, I think it can be done with VLC or Kaffeine

psd99 · 2 Nov 2009 at 19:45

thanks for that

myth tv was a nightmare to try and install it just didn't work

caffiene didn't work straight out of the box

I shall try totem and vlc
see how that goes - this card HVR1100 is the only thing preventing me from going to linux full time.

whitecrook · 2 Nov 2009 at 21:09

http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-1110 any help?

psd99 · 2 Nov 2009 at 23:31

whitecrook said:
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-1110 any help?

sort of

when I do dmesg I don't see anything written with DVB

but

lspci

06:00.1 Multimedia controller: Conexant Systems, Inc. CX23880/1/2/3 PCI Video and Audio Decoder [Audio Port] (rev 05)
06:00.2 Multimedia controller: Conexant Systems, Inc. CX23880/1/2/3 PCI Video and Audio Decoder [MPEG Port] (rev 05)
06:00.4 Multimedia controller: Conexant Systems, Inc. CX23880/1/2/3 PCI Video and Audio Decoder [IR Port] (rev 05)
06:01.0 Multimedia controller: Philips Semiconductors SAA7131/SAA7133/SAA7135 Video Broadcast Decoder (rev d1)

Well I got to this stage:

# cd /[kernel source directory]/Documentation/dvb/
# perl get_dvb_firmware tda10046

I'm not sure if my kernel source is as follows:

cd /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.31-14/Documentation/

but I can't see a /dvb folder in that directory and I can't get
perl get_dvb_firmware tda10046

the above command to work

Any ideas? have I got the right kernel path?

psd99 · 2 Nov 2009 at 23:45

good news is I think I've got the card installed was done during installation I can also scan channels by using this command:

w_scan -ft -c GB -X >> ~/.gstreamer-0.10/dvb-channels.c

I see lots of channels come up
but just how do I get these channels to work in one of my media players?

I've lost count of the amount of tv software I've got

the only one that works is meTV but the signal is 38% in windows it was 90%

any ideas?

x_MaKa_x · 3 Nov 2009 at 00:51

VLC won't be able to read that file. Copy it to a channels.conf then open that with VLC, it should populate the playlist with the channel names and obviously start playing.

Mplayer requires the file to placed in /etc/mplayer/ then launch with "mplayer dvb://" h and k cycle the channels - not very elegant....

I personally use Kaffeine 0.8.8 as 1.0-pre2 doesn't deinterlace and instant record only works if you don't change channels even with a dual tuner.

whitecrook · 3 Nov 2009 at 00:53

wscan generates a channels.conf file. this is the file that the tv softwares need to be able to tune the channels. TBH just I had a tough time getting just a basic DVB app to watch tv working. Nothing worked well and I tried just about everything. The only thing I didn't try and would probably have worked was mplayer but I can't believe there isn't a decent gui dvb app.. Some would work with my sat card, some would work with my dvb-c card... anyway I convinced my self that it was all installed properly and did work. So i installed myth and it picked up both cards and the channels and everything. now I just gotta point my dish at 29.9 instead of hotbird so I can get some decent channels.

so what if your signal says 38%. What matters is do you get a good picture?

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 15:32

whitecrook said:
wscan generates a channels.conf file. this is the file that the tv softwares need to be able to tune the channels. TBH just I had a tough time getting just a basic DVB app to watch tv working. Nothing worked well and I tried just about everything. The only thing I didn't try and would probably have worked was mplayer but I can't believe there isn't a decent gui dvb app.. Some would work with my sat card, some would work with my dvb-c card... anyway I convinced my self that it was all installed properly and did work. So i installed myth and it picked up both cards and the channels and everything. now I just gotta point my dish at 29.9 instead of hotbird so I can get some decent channels.

so what if your signal says 38%. What matters is do you get a good picture?

nah my picture isn't great

channels like ITV1 are really jumpy

I noticed that it does scan all the channels and picks them up
but a lot of them don't work

in windows the signal was great no problems at all

I'm wondering if it is the firmware?

I see SNR is 100% but the quality is 38%

My DVB-S card isn't supported only the hauppauge looks like it is but it is difficult to get working.

so what you reckon?

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 15:33

x_MaKa_x said:
VLC won't be able to read that file. Copy it to a channels.conf then open that with VLC, it should populate the playlist with the channel names and obviously start playing.

.

do you know how to do that?

vidda · 3 Nov 2009 at 17:38

w_scan -ft -c GB -X >> ~/Desktop/channels.conf

(might be a lowercase D on desktop).

whitecrook · 3 Nov 2009 at 18:26

maybe your card is picking up channels from a transmitter further away. do you have duplicate channels?

if your SNR is good, then that means the quality of your signal is good, but at 38% could mean you just have a weak signal. Try an aerial amplifier/booster to booster the signal.

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 18:42

whitecrook said:
maybe your card is picking up channels from a transmitter further away. do you have duplicate channels?

if your SNR is good, then that means the quality of your signal is good, but at 38% could mean you just have a weak signal. Try an aerial amplifier/booster to booster the signal.

I'm sure I set my transmitter to read a file from uk-crystal palace

I read that the firmware for the card needs to be updated otherwise the amplifier on the card is a lot weaker. I think it is this that is the problem.

My problem was when I tried to upgrade the firmware I couldn't work out the directory of the firmware

I am sure my signal in windows was brilliant
will try the new windows 7 soon to back that up

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 18:52

vidda said:
w_scan -ft -c GB -X >> ~/Desktop/channels.conf

(might be a lowercase D on desktop).

root@parm-desktop:~# w_scan -ft -c GB -X >> ~/Desktop/channels.conf
w_scan version 20090808 (compiled for DVB API 5.0)
using settings for UNITED KINGDOM
DVB aerial
DVB-T GB
frontend_type DVB-T, channellist 6
output format czap/tzap/szap/xine
Info: using DVB adapter auto detection.
/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0 -> DVB-T "Conexant CX22702 DVB-T": good
Using DVB-T frontend (adapter /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0)
-_-_-_-_ Getting frontend capabilities-_-_-_-_
Using DVB API 5.0
frontend Conexant CX22702 DVB-T supports
INVERSION_AUTO
QAM_AUTO
TRANSMISSION_MODE_AUTO
GUARD_INTERVAL_AUTO
HIERARCHY_AUTO
FEC_AUTO
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Scanning 7MHz frequencies...
177500: (time: 00:00)
184500: (time: 00:03)
191500: (time: 00:05)
198500: (time: 00:08)
205500: (time: 00:10)
212500: (time: 00:13)
219500: (time: 00:16)
226500: (time: 00:18)
Scanning 8MHz frequencies...
474000: (time: 00:21)
474167: (time: 00:23)
473833: (time: 00:26)
482000: (time: 00:28) (time: 00:31) signal ok:
QAM_AUTO f = 482000 kHz I999B8C999D999T999G999Y999
new transponder:
(QAM_16 f = 537833 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0)
new transponder:
(QAM_16 f = 505833 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0)
updating transponder:
(QAM_AUTO f = 482000 kHz I999B8C999D999T999G999Y999)
to (QAM_64 f = 481833 kHz I999B8C23D0T2G32Y0)
new transponder:
(QAM_64 f = 561833 kHz I999B8C23D0T2G32Y0)
new transponder:
(QAM_16 f = 529833 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0)
new transponder:
(QAM_16 f = 578166 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0)
482167: skipped (already known transponder)
481833: skipped (already known transponder)
490000: (time: 00:44)

nitial_tune:2070: Setting frontend failed QAM_AUTO f = 858167 kHz I999B8C999D999T999G999Y999
857833: (time: 05:56)
tune to: QAM_64 f = 481833 kHz I999B8C23D0T2G32Y0
(time: 05:59) ----------no signal----------
tune to: QAM_64 f = 481833 kHz I999B8C23D0T2G32Y0 (no signal)
(time: 06:00) ----------no signal----------
tune to: QAM_16 f = 537833 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0
(time: 06:01) service = 4Music ((null))
service = VIVA (MTV Europe)
service = Yesterday (UKTV)
service = Virgin1+1 (Virgin Media Television Limited)
service = Ideal World ((null))
service = Kiss ((null))
service = Kerrang! ((null))
service = SMOOTH RADIO (GMG)
service = The Hits Radio ((null))
service = Magic ((null))
service = Q ((null))
service = 4TVinteractive (4TV Ltd)
service = Film4 (Channel 4 TV)
service = heat ((null))
service = Lottery Xtra (Camelot Group plc)
service = TOPUP Anytime4 (Top Up TV Europe Limited)
service = Dave ja vu (UKTV)
service = Russia Today (Information TV)
service = smile TV2 ((null))
service = Create & Craft (Ideal Shopping Direct Plc)
service = Big Deal ((null))
service = Babestation (Game Network)
service = News ((null))
service = ITV4 (ITV)
service = Rocks & Co ((null))
new transponder:
(QAM_64 f = 481833 kHz I999B8C23D0T2G32Y0)
tune to: QAM_16 f = 505833 kHz I999B8C34D0T2G32Y0
(time: 06:14) service = BBC THREE (BBC)
service = BBC Red Button (BBC)
service = CBBC Channel (BBC)
service = BBC NEWS (BBC)
service = BBC TWO (BBC)
service = BBC ONE (BBC)

It looks like it didn't pick up ALL of the channels like it did in windows.

so how do I upgrade that firmware?

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 19:09

managed to upgrade the firmware
damn thing still stuck on 38% **Feels like tearing hair out!

vidda · 3 Nov 2009 at 19:17

Have you tried a booster? What's the picture quality like on a normal TV using that cable?

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 20:41

vidda said:
Have you tried a booster? What's the picture quality like on a normal TV using that cable?

it is very good

like I said in Windows the quality is good

The cable is already connected to a 5 way booster which goes around the house. I could add another plug in the wall booster just to see how it responds.

somewhere in Linux either the driver or the firmware I think the quality has deminished.

craptakular · 3 Nov 2009 at 20:53

I don't think its you psd99, I got my Avermedia 777 working in MythTV and kaffeine, really weak signal strength. In windows 100%. Although in windows I cannot get both TV cards working :/

psd99 · 3 Nov 2009 at 21:49

Oxy said:
I don't think its you psd99, I got my Avermedia 777 working in MythTV and kaffeine, really weak signal strength. In windows 100%. Although in windows I cannot get both TV cards working :/

what is your other TV card?

I really don't get it when I searched on the web other people have got my HVR 1100 Haupague working on ubuntu but I don't get how they did that.

Still a learning curve for me though.