Apparently I'm stupid and I need to setup my backend

[bobwdn]

I posted to the Mythtvtalk forum and was pretty much told I was stupid and I had a bad idea.

Ok, so I got a bad idea . . . I am building my first Mythbuntu machine. It is a P4 3.0Gh, 2Gb RAM, 20Gb primary hdd (system), 2Tb secondary hdd (var), Nvidia 6200 video and a Hauppauge DVR-1600 card. Some input connection (S-video or component, don't care which) will eventually be connected to my Directv box. For right now, I need to figure out the Input connection and Video source settings, and to do that I want to connect a VCR. This is just to test settings and learn what I am doing. I simply have to press 'play' and signal is available to mythbuntu. No other issues like how to work the Directv box with IR blaster, etc.

Getting the kernel to recognize the DVR-1600 required me to re-compile the kernel per the instructions at

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http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HVR-1600

that lead me to

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http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_Obtain,_Build_and_Install_V4L-DVB_Device_Drivers

because when I did

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dmesg | grep cx18

the result was no output. So I did the "basic approach" and my DVR-1600 card now gives

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dmesg | grep cx18
[    7.394175] cx18:  Start initialization, version 1.5.0
[    7.394538] cx18-0: Initializing card 0
[    7.394545] cx18-0: Autodetected Hauppauge card
[    7.394619] cx18 0000:02:0a.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
[    7.410873] cx18-0: cx23418 revision 01010000 (B)
[    7.626044] cx18-0: Autodetected Hauppauge HVR-1600
[    7.626049] cx18-0: Simultaneous Digital and Analog TV capture supported
[    8.563418] cs5345 0-004c: chip found @ 0x98 (cx18 i2c driver #0-0)
[    9.090457] cx18-0: Registered device video0 for encoder MPEG (64 x 32.00 kB)
[    9.090465] DVB: registering new adapter (cx18)
[    9.889353] cx18-0: DVB Frontend registered
[    9.889359] cx18-0: Registered DVB adapter0 for TS (32 x 32.00 kB)
[    9.889482] cx18-0: Registered device video32 for encoder YUV (20 x 101.25 kB)
[    9.889596] cx18-0: Registered device vbi0 for encoder VBI (20 x 51984 bytes)
[    9.889715] cx18-0: Registered device video24 for encoder PCM audio (256 x 4.00 kB)
[    9.889721] cx18-0: Initialized card: Hauppauge HVR-1600
[    9.890232] cx18:  End initialization
[   10.075173] cx18-alsa: module loading...
[   11.248343] cx18-0: loaded v4l-cx23418-cpu.fw firmware (158332 bytes)
[   11.519753] cx18-0: loaded v4l-cx23418-apu.fw firmware V00120000 (141200 bytes)
[   11.525987] cx18-0: FW version: 0.0.74.0 (Release 2007/03/12)
[   12.979583] cx18-0 843: loaded v4l-cx23418-dig.fw firmware (16382 bytes)
[   12.998357] cx18-0 843: verified load of v4l-cx23418-dig.fw firmware (16382 bytes)
[   25.876704] ir-kbd-i2c: i2c IR (Hauppauge HVR-1600) detected at i2c-0/0-0071/ir0 [cx18 i2c driver #0-0]

Last bit of info I think might be important. When initially installing Mythbuntu (v11.10), I had a video card issues and struggled with the Nvidia driver. I ended up installing Ubuntu server (v11.10) via a 'minimal cd' install method. Someone over on MythtvTalk forum wondered why I was re-compiling my kernel when the driver for DVR-1600 was pushed to kernel long time ago. I got to wondering that too. Maybe I have a different kernel than that used by Mythbuntu (v11.10) release.

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uname -a
Linux wdnpvr01 3.0.0-13-generic #22-Ubuntu SMP Wed Nov 2 13:25:36 UTC 2011 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

I have even considered buying an HD antenna and pulling over the air HDTV signals just to get sometihng working.

Now, that is my stupid idea (and some other info.) So, what is the simplest suggestion anyone has that will assist me in learning how to configure this Hauppauge card input settings and eventually connect one of my Directv boxes?

[Patrick]

Not familiar with the HVR-1600 but the mythtv wiki has some good information about it:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HVR-1600

Apparently a recompile of the driver is necessary as the version in stock kernels has a bug in it. Based on your output it looks you did that correctly.

Reading the wiki the device has a analog tuner and digital QAM tuner (for digital OTA or unencrypted cable).

Is your DirectTV box SD or HD? If you want to do SD then you could use analog side of the HVR-1600 using the s-video/composite/co-ax out of the satellite box to the capture card. If you have an HD satellite box then your only choice is to pick up a Hauppauge PVR-1212 which will capture HD via the component out connections of the satellite box.

You can also pick up an OTA HD antennae and connect to the digital side of the HVR-1600 to record HD shows.

You said your video card is an Nvidia 6200. That's a pretty old card. Do you want to playback HD recordings? Then you should invest in a newer VDPAU capable card:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/VDPAU

VDPAU will offload the video playback to the graphics card GPU. This means you will be able to watch HD recordings and only use about 3-5% of your system's CPU.

We have a baseline hardware list on the main website:
http://mythtvcast.com/store.php

You can get a fanless Nvidia GT 520 for $57. Definitely worth it. Just make sure your motherboard has a PCI express 2.0 slot to handle the video card.

[bobwdn]

First, yes, your comment reminds me that I had to re-compile due to the bug. Also, I "pinned" the kernel. Now, that can be bad and good depending on many factors. Not greatly concerned about that as this is my testing/experiment machine. I figure if the family likes this initial setup than a better, faster and newer rig will be needed. This machine will then be relegated to primary backend or given other network duties and replaced with newer machine with attached Homerun Prime box. For now I need to get what I got running.

Yep, the 6200 is older but, will have to do for now. Not worried about HD playback as you'll see next.

Directv box is SD, so it will be connected (future) via S-video.

Really enjoy the podcasts. Hope you do another soon. I been "eying up" your hardware specs and dreaming of my future, bigger, faster . . . . well you know!

Happy Thanksgiving. I'll be getting an HD antenna and trying more after I get back from my holiday trip.

[Patrick]

Yep, the 6200 is older but, will have to do for now. Not worried about HD playback as you'll see next.

The thing about a VDPAU capable card is you can get a lot more out of your hardware. Many of us have Ion based frontends that are basically Intel Atom processors (used in netbooks) along with an embedded mobile Nvidia graphics card. These boxes are small, quiet, low-powered and fully HD capable. With a relatively inexpensive video card you can still get the low CPU hit for SD video and are fully HD capable when you're ready. Well worth it IMHO.

Directv box is SD, so it will be connected (future) via S-video.

Thanks for clearing that up. Yes, use the analog capture side then. You'll need to get an IR blaster along with a channel changing script for your DirectTV box. I'm sure there's one out there if it's an older box.

Happy Thanksgiving. I'll be getting an HD antenna and trying more after I get back from my holiday trip.

Same to you. Would you be interested into coming onto the show so we can answer your questions and clarify anything related to hardware and the setup process? I think it would be a good exercise.

[bobwdn]

My future plan is a backend running in some closet somewhere (noisy fans, hard drives and the heat.) And some ION based frontend at each (3) television.

If I can get this VCR idea to work then, on to connecting one of my Directv boxes. And maybe . . . (big maybe) . . then later a Netflix Roku box (or two) as an input source. I've been researching bluray players that include a built-in Netflix interface. Daydreams of a Utopian Mythtv system feeding music, family photos, zoneminder watching security and because the box runs all the time, backuppc backing up all the computers in the house . . . . . ah-h-h, daydreams.

Now, being on the show. Well, that sounds like fun but, I work 4:00pm until 2:00am (second shift) Monday through Friday and some Saturdays. You two most likely have daytime jobs so I think this podcast idea becomes difficult. This only leaves Sunday nights as a viable option. So, thanks for the invite.

[Patrick]

This only leaves Sunday nights as a viable option. So, thanks for the invite.

We usually record on Sunday nights.

[bobwdn]

I have purchased an OTA antenna to capture over the air local television digital channels. I am still unable the capture any channels. All channel scans result in "Failed to find any new channels!" Antennweb indicates that I live within the Nashville television broadcast towers and my antenna is an omni-directional type antenna.

I have got to have done something incorrectly within my backend setup. Please help me.

[eddie]

Sort of had the same trouble, but quickly realized that an analog card was in the setup. Had to setup the digital card also. Viola everything was ok. There is another quirk in what kind of stations you want it to survey. Had to change that setting also for OTA. Not near the system now to tell you exactly what it was,

Buy a OTA antenna? it is the same thing as an old fashioned TV antenna. By the way, you can make your own very easily. I have made several versions. There are pictures of them in another post here. Some people exclaim that if you hook up the ground from a wall socket to the antenna input it works great. I will pass on that.

Never had luck with the antenna in the attic as there was too much interference. I have my coat hanger antenna at or below eye level laid flat as if it were a Yagi antenna near a window..

VCR's traditionally have analog output and will not work with a digital card unless you have that feature enabled. Have kept old analog cards just for that. Analog out on some of the older cams also works well with them too.

Would be interesting to see if the analog tv cards work with motion or zoneminder to put them back to work.

http://www.meetdageeks.com/2011/12/home ... ennas.html