[pvrusb2] KnoppMyth R5A26 backend with pvrusb2

[Mike Isely]

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005, Roger J. Allen wrote:

> On Wed, 16 Nov 2005, Mike Isely wrote:
>
>> 
>> A long time ago the KnoppMyth community expressed an interest in including 
>> the pvrusb2 driver directly into KnoppMyth.  This was roughly back around 
>> last May.  At the time the driver was not all that stable so I kind of 
>> "warned them off" for the time being.  Since that time things have improved 
>> considerably.  A while I posted an update on the forum discussion thread, 
>> suggesting that it might be worth trying now.  I never saw a reply. 
>> Probably the message wasn't noticed.  But since you have an interest in 
>> this, perhaps you might want to bend their ears a little - especially since 
>> you've already blazed the trail to show that it can be made to work.
>>
>>  -Mike
>> 
>
> OK.
>
> First, I want to make sure that I am going about this the right way.

OK, see below...


>
>> 
>> On Wed, 16 Nov 2005, Roger J. Allen wrote:
>> 
>>> You can use the latest KnoppMyth R5A26 as a backend MythTV server with
>>> a WinTV-PVR-USB2 with just a few changes.  After the hd install but
>>> before the reboot, you can compile the pvrusb2 driver, install the
>>> driver and firmware, and add the script to change the channels.  Then,
>>> the KnoppMyth configure scripts will do most of the hard work.
>>> 
>>> Here is the KnoppMyth home page:
>>> 
>>> http://www.mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html
>>> 
>
>>> 
>>> Copy the latest pvrusb2 snapshot, extract, compile, and install the
>>> pvrusb2.ko driver like the docs say.  The ivtv modules are already part
>>> of KnoppMyth.
>
> Is this correct?  Should the ivtv modules from the KnoppMyth R5A26 be used,
> or the modules in the pvrusb2 snapshot?  The two versions of the msp3400.ko
> modules had different sizes, while the other modules were the same size.
>

Yes, this should be OK.  The various *.ko support modules in the driver 
are actually identical sources from a recent ivtv snapshot (0.4.0 
actually).  Unless the interfaces have changed (which unfortunately is a 
distinct possibility in ivtv), you can freely interchange them.  From 
recent experience, tveeprom.ko might be a problem however if it is the 
symptoms won't be subtle (i.e. you'll get the wrong tuner type and nothing 
will work).  If the driver is working OK, then you're probably fine.


>
>>> 
>>> Copy utils/change-channel.sh to /usr/local/bin.  I changed the script
>>> to use /home/mythtv/.tv/freqs and copied my freqs from my FC4 box.
>>> Edit /etc/sudoers to allow mythtv to run
>>> /usr/local/bin/change-channels.sh as root.  This is the first time I
>>> tried to use the tuner on the pvrusb2, so there may be a better way
>>> to do this.
>
> Am I right that you need root access to change the channels because it uses
> sysfs?  I'm sure someone will ask about that.

Actually, the pvrusb2 driver is a V4L device.  You should just let MythTV 
change channels in the "normal" V4L way.  What you are describing is 
probably a lot of extra work.


>
>>> 
>>> These are important settings for mythtv-setup with the pvrusb2:
>>> 
>>> 1. General - VBI format:  "None"
>
> Is the "VBI format: None" still needed?

Yes, it is still needed (but even if you skip that my understanding is 
that it will still work but just with a little noise in the system log 
about unimplemented ioctl() functions).


>
>>> 2. Capture Card Setup - Card type: "MPEG-2 Encoder card (PVR-250, 
>>> PVR-350)"
>>> 
>>> 4. Input Connections - Connect source to input -
>>> External channel change command: "sudo /usr/local/bin/change-channel.sh"
>>>

Let MythTV change channels directly.


>
> Does anyone know if there any other MythTV settings that should be
> tweaked for pvrusb2?
>

My advice to people (and anyone correct me if this is suspect) is just 
this:  Configure for a PVR-250 and disable VBI.  All other settings are 
fine.

   -Mike


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