Hello MythTv-users [writing to list for first time] ;-).
I would really appreciate the comments of some list-users out
there on MythTV setup using DVB-T [i.e. uk/Mendip] and
acceptable TV-output onto a ''100hz'' digial-reprocessing-TV
that only takes PAL/NTSC
Apologies if this is a bit long; I'm going to describe the
background of the machine/facts and then the problems I've
been having! Hopefully some of this may be of relevance
to other people!
I have an appropriate machine/board with a reliable Astec PSU
setup for quiet-running etc. anyhow... x86 machine...
** I have been using/experimenting-with Gentoo, and KnoppMyth
R5A16. KnoppMyth R5A16 includes Mythtv 0.18.1 with DVB-T
support etc. built-in [no need to script filling the channel
entries in mythconverg database manually as this is all
catered for in MythTv-0.18.1].
[Currently got a an athlon-XP system basis with lov-voltage
running CPU good for at least 2ghz, and can have 512mb or
more memory... I believe this will be sufficient... This
sort of thing is easily changed later ;-)].
I have 2* DVB-T cards with a cx23881 or similar (one is slightly
different to the other) -- one is a V-Stream unit; other is
an LR6550 that indentifies as conexant reference design.
In any case they both work ''perfectly'' seemingly, under 2.6.12
kernel [or 2.6.11 with bytesex.org patches], which means you
need to boot a separate kernel than that provided with
KnoppMyth R5A16.
The only 'problem' I've been having with the cards is that the
RF-passthrough on the LR6550 appears to be rubbish.. I.e.
noticable patterning on Analogue TV reception using TV plugged
through that card -- but I'll just accept this condition and
daisy-chain that card off the V-stream card and not use the
RF-out from the machine.
The machine has an onboard cmipci which works nicely, but I had
to solder-on the 2-pin-headers for SPDIF in/out! [which does
work, just the headers weren't fitted! -- all the surrounding
resistors/capacitors feeding the outputs from the CMI chip were
there already, how odd!]. The sound works beatifully using
that connected to phonos on a backplate with ALSA drivers, and
turning on IEC958 output switch in alsactl... So the sound
can come from mini-jack (horrible connector!), or the phono
SPDIF to external DAC.
I have maxtor 5400rpm ATA disk that seems to work fine, loads of
capacity there, but it was being oddly noisy seeking around..
Eventually I discovered that the 'acoustic management' value
was set to fastest but noisiest mode... Now fixed.
NB: see hdparm -M though this is marked as 'experimental'.
Interestingly, under the current kernel, this value seems to
be read-back as 0 always, whereas under a previous kernel
I was using you could read this value okay seemingly... In
any case it has been set to a sensible value which seems to
be 'saved' in the drive okay... So this isn't really an
issue now.
I have a plextor PX-712A cd/dvd read/writer with an RPC-1
firmware which works nicely. However; even when continously
reading a disk at a slow speed, it seems to 'insist' on
spinning at a fast speed, which can be a bit noisy at times!
I see 'hdparm' has an option for CD-drive speed...
I notice there is a 'cdspeed' program too -- I can work this
out anyway, not a large issue at the moment ;-).
I have a somewhat unusual partition layout, which is such that
knoppmyth can be re-installed using a special config file
without affecting the general boot partition or partition used
for gentoo etc
In any case...
Problems or areas of question ;-).
In particular, I would really appreciate comments on how to get
TV output to RGB-scart behaving itself in a way appropriate for
available mythtv ebuilds-in-gentoo or knoppmyth install.
If this presents a good reason to use a different distribution,
then let me know ;-).
I have been using a Matrox-G400 with adapter wired-up for RGB-scart
TV-output on G400... When this works, it works really well. BUT
I've been having ''issues''... I do not have the original
s-video/composite adapter that should have come with the card,
but I do have, what I think is a similar composite/s-video
adapter and quite possibly a compatible type [but I dont'
want to use s-video/composite anyway!].
In any case, the properly wired up RGB adapter *does* work in e.g.
DirectFB, and the wiring/card design is such that the TV
'senses' the card is in S-video mode or RGB mode appropriately.
(i.e. Either [Sync-on-video-pin, R, G, B] or
[Sync-with-mono-video, Colour, n/a, n/a]. It also connects the
video dongle sense such that the card can see the adapter is
connected. This is all wired to the SECOND head on the G400,
as I understand is how it should be.
I have the PAL TV-output BIOS on the Card, but I've never suceeded
in getting the TV output to work at boot-time ;-(.
I appear to have a 32mb dual-head
