Hauppauge USB DVB-T TV for Puppy Linux 528.005

What works, and doesn't, for you. Be specific, and please include Puppy version.
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peterw
Posts: 430
Joined: Wed 19 Jul 2006, 12:12
Location: UK

DVB-T using and recording

#21 Post by peterw »

Hi

Just a reply to give references to other DVB-T post. Some years ago I wanted a programme in Puppy like the old kaffeine that could tune into TV stations with the addition that it could record them.

This post shows what I eventually did to get DVB-T working:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=30566
Essentially, after many attempts I found a procedure that still works on Puppies and it is 2/3 rds down on the first page. It is similar to one of the procedures above. I originally had similar problems as ides and could not solve them ie MAKEDEV-DVB.SH linking up DVB-T device to be recognised. I gave up on the MAKEDEV-DVB.SH process.

DC joined in with his post and produced a programme that I think works in any Puppy since it is a set of bash scripts. Certainly, I have been using it recently in FATDOG 64 which has vlc in it. It is a set of scripts that allows you to record TV programmes.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=53851
NB You need a copy of the channels.conf in the the same directory as the scripts produced by DC. And you may need to modify his script since it allows for 33 channels only. (I changed the 33 to 115 in the script for my situation.)
It is very easy to use and if you want a simple recorder is fine.

If you want a PVR then MythTV is the way to go. You can then stream it to other PCs and it has a front end that is easy to use. My wife quiet happily sets recordings, etc. Setting it up is a little difficult the first time around, but once you get used to it it is fine. Mythdora was the first one of the Mythtvs that was easy enough for me to understand the procedure, although it is a bit old now. Mythbuntu works well and has a up to date kernel although there are some features that need adding such as Poweroff and Reboot buttons.I have, unsuccessfully, tried getting Mythtv to work in Puppy but I am not yet skilled enough to succeed. It needs -devel programmes for compiling that I can't find. There are many dependencies and Barry's PPM on beta 6 of his precise set out to do it automatically and set out to download 146 dependencies but somewhere its installation crashed the icon display and, I suspect, hung about the point where you need to set up mysql. Anyhow, that is a very long term desire.

Hope this is helpful to someone.

Peterw

Ides
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu 30 Aug 2012, 18:53
Location: UK

Hauppauge USB DVB-T TV for Puppy Linux 528.005

#22 Post by Ides »

Thanks Peterw and others.
I bet someone out there is chuckling at these antics and saying it would be so much simpler if I read some effing manuals :roll:
I can remember being influenced by a "Byte" magazine article 20+ years ago called "Is UNIX dead". It never did die and in the form of Linux has its power and appeal but frankly, as I'm not into programming I'm a real Code Toad!

But as problems tend to have patterns, if I hit a snag I look for (understandable) working examples to follow. Before posting my plea I had searched amongst a surprising number of threads relating to DVB-T reception. Puzzled by so much effort repeatedly applied to overcoming inconsistencies to do with distros, drivers, cores and tricky coding - and big programs like VLC detract from the appealing compactness of Puppy.

I like it if an operating system doesn't become like "Topsy" (it just grows) and some TV related programs are relatively massive bloatware for all they do. In Windows XP the AltDVB program I use for TV and satellite reception and recording could fit on a floppy disc and I can save recordings to an USB drive.

It's a great help that Puppy includes drivers. The "Device" is installed and working "correctly". I can achieve a scan and .conf file.
Beyond that point I can't yet find why MAKEDEV-DVB.SH can run in the latest 528 Distro but not the first, its relevance and why programs known to work present so much difficulty for me.
What I do know is that in echoing the international frustration of many others I've become amazed that Digital TV .pets for Europe/US/Asia haven't evolved by now!

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pemasu
Posts: 5474
Joined: Wed 08 Jul 2009, 12:26
Location: Finland

#23 Post by pemasu »

I've become amazed that Digital TV .pets for Europe/US/Asia haven't evolved by now!
First you need to compile kernel so that all about 130 dvb drivers are included. Yeah...newest Precise Puppy didnt have support for my Reddo dual dvb-t and dvb-c tuner stick. But my own kernel had the support.

There are dvb-t, dvb-c and dvb-s tuners as usb and as pci cards and and all of them has their own setups. I mean that you need to check with dmesg what goes wrong if the dvb is not recognized and then start to fix what ever needs fixing.

Next you need to include all needed firmwares. Just go through those 130 kernel module drivers with modinfo what firmwares they need. Then hunt them from the net. Next try to create firmware.dep so that it notices all those firmwares and loads them....or place them directly to /lib/firmware folder. Yeah...you need to build Puppy for that on your own. So...learn to use woof2 also and start to practise with Puppy building.

Next compile latest VLC so that dvb - dvr - subtitles support has been included. Do the same for xine and gxine. For VLC not the easiest task. Then include those applications which other users would like to use. Next include scripts for timed recording so that people can use VLC with timed recording.

At last place all that in pet....which is called dvb-multimedia puppy

Then start to receive bug reports and start to fix things.

I would say it needs time and dedication. I wish good luck.

Ides
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu 30 Aug 2012, 18:53
Location: UK

Hauppauge USB DVB-T TV for Puppy Linux 528.005

#24 Post by Ides »

Kiitos paljon Pemasu - and yes, you well correct me toward understanding why a universal "multimedia Puppy" is a Pup dream :-) But - given that there are already many drivers within the /lib/firmware folder it's logical to believe they're there because they can be used. If not they'd just bloat the Distro!

Appreciating how marvellously friendly Puppy is to the newcomer and the wide range of .pets available it was natural to seek DVB-T .pets that enable the use of devices these drivers are included for.
(I also have a Compro DVB-S card but that's not portable).

If Puppy were a more formal command level form of Linux it would have no attraction. More than the most basic learning of Linux is not for me.
However, needs make for learning and I've become convinced that some straightforward solution is possible. I hope it's not considered unreasonable for this "noobie" to count upon the assistance of experts in Linux who have overcome similar difficulty?

Meantime, I'll get rid of VLC, see what modinfo and firmware.dep are or do and re-check for errors. (I suspect Woof2 and Puppy building might land me in a puddle)! :-)

Ides
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu 30 Aug 2012, 18:53
Location: UK

Hauppauge USB DVB-T TV for Puppy Linux 528.005

#25 Post by Ides »

"Meantime, I'll get rid of VLC, see what......"
And when I did and restarted - a whole new experience of " Kernel Panic- not syncing: attempted to kill init" resulted!!!

Likely something corrupted the Lupusave.sfs because when substituted with that on any otherwise good working Puppy 528 flash drive the Kernel Panic follows. Now I also want to know why THAT happened and what can be done about it. Hell - at this rate I'll be risking learning about Linux!

I put that cursed flash drive aside, Pupped up another, repeated the DVB-T setup process I've described - AND this time noticed Xine on DVB has a playlist button which when clicked on lists channels beginning with HOME. All I had to do was click on a channel and the arrow below - and after "Buffering" displayed for a few seconds, perfect TV reception resulted. It would appear that a reason for earlier "Sorry, no DVB input device found" was Xine faulting because I had not selected an active channel and not allowed enough time for buffering to complete.

This now being known and reliable TV reception confirmed, I've also found both versions of my Freecom USB DVB-T sticks work when a driver dvb-usb-wt220u-zl0353-01.fw is added to the /lib/firmware directory.

In short, it's been a long struggle to a simpler solution and all versions of four once relatively popular DVB-T sticks work with this Distro.
116 TV/Radio/etc channels available! :-)

Repeated thanks to those who nudged me towards results which might even encourage others!

nooby
Posts: 10369
Joined: Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:05
Location: SwedenEurope

#26 Post by nooby »

Yes that is great so now we only have to find somebody
with a generous mind and time to describe how us noobs
can understand what you guys have done so us too can
look at TV locally.

Hauppauge Hybrid TV stick WinTV-HVR900 USB connection
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

Ides
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu 30 Aug 2012, 18:53
Location: UK

Hauppauge USB DVB-T TV for Puppy Linux 528.005

#27 Post by Ides »

Nooby,
Like yourself I'm a bit overwhelmed by what little I've learned about Linux but what I DO know is that you have to make effort to help yourself before you can be helped better by others.

Despite Googling and searching forums for information and worked examples I had found myself confused by my efforts. Not helped by discovering there are literally thousands of command variations in Linux when I want to learn only enough to make things work for me. And when I see posts quoting "Code" my reaction is much the same as you posted earlier - because it's new and complex for me at this stage!

I joined this forum, posted my plea, crudely reported what I'd tried and was guided out of the boobs I'd made by some helpful comments. Maybe what I found to work can help you?

A vital starting point must be the correct driver for your DVB-T device.
In Console, typing DMESG should result you seeing that your device is recognised and successfully installed.
You may find other drivers at www.linuxtv.org and the linux tv apps pet from
http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Multimedia/Mp ... -1.1.1.pet

When installed it includes worked examples of initial scan files for several countries put in the /my applications/DVB-T folder. They give clues as to how to make your own with local frequencies and detail you must find.
(like T 498166000 8MHz 2/3 NONE QAM64 8k 1/32 NONE)
Now, I'm in the UK not Sweden but it appears that as most of your channels are encrypted and need a "Boxer" decoder, you'll only have success with the free ones...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_te ... _in_Sweden

The Scan command makes your device search these frequencies and generates detail in the vital .conf file that can be placed into the .Xine directory.
Start Xine, click on the DVB button then the Playlist button and see a menu of channels beginning with "Home". Click on a TV channel you recognise then the right arrow "Play" button and after "Buffering" has been displayed for a few seconds you're watching TV!

In fact, here's another discovery........
I've been experimenting with Puppy in several flash cards. Makes it easy to try things and if I make a boob, try again. The more I try, the simpler the outcome. Amazingly, because the correct driver for my Hauppauge DVB-T USB stick is included in the Puppy Linux Distro I need do nothing more than place the Channels.conf file I had made into the .Xine directory of another flash card and I get full TV reception!

A bit of "Makee Learning" and the "Mountain" has become a "Molehill" :-)

nooby
Posts: 10369
Joined: Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:05
Location: SwedenEurope

#28 Post by nooby »

Much appreciated. I take a look at it and try to find
drivers and such and place them in the right directory
and also test the Pradio that is supposed to work.

I get back and tell of any progress next week.
thanks indeed for all your effort to get it going.
I love when we find people among the members
that can point out what is needed and it works out.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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