How to watch broadcast TV in Xenialpup? (Solved)

[steve_s]

I have a dell laptop, xenialpup, and an old rf modulator and an antenna.

I there a way to watch tv on this laptop? Need a usb tuner? What should I order (gotta be cheap). Or is there another way? Does this laptop have capacity I don't know about?

You all have huge brains, help a man in quarantine have a project.

[mistfire]

Are you living in the US? If yes then you will need a usb tuner that can receive ATSC signal. Analog TV's are already obsolete in the US.

Take note these TV standards depend on your location. Take a look on this map

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ndards.svg

[dancytron]

I use Debian Dog, but everything should be more or less the same.

I am in the United States.

I bought a "Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 950Q USB TV Stick" on Ebay for $10.

There is a driver to install. See https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/ ... ng_it_Work

From my notes, it also looks like I copied some files manually to /lib/firmware from https://www.linuxtv.org/downloads/firmware/.

edit: the 2 files I copied to /lib/firmware are dvb-fe-xc5000-1.6.114.fw and dvb-fe-xc5000c-4.1.30.7.fw

I use VLC to watch TV. The only trick is to generate the playlist that has the channels.

The instructions I used are at https://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/VLC_media_player

The command I used is:

Code: Select all

w_scan -ft -c US -L >vlcchans.xspf 

which generates the playlist of channels.

Then you just open it like any other playlist in vlc and you are good to go. It is pretty self-explanatory how to edit it to get rid of all the trash home shopping channels.

[smokey01]

I did some work in the area some time ago and wrote about it in the Puppy Linux Newsletter. You might find it useful.
http://smokey01.com/newsletters/2018/Ju ... 018.html#7
http://smokey01.com/newsletters/2018/Au ... 018.html#7

[steve_s]

Ok, I ordered the thing for the deal! I'll post more once I've got more information! You're all awesome!

[steve_s]

Ok, I have the device.

I checked the firmware to download it and I already have those two firmware items installed.

I saw on the link for the driver that it said past a certain kernel the driver came with it,

So I tried the aforementioned w_scan command and it came back:
w_scan command not found

We got a pet that has that in it? VLC is already installed, fyi.

Edit: found w-scan in ppm, installed and ran the command listed, it did it's job and seemed to save channels but I ran vlc and didn't see it in playlist...maybe gotta import or something? Will check more...

[dancytron]

Open vlc.

Choose "view-playlist"

Drag the playlist into the right hand pane.

You can also open rox filer, right click on the playlist, choose "run as" and then set it to open in vlc. Then you should be able to just click on the playlist to load it.

[steve_s]

Open vlc.

Choose "view-playlist"

Drag the playlist into the right hand pane.

You can also open rox filer, right click on the playlist, choose "run as" and then set it to open in vlc. Then you should be able to just click on the playlist to load it.

And that did it! I went to /root/ and the list was there, using rox like you said. VLC crashed the first time [edit: and it will crash on certain channels if the reception is bad; adjust your antenna and try to run VLC again], then ran it again and it showed all the channels, very cool! Gonna mess with it and set it up like I want, but that is super neat.

Thanks all and special props to dancytron, nice work!!

Ultimately this version of puppy had the driver and the firmware for this TV usb stick. I screwed in a local $10 in house antenna, installed w-scan as mentioned (not listed in ppm as w_scan, which is command you would use per dancytron. w-scan is what you should search for in an updated ppm (puppy package manager)). Total cost was $20, if you can find a cheap WinTV usb tv stick and a cheap antenna. Boom!

[steve_s]

Well, we tried it in the garage, only had to install VLC and w-scan, ran it, runs great setting up list, but when I run VLC the audio is only static, tch-tch-tch over and over, of varying volumes, even though the picture is as clear as the attached picture.

I ran vlc on just a movie file, sounds great, on multiple files, so not VLC's sound, that I know.

What did I miss? Suggestions?

[dancytron]

So it's working on one computer but not on another?

Or it works one place but not out in the garage?

[steve_s]

So it's working on one computer but not on another?

Or it works one place but not out in the garage?

Sorry, let me clarify: it worked on the laptop.

I have another computer, a PC, in the garage, xenialpup64. I took it out there and plugged it in, checked firmware, same, scanned, like before.

Have since unplugged, changed usb, rescanned, and I still get the same audio issue. It doesn't happen on any other vlc play of any other media file like avi or mp4.

Gives great video but the audio file, pfft. When a tv channel is running I open audio and disable audio and that sound stops, but don't know if that matters.

Not sure why it is doing this...something about that audio playback..it is like that of varying degree on every channel...

[dancytron]

I don't know why.

The only thing I can think of is that vlc does set it's audio device independently of the rest of linux (It can anyway). So try going to the menu under "audio-audio device" and picking different choices.

2nd idea Maybe try a fresh save file with the TV dongle attached.

[steve_s]

I don't know why.

The only thing I can think of is that vlc does set it's audio device independently of the rest of linux (It can anyway). So try going to the menu under "audio-audio device" and picking different choices.

2nd idea Maybe try a fresh save file with the TV dongle attached.

I checked there but there is only one option of audio device.

Just figured it out! You have to go into Tools>Preferences>Audio, then change the output module to ALSA. It was set to automatic, then I tried pulse, neither worked, then tried ALSA and that got it. Once I switched it to ALSA I re-scanned with w-scan and created a new tv save file, named it slightly different, then had vlc use that one. Boom.

I basically followed your advice but changed it at that location, knowing that puppy uses ALSA.

Nice, and thanks for the help!

[dancytron]

That makes sense. Like I said, vlc doesn't just pick up the linux default hardware settings, it has its own settings.

edit: It would be great if we could get this working with the new *.xspf xlm looking playlist and not the old channel.conf and have a simple vlc based gtkdialog style DVR.

http://smokey01.com/newsletters/2018/Au ... 018.html#7

[steve_s]

That makes sense. Like I said, vlc doesn't just pick up the linux default hardware settings, it has its own settings.

edit: It would be great if we could get this working with the new *.xspf xlm looking playlist and not the old channel.conf and have a simple vlc based gtkdialog style DVR.

http://smokey01.com/newsletters/2018/Au ... 018.html#7

Huh, yeah, a better looking set up definitely has an appeal.