View source for PcHDTV HD5500

{{versioninfo}}
[[Category: Video]]
[[Category: TV Cards]]

*''See the [http://www.pchdtv.com/hd_5500.html manufacturer website].''

=Intro=

Original contribution adapted from "Installation Issues" forum post [http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=2546.msg23775#msg23775 Re: My LinuxMCE Problems].)

I ([http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?action=profile;u=40104 chuckfox]) currently have the latest beta (at February 03, 2008, 04:43:53 am 0710b3) running as a hybrid with a PCHDTV-5500 installed.

Additional contribution by/on (--[[User:Ray N|Ray]] 05:12, 5 March 2009 (CET)). I was able to install and run the pcHDTV-5500 on LinuxMCE 0710. There is a very minor (but noticeable) degradation in picture quality when compared to directly connecting the coaxial cable to my TV.

=Hardware=
Cheap ECS MOBO + intel dual core + 1 gig mem + 120gig PATA hard drive + PCHDTV-5500

ASUS M3N78-EM + AMD dual core + 1G mem + 80G SATA HD + pcHDTV 5500 (--[[User:Ray N|Ray]] 05:05, 5 March 2009 (CET))

=Installation=

==Load Appropriate Modules==

Please note: before trying to add the cx88-dvb module, verify if your system doesn't have it loaded already. You do this by entering
  lsmod |grep cx88
on a terminal to see if the module is loaded already.
You should see something like this:
  cx88_dvb               16772  1
  cx88_vp3054_i2c         4608  1 cx88_dvb
  dvb_pll                15492  2 cx88_dvb
  video_buf_dvb           7812  1 cx88_dvb
  cx8800                 34944  0

# After a fresh install I navigate to the KDE desktop, then open up a terminal to add a line to '''/etc/modules''' to load the cx88-dvb module on startup.
#: Here's the line to type into the terminal to bring the file up for modification.
#: <pre>kate /etc/modules</pre>
#: This will bring up /etc/modules which is mostly empty.  Add the line below on a new line and save the file.
#: <pre>cx88-dvb</pre>
# After saving the file go to settings and click on MythTV Backend Setup -mythtv-setup.
#: This may get you a dialog box that will tell you that you need to be added to a user group(Not sure of the exact wording here).
#: Click OK.  At this point reboot your machine. (You can use "sudo reboot" without the quotes, at the command line.)

==Setup MythTV==

# After reboot navigate to the KDE desktop, go to Settings and click on MythTV Backend Setup -mythtv-setup.
#:You should be able to enter mythtvsetup at this point and set up capture cards.
# Select Capture cards 
##On Card type: You want to pick DVB DTV capture card(v3.x)  '''NOT''' pcHDTV DTV capture card(w/V4L drivers).
##Select Finish
##You should see a capture card [DVB:0] listed.
# From the main menu, select Video sources.
##I have two video sources, one is Digital and one is analog.  I subscribe to SchedulesDirect to grab the channel data. To confirm account access and retrieval of channel lineup, you may select the "Retrieve Lineups" button.
##For both sources, the Channel frequency table is set to us-cable. (I'm not sure about the PCHDTV-3000, but the 5500 has digital and analog tuners).
##Select Finish
##You should see your video sources listed.
# From the main menu, select Input connections.  I set up two connections Digital and analog.
#: '''Digital''': choose [DVB:0](DVBInput) -> Digital
##On the Video source: Select the digital video source you created earlier.  
##Click scan for channels.
###Select; Scan type: full scan; Frequency table: Cable (you may have to try several frequencies to confirm a lock);  ATSC Modulation: Cable (QAM-256) [If you are connected to cable, otherwise pick the one that applies to you]; on Channel Separator: I like the period to separate channels and Minimal Updates as the last option.
#: Click next and you should see Scan progress with a mostly(hopefully) full signal meter.  Let the scan finish and move on to the analog channels.
#: '''Analog''': choose [V4L:dev/video0](Televison) ->analog
##Add the analog video source you created earlier.  Same process as digital, only scan for Cable instead of Cable High.  This scan should run a lot quicker.  
#After both scans I click Fetch channels from listing source, to add the channel data.
# This should get your card working if there are no other conflicts.  
Here are some things that caught me up along the way. 
# The admin password for the latest beta is linuxmce.  You will need to input this a few times, it took me a few minutes of RTFM to find this one.
# For some reason when exiting myth backend setup the dialog box that asks if I would like to run mythfilldatabase, would not run mythfilldatabase when clicking OK.  To resolve this, open a command line and type sudo mythfilldatabase to run the program.

== Troubleshooting ==
Key files for troubleshooting:
  /dev/dsp* <-- These are device files for analog audio
  /dev/dvb/* <-- digital tuner adapter info
  /dev/vbi* <--analog tuner files

Ensure more than just your audio output entry is listed, you need to have an audio entry for your tuner. 

Example:

 cat /proc/asound/cards  
 0 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xf9f78000 irq 22
 1 [CX8801         ]: CX88x - Conexant CX8801
                      Conexant CX8801 at 0xfc000000

'''Sound quality issues on myth front end??'''

If you have analog sound related issues, ensure that 48000 is set BOTH at the mythtv-setup-->capture cards--->v4l AND on the myth front end (which seems to default to 32000) to get there, it's in Recording Profiles -> Software Encoders -> LiveTV, then just set up the encoding options, audio is on the second page.


'''Video Skipping - prebuffer errors on mythfrontend log file - 8.10 Alpha issue, was not able to reproduce on beta 2 / myth .22'''

Myth frontend log files continually had the following:
  NVP: prebuffering pause

Starting out the issue presented itself 1 in 5 launches of the mythfrontend - watch live tv.

1. Modified each mythtv frontend to use the OSS devices vs the ALSA, both the Mixer (/dev/mixer) and the output (/dev/dsp)
*Impact - Issue presented itself 1 in 8 times

2. Set the pci latency from the default of 64 to 128
*Impact - Issue presented itself 1 in 16 times

3. Set the pci latency from 128 to 248 (sample syntax below)
*Impact - Issue has not yet resurfaced - tested 25 times

 setpci -v -s 01:06.0 latency_timer=F8 #<-- the value must be in hex
 setpci -v -s 01:06.1 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:06.2 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:06.4 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:07.0 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:07.1 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:07.2 latency_timer=F8
 setpci -v -s 01:07.4 latency_timer=F8



----

:Just like to note that I got this working on LinuxMCE for my PCHDTV HD-3000, and I just reseated all cards, after a dustbunny blow-out and did a clean install of beta4 and followed these instruction exactly.  Just about everything on the digital side appears to be working flawlessly, but upon first inspection I don't see analog to be working but the spec page for it says it has it: Edit (by Thoth) [http://www.pchdtv.com/hd_3000_right_down.html]

:Made a new page (stub) for the [[PcHDTV HD3000]], pointing out the instructions here (for the time being). --[[User:Zaerc|Zaerc]] 13:29, 20 May 2008 (PDT)

:Added Troubleshooting section --[[User:Murdock|Murdock]] 7/28/09

:Updated troubleshooting for myth sound [[User:Murdock|Murdock]] 7/29/09