null Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 I have an ATI all-in-wonder 9000 Pro on my win2k machine that I can use to occasionally watch TV, on my 19" monitor. I don't watch much TV since its mostly crap, but if I'm watching something like the NBA playoffs - my wife banishes me from the big TV downstairs and tells me to go watch it on my computer... :( So, since I'm trying to learn to do everything with linux that I do under windoze, I'm wondering how linux is with TV cards. On other boards, I have read to avoid ati all-in-wonder TV cards with linux, since although they can work ok, its a little trouble to get going. Supposedly its better to buy an normal video card, such as nVidia, and a separate tv card, such as a Hauppage. Those comments were on a xandros forum, since I was checking into buying xandros deluxe 2.0. I have since decided, due to some advice from some members of this board to buy either the 9.1 suse, or the mandrake 10 official when they come out. Just wondering if anyone here has messed with tv cards under current linux distros, and what comments you may have. thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 hauppage is the most popular amongst linux users because they are they best supported. i don't knwo about all-in-wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtweidmann Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 I've got a Hauppage WinTV card and its works fine. MDK just picks it up during the install and creates a desktop icon for it. But the picture quality isn't great in Linux or Windows even though its attached to a proper roof top ariel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devries Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 I have the Hauppage WinTV PVR250. Mandrake won't detect it but the ivtv driver is easy to install. I had one problem: I couldn't change channels with the standard 2.6.3 kernel. You have to go with the 2.6.4 (it's in contrib). I haven't tried 2.6.5. It all works fine. I've thrown away my old VCR. The only thing I need now is a decent video editor. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearby Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 I try to use a DVB card which I cannot get to work. Those guys at www.linuxtv.org are very helpful but it is just way above my head. A digital tv card how-to would be nice......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted April 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 (edited) I've got a Hauppage WinTV card and its works fine. MDK just picks it up during the install and creates a desktop icon for it. But the picture quality isn't great in Linux or Windows even though its attached to a proper roof top ariel. I've got my cable-TV cable connected to my win2k all-in-wonder card, and the picture is very nice. All-in-wonders come with Guide-Plus TV guide software, which works very nice. I'll have to google around and see what else I can find out (its just easier to ask here first...) mtweidmann - does the WinTV card come with any tv guide software, or what does it come with? and how does it work - I mean, you start watching TV on your linux machine, and say you want to see what else is on, and then you want to change channels... how do you do it... ? PS: I hate when companies call their stuff "Win"Whatever Edit: Also, I just found this mini-howto after googleing: http://gnupower.net/howtos/wintv.php with the new kernels that have been released, how do I know if this stuff still needs to be done? Maybe its old info, and not applicable anymore. thanks Edited April 24, 2004 by null Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtweidmann Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 It doesn't come with any Linux software, for Windows there was just a program for watching TV nothing else although there is stuff on their website. For Linux I use XawTV which comes with MDK, to change channel it uses the mouse wheel. The first time I ran it after install it prompted to search for channels, then stored them. There is Linux tv listing software but I've used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted April 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 (edited) I couldn't find much info about Hauppage cards - turns out the correct spelling is Hauppauge. Anyway, their website has some FAQs and Support for installation under linux. Pretty impressive. They only discuss Red Hat & Suse, but that's ok. Some sites when you search support for "linux" its either not mentioned or its just one sentence like "we don't bother with linux" Hauppauge's site says the necessary modula(s) aren't in the kernel so you have to add them. Of course, this is discussing something like RH 6 or so. Maybe old info. Hopefully the newer kernels have whatever's needed. Edited April 24, 2004 by null Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgutty Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 I have an ATI all-in wonder pro....I monkeyed around and got the TV tuner working in MDK 9.2 using the AVview application and ati2 video files. However, I could not get video capture working. Frankly, I did not spend much time at it and I don't use it, because the quality is not up to par with the windoze suite of apps made for the ati board. That is one of the two reasons that I keep 'doze as a dual boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted April 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 yeah, I haven't really messed with video capture on my win2k & all-in-wonder either. Only thing I've done on windoze besides just watching TV sometimes, is I recorded an old Cary Grant movie on TCM and watched it later. Worked good - and pretty handy - a VCR right on your computer. But I don't care enough about extra stuff like that to really bother under linux As long as the TV watching will work, I'll be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devries Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 (edited) There's Freevo or Mythtv that you can use to look what's on and to change channels (and capturing). You need tv_grab to get tv-guide listings. I use Freevo and there isn't much to it. Just add the repository to urpmi and use that to install freevo (maybe it's in contrib or plf than you don't even need to that :) ). The same goes for tv_grab (add Thacs rpms). Make sure your tv card works and that's it. Good luck Edited April 25, 2004 by devries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlc Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 ATI TV Wonder VE bash-2.05b# cat /proc/pci | grep Brook Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Video Capture (rev 17). Multimedia controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Audio Capture (rev 17). modprobe/modules.conf # bttv alias char-major-81 videodev alias char-major-81-0 bttv options bttv card=1 autoload=0 radio=0 post-install bttv insmod tuner type=2 # i2c alias char-major-89 i2c-dev options i2c-core i2c_debug=1 options i2c-algo-bit bit_test=1 That's how mine is setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huerzo Posted April 26, 2004 Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 I'm having LifeView's '98. OK, mono voice and maybe pictur isn't as sharp as it could be, but at least it works without problems. Well, only bad thing is a sharp and loud "bump"-noise from loudspeakers when I'm changing channel. It's really annoying, anybody having idea how to prevent that "effect"? Now my way is to turn volume down and change channel, and then again volume up. Anything more sophisticated (hmmm...I'm pretty sure I wrote that word right)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieJohn Posted April 26, 2004 Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 Huerzo. Yes you did. Well done and very sophisticated to be sure. Cheers. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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