General information to DVB

-1.3 -2006-11-15 +1.4 +2007-01-02 General information to DVB @@ -88,7 +91,7 @@

-First, we must ensure that your kernel supports DVB and your DVB device. Since +First, we must ensure that your kernel supports DVB and your DVB device. Since kernel version 2.6 the necessary drivers are included. Check your kernel configuration and make sure the following options are selected as a static driver or as modules. @@ -150,11 +153,11 @@

-It's recommended to mark every driver as module, so you are able to add the +It's recommended to mark every driver as module, so that you can to add the required module dynamically, especially if you don't know the module name. If -you know the module name already, select the driver as built-in driver. Compile -the kernel, install the modules and boot it. Check to see if your kernel has -successfully detected your card by using dmesg. +you know the module name already, select the driver as a built-in driver. +Compile the kernel, install the modules and boot it. Check to see if your kernel +has successfully detected your card by using dmesg.

@@ -164,29 +167,83 @@
 input: TerraTec/qanu USB2.0 Highspeed DVB-T Receiver remote control as /class/input/input2

+ + + + + +Installing VDR +

+ + +

+To install VDR, we just emerge it. +

+ +

+# emerge vdr
+

-Now continue with installing LIRC if you want to -use a remote control. +Now continue with Installing the Remote Control.

- -Configuring the remote control - LIRC + +Installing the Remote Control +

+ + +

+There are at least two ways to control VDR via an infrared remote control. If +your TV card has an onboard IR receiver you can use vdr-remote. +Otherwise, you most likely need to use LIRC. +

+ + +

+Installing vdr-remote + + +

+We first install the plugin via emerge: +

+ +

+# emerge vdr-remote
+# emerge --config vdr-remote
+

+ +

+When using the remote plugin for the IR port on your DVB card everything should +be fine with the default config. It automatically uses the input device which +has "dvb" in its name. For more advanced uses take a look at +/etc/conf.d/vdr.remote. +

+ +

+Now, continue with Video Output Methods. +

+ + +

-Installing LIRC +Alternative: installing LIRC

-If your card can be remotely controlled, you may wish to configure LIRC. LIRC -interprets the pressed keys and returns a name for each one. A program that -supports LIRC waits for key events and runs the action configured in the config -file, mostly stored in the config directory of the executing program (e.g. -mplayer loads the file ~/.mplayer/lircrc). Before we -install LIRC, you have to add lirc to your USE flags and add an -additional entry to /etc/make.conf: LIRC_DEVICES. Use vdr-remote), you may wish to configure LIRC. LIRC interprets the pressed +keys and returns a name for each one. A program that supports LIRC waits for key +events and runs the action configured in the config file, mostly stored in the +config directory of the executing program (e.g. mplayer loads the file +~/.mplayer/lircrc). Before we install LIRC, you have to add +lirc to your USE flags and add an additional entry to +/etc/make.conf: LIRC_DEVICES. Use this list to find the proper arguments for the option.

@@ -244,6 +301,21 @@

+Now it should be possible to watch lircd running and decoding key-presses. +Just run the command irw. Stop it with pressing Ctrl+C when you have +enough. +

+ +

+# irw
+0000000000001aa2 00 Exit Technisat_TTS35AI.conf
+0000000000001a8d 00 Mute Technisat_TTS35AI.conf
+0000000000000a97 00 OK Technisat_TTS35AI.conf
+0000000000000a97 01 OK Technisat_TTS35AI.conf
+0000000000000a92 00 Menu Technisat_TTS35AI.conf
+

+ +

Next, add it to the default runlevel so that it starts automatically at boot.

@@ -251,74 +323,104 @@ # rc-update add lircd default +

+To be able to use your remote control, you must enable LIRC support in VDR. Add +the following line to /etc/conf.d/vdr: +

+ +

+# nano -w /etc/conf.d/vdr
+IR_CTRL="lirc"
+

- -Setting up VDR + +Video Output Methods

-Installing VDR

-To install VDR, we just emerge it. +You now need to decide on one (and only one!) of the following video output +devices which show the picture and the overlayed On Screen Display (OSD).

-# emerge vdr
-

+ +

+Hardware decoding: full-featured DVB cards +

-If you want to be able to use your remote control, we have to enable LIRC -support in VDR. Add the following line to the /etc/conf.d/vdr: +Users of these expensive cards need not install anything else, so you may +continue with configuring your channel list.

-# nano -w /etc/conf.d/vdr
-IR_CTRL="lirc"
+
+

+Hardware decoding: DXR3/Hollywood+ cards + + +

+To use a DXR3 card for VDR output we need the vdr-dxr3 plugin. +

+ +

+# emerge vdr-dxr3
+# echo em8300 >> /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6

- -There's a remote configuration file available at Matthias Schwarzott's devspace. You will need to -run chown vdr:vdr on the file to get it working. - +

+em8300-modules needs some configuration that depends on the exact used +revision of the card. +

-Next, start VDR and add it to the default runlevel: +Continue with configuring your channel list.

-# /etc/init.d/vdr start
-# rc-update add vdr default
+
+

+Hardware decoding: PVR350 cards + + +

+As PVR350 cards have an onboard MPEG-Decoder chip we want to make use of that. +We need to install the vdr-pvr350 plugin. If ivtv-driver is not +yet installed emerge will automatically install it for you. To have the ivtv +module loaded at boot we add it to +/etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6: +

+ +

+# emerge vdr-pvr350
+# echo ivtv >> /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6

-Now that the basic installation is over, you need to configure VDR. Switch to -your output screen and follow the on-screen instructions. VDR asks you to press -various keys on your remote control to learn the correct key codes. In case you -don't own a remote control unit, you can use your keyboard. If you only have a -budget card, you need to install a software output plugin, or softdevice -plugin. This decodes the stream and offers a device to access. +Continue with configuring your channel list.

-Optional: Installing a softdevice plugin +

+Software decoding: vdr-softdevice

-To install a softdevice, we have to emerge vdr-softdevice. Don't forget -to configure the plugin. +To install it, we have to emerge vdr-softdevice. Don't forget +to enable the plugin.

@@ -331,10 +433,29 @@
 /etc/conf.d/vdr.softdevice.
 
 
+
+For now, we will only describe the shm ("shared memory") method. This is already
+enabled in the installed config file (Setting SOFTDEVICE_VIDEO_OUT). Later you
+need to start ShmClient to get a window showing the picture.
+
+
+
+If you do not want to think about a separate keyboard layout for controlling VDR
+with softdevice/shm there is a remote configuration file available at Matthias
+Schwarzott's devspace.
+You will need to copy it to /etc/vdr/remote.conf and run chown
+vdr:vdr on the file to get it working.
+
+
+
+Continue with configuring your channel list.
+
+

-Optional: Alternate installation of a softdevice plugin +Software decoding: vdr-xineliboutput

@@ -349,8 +470,8 @@

-Adding command line options at this point is crucial for your softdevice to -work. For more options, see vdr --help. +Adding command line options at this point is crucial for xineliboutput to work. +For more options, see vdr --help.

@@ -368,37 +489,212 @@
 127.0.0.1             (always accept localhost)
 192.168.1.0/24        (any host on the local net)
 #204.152.189.113      (a specific host)
-#0.0.0.0/0            (any host on any net (USE THIS WITH CARE!))
+#0.0.0.0/0            (any host on any net - USE THIS WITH CARE!)

-You must restart VDR for the changes to take effect: +If you only want to use vdr-xineliboutput to view the picture +on the same PC running VDR you can now +continue with configuring your channel-list.

-# /etc/init.d/vdr restart -* Stopping vdr ... [ ok ] +

+Otherwise, you now simply emerge media-plugins/vdr-xineliboutput on your +client: +

+ +

+# emerge vdr-xineliboutput
+

+ +

+Later (after having started VDR) you will use the command vdr-sxfe +xvdr://hostname to connect to VDR and view its picture and OSD. +

+ +

+Continue with configuring your channel list. +

+ + +There is also a plugin which just simulates the existance of a real +output device (vdr-dummydevice) for some fancy uses like record-only +servers, but that is more advanced than a normal VDR setup. + + + +

+ + + +Creating a Channel List +

+ + +

+To make VDR really useful you need to create an appropriate channel list. +

+ +

+There is more than one way to get a working list of channels (besides +downloading one). The channel list installed by default is for DVB-S reception +on Astra on 19.2°E. +

+ + +

+Using dvbscan from linuxtv-dvb-apps + + +

+# emerge linuxtv-dvb-apps
+

+ +

+Find the correct frequency list for your region and type of reception. These +files are stored under /usr/share/dvb/scan. For reception with +DVB-T in Germany, Region Nuernberg you need to use +/usr/share/dvb/scan/dvb-t/de-Nuernberg. +

+ +

+$ dvbscan -o vdr /usr/share/dvb/scan/dvb-t/de-Nuernberg > /etc/vdr/channels.conf
+

+ + +

+Using vdr-reelchannelscan + + +

+First, delete the contents of the existing channel list. +

+ +

+# rm /etc/vdr/channels.conf
+

+ +

+# emerge vdr-reelchannelscan
+# emerge --config vdr-reelchannelscan
+

+ + +

+Channels for systems using vdr-analogtv + + +

+You'll probably want to configure your channels at this point. The VDR project +provides you with some examples which can be found at +/usr/share/doc/vdr-analogtv-$version/examples/, as long as you've +installed >=media-plugins/vdr-analogtv-1.0.00-r1. +

+ + +

+ + + +Starting VDR +

+ + +

+After having all basic software parts ready on the system you need to +configure VDR with its OSD. +

+ +

+If you use a hardware decoder for picture output you should switch on the +connected TV now. If you use software output the client for this must be started +after VDR. +

+ +

+First, you should learn your key definitions; that is, connecting keys on your +remote control to VDR's internal commands. +

+ + +Just in case you need to edit the keyboard configuration, or (more likely) want +to delete it to go back to learning the keys: VDR stores its key-definitions in +/etc/vdr/remote.conf. + + +

+We begin with starting VDR: +

+ +

+# /etc/init.d/vdr start
 * Preparing start of vdr:
 *   config files ...                                        [ ok ]
 *   Waiting for prerequisites (devices nodes etc.) ...      [ ok ]
 * Starting vdr ...                                          [ ok ]
-*   Waiting for working vdr ...                             [ ok ]
+* First start of vdr: No check for running vdr possible
+* until control device (remote/keyboard) keys are learnt!
+

+ + +Users of software decoders should now start the client program that opens the +window to show the TV picture and the OSD. + + +

+(For users of vdr-softdevice)
+# ShmClient
+(For users of vdr-xineliboutput)
+# vdr-sxfe xvdr://hostname

-Now, simply emerge media-plugins/vdr-xineliboutput on your client, and -start it. +The most useful keys for VDR are:

Cursor keys (Left/Right/Up/Down)
Menu/Exit/Ok
Colors (Red/Green/Yellow/Blue)
Number keys (0-9)

-# emerge vdr-xineliboutput
-$ vdr-sxfe xvdr://hostname
-

+ +If you don't have many keys, make sure to assign these. (Some remotes have +Play/Pause/etc. on the same keys as the colors, so use them for the colors). +

-Sit back and enjoy your new video streaming capabilities. :) +Now that the basic installation is over, you need to configure VDR. Switch to +your output screen and follow the on-screen instructions. VDR asks you to press +various keys on your remote control to learn the correct key codes. If you don't +own a remote control, you can use your keyboard.

+ + +

+Now you can add the VDR initscript to the default runlevel to get it started +every time your computer boots up. +

+ +

+# rc-update add vdr default
+

+ + +

+ + + +Troubleshooting +

+ + If you need any help, you can always ask someone in #gentoo-vdr, or look around on -- gentoo-doc-cvs@gentoo.org mailing list