Need help getting WinTV Nova-t (saa7146) working with xawtv

[owennewo]

Hi all,

Has anyone had any joy getting Video4Linux (v4l) configured with the newer Nova-t TV tuner (i.e. the one with saa7146 in it).

I'm a noob so please correct me if my assumptions below are incorrect.

There are promising signs that this cheap tuner _may_ work, the driver is being developed by Michael Hunold:
http://www.gdv.uni-hannover.de/~hunold1/linux/saa7146/

This driver has foud it's way into linuxtv's driver package (and perhaps the latest 2.6 kernel):
http://www.linuxtv.org/mailinglists/linux-dvb/2002/12-2002/msg00355.html

I've compiled the latest kernel (2.6 test8) with the following menuconfig modules:
1) Device Drivers > Character Devices > I2C Support/Device interface/Algorithms
2) Device Drivers > Multimedia devices > Video 4 Linux
3) Device Drivers > Multimedia devices > Video 4 Linux > dpc7146 (?don't think I need this)
4) Device Drivers > Multimedia devices > Video 4 Linux > DVB Devices > DVB 4 Linux
5) Device Drivers > Multimedia devices > Video 4 Linux > DVB Devices > DVB Core Support
6) Device Drivers > Multimedia devices > Video 4 Linux > DVB Devices > AV7110/Budget Cards (4 modules not sure if any are required)

I also emerged linuxtv-dvb 1.0.1

From here on I get a bit stuck

I've played around with bttv module however as this card isn't officially supported, I don't know the card type, e.g:
modprobe nttv card=??

I'm hoping something will magically appear in /dev/v4l or /dev/dvb (but of course it doesn't!)

Some more info:
>lspci -v
Multimedia controller: Philips Semiconductors SAA7146 (rev 01)
Subsystem: Technotrend Systemtechnik GmbH: Unknown device 1011
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
Memory at cfffde00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512]

So, you can help me by...
a) pointing me to the right manuals (rtfm)
b) if it's not possible with this card, tell me to stop (you may save my sanity). It would be useful to know which piece in the jigsaw is missing.
c) give me some pointers as to what I'm doing wrong

Apologies if little of this makes sense - I'm new to gentoo and linux.

thanks all,

Owen Williams

[owennewo]

Well I didn't succeed with:
- 2.6 test 8
- wintv nova t (saa7146)
- xawtv
- v4l

But I did finally get the WinTV nova t working.
- kernel 2.4 20 gentoo sources
- emerge linuxtv (1.0.1)
- (no v4l)
- emerge xine-ui 0.9.1 (i.e. using mpeg2 software decoder in xine)

At the moment I use:
tzap -r 'BBC TWO' #to change to channel
xine -V nv stdin://mpeg2 < /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 #to watch tv

Some tricky bits were:
1) Choosing the right modules whilst compiling kernel (some modules should NOT be compiled into kernel)
2) amending /etc/modules.d/dvb to pass the right parameters to modules
3) creating the channels.conf for my transmitter (UK Crystal palace)
4) Figuring out how xine uses /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0

To expand on my steps a little:

1) recompile kernel/modules with correct options:
List of kermel options (make menuconfig):
- Code maturity (kernel)
- Input core support > Input code support (must be module NOT kernel)
- Input core support > Event interface support (must be module NOT kernel)
- Character Devices > I2C support > I2C Support (module)
- Character Devices > I2C support > I2C Bit Banging interface (module)
- Character Devices > I2C support > I2C PCF 8584 interface (module)
- Character Devices > I2C support > I2C device interface (module)
- Character Devices > I2C support > I2C /proc interface (module)
- Character Devices > Enhanced Real Time Clock (module)
- Multimedia Devices > Video For Linux (module)
- Multimedia Devices > Video For Linux > V4L info in proc (modules)
#I'm sure some of the above are not essential

2a) created /etc/modules.d/dvb and put the following in it:

probeall /dev/dvb dvb-ttpci
alias /dev/dvb/* /dev/dvb
below dvb-ttpci alps_bsrv2 grundig_29504-401 grundig_29504-491 \
ves1820 alps_tdmb7 alps_tdlb7 stv0299 evdev
alias char-major-250 dvb-core
options dvb-core dvb_shutdown_timeout=0
add above dvb-core dvb-ttpci
add above dvb-ttpci tda1004x

#I realise the above can be trimmed down a bit.

2b) run update-modules
2c) Copying firmware file (tda1004x) to /etc/dvb/tfa1004x.mc:
http://boggle.org/writing/dvb-pvr.shtml

2c) startup all the dvb related modules
modprobe dvb-core

#if all is well /dev/dvb/adaptor0 should have been created

5+6) Tuning to your local transmitter and using DVB with xine
http://linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/DVB/INSTALL?rev=1.14&content-type=text/plain
http://linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/DVB/FAQ?rev=1.5&content-type=text/plain
http://linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/DVB/apps/scan/dvb-t/
http://linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/DVB/apps/scan/README?rev=1.3&content-type=text/plain

Good link for list of UK Transmitter is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/tv_transmitters/tv_digit.shtml

I'm trying to get the xine dvb support to work now so I don't have to use tzap, as per:
http://linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/DVB/FAQ?rev=1.5&content-type=text/plain
I'm getting a Sef fault in Xine-ui (0.9.2.1) whilst doing this. Perhaps a later Xine-ui will work but:
env ACCEPT_KEYWORDS=~x86 emerge xine-ui #doesn't compile for me.

Owen