PcTV Rave: how can I tune for channels?

[numerodix]

I have a Pinnacle PcTv Rave card which has no tuner. There is a viewer for windows which includes a tuning function. But it seems the actual card doesn't have a tuner (or no driver for it in linux). I tried to install alternative drivers in Windows in the past and couldn't get past this step. I can watch tv through motv, but I get the channel which was last viewed in windows. I tried setting the prefs in motv, for tv norm and frequency, and then use the scanner but it gives a bunch of images from the same channel.


# modinfo bttv
filename: /lib/modules/2.4.20-gentoo-r2/kernel/drivers/media/video/bttv.o
description: "bttv - v4l driver module for bt848/878 based cards"
author: "Ralph Metzler & Marcus Metzler & Gerd Knorr"
license: "GPL"
parm: radio int array (min = 1, max = 4), description "The TV card supports radio, default is 0 (no)"
parm: bigendian int, description "byte order of the framebuffer, default is native endian"
parm: fieldnr int, description "count fields, default is 0 (no)"
parm: bttv_verbose int, description "verbose startup messages, default is 1 (yes)"
parm: bttv_gpio int, description "log gpio changes, default is 0 (no)"
parm: bttv_debug int, description "debug messages, default is 0 (no)"
parm: irq_debug int, description "irq handler debug messages, default is 0 (no)"
parm: gbuffers int, description "number of capture buffers, default is 2 (64 max)"
parm: gbufsize int, description "size of the capture buffers, default is 0x208000"
parm: latency int, description "pci latency timer"
parm: combfilter int
parm: lumafilter int
parm: automute int, description "mute audio on bad/missing video signal, default is 1 (yes)"
parm: chroma_agc int, description "enables the AGC of chroma signal, default is 0 (no)"
parm: adc_crush int, description "enables the luminance ADC crush, default is 1 (yes)"
parm: video_nr int
parm: radio_nr int
parm: vbi_nr int
parm: triton1 int, description "set ETBF pci config bit [enable bug compatibility for triton1 + others]"
parm: vsfx int, description "set VSFX pci config bit [yet another chipset flaw workaround]"
parm: no_overlay int
parm: card int array (min = 1, max = 4), description "specify TV/grabber card model, see CARDLIST file for a list"
parm: pll int array (min = 1, max = 4), description "specify installed crystal (0=none, 28=28 MHz, 35=35 MHz)"
parm: tuner int array (min = 1, max = 4), description "specify installed tuner type"
parm: autoload int, description "automatically load i2c modules like tuner.o, default is 1 (yes)"
parm: gpiomask int
parm: audioall int
parm: audiomux int array (min = 1, max = 5)
parm: firm_altera string, description "WinTV/PVR firmware (driver CD => unzip pvr45xxx.exe => hcwamc.rbf)"


# dmesg | grep bttv
bttv: driver version 0.7.96 loaded
bttv: using 4 buffers with 2080k (8320k total) for capture
bttv: Host bridge is Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 645DX Host
bttv: Bt8xx card found (0).
bttv0: Bt878 (rev 17) at 00:09.0, irq: 10, latency: 32, mmio: 0xef000000
bttv0: detected: Pinnacle PCTV [card=39], PCI subsystem ID is 11bd:0012
bttv0: using: BT878(Pinnacle PCTV Studio/Ra) [card=39,autodetected]
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: miro: id=31 tuner=4 radio=no stereo=no
bttv0: using tuner=4
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9875 @ 0xb0... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA7432 @ 0x8a... not found
bttv0: registered device video0
bttv0: registered device vbi0
bttv0: PLL: 28636363 => 35468950 ... ok
bttv0: irq: SCERR risc_count=1eecb010
bttv0: irq: SCERR risc_count=1eecb010

Ie. tuner set to type 4, which is..

# cat /usr/src/*/Documentation/video4linux/bttv/CARDLIST | grep "type=4"
type=4 - NoTuner

[henke]

Ok I dug up some info on this from when I tried to get it working.

IIRC the tuning part is taken car of by the tuner module. (Kinda logical, no? ) The bttv driver is supposed to detect which tuner the card is using and load that. This is obviiously not happening for you (or for me either for that matter)

The problem could be either with
1) the tuner autodetecion code
or
2) there might not be any support for that specific tuner...


Oh BTW, Norway and Sweden use PAL B/G http://www.stv.se/stv/homesite.nsf/7866 ... enDocument

[tomthewombat]

This card definately has a tuner. Probably from Temic but who knows things change :-/. The easiest way to find out would be to take it out and look at the chips. The tuner chip is probably from phillips or temic and would say the model which you could match to cardlist.

My prefered method is guessting. But only because I hate screws. You will probably get better results if you find the exact model. However tuner type=0 might work. I have seen ppl with the PCtV Rave who have claimed to have 3,33, and some others. Its so hard to tell cause they design for so many different tuners (because of different signals in different countries). Two different revisions for the same signal type might even use different model tuners. Although i don't know if this is the case with your card.

Good luck.

[numerodix]

Thanks a lot, I'll try to have a look at it.

Another question is how do you set the tuner when loading the module? Someone suggested a line in /etc/modules.d/options but that had no effect here, dmesg still says tuner is type 4 (no tuner).

/etc/modules.d/options

Code: Select all

options tuner type=33

Running update-modules inserted it into /etc/modules.conf. So how do I pass the tuner argument onto the module?

[numerodix]

Here is what the card looks like, any idea what tuner I might have?

[koala]

If you are still having problems, try to download the latest bttv drivers and use them instead of the kernel supplied drivers.

[systral]

i have the same card. i've got it working under linux for 2 years now. relevant part of my /etc/modules.conf looks like this:

Code: Select all

alias char-major-81	bttv
alias char-major-89     i2c-dev

options bttv card=39 pll=2 radio=0
options i2c i2c_debug=0 scan=1 verbose=1
options tuner type=1
post-install bttv /sbin/modprobe "-k" tuner

this worked on my old suse 8.1 . now i have gentoo installed, but i'm not ready configuring (the kernel) so i can not tell you if it really works on gentoo. but i think it should...

[tomthewombat]

I'd use this code.

Code: Select all

options bttv card=39 radio=0
options tuner type=0

You should not need the i2c stuff unless its build as a modules. Even still, it loads automatically for me without those lines.

I always use the tuner=? line on bttv. All the PCtV i have seen have used pll=1 not pll=2. but you never know. If you are gettin a good picture right now without a pll=? I would just leave it out.

Basically I guess you have to guess the tuner type. There is a list in /usr/src/linux/Documentation/video4linux/bttv/CARDLIST

i would try 0,1,33 first

This will help things go faster. you have to be in the directory that tuner.o is located.

Code: Select all

# rmmod tuner
# insmod tuner.o tuner=?

Then run motv or whatever to test it.[/code]

[numerodix]

Well still nothing, I tried all the tuners in the cardlist.

I also tried the newest bttv drivers (0.9.9) but that made no difference.

I loaded each one with insmod bttv tuner=x and then tried tuning in motv, either that or the channel scan. Didn't get a damn thing.

[tomthewombat]

Wow, have you tried contacting Pinnacle Systems about what the tuner is? :-/ I can't really think of anything else.

[numerodix]

Their support is crap. When others have asked about drivers for linux in their support forums, the pinnacle crew just ignore them...

[henke]

To bad they have this big RF shield over the tuner... Hmm, I have an idea. Lets flip a coin. Heads you rip your RF shield of and tails I don't rip mine off. That way we'll find out what chip they are using

Do you have a link to their forums?

Has anyone gotten this card working with PAL B/G ?

[numerodix]

How bout you just rip yours off

http://webboard.pinnaclesys.com/read_fo ... D=80&lng=1