Table of Contents

Backend

Intro

Latest version is 12.04

Rebuild of the new machine with the dual tuner. The dual tuner card still hangs every few weeks. I think I'm going to tweak this a little so that it:

Install

Base

  1. Did an Update, but that apparently “wiped” the drive anyway…
    • Chose the primary backend
    • Enabled ALL services: SAMBA, NFS, SSH, Mythtv
  2. Update the packages to the latest and reboot
  3. Install some programs I cannot live without:
    1. jed: 
       sudo apt-get install jed

Configuration

  1. Modify your network settings like this: 
    sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
  2. set our IP address to what you want: 
    # The primary network interface                                                 
auto eth0                                                                       
iface eth0 inet static                                                          
        address xx.xx.xx.xx
        netmask 255.255.255.0                                                   
        network xx.xx.xx.xx     # this one is the same as gateway I think                                                  
        broadcast xx.xx.xx.255                                               
        gateway xx.xx.xx.1                                                   
        # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed 
        dns-nameservers xx.xx.xx.xx                            
        dns-search some.domain.com
  3. Restart the networking: 
    sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

HVR-2250 Drivers

I did a grep of dmesg looking for the 7164 card, and sure enough the support is there, but it can't find the firmware that the kernel was compiled with. I did a quick google and found the link to where the firmware file was. Here is what I did and how I installed the driver:

  1. Look in the log for what was missing: 
    [    6.508493] saa7164_downloadfirmware() no first image
[    6.508515] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Waiting for firmware upload (NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw)
[    7.756686] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Upload failed. (file not found?)
  2. After doing a google search for that firmware, I found the link to here http://www.kernellabs.com/blog/?p=1443, which led to a direct place to get the firmware: 
    cd ~/Downloads
wget http://www.steventoth.net/linux/hvr22xx/firmwares/4019072/NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw
  3. Copy this firmware into the Ubuntu folder: 
    sudo cp ~/Downloads/NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw /lib/firmware/
  4. Restart the module: 
    sudo rmmod saa7164
sudo modprobe saa7164
  5. And there was much rejoicing! 
    [ 1037.124209] Histogram named irq intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124220] Total: 0
[ 1037.124224] Histogram named deferred intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124230] Total: 0
[ 1037.124233] Histogram named irq to deferred intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124239] Total: 0
[ 1037.124242] Histogram named encoder/vbi read() intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124248] Total: 0
[ 1037.124252] Histogram named encoder/vbi poll() intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124257] Total: 0
[ 1037.124261] Histogram named encoder/vbi read() intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124267] Total: 0
[ 1037.124270] Histogram named encoder/vbi poll() intervals (ms, count, last_update_jiffy)
[ 1037.124276] Total: 0
[ 1037.124299] saa7164 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[ 1042.954006] saa7164 driver loaded
[ 1042.954176] saa7164 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 1042.956572] CORE saa7164[0]: subsystem: 0070:8851, board: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR2250 [card=7,autodetected]
[ 1042.956586] saa7164[0]/0: found at 0000:01:00.0, rev: 129, irq: 16, latency: 0, mmio: 0xfd400000
[ 1042.956601] saa7164 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 1043.116024] saa7164_downloadfirmware() no first image
[ 1043.116041] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Waiting for firmware upload (NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw)
[ 1043.144214] saa7164_downloadfirmware() firmware read 4019072 bytes.
[ 1043.144222] saa7164_downloadfirmware() firmware loaded.
[ 1043.144226] Firmware file header part 1:
[ 1043.144235]  .FirmwareSize = 0x0
[ 1043.144239]  .BSLSize = 0x0
[ 1043.144243]  .Reserved = 0x3d538
[ 1043.144247]  .Version = 0x3
[ 1043.144251] saa7164_downloadfirmware() SecBootLoader.FileSize = 4019072
[ 1043.144263] saa7164_downloadfirmware() FirmwareSize = 0x1fd6
[ 1043.144268] saa7164_downloadfirmware() BSLSize = 0x0
[ 1043.144272] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Reserved = 0x0
[ 1043.144277] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Version = 0x1661c00
[ 1050.004040] saa7164_downloadimage() Image downloaded, booting...
[ 1050.108032] saa7164_downloadimage() Image booted successfully.
[ 1050.108063] starting firmware download(2)
[ 1052.232025] saa7164_downloadimage() Image downloaded, booting...
[ 1054.104036] saa7164_downloadimage() Image booted successfully.
[ 1054.104067] firmware download complete.
[ 1054.152527] tveeprom 14-0000: Hauppauge model 88061, rev C4F2, serial# 7079441
[ 1054.152537] tveeprom 14-0000: MAC address is 00:0d:fe:6c:06:11
[ 1054.152544] tveeprom 14-0000: tuner model is NXP 18271C2_716x (idx 152, type 4)
[ 1054.152552] tveeprom 14-0000: TV standards NTSC(M) ATSC/DVB Digital (eeprom 0x88)
[ 1054.152559] tveeprom 14-0000: audio processor is SAA7164 (idx 43)
[ 1054.152565] tveeprom 14-0000: decoder processor is SAA7164 (idx 40)
[ 1054.152571] tveeprom 14-0000: has radio, has IR receiver, has no IR transmitter
[ 1054.152577] saa7164[0]: Hauppauge eeprom: model=88061
[ 1054.515587] tda18271 15-0060: creating new instance
[ 1054.520221] TDA18271HD/C2 detected @ 15-0060
[ 1054.771027] DVB: registering new adapter (saa7164)
[ 1054.771042] DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Samsung S5H1411 QAM/8VSB Frontend)...
[ 1055.066157] tda18271 16-0060: creating new instance
[ 1055.070573] TDA18271HD/C2 detected @ 16-0060
[ 1055.320827] tda18271: performing RF tracking filter calibration
[ 1057.669998] tda18271: RF tracking filter calibration complete
[ 1057.672579] DVB: registering new adapter (saa7164)
[ 1057.672593] DVB: registering adapter 1 frontend 0 (Samsung S5H1411 QAM/8VSB Frontend)...
[ 1057.673899] saa7164[0]: registered device video0 [mpeg]
[ 1057.904351] saa7164[0]: registered device video1 [mpeg]
[ 1058.115641] saa7164[0]: registered device vbi0 [vbi]
[ 1058.115759] saa7164[0]: registered device vbi1 [vbi]

Backend Configuration

Run Settings → MythTV Backend Setup

Now enable a few more things:

Run Settings → Mythbuntu Control Centre

Tweaks

So that the samba share is actually useful, I will make a cron job that will every day build a list of links to the recorded shows.

  1. Download the mythname.pl script. I think I modified it, so just in case here is the version that runs on mythth now: mythname.pl.zip
  2. Place that perl script in /usr/local/bin
  3. Make a directory / home for the symbolic links 
    sudo mkdir /var/lib/mythtv/recordings/links/
  4. Place the following script in mythtv_cronjob_symlink_recordings 
    #!/bin/sh
find /var/lib/mythtv/recordings/links/ -type l -exec rm {} \;
cd /var/lib/mythtv/recordings/links/
for filename in /var/lib/mythtv/recordings/*.mpg
do
  # windows did not like the colons in the name, so changing to underscores and periods
  fname=`/usr/local/bin/mythname.pl --rep=. --subtitle $filename | tr : _ | tr ';.' .`.mpg
  ##### no need to echo for a cron job ##### echo "Linking $filename to $fname"
  ln -s $filename $fname > /dev/null 2>&1
done
exit 0
  5. Copy that file into /etc/cron.daily/ 
    sudo cp mythtv_cronjob_symlink_recordings /etc/cron.daily/
  6. Set the ownership and permissions 
    sudo chown root:root /etc/cron.daily/mythtv_cronjob_symlink_recordings
sudo chmod 755 /etc/cron.daily/mythtv_cronjob_symlink_recordings
  7. I added these lines to /etc/samba/smbd.conf trying to get the links to work 
    follow symlinks = yes
unix extensions = no
wide links = yes

Backend Card Hang / Crash

Use an hourly cron job to check for this error. If you see it, reboot! Here is my cron.hourly script mythtv_check_for_crashed_tuner: 

#!/bin/bash
#
 
SAA7164ERRORS=$(/bin/dmesg | /bin/grep saa7164_api_i2c_write | /usr/bin/wc -l)
 
if [ $SAA7164ERRORS -ne 0 ]; then
  MYDATE=$(/bin/date)
  echo $MYDATE : Rebooting Now Due to saa7164 card crash >> /home/mythbot/mythbot_reboot_log.txt
  /sbin/reboot
fi

Frontend

Basics

  1. Installed Mythbuntu from CD making this computer just a “front end”
  2. Enabled SSH
  3. Left DHCP as I have my daemon giving out the proper IP based on MAC address

Configuration

  1. Modified theme to the one I LIKE!
  2. Modified ALSA mixer so that audio SPDIF is output
    1. Load up the mixer as root
      sudo alsamixer
    2. Modify the line: Item: S/PDIF Output [Off] with the 'M' key
    3. Save your configuration with: 
      sudo alsactl store 0
  3. Modified the Audio output to use S/PDIF:
    1. Utilities / Setup → Setup → General → Page 4 NOTE Anything but default / stereo breaks the SPDIF output… don't touch this
      1. Did set the audio outputs to 100% on both Master and PCM
      2. Speaker Configuration from Stereo to 5.1 NOTE: This seems to BREAK my audio now?! If I leave it stereo it works.
      3. Upmix: Best
      4. Audio Processing Capabilities: Check both Dolby Digital AND DTS
  4. Set our VIDEO output to VDPAU:
    1. Utilities / Setup → TV Settings → Playback → Page 3/8
    2. Current Video Playback Profile:VDPAU High Quality

Remote Control Configuration

I added the following lines to my lirc configuration: ~/.lirc/mythtv 

### added by david rabine (dlr) 2009.12.28 ###

# I added the following - dlr 2008/10/18
# Skip forward (10 min default)
begin
    remote = Streamzap_PC_Remote
    prog = mythtv
    button = >>
    repeat = 0
    config = PgDown
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = Streamzap_PC_Remote
    prog = mythtv
    button = <<
    repeat = 0
    config = PgUp
    delay = 0
end

# Seek to previous commercial cut point
begin
    remote = Streamzap_PC_Remote
    prog = mythtv
    button = YELLOW
    repeat = 0
    config = Q
end

# Seek to next commercial cut point
begin
    remote = Streamzap_PC_Remote
    prog = mythtv
    button = BLUE
    repeat = 0
    config = Z
end

Media Library

Audio

  1. Add in symbolic links to our libraries
  2. Go to Listen to Music and it will scan for new files

Video

  1. Add in symbolic links for all our shares / files
  2. Go to Utilities / Setup → Setup → Media Settings → Video Settings → General Settings: /var/lib/mythtv/video as Directories that hold videos

Media Types

mkv

I was having some issues with the internal player not hanging very well with high definition content, so I modified the video player setup to use mplayer

  1. Surf in the mythtv setup to this menu structure: Utilities / Setup → Setup → Media Settings → Video Settings → File Types
  2. Change the extension to “mkv”
  3. Enter the following command into the Command: line 
    mplayer -cache=16384 -cache-min=10 -fs -zoom -quiet -nosub -vo vdpau -vc ffh264vdpau -heartbeat-cmd "xscreensaver-command -deactivate" %s
    • the -vc call makes a huge difference in CPU usage (from 50% to 2% doing a 1080p video) (I thought the -vo would do it on its own but it does not)
    • the -heartbeat-cmd “xscreensaver-command -deactivate” keeps the screen from blanking every 10 minutes or so

Trouble Shooting

  1. The images were “tearing” with some High Definition content, found http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/VDPAU this page. Not sure why disabling the composite output on the card fixes this, but it does. 
    sudo nvidia-xconfig --no-composite