hugo wrote:
>Hi list
>
>I'm looking for some advice configuring an Avermedia A771-B DVB-T PCI
>(with the MT352 chip) card on Linux.
>
>I had initially started with high hopes of setting up MythTV and recording
>stuff, I ended up using Knoppix and nothing worked/works. I've now just
>dropped back to trying the simplest of things and just try and get the
>LinuxTV DVB apps working (well just the scan application working).
>
>The first mistake I made was buying a Hauppage Nova-T PCI card - on the
>grounds that it's bound to work. Unfortunately I later learnt that it's
>the 90002 (?!) model and not the older Phillips based model and basically
>doesn't work with Linux. I looked around and eventually picked the
>Avermedia A771-B card mainly on the grounds that they've got this lovely
>"LINUX COMPATIBLE" claim on the page for the card.
>
>
I'm amazed you found the card on sale. Its out of production now and we
failed to
find any for quite a while.
>
>
You do need to modprobe dvb-bt8xx not not mt352 thats automatic.
> My gut suspicions are:
>
>1) The Avermedia card A771-B (MT352) is not really supported under Linux,
>perhaps some old version using the Ali-bongo chipset (or whatever)
>possibly worked. If someone can confirm that this card is not really
>supported I will contact Trading Standards in the UK as Avermedia would be
>clearly misrepresenting their card (as to it's Linux compatibility) this
>is an offence under the Trade descriptions act - it might force Avermedia
>to either help the community develop a working driver (unlikely) or remove
>the false claim from their website.
>
>
We have used this card for a while in the UK and it works very well. We
are currently
using 2.6.13 for FC4 with no additional patches.
>2) DVB support in Linux does not really work in the UK - as the software
>is no doubt developed in the US/Europe then it is keyed to their
>particular broadcast systems and there is no hard support for the UK.
>
>
It works all over the U.K.
>3) The Linux DVB drivers actually require a theorectically perfect setup:
>perfect 100% signal reception, flat terrain with no obstructions more than
>2 feet high between the receiver and the transmitter, also to be within
>100.3 meters of the transmitter and to be aligned on a major ley-line.
>
>
The 771 is a great card that has great sensitivity (works where others
do not).
>4) It does all work but I need some super-duper experimental alpha release
>patch that is hidden in CVS in a disused toilet in the basement of LinuxTv
>HQ...
>
>
Nope. 2.6.13 is stable for this card.
>Sorry if I'm ranting, for the money and time I've wasted on this I
>could've bought a hardware PVR which would just work. Still would like to
>get Myth working as it has a couple of nice features.
>
>Guess my two questions are:...<drumroll>.....
>
>1) Does anyone in the UK actually really have any DVB-T card, that is
>still commerically available as of December 2005, working under linux and
>I mean working as in regularly watching and recording stuff (not "I
>installed the driver once") and if so which card (and chip set) and how
>did you get it working (some pointers at least).
>
>
Your 771 is a great card you will not need to replace it.
>2) In particular: does anyone in the UK have the Avermedia A771-B (mt352)
>DVB-T PCI card working under Linux and if so how.
>
>
By using 2.6.13 and modprobe the dvb-bt8xx
Our software auto-tunes by checking every transponder frequency used in
the UK.
We then pick the best signal if we find multiple transponders with the
same station.
We start at 474.0MHz and scan in 8MHz steps to 818.0MHz.
I would guess that you have two possible problems:
1) You are tuning to the wrong transponder.
If you can get the transponder frequency from the windows software
and plug that in
to the scan program you should get a channels.conf file created that
has lots of statations
listed.
2) Your arial is not suitable for DVB-T or not alligned correctly with
the transmitter.
If a settop box works well on all channels this is not the problem.
Also check the
settop box signal quality page - they all seem to have one.
Barry
