# Hauppauge WinTV 150 MCE

## KhanReaper

Has anyone had any luck with Hauppauge's WinTV 150 MCE in Gentoo, particularly in an AMD64 environment?

I am also very curious if anyone at all has gotten the radio tuner to work adequately with this device.

----------

## NeddySeagoon

KhanReaper,

Please post the lspic output for this device, so we can see what chip set(s) you have.

----------

## KhanReaper

```
matt@dresden ~ $ /sbin/lspci

0000:00:00.0 Memory controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 Memory Controller (rev a3)

0000:00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 0050 (rev a3)

0000:00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation CK804 SMBus (rev a2)

0000:00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a2)

0000:00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 USB Controller (rev a3)

0000:00:04.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation CK804 AC'97 Audio Controller (rev a2)

0000:00:06.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 IDE (rev f2)

0000:00:07.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller (rev f3)

0000:00:08.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation CK804 Serial ATA Controller (rev f3)

0000:00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCI Bridge (rev a2)

0000:00:0a.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 Ethernet Controller (rev a3)

0000:00:0b.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)

0000:00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)

0000:00:0d.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)

0000:00:0e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation CK804 PCIE Bridge (rev a3)

0000:00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration

0000:00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map

0000:00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller

0000:00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV43 [GeForce 6600 GT] (rev a2)

0000:05:07.0 Multimedia video controller: Internext Compression Inc iTVC16 (CX23416) MPEG-2 Encoder (rev 01)

0000:05:0a.0 RAID bus controller: Silicon Image, Inc. SiI 3114 [SATALink/SATARaid] Serial ATA Controller (rev 02)

0000:05:0b.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB22/A IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)

0000:05:0c.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8001 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 13)

```

I have fooled around with a few different ivtv drivers and firmware versions (currently using the firmware version advised from the ivtv web site and using ivtv 0.3.7b), but I have not had any luck getting any sort of adequate input.

Here is something from dmesg if it helps:

```
Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden Linux video capture interface: v1.00

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: ==================== START INIT IVTV ====================

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: version 0.3.7 (b) loading

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Linux version: 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 SMP preempt gcc-3.4

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: In case of problems please include the debug info

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: between the START INIT IVTV and END INIT IVTV lines when

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: mailing the ivtv-devel mailinglist.

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Autodetected WinTV PVR 150 card

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Found an iTVC16 based chip

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:05:07.0[A] -> Link [APC2] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Unreasonably low latency timer, setting to 64 (was 32)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: The eeprom says no radio is present, but the tuner type

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: indicates otherwise. I will assume that radio is present.

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: Hauppauge: model = 26552, rev = C268, serial# = 2988552

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: tuner = LG TAPE H001F MK3 (idx = 68, type = 47)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: tuner fmt = NTSC(M) (eeprom = 0x08, v4l2 = 0x00001000)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tveeprom: audio_processor = MSP3410D (type = 5)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: i2c attach [client=tveeprom[50],ok]

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Tuner Type 47, Tuner formats 0x00001000, Radio: yes, Model 0x008d2598, Revision 0x00000001

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: NTSC tuner detected

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Radio detected

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tuner: Ignoring new-style parameters in presence of obsolete ones

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tuner: chip found at addr 0xc2 i2c-bus ivtv i2c driver #0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: i2c attach [client=(tuner unset),ok]

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: starting probe on adapter ivtv i2c driver #0 (0x10005)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: detecting cx25840 client on address 0x88

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: cx25843-23 found. Initializing...

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: requesting /lib/modules/HcwMakoA.ROM

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: firmware loaded

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: i2c attach [client=cx25840[50],ok]

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: i2c attach [client=wm8775[50],ok]

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Encoder revision: 0x02040011

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Configuring WinTV PVR 150 card with 5 streams

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Registered v4l2 device for encoder MPEG minor 0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Create DMA encoder MPEG stream: 0 x 32768 buffers (0KB total)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Registered v4l2 device for encoder YUV minor 32

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Create DMA encoder YUV stream: 0 x 10800 buffers (0KB total)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Registered v4l2 device for encoder VBI minor 224

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Create DMA encoder VBI stream: 0 x 8736 buffers (0KB total)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Registered v4l2 device for encoder PCM audio minor 24

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Create DMA encoder PCM audio stream: 0 x 4608 buffers (0KB total)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Registered v4l2 device for encoder radio minor 64

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Create encoder radio stream

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Setting Tuner 47

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden tuner: type set to 47 (LG NTSC (TAPE series)) by ivtv i2c driver #0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: decoder set norm NTSC

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: decoder set input (6)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: now setting Tuner input

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: ivtv_enc_thread: pid = 7032, itv = 0xffffffff884ba6e0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: ivtv_enc_vbi_thread: pid = 7033, itv = 0xffffffff884ba6e0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: set audio input (0)

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Switching standard to NTSC.

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden cx25840: decoder set norm NTSC

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: Initialized WinTV PVR 150, card #0

Aug  5 03:52:25 dresden ivtv: ====================  END INIT IVTV  ====================

```

Everything log-wise (dmesg and what-not) appears just fine whenever I use gnomeradio or gradio; I just get zero output.

When using ivtv-radio -a, the utility finds zero stations, even though I can get radio access elsewhere. I have used this card in two different geographic locations. Once, it did actually provide some output, but it displayed some frequencies that were unreasonably outside of range.

ivtv recognizes this card as a model 47, if I remember correctly.

----------

## Platapie

I had it working perfectly, but for some reason ivtvctl stopped listening to me, and I can't unmute the damn card (it mutes mine by default for some reason), but video is working fine.

Does mplayer /dev/video0 assuming 0 is the device number yield anything?

Edit - but I do not run AMD  :Sad: 

----------

## KhanReaper

 *Platapie wrote:*   

> I had it working perfectly, but for some reason ivtvctl stopped listening to me, and I can't unmute the damn card (it mutes mine by default for some reason), but video is working fine.
> 
> Does mplayer /dev/video0 assuming 0 is the device number yield anything?
> 
> Edit - but I do not run AMD 

 

Since I do not regularly have a television input (e.g., antenna or cable) connected to the device, I cannot say whether what I saw when I performed this was useful: I have no real intention of watching t.v.; rather, radio input to my machine is my primary concern.

When I did look at the video input, there was snow and other distortion at times.

----------

## Platapie

To be honest, my only intention was TV with it, I've not even touched the radio aspects.  I actually got it working perfectly now, and I found this site useful, give it a quick look.  Not sure how much it will help with radio though  :Sad: 

http://www.cs.duke.edu/~reynolds/pvr150

Some of it was unnecessary for me, but I got it all sorted out using this as a basis.

----------

## KhanReaper

 *Platapie wrote:*   

> To be honest, my only intention was TV with it, I've not even touched the radio aspects.  I actually got it working perfectly now, and I found this site useful, give it a quick look.  Not sure how much it will help with radio though 
> 
> http://www.cs.duke.edu/~reynolds/pvr150
> 
> Some of it was unnecessary for me, but I got it all sorted out using this as a basis.

 

Platapie, thank you very much for this resource, for it never appeared when I Googled for information. Since you have your device working, I shall like to ask two questions regarding your PVR 150 MCE:

1.) What happens when you try to use the radio with it? Do you get any odd output in dmesg or in the console from the radio tuning program?

2.) Did you configure your device using those instructions verbatim, or did you use newer versions of the drivers if they were available?

----------

## Platapie

Well I haven't even tried the radio, so I can't tell you about that.

However, as for the instructions I followed, much of it was verbatim, but I tried a bunch of different drivers (all of which worked beyond 3.2 for video), and found sound just wouldn't at all.

I found using the firmware sound, which that resource advises against, worked fine, and at least for me the quality is ok.  I don't know why, but ivtvctl woudn't unmute it.  It still wont, but for SOME reason with the firmware it seems to play anyway for me.  Quite bizzarre in any event, it used to work fine with ivtvctl and no firmware.  Ah well.

I didn't use the video frameware, which he advises.  

You can also skip

 *Quote:*   

> modprobe cx25840 no_black_magic=1 debug=1

 

And you can probably just modprobe ivtv without the additional infor with later drivers than 3.2.  Currently I'm using 3.4, but 3.7 for example did not require I list the details.  Basically all I really had to do was make/make install on the drivers.  Modules-update, then I went into utils, make make install, then played around with the ivtvctl options that he lists.

----------

## KhanReaper

Interestingly, I found that I had better luck with my brute-force methods than with the instructions listed on this page.

Without using the one unadvised firmware item, I was unable to get sound. Moreover, drivers as of 0.3.7b complain now when any parameters are passed to the module, particularly the 'no_black_magic' ones.

I generally regret purchasing this card now, even though I had read long before I bought it that it completely worked in Linux with the IVTV drivers.

----------

## Platapie

You know what, I struggled mightily with it too, but once I got it working, it's fantastic quality for a cheap price.  

So you had the same issue that I did without the sound firmware.  Interesting, I had a lot of issues with that, because it worked fine then stopped for god knows what reason until I installed the firmware.   Make sure you familiarize yourself with ivtvctrl.  -q for setting audio input, and -p for setting the video input, and -y volume=   and -y mute=  followed by appropriate variables were essential for me.

----------

## KhanReaper

I have fooled around with ivtvctl, albeit not extensively.

Is it your general supposition then that the radio input could be an option hidden away inside of 'ivtvctl -q?' Is there a radio input source listed in this? I am not currently on the machine that has this card, so I cannot answer this for myself right now.

----------

## Platapie

That's the general idea yes.. but I'll be perfectly honest and inform you that I have no idea what all these audio inputs are.  ivtvctl -a lists 5..

0 = tuner audio in, no explanation needed.

Audio Lines 1-4... would require some fiddling to figure what they do.

----------

## Ian

I have a PVR-150 (non MCE) half working.  Video is great, good quality, low CPU usage, etc.  But no audio.  It's just...not there.  ALSA is working great (a surprise in itself), but the PVR 150 has issues.  Going to try some other driver revisions, but it's kinda annoying to have to do this.

----------

## Platapie

Yeah if it uses IVTV, the drivers with regards to the MCE version are finicky to say the least.  Right now my MCE version is working great, and I'm praying it doesn't mess up again because I really don't want to go through the hassle of redoing it.  Have you tried using the cards firmware for audio?  With the MCE version I had to.

----------

