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Documentation / video4linux / bttv


Based on kernel version 4.7.2. Page generated on 2016-08-22 22:48 EST.

1	
2	Release notes for bttv
3	======================
4	
5	You'll need at least these config options for bttv:
6		CONFIG_I2C=m
7		CONFIG_I2C_ALGOBIT=m
8		CONFIG_VIDEO_DEV=m
9	
10	The latest bttv version is available from http://bytesex.org/bttv/
11	
12	
13	Make bttv work with your card
14	-----------------------------
15	
16	Just try "modprobe bttv" and see if that works.
17	
18	If it doesn't bttv likely could not autodetect your card and needs some
19	insmod options.  The most important insmod option for bttv is "card=n"
20	to select the correct card type.  If you get video but no sound you've
21	very likely specified the wrong (or no) card type.  A list of supported
22	cards is in CARDLIST.bttv
23	
24	If bttv takes very long to load (happens sometimes with the cheap
25	cards which have no tuner), try adding this to your modules.conf:
26		options i2c-algo-bit bit_test=1
27	
28	For the WinTV/PVR you need one firmware file from the driver CD:
29	hcwamc.rbf.  The file is in the pvr45xxx.exe archive (self-extracting
30	zip file, unzip can unpack it).  Put it into the /etc/pvr directory or
31	use the firm_altera=<path> insmod option to point the driver to the
32	location of the file.
33	
34	If your card isn't listed in CARDLIST.bttv or if you have trouble making
35	audio work, you should read the Sound-FAQ.
36	
37	
38	Autodetecting cards
39	-------------------
40	
41	bttv uses the PCI Subsystem ID to autodetect the card type.  lspci lists
42	the Subsystem ID in the second line, looks like this:
43	
44	00:0a.0 Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 (rev 02)
45		Subsystem: Hauppauge computer works Inc. WinTV/GO
46		Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
47		Memory at e2000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
48	
49	only bt878-based cards can have a subsystem ID (which does not mean
50	that every card really has one).  bt848 cards can't have a Subsystem
51	ID and therefore can't be autodetected.  There is a list with the ID's
52	in bttv-cards.c (in case you are intrested or want to mail patches
53	with updates).
54	
55	
56	Still doesn't work?
57	-------------------
58	
59	I do NOT have a lab with 30+ different grabber boards and a
60	PAL/NTSC/SECAM test signal generator at home, so I often can't
61	reproduce your problems.  This makes debugging very difficult for me.
62	If you have some knowledge and spare time, please try to fix this
63	yourself (patches very welcome of course...)  You know: The linux
64	slogan is "Do it yourself".
65	
66	There is a mailing list: linux-media@vger.kernel.org
67	http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-media
68	
69	If you have trouble with some specific TV card, try to ask there
70	instead of mailing me directly.  The chance that someone with the
71	same card listens there is much higher...
72	
73	For problems with sound:  There are a lot of different systems used
74	for TV sound all over the world.  And there are also different chips
75	which decode the audio signal.  Reports about sound problems ("stereo
76	does'nt work") are pretty useless unless you include some details
77	about your hardware and the TV sound scheme used in your country (or
78	at least the country you are living in).
79	
80	
81	Finally: If you mail some patches for bttv around the world (to
82	linux-kernel/Alan/Linus/...), please Cc: me.
83	
84	
85	Have fun with bttv,
86	
87	  Gerd
88	
89	--
90	Gerd Knorr <kraxel@bytesex.org>
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