mythtv with mantis and DVB-S2 (TechniSat SkyStar HD2 continued…)

well thanks to awf and his comment i checked out mythtv (the release-0-21-fixes branch) and applied this patch, compiled and it kinda works.

that was the short version, here’s the longer one:

check out mythtv
svn co http://svn.mythtv.org/svn/branches/release-0-21-fixes/

download this patch right here and apply it from the mythtv folder using
patch -p0 < mythtv_multiproto.5.patch

then make sure you've got all the qt3 development libraries, the XvMC development libraries aswell as LAME and all the others (don't quite remember the whole list) but if you compile you'll find out what your missing.

to configure i used awf's parameters described in his post
./configure --enable-xvmc --enable-dvb --disable-hdhomerun --disable-firewire --enable-xvmc-opengl --enable-opengl-video --enable-opengl-vsync --enable-proc-opt --extra-cxxflags=-I/path/to/mantis/linux/include --extra-cflags=-I/path/to/mantis/linux/include
of course don't forget to correct the path to the mantis driver build.

of course now
make
sudo make install

then configure mythtv using mythtv-setup.

awf was nice enough to send me the dtv_multiplex table (which contains all the transport information for hotbird 13°E and astra 19.2°E) and so i went on to channel scanning... have all the hotbird channels... but can't scan astra eventhough i think i've got the disecq settings correct! if i look into the database it has my card and the inputs doubled, i can delete everything and it recreates them like that. soooo, a little help on the diseqc settings would be greatly appreciated ;)

of course if anybody want's the dtv_multiplex for hotbird and astra i'll gladly send it to you since it did help me out a lot! (of course if awf is cool with that)

thanks a bunch for the comments left here they helped out alot!

UPDATE: ok, got the astra channels scanned too. thanks to awf who pointed out Western union fees that i needed two video inputs (right now both set to EIT Western union fees that 's why i thought one wouldn't make a difference).

it scans ASTRA HD+ and ANIXE HD but it can't get a lock on both channels through mythtv. so the multiproto myth patch is still missing something or does anybody else have a good idea?

20 thoughts on “mythtv with mantis and DVB-S2 (TechniSat SkyStar HD2 continued…)

  1. @Munzli
    Just out of curiosity could you tell us again which OS your using to compile this on? Mythbuntu (8.04) or Ubuntu (8.04)? I have been useing Mythbuntu myself both 7.10 and 8.04. Although I do not seem to hit any snags during the compile. It still seems like I’m not doing something right though, as I can just run the myth-setup. Mythtv (frontend), does not start (or autostart as it should). When I try to scan something beit on Sat or Cable, myth-setup will instantly crash back to the desktop. =(

  2. i’m using mythbuntu 8.04 for my backend. did not compile any plugins just mythtv itself. i didn’t even remove the installed package version!

    i can run the frontend from both the server itself and from a remote computer running a normal ubuntu 8.04.

  3. I’m following in your tracks also trying to get Mythbuntu 8.04 (32bit) to work with my SkyStar HD2. I can playback TV via mplayer already (even AC3/DTS passthrough works), but the integration into MythTV is tricky.
    ATM, I’m not sure what I need the dtv_multiplex table for, but if it’s required, I’d be happy if you could send it to me. Thanks in advance both munzli and awf! :-)

  4. Thanks for the table. However, by patching MythTV the whole system got unstable, some myth functionality broke. Scanning is also very unstable, and I experience a lot of sudden crashes (to desktop or even X server restarts). Seems like I have to wait til Mythbuntu 8.10 (or even later)…

  5. ^^ That sounds like whats going on with me.
    It doesn’t matter if I use Mythbuntu, or Ubuntu (7.10 or 8.04), no matter what I do it seems that something breaks.
    The best that I’ve been able to get so far was to scan* the ARD Transponder 10744000 SR:2200000 FEC:5/6 (on Astra 19.2°E) using myth-setup. Scanning any other Transponder and myth-setup crashes back to the Desktop. =(

    Just out of curiosity (noting that I know absolute crap about Linux and Mythtv and as such like Mythbuntu!), when I compile and then install the release-0-21-fixes on such an OS is there any other afterthoughts that would / should seem obvious like perhaps reinstalling a patched client?

    As I understand it Myth is a Client / Backend based system so I’m not sure what the release-0-21-fixes are supposed to actually fix, but I’m left to wonder if I need to install a Frontend, or somehow setup MySQL again?

    Having my fair share of MySQL and wanting nothing more to do with it (i.e. Channel management!), I’m seriously considering getting rid of the SSHD2 and getting a TT-S3200 instead. Which unlike the SSHD2 is a pure Multiproto Card from the get go…

    But, then I’m more of a VDR Man myself, not that theres anything wrong with MythTV. (no wait a sec, Yeah that’s right the Channel / Bouquet is a ROAYL PITA, a chore not made any easier with Myphpadmin.)

    *Scaned with the Skystar HD2 Card

  6. Well, I have to say, that after trying mythubuntu and mythdora, I’ve gone back to running generic ubuntu, adding the packages required via synaptic/apt-get, and compiling from the source. As I’ve said before, my production systems run ubuntu 7.10, and test dvb-s2 system runs 8.04.

    If scanning is your problem, I’m happy to make both my dtv_multiplex (aka Mythtv “transports”) and channel tables available. I’ve been able to record both Anixe HD and arte HD without problems.

    I’ve *ALWAYS* had problems with mythtv’s channel scanner. I sort of cheated in this respect, but taking my (working) transport table from the production system (SVN) , and placing it onto the test system, and scanning the 2 or 3 “new” HD transponders.

    Please note that for the HD transponders, I had to explicitly set the transponder information, which you can get via lyngsat or kingofsat inside of mythtv-setup, and then scanning only those transponders. Doing a “scan all existing transports” was not helpful — mythtv seems to update the transport table itself, and sometimes with the *WRONG* information, which will lead to either no channels or crashing the scanner….

  7. I would make a suggestion here — if you can “afford” it (timewise!), I would really suggest making a standalone mythtv installation on a different box, and not “test” on your production systems. The mantis patch (multiproto patch? ) are not really “ready” for primetime, and its a lot less hassle to mess up a machine which you essentially “dont care” about as opposed to completely hosing your production myth system.

    @Michael R. Habel

    Have you tested the multiproto patches ? Are you certain they are in any better shape than the mantis patches ?

    Basically, I think until the mainstream linux kernel gets both the mantis driver and the multiproto stuff, we’ll be spinning our wheels here for awhile. And I know from reading the linux-dvb list that they’ve been talking about getting the multiproto stuff in for nearly a year…..

  8. got the card working now with mplayer, however even with multiproto5 patch mythtv doesnt scan the channels. could anyone send me the dvd_multiplex table for astra? ty and nice blog!

  9. Hi,

    I found this on my quest for a solution with my TT S2-3200 and Mythtv.
    Looks good and want to have a try.

    Could anyone send me the dvd_multiplex table for astra Hotbird?

  10. @ awf

    No I haven’t come across any Mantis “Patches” per-se.
    AFAIK, the Mantis Code is a tweaked up version of Multiproto, so I’d guess that would make Mantis a Branch of Multiproto then.
    I have seen instances of where both the Mantis and Multiproto Codes have merged (ca. March/April 2008), but, I think only the Mantis Branch has the code needed for our Mantis Chip (e.g. Mantis).

    The TT S-3200 (Skystar HD) has a bog standard Phillips / NXP SA7146AH Chip on it and is fully 100% Multiproto, as such One would think that this Card be simpler to get up and running.

    In anycase given the choice I’d rather have VDR then Myth anyway.
    No it’s not as pretty, but what you’d loos in glamor you get back seven-fold in usability.
    Like I said I don’t really fancy having a go at building Channel lists for Astra 28.2/5°E (Freesat), 23.5°E Astra 3 (KDG in S2), Astra 19.2°e Hotbird 13°.0 and so on. I would even welcome any third-party solution for this!

    *Sadly MyphpAdmin is not that solution!!

    That is THE ONE THING!! that team MythTV (or whoever), need to address sharpish, that and perhaps a FREMON type plugin for Dish adjustments as well.

    But, then again I don’t have an eHD (think MPEG-4 HDMI Decoder Card @ ca. 200.00€), and the S3200 to get it working under VDR either, and then you still have broken Channel Scanners (vdr 1.7.0), to deal with.

    Sadly I have to agree with you though it’s going to take a long time yet…

  11. Hey, I’m now here ;), hello all.

    Ummm, again stopped in a stupid step. How I made the channel scanning on mythtv? (Astra 19.2), I can’t get anything from the channel scanner at mythtv-setup.

    Can I import them from some file and avoid the scanning?

    If I try to scan using the Astra 19.2 parameters I get at mythtv-setup console output:


    2008-08-24 13:38:14.204 DVBSM(0), Error: Can not read DVB status
    eno: Invalid argument (22)
    2008-08-24 13:38:14.204 DVBSM(0), Warning: Can not measure Signal Strength
    eno: Invalid argument (22)
    2008-08-24 13:38:14.204 DVBSM(0), Warning: Can not measure S/N
    eno: Invalid argument (22)
    2008-08-24 13:38:14.204 DVBSM(0), Warning: Can not measure Bit Error Rate
    eno: Invalid argument (22)
    2008-08-24 13:38:14.204 DVBSM(0), Warning: Can not count Uncorrected Blocks
    eno: Operation not supported (95)
    2008-08-24 13:38:14.232 DVBChan(1:0) Error: Tune(): Getting frontend tuning parameters failed.
    eno: Invalid argument (22)

    And if I try to use a channels.conf file (I don’t know which ATSC channel separator I must choose) I get on the scanning a lot of:


    2008-08-24 13:39:30.628 DVBChan(1:0) Error: Tune(): Getting frontend tuning parameters failed.
    eno: Invalid argument (22)

    Re-Again: Thanks.

  12. hi

    did you define the lnb and other input options correctly? is the dtv_multiplex table correct? if not i’ll send you the astra multiplex table if you’d like, that should make things easier!

  13. Hi munzli, yes I had define the lnb at the diseqc section, and I think that I had the inputs ok, really is the first time I am using mythtv so thats only my beliefs.

    The dtv_multiplex table, well


    mysql> select * from dtv_multiplex;
    Empty set (0.02 sec)

    mysql>

    It is pretty empty ;).

    If you could send me it, I will appreciate it so much.

    Thankssssss

  14. Hi guys, could someone tell me if I could use this card easily to just receive the SD channels, and then worry about the HD channels when it becomes more stable. Would I still have to go through the epic setup you guys seem to have gone through or would my standard mybuntu 8.04 system be ok? Thanks.

  15. hi dave…
    to get the SD channels to work all you have to do is compile the mantis driver. which is quite easy and was described in my old post here

  16. thanks munzli – I just have one more question before I decide what card to go for, what size dish are you using to pick up these channels? will the sky mini dish be suitable? if not I think I might go for a dvb-t card.

    Thanks again.

  17. If you are going to run myth, you should know that there is now support for the new S2API (see ticket 5882). You’ll need to dump the multiproto, and checkout a newish v4l-dvb repository. Apply the patch in ticket 5882 (you’ll need to be running the 0.22 trunk, and not 0.21), and off you go. Read through the ticket carefully if you want to do this. I’ve got a test backend which works fine for both DVBS and DVBS2 using both Hauppauge (Nova-HD-S2) and Technisat (Skystar HD2) card pointing at (still!) 13E and 19E.

    The ticket has been accepted, so it will eventually be part of myth. This is the way to go since S2API will be in the 2.6.28 kernel….

  18. Hi

    Do you know of any guide for implementing the S2API/Myth0.22 for a semi newbi?

    /KP

  19. hi, what’s about the new mythbuntu 10.10 and the mantis_driver ? is it integrated now ? or MUST i do this step still by hand ?
    if so, which version I have to download ?
    thanks a lot

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