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Date:      Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:59:29 +0100
From:      Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To:        Gary Kline <kline@thought.org>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: oops, now: bsd question: how to record a tv stream?
Message-ID:  <20120315045929.ee43ab20.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <20120314193008.GA19731@thought.org>
References:  <20120311202816.GA7754@thought.org> <20120311221958.37717d66.freebsd@edvax.de> <4F5D3954.1090807@herveybayaustralia.com.au> <4F5EB08D.7090407@ShaneWare.Biz> <4F5EB36A.4090609@herveybayaustralia.com.au> <20120313210636.GD10311@thought.org> <4F5FB8CC.8080303@puresimplicity.net> <20120314021946.GA7043@thought.org> <20120314040930.8e1c3d02.freebsd@edvax.de> <4F602576.4070501@herveybayaustralia.com.au> <20120314193008.GA19731@thought.org>

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On Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:30:08 -0700, Gary Kline wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 02:58:30PM +1000, Da Rock wrote:
> > Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:58:30 +1000
> > From: Da Rock <freebsd-questions@herveybayaustralia.com.au>
> > Subject: Re: oops, now: bsd question: how to record a tv stream?
> > To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> > 
> > On 03/14/12 13:09, Polytropon wrote:
> > >On Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:19:46 -0700, Gary Kline wrote:
> > >>	i have heard about the "848" or whatever cards for years.
> > >>	should i have my sister's technician add one?  i understood
> > >>	everything but your last paragraph.  please do send me the
> > >>	links....offline i f you think it wise to spare the
> > >>	bandwidth.
> > >Just to make a note: This is the card I'm using. The model
> > >name is "Haupauge WinTV" and the tuner chip is Brooktree 878.
> > >It is well supported by FreeBSD (and has been for many years).
> > >A "problem" may be that it is a PCI card.
> > >
> > >The programs mplayer and mencoder can be used to address the
> > >tuner and video-in functions of that card, as well as displaying
> > >and storing the received content. You need a HF line to the
> > >card (or an antenna maybe), except you provide the video feed
> > >from a satelite receiver via video-in. In that case, you also
> > >need to provide the audio signal from the receiver to your
> > >sound card's line-in. With mencoder, both sources can be
> > >"combined" and the result can be stored as a video file in
> > >any format and container you want.
> > >
> > >This is the card:
> > >
> > >bktr0@pci0:0:9:0:       class=0x040000 card=0x13eb0070
> > >                         chip=0x036e109e rev=0x11 hdr=0x00
> > >     vendor     = 'Conexant (Was: Brooktree Corp)'
> > >     device     = 'Bt878/Fusion 878A Mediastream Controller'
> > >     class      = multimedia
> > >     subclass   = video
> > >
> > >The card provides HF-in both for TV and radio, video-in,
> > >audio-out and... not sure what it is. :-)
> > >
> > >You need the kernel modules loaded per
> > >
> > >	bktr_load="YES"
> > >
> > >in /boot/loader.conf, and the card will work out of the box.
> > >No need to manually and interactively install a "driver". :-)
> > >
> > >The player command is something like
> > >
> > >	% mplayer tv://1 -vo x11 -ao sdl -tv driver=bsdbt848:device=/dev/bktr0
> > >
> > >and similarly mencoder can be used (-ovc and -oac need to be
> > >adjusted accordingly) to encode to a file.
> > >
> > >I'm not sure how to handle TV ("antenna") input as I've always
> > >been using a raw video feed (from VTR or camera). However, there's
> > >documentation that may help:
> > >
> > >	http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/tv-input.html
> > >
> > >It also contains an example to "record to file", which will
> > >implement the "software video tape recoder" functionality.
> > Brooktrees would be nice - if you could find them. Given the move to
> > DVB is nearly over, there aren't many analog cards available - or
> > need for them.
> > 
> > The new cards use incompatible chipsets (learnt the hard way),
> > including analog and especially DVB; you have to use the cx88 port
> > to use them. Or if you come across a different chipset ensure the
> > card is USB based and use webcamd.
> > 
> > Following all that, FBSD works beautifully as a HTPC.
> 
> 
> 	GAAWK! This is far, far out of my comfort zone thst i wsill
> 	just skip it for now.  i have my feed from my local telco,
> 	not an antenna....

The BrookTree TV tuner component doesn't make a big difference
here. Both the antenna and the cable will deliver a "frequency
conglomerate" of the available TV programs which the tuner chip
can select from.

If you require a specific cable receiver with video-out, you can
send its signal to the card's video-on (and the audio-out of the
receiver to your computer's sound card's line-in), skipping the
part where the TV card has to select a TV program. Both methods
work fine.



> 	thanks for all the datapoints, guys, but i can vedry well
> 	live without the card.

In that case, try to find a web presence that allows you to down-
load or to stream (and in conclusion, to download) the TV programs.
This makes you independent of airing time (which probably is a
good thing).

Maybe there's also a service like OnlineTVRecorder.com ("Your
personal multichannel tv recorder") available for you, providing
downloads for the programs you want in AVI or OTRKEY format.



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...



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