diff options
Diffstat (limited to '')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/media/v4l-drivers/ivtv.rst | 217 |
1 files changed, 217 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/media/v4l-drivers/ivtv.rst b/Documentation/media/v4l-drivers/ivtv.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..3ba464c4f --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/media/v4l-drivers/ivtv.rst @@ -0,0 +1,217 @@ + +The ivtv driver +=============== + +Author: Hans Verkuil <hverkuil@xs4all.nl> + +This is a v4l2 device driver for the Conexant cx23415/6 MPEG encoder/decoder. +The cx23415 can do both encoding and decoding, the cx23416 can only do MPEG +encoding. Currently the only card featuring full decoding support is the +Hauppauge PVR-350. + +.. note:: + + #) This driver requires the latest encoder firmware (version 2.06.039, size + 376836 bytes). Get the firmware from here: + + https://linuxtv.org/downloads/firmware/#conexant + + #) 'normal' TV applications do not work with this driver, you need + an application that can handle MPEG input such as mplayer, xine, MythTV, + etc. + +The primary goal of the IVTV project is to provide a "clean room" Linux +Open Source driver implementation for video capture cards based on the +iCompression iTVC15 or Conexant CX23415/CX23416 MPEG Codec. + +Features +-------- + + * Hardware mpeg2 capture of broadcast video (and sound) via the tuner or + S-Video/Composite and audio line-in. + * Hardware mpeg2 capture of FM radio where hardware support exists + * Supports NTSC, PAL, SECAM with stereo sound + * Supports SAP and bilingual transmissions. + * Supports raw VBI (closed captions and teletext). + * Supports sliced VBI (closed captions and teletext) and is able to insert + this into the captured MPEG stream. + * Supports raw YUV and PCM input. + +Additional features for the PVR-350 (CX23415 based) +--------------------------------------------------- + + * Provides hardware mpeg2 playback + * Provides comprehensive OSD (On Screen Display: ie. graphics overlaying the + video signal) + * Provides a framebuffer (allowing X applications to appear on the video + device) + * Supports raw YUV output. + +IMPORTANT: In case of problems first read this page: + https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Install_IVTV_Troubleshooting + +See also +-------- + +https://linuxtv.org + +IRC +--- + +irc://irc.freenode.net/#v4l + +---------------------------------------------------------- + +Devices +------- + +A maximum of 12 ivtv boards are allowed at the moment. + +Cards that don't have a video output capability (i.e. non PVR350 cards) +lack the vbi8, vbi16, video16 and video48 devices. They also do not +support the framebuffer device /dev/fbx for OSD. + +The radio0 device may or may not be present, depending on whether the +card has a radio tuner or not. + +Here is a list of the base v4l devices: + +.. code-block:: none + + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 0 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/video0 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 16 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/video16 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 24 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/video24 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 32 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/video32 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 48 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/video48 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 64 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/radio0 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 224 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/vbi0 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 228 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/vbi8 + crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 232 Jun 19 22:22 /dev/vbi16 + +Base devices +------------ + +For every extra card you have the numbers increased by one. For example, +/dev/video0 is listed as the 'base' encoding capture device so we have: + +- /dev/video0 is the encoding capture device for the first card (card 0) +- /dev/video1 is the encoding capture device for the second card (card 1) +- /dev/video2 is the encoding capture device for the third card (card 2) + +Note that if the first card doesn't have a feature (eg no decoder, so no +video16, the second card will still use video17. The simple rule is 'add +the card number to the base device number'. If you have other capture +cards (e.g. WinTV PCI) that are detected first, then you have to tell +the ivtv module about it so that it will start counting at 1 (or 2, or +whatever). Otherwise the device numbers can get confusing. The ivtv +'ivtv_first_minor' module option can be used for that. + + +- /dev/video0 + + The encoding capture device(s). + + Read-only. + + Reading from this device gets you the MPEG1/2 program stream. + Example: + + .. code-block:: none + + cat /dev/video0 > my.mpg (you need to hit ctrl-c to exit) + + +- /dev/video16 + + The decoder output device(s) + + Write-only. Only present if the MPEG decoder (i.e. CX23415) exists. + + An mpeg2 stream sent to this device will appear on the selected video + display, audio will appear on the line-out/audio out. It is only + available for cards that support video out. Example: + + .. code-block:: none + + cat my.mpg >/dev/video16 + + +- /dev/video24 + + The raw audio capture device(s). + + Read-only + + The raw audio PCM stereo stream from the currently selected + tuner or audio line-in. Reading from this device results in a raw + (signed 16 bit Little Endian, 48000 Hz, stereo pcm) capture. + This device only captures audio. This should be replaced by an ALSA + device in the future. + Note that there is no corresponding raw audio output device, this is + not supported in the decoder firmware. + + +- /dev/video32 + + The raw video capture device(s) + + Read-only + + The raw YUV video output from the current video input. The YUV format + is non-standard (V4L2_PIX_FMT_HM12). + + Note that the YUV and PCM streams are not synchronized, so they are of + limited use. + + +- /dev/video48 + + The raw video display device(s) + + Write-only. Only present if the MPEG decoder (i.e. CX23415) exists. + + Writes a YUV stream to the decoder of the card. + + +- /dev/radio0 + + The radio tuner device(s) + + Cannot be read or written. + + Used to enable the radio tuner and tune to a frequency. You cannot + read or write audio streams with this device. Once you use this + device to tune the radio, use /dev/video24 to read the raw pcm stream + or /dev/video0 to get an mpeg2 stream with black video. + + +- /dev/vbi0 + + The 'vertical blank interval' (Teletext, CC, WSS etc) capture device(s) + + Read-only + + Captures the raw (or sliced) video data sent during the Vertical Blank + Interval. This data is used to encode teletext, closed captions, VPS, + widescreen signalling, electronic program guide information, and other + services. + + +- /dev/vbi8 + + Processed vbi feedback device(s) + + Read-only. Only present if the MPEG decoder (i.e. CX23415) exists. + + The sliced VBI data embedded in an MPEG stream is reproduced on this + device. So while playing back a recording on /dev/video16, you can + read the embedded VBI data from /dev/vbi8. + + +- /dev/vbi16 + + The vbi 'display' device(s) + + Write-only. Only present if the MPEG decoder (i.e. CX23415) exists. + + Can be used to send sliced VBI data to the video-out connector. |