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General => Users => Topic started by: grepico on February 03, 2008, 07:46:22 PM

Title: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 03, 2008, 07:46:22 PM
I got my cable box and MythTV all setup but I'm not understanding something.

I only get Live TV when I set my MythTV channel to 4, any other channel is static.  Like on a TV with a cable box.  When I'm set to channel 4 I can change channels on my cable box with the cable remote, but that pretty much renders the Native Myth guide and recording useless as it has to stay on channel 4.

I want to have my cable box change channels when I select a channel from the guide not the tuner card.  Can this be done?

Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: tschak909 on February 03, 2008, 09:30:51 PM
Yes, you will need to make a device template for your cable box, from the LinuxMCE web admin. Does LinuxMCE's setup wizard see your tuner?

-Thom
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 03, 2008, 10:33:02 PM
I setup the tuner and yes, the setup wizard sees my tuner. 

My issue is that when I bring up the MythTV guide and change the channel, it changes on the tuner card not the cable box.

Also the TV quality is terrible, is that because of my Tuner card?  If so what should I use instead of a PVR150?
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: tschak909 on February 03, 2008, 10:38:46 PM
you SHOULD actually hook up to your S-Video port, instead of using the tuner port.

-Thom
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 03, 2008, 10:46:30 PM
My cable box only has Composite and Cable I've tried both with the same results.

On a side note: God forbid linux have install files you can just click on instead of "Type this command in Aramaic at a console prompt with these 8 million switches which you will have absolutely no knowledge of what they are for. Oh and don't forget to make sure you're running it as root, we wouldn't want the actual user of this computer to be able to install anything as that would be too convenient."

I can't imagine why every desktop in America isn't running Linux.  Grrrrr
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: tschak909 on February 03, 2008, 10:56:23 PM
if you use the composite source, it should not try to change channels on the tuner card.

-Thom
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 03, 2008, 10:59:24 PM
OK, but how do I get it to change the channel on my cable box?
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: tschak909 on February 03, 2008, 11:18:25 PM
If you create a device template, you give it the infra-red codes to change channels on your box. This implies that you need a USB UIRT, with an IR Emitter stuck to the IR eye of your cable box.

Once this is done, and the cable box is assigned to the room with your TV, you'll be able to change channels on both MythTV and LiveTV. (Do you see a LiveTV button for your cable box? if not, you've set up your cable box device template incorrectly... look for the DCT6412 template for an example.)

-Thom
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 04, 2008, 12:02:02 AM
OK, what am I missing?  Here's what I have and I believe it's correct.

MythTV is setup and working with the exception of the channel changing thing.  I've got the correct program guide showing up.

I have my cable box setup with a template and USBUIRT controlled by infrared.  When I select the cable box on the Media tab the remote works, channel change, power on/off.  This indicates to me that the box and template are setup correctly.  However I have sound but no video when i select the box.

If I select "TV", the TV comes up fine, vid and audio, the guide is correct, but changing channels through myth does nothing to the  picture.  It says it changed on screen and shows the info for what is supposed to be on that channel but the cable box stays on the channel it was on and that's the show I can see on the screen.  If I change the cable channel with the cable box remote it changes fine and I can watch any channel I want.

Is there some setting I'm missing in the Myth setup that tells it to send channel changes to the UIRT?
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Zaerc on February 04, 2008, 02:34:19 PM
Quote from: grepico on February 03, 2008, 10:46:30 PM
My cable box only has Composite and Cable I've tried both with the same results.

On a side note: God forbid linux have install files you can just click on instead of "Type this command in Aramaic at a console prompt with these 8 million switches which you will have absolutely no knowledge of what they are for. Oh and don't forget to make sure you're running it as root, we wouldn't want the actual user of this computer to be able to install anything as that would be too convenient."

I can't imagine why every desktop in America isn't running Linux.  Grrrrr

And on another sidenote: God forbid you'd actually know what you're talking about...  ::)
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 04, 2008, 05:59:55 PM
Quote from: Zaerc on February 04, 2008, 02:34:19 PM
And on another sidenote: God forbid you'd actually know what you're talking about...  ::)

I do and have in the past freely admitted that I don't know linux at all, but I went to view the linuxmce video and Firefox tells me that I need the Flash plugin, cool, I click the link and it throws an error.  There's another link to manually download and install the plugin, OK, let's do that.  Then I get this:

nstallation instructions
.tar.gz installation

   1. Click the "Download .tar.gz" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .tar.gz file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. Unpackage the file. A directory called install_flash_player_9_linux will be created.
   4. In terminal, navigate to this directory and type ./flashplayer-installer to run the installer. Click Enter. The installer will instruct you to shut down your browser(s).
   5. Once the installation is complete, the plug-in will be installed in your Mozilla browser. To verify, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.

.rpm installation

   1. Click the "Download .rpm" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .rpm file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. In terminal, navigate to the desktop and type # rpm -Uvh <rpm_package_file>. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user). The installer will instruct you to shut down your browser(s).
   4. Once the installation is complete, the plug-in will be installed in your Mozilla browser. To verify, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.

YUM repository installation

   1. Click the "Download .rpm" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .rpm file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. In terminal, navigate to the desktop and type # rpm -Uvh <rpm_package_file>. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user).
   4. Once the installation is complete, in terminal, type # yum install flash-plugin. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user).
   5. To verify the plugin is installed in Mozilla, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.
   6. To get the most up-to-date Flash Player in the future, simply type # yum update flash-plugin in terminal. You will not need to repeat steps 1-4.

I attempt the first one and upon typing the command I'm told that the rpm crap isn't installed and to run some other command.  OK, fine, I run that one and all seems well so I go back to my flash installation and run that command again and I get a list of about 10 libxxx or whatever that are missing and pretty much you're F'd in the A mister.  This is the point at which I just took out my Windows laptop and watched the damn video.

Again, I admit that I don't know Linux and I'm sure there was some easier way to get the flash plugin, but the solution that presented itself was to say the least cumbersome and aggravating.

I, unlike many other people, am NOT an operating system biggot.  I believe Linx, just like Windows has it's place and function (MCE for example).  However, I really don't see how it can be touted as a "desktop" operating system as long as it isn't idiot friendly because that's what most of us are.

That's all my comment, albeit born of frustration, was intended to express.
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Zaerc on February 05, 2008, 03:08:25 PM
Quote from: grepico on February 04, 2008, 05:59:55 PM
Quote from: Zaerc on February 04, 2008, 02:34:19 PM
And on another sidenote: God forbid you'd actually know what you're talking about...  ::)

I do and have in the past freely admitted that I don't know linux at all, but I went to view the linuxmce video and Firefox tells me that I need the Flash plugin, cool, I click the link and it throws an error.  There's another link to manually download and install the plugin, OK, let's do that.  Then I get this:

nstallation instructions
.tar.gz installation

   1. Click the "Download .tar.gz" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .tar.gz file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. Unpackage the file. A directory called install_flash_player_9_linux will be created.
   4. In terminal, navigate to this directory and type ./flashplayer-installer to run the installer. Click Enter. The installer will instruct you to shut down your browser(s).
   5. Once the installation is complete, the plug-in will be installed in your Mozilla browser. To verify, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.

.rpm installation

   1. Click the "Download .rpm" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .rpm file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. In terminal, navigate to the desktop and type # rpm -Uvh <rpm_package_file>. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user). The installer will instruct you to shut down your browser(s).
   4. Once the installation is complete, the plug-in will be installed in your Mozilla browser. To verify, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.

YUM repository installation

   1. Click the "Download .rpm" link. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
   2. Save the .rpm file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
   3. In terminal, navigate to the desktop and type # rpm -Uvh <rpm_package_file>. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user).
   4. Once the installation is complete, in terminal, type # yum install flash-plugin. Click Enter. (Note: This must be done as a root user).
   5. To verify the plugin is installed in Mozilla, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.
   6. To get the most up-to-date Flash Player in the future, simply type # yum update flash-plugin in terminal. You will not need to repeat steps 1-4.

I attempt the first one and upon typing the command I'm told that the rpm crap isn't installed and to run some other command.  OK, fine, I run that one and all seems well so I go back to my flash installation and run that command again and I get a list of about 10 libxxx or whatever that are missing and pretty much you're F'd in the A mister.  This is the point at which I just took out my Windows laptop and watched the damn video.

Again, I admit that I don't know Linux and I'm sure there was some easier way to get the flash plugin, but the solution that presented itself was to say the least cumbersome and aggravating.

I, unlike many other people, am NOT an operating system biggot.  I believe Linx, just like Windows has it's place and function (MCE for example).  However, I really don't see how it can be touted as a "desktop" operating system as long as it isn't idiot friendly because that's what most of us are.

That's all my comment, albeit born of frustration, was intended to express.

What an entertaining anecdote, to bad it doesn't have shit to do with linux.  The commercial company you're having grievances with in this particular case is called Adobe, by all means feel free to complain to them about their crappy product.

Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: grepico on February 05, 2008, 05:52:45 PM
Again, I'm completely new to linux so I'm sure this is my ignorance but isn't the install process a Linux thing?  I understand the app is from Adobe but the process to install seems to be a condition of the OS.  Are you saying that this is not typical and that Adobe was just lazy in their packaging?

I'm seriously not antagonizing, just trying to make sure I'm informed.

Thanks
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 06:44:16 PM
Grepico,

I will assume by the description of your problem in installing the flashplayer that you are using a 64-bit distro.  Adobe has yet to create a 64-bit version of flashplayer for linux.  Full stop.  The ubuntu forums have many posts with guides on how to alternatively isntall 32-bit firefox so that you can get the 32-bit flashplayer for linux working in your browser.

Again, this is Adobe's fault for not supplying a 64-bit linux version of flashplayer.  It affects ALL versions of linux.  In fact, even in 64-vista the auto-installer doesn't work, but there IS a manual installer that works in that case.
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: rrambo on February 05, 2008, 07:10:07 PM
Quote from: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 06:44:16 PM
Grepico,

I will assume by the description of your problem in installing the flashplayer that you are using a 64-bit distro.  Adobe has yet to create a 64-bit version of flashplayer for linux.  Full stop.  The ubuntu forums have many posts with guides on how to alternatively isntall 32-bit firefox so that you can get the 32-bit flashplayer for linux working in your browser.

Again, this is Adobe's fault for not supplying a 64-bit linux version of flashplayer.  It affects ALL versions of linux.  In fact, even in 64-vista the auto-installer doesn't work, but there IS a manual installer that works in that case.

ok..  wait a minute...  I have a 64-bit MD....  instead of trying to go through the hassle of installing individual packages (because I couldn't get flash installed by itself), I just went in through add/remove programs (adept_installer) and installed the Ubuntu/Kubuntu Restricted extras and now flash is working...
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Zaerc on February 05, 2008, 07:24:23 PM
Quote from: grepico on February 05, 2008, 05:52:45 PM
Again, I'm completely new to linux so I'm sure this is my ignorance but isn't the install process a Linux thing?  I understand the app is from Adobe but the process to install seems to be a condition of the OS.  Are you saying that this is not typical and that Adobe was just lazy in their packaging?

I'm seriously not antagonizing, just trying to make sure I'm informed.

Thanks

I know it's confusing but first of all linux is not an operating system, but the kernel on which several operating systems such as slackware, debian, *buntu, suse, fedora and so on are based.  These operating systems implement a variety of ways to manage software packages.  As most of the software they use is open source they maintain their own set of software packages, often with a few minor changes to make the software fit inside the system properly. 

The adobe software you are refering to is not open source so it is hard for the makers of these operating systems to do that.  And aparently adobe could only be bothered to make installable software packages for rpm based systems (such as redhat/fedora and suse etc.), and not for instance .deb packages (for debian/*buntu etc.) like you probably would have needed.  Therefore the rest of us get some crappy installer script that doesn't even work most of the time, while in the end it's little more then unpacking an archive and moving one or two files to the right place if you do it manually.

Compared to the literally tens of thousands of software packages that are freely available I do not consider this mess from adobe to be representative at all.  Under kubuntu (for instance) you can install most of the software you will ever need by simply selecting it from a list, no need to even download the "install files" yourself manually.  Unfortunately the tools to do this conveniently (in a graphical environment) are removed under lmce, in order to to prevent updates (that could break the system) from sneaking in through the side door.

Just FYI, bkm789 recently told me how to manually install the flash player under kubuntu-amd64:

sudo apt-get install nspluginwrapper
wget http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz
tar xvf install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz
sudo cp install_flash_player_9_linux/libflashplayer.so /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/
sudo nspluginwrapper -i /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/libflashplayer.so
rm -rf install_flash_player_9_linux

The steps involving "nspluginwrapper" are probably not needed under i386 at all.

And I see that rrambo even found a much nicer way to do it through the adept_installer (which is normally removed under lmce).
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 07:26:32 PM
Quote from: rrambo on February 05, 2008, 07:10:07 PM
Quote from: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 06:44:16 PM
Grepico,

I will assume by the description of your problem in installing the flashplayer that you are using a 64-bit distro.  Adobe has yet to create a 64-bit version of flashplayer for linux.  Full stop.  The ubuntu forums have many posts with guides on how to alternatively isntall 32-bit firefox so that you can get the 32-bit flashplayer for linux working in your browser.

Again, this is Adobe's fault for not supplying a 64-bit linux version of flashplayer.  It affects ALL versions of linux.  In fact, even in 64-vista the auto-installer doesn't work, but there IS a manual installer that works in that case.

ok..  wait a minute...  I have a 64-bit MD....  instead of trying to go through the hassle of installing individual packages (because I couldn't get flash installed by itself), I just went in through add/remove programs (adept_installer) and installed the Ubuntu/Kubuntu Restricted extras and now flash is working...

Either a) you have 32-bit firefox installed or b) a 64-bit flashplayer has been added to the repositories in Ubuntu 7.10? (i'm still runing 7.04)
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: rrambo on February 05, 2008, 08:01:04 PM
Quote from: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 07:26:32 PM
Quote from: rrambo on February 05, 2008, 07:10:07 PM
Quote from: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 06:44:16 PM
Grepico,

I will assume by the description of your problem in installing the flashplayer that you are using a 64-bit distro.  Adobe has yet to create a 64-bit version of flashplayer for linux.  Full stop.  The ubuntu forums have many posts with guides on how to alternatively isntall 32-bit firefox so that you can get the 32-bit flashplayer for linux working in your browser.

Again, this is Adobe's fault for not supplying a 64-bit linux version of flashplayer.  It affects ALL versions of linux.  In fact, even in 64-vista the auto-installer doesn't work, but there IS a manual installer that works in that case.


ok..  wait a minute...  I have a 64-bit MD....  instead of trying to go through the hassle of installing individual packages (because I couldn't get flash installed by itself), I just went in through add/remove programs (adept_installer) and installed the Ubuntu/Kubuntu Restricted extras and now flash is working...

Either a) you have 32-bit firefox installed or b) a 64-bit flashplayer has been added to the repositories in Ubuntu 7.10? (i'm still runing 7.04)

If it's a 32-bit install of firefox, then that would be a function of the lmce install as I haven't made any changes other than installing the restricted extras..  I will say that this did not work in 7.04 on my 64-bit MD.
Title: Re: Cable box and MythTV interface.
Post by: Venom986 on February 05, 2008, 08:12:41 PM
probalby just something new then that I haven't encountered as my ubuntu systems are still on feisty fawn.