[linux-dvb] Documentation for beginners (was AW: Re: Reception of raw TS or multiple PIDS)

["Torsten Schlabach" <tschlabach@gmx.net>]

Dear Miernik,

>> In fact this whole project (linux-dvb) does not have any good docs or

HOWTOs. Files included in the distribution or CVS do not give enough 
information for somebody who starts using it, and does not want to 
guess some things or spend next couple of days reading the source.

I can only subscribe to that. I am definitely experienced with Linux and
I understand DVB, but I came to this project only recently and do not
have all the history that maybe those people have who are discussing the
more in-depth problems.

I am spending about two weeks know trying to get my stuff working. Most
of that is finding out things the hard way such as:

a) Cards and their chipsets
b) Understanding linuxtv.org, linuxdvb.tv, convergence.de, metzlerbros,
a log of CVSs and download links and how they relate to each other e.g.
who's doing what

I found some things out in the meanwhile, but for me the following
questions are still open:

a) Do Convergence and the Metzler brothers develop different drivers for
the same of for different APIs? The API doc that is downloadable from
Linuxtv.org is (c) Convergence and authored by the Metzler brothers but
somewhere else it says that the Metzler brothers are independent driver
developers. I wonder if there is more than one familiy Metzler or if
they are split personalities ?!?

b) Up to today I was not able to understand the difference between
oldstruct and newstruct.

c) Most of the tools that are linked to on Linuxtv.org (such as dvbtune,
xcha, etc.) don't compile or don't work (any more). The author of xchan,
Jan Panteltje is unreachable. His e-mail inbox in full so messages get
rejected. In the README of his tools it says he read alt.tv.crypt.
Google does not carry that newsgroup; guess why ;-)) I would be willing
to adapt xcha to the most recent API as soon as I understand it myself
but it would be helpful to understand if the author isn't doing that
himself right now ???

d) I have posted questions and remarks to the API doc PDF on the
project's site but nobody even cared to answer yet ...

I am an experienced journalist and would be willing to help with the
documentation (I know, most developers don't like doing that, but I do)
but I can only do that if those who have the information at least answer
to questions on the mailing list.

Don't get me wrong, this is not about blaming anyone. It's more a cry
for help. I need at least unstructured information and the commitment
that if I author some documentation someone is at least interested in
it.

Regards,
Torsten

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Miernik [mailto:miernik@tarnica.ctnet.pl] Im Auftrag von Miernik
Gesendet: Freitag, 7. Februar 2003 20:19
An: linux-dvb@linuxtv.org
Betreff: [linux-dvb] Re: Reception of raw TS or multiple PIDS

On Fri, Feb 07, 2003 at 01:04:57PM +0100, Marcus Metzler wrote:
> There is a program called dvbaudio which is part of dvb-mpegtools (
> http://www.metzlerbros.org/dvb/index.html). You can either use it to
> get the audio elementary stream and pipe it into mpg123 or similar
> programs. 

The docs I could find in the DVB drivers distribution and 
dvb-mpegtools don't give much information about how to do this. In 
fact this whole project (linux-dvb) does not have any good docs or 
HOWTOs. Files included in the distribution or CVS do not give enough 
information for somebody who starts using it, and does not want to 
guess some things or spend next couple of days reading the source. 
There is no place where somebody who wants to RTFM can do it. There 
are some www sites around, but all of them either have specific 
information on some small subject, or out of date (0.8.x drivers for 
example). 

In the LinixDVB FAQ I found this: 
http://www.linuxdvb.tv/documentation/faq/cache/50.html

Can I get the complete TS (Transport Stream) from the DVB card?
Yes, but this only works with the budget cards (i.e. WinTV NOVA) which 
has no built-in MPEG decoder.

But why it doesn'r tell HOW do I get any stream from the DVB card?

I searched this list archive, and I had some guesses based on the 
search results. I wanted to get the sound from CNN:

miernik@tarnica:~$ szap -n47 -r
zapping to 'CNN Int.':
sat 0, frequency = 12168 MHz V, symbolrate 27500000, vpid = 0x00a5, apid
= 0x0064
using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
status 1f | signal c3c3 | snr dada | ber 00000000 | unc ffffffff |
FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal c6c6 | snr d8d8 | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal c3c3 | snr dada | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
FE_HAS_LOCK

miernik@tarnica:~$ cat /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 > test.ts

miernik@tarnica:~$ l test.ts
-rw-r--r--    1 miernik  miernik         0 Feb  7 19:29 test.ts
miernik@tarnica:~$ 

miernik@tarnica:~$ ts2ps 0x00a5 0x0064 < /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 |
pes2aud_es > s1.mp3
ts2ps
pes2aud_es

miernik@tarnica:~$ l s1.mp3 
-rw-r--r--    1 miernik  miernik         0 Feb  7 19:31 s1.mp3
miernik@tarnica:~$ 

As you can see, I do not get anything useful. 

I use newstruct divers from the CVS snapshot of 20030201. 
At the same time I was seeing the CNN video image in tuxview. 

What do I do wrong?

Thanks for help. And this project definetly needs a good, up to date 
HOWTO. There is no simple way of getting to know why there are 
"normal" and "NEWSTRUCT" drivers and how they differ.

-- 
    Miernik
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