1.2. History

The first API for DVB cards we used at Convergence in late 1999 was an extension of the Video4Linux API which was primarily developed for frame grabber cards. As such it was not really well suited to be used for DVB cards and their new features like recording MPEG streams and filtering several section and PES data streams at the same time.

In early 2000, we were approached by Nokia with a proposal for a new standard Linux DVB API. As a commitment to the development of terminals based on open standards, Nokia and Convergence made it available to all Linux developers and published it on https://linuxtv.org/ in September 2000. Convergence is the maintainer of the Linux DVB API. Together with the LinuxTV community (i.e. you, the reader of this document), the Linux DVB API will be constantly reviewed and improved. With the Linux driver for the Siemens/Hauppauge DVB PCI card Convergence provides a first implementation of the Linux DVB API.