[vdr] Re: Audio & hardware question and a look into the future ;o))

["Reinhard Walter Buchner" <rw.buchner@freenet.de>]

Hi Andreas, Ulrich, Michael, all

Aha, so it is the same situation for all of you. I will have
a look (actually I'm already doing it ;o)) into the DVB
driver. I've noticed a similar problem with Windoze
software (which partially is based on the linux driver),
so I will have to check if it's a driver or hardware based
problem.

If there is no bug in the soft (I only have limited infos
on the chips used in the DVB card. The nice guys at
Convergence told me they would like to supply additional
infos , but can't, due to NDA's etc), it might be a good
idea to tweak VDR, so that it only uses a smaller
range, say from 200-255 instead of the full range of
0 to 255. This way a more precise control of the volume
could be achieved. I will look into that in the near
future (shouldn't be too hard) A mute can still set the
volume to NULL. I will also look into a hardware tweak
to increase the power output. The power OP-Amp LM
386 is certainly capable of more output power than it is
currently supplying. The only prob is I don't know how
many people have the guts (I do ;o) to mod their hardware.
Depending on design it should only be the exchange of
one or two SMD resistors.

I hope to have all the audio & video mods & tweaks (in the
VDR code) finished by (actually before ;o) the time Klaus
is ready to set the next stable release.

>the driver had a "bug" in it which led to nearly no volume,
.....
>AFAIK the volume is set in the driver/dvb.c function

I am basing all my mods on VDR 1.1.15 and the HEAD
structure as this will be used in the next stable release. If
Klaus doesn't change too many things in his newer releases,
it should be a piece of cake to implement them in the true
stable. I'm trying to get as much as possible out of the HEAD
branch driver and the DVB hardware. It will contain the 
following features (just to get people interested ;o)) among
others:

working:
*******
- a 2nd (special) tuning routine for people using a motor
  dish (with which Christian Schuld helped me). Both tuning
  routines also contain support for SNR, SS, UNC, BER.
  All functions are used based on a check if the different
  FEs support them or not. At the moment it outputs this
  info during any channel change to the isyslog on the
  console. A later edition will allow this to be displayed
  on the OSD (user selectable). As the new driver outputs
  these values differntly from the old versions I need to
  calculate the actual values. Outputs will be in dB (dBm)
  and in percent, plus later as a differential color bar (i.e.
  red/yellow/green)

- the ability to switch off just the motor (for motor dish users)
- adding 0.5V to the LNB line (for long feed lines)
- Audio balance control
- Video format control (not just 16:9 or 4:3)
- Function "NiteView"
- Better cursor handling

testing
******
- Better volume control
- Color contol such as Hue, Brightness, etc (I haven't got that
   quite working yet)

not quite release ready yet ;o))
************************
- A CAM accress menu (NO promises on this one.It's a b..tch to implement
- Video system (PAL / NTSC) switching
- Switching hardware output w/o having to reinsmod the drivers
- more ;o))

I will only be "allowed" to include the last two functions
if I am able to do so via ioctls So I'll have to hack the new
HEAD driver. The true implementations in the final release,
of course,  depend on what Klaus like out of all my mods ;o))

For those of you who want to change the driver behavoir
(hardware output) I can put up modified Makefile for
DVB/driver/av7110 on my site. You can switch from the
three hardware outputs during an insmod by just giving the
driver some parameters (driver hacking no longer needed).

>If you have a 2.1 card you have an Crystal A-DAC.

No, I have the Rev 1.6 which is a nice cross between the 2.1
(better tuner and low heat plus capability to receive lower
symbol rates) and the Rev 1.3 (J2 connector).

My diseqc plugin (seperate from the avove) will be a full 
fledged automatic version including a simple USALS 
implementation. Now if someone could make a scanner
plugin for VDR, we wouldn't have to rely on any channels
info from the internet(which usually need some tweak or
the other), but rather have VDR gather all complete channels
search on it's own ;o) Klaus' efforts into uniquing the
channels is most certainly a step in the right direction.

BTW: who is working on a make coffee plugin for VDR ;o))
I have to snicker about all those poor soles waiting for their
DreamBox to arrive. VDR already beats it by miles (or km)
;o)) right now.

Greetz,
Reinhard



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