[linux-dvb] Asus My Cinema P7131 Dual

[Benjamí Villoslada]

A Dimarts 13 Juny 2006 23:04, hermann pitton va escriure:
> yes, that one works fine for me. It has also an on board analog audio
> out connector and so you don't depend on saa7134-oss or saa7134-alsa for
> sound, but this works too either using sox or mplayer/mencoder to access
> the saa7134 dsp and mixer. (the two pins in the middle are ground and
> this cable was not bundled with mine)

Thanks! This is a great notice. After the alsa problems ("kernel: saa7133[0] 
dsp access error") I've searched one card with this external connection!

> There is another Asus My Cinema P7131 Dual with subsystem 1043:4857,
> which is not confirmed for DVB-T and radio yet, AFAIK.

Ok, I can return the card --one important detail when Linux users buy 
hardware: «I can return it when "doesn't works in Linux" is the reason?» :)

> > But I'm afraid because since now I've tested 3 cards and always I get the
> > same sound error with ALSA:   kernel: saa7133[0] dsp access error
>
> There have been some reports of incompatibilities with some kernels and
> installed distro alsa, but can't say for Debian.

There my ALSA installation:

------------------
$ dpkg -l "*alsa*" | grep ^i
ii  alsa-base             1.0.11-2       ALSA driver configuration files
ii  alsa-firmware-loaders 1.0.11-1       ALSA software loaders for specific 
hardware
ii  alsa-tools            1.0.11-1       Console based ALSA utilities for 
specific ha
ii  alsa-tools-gui        1.0.11-1       GUI based ALSA utilities for specific 
hardwa
ii  alsa-utils            1.0.11-4       ALSA utilities
ii  alsamixergui          0.9.0rc2-1-9   graphical soundcard mixer for ALSA 
soundcard
ii  libsdl1.2debian-alsa  1.2.10-3       Simple DirectMedia Layer (with X11 
and ALSA
------------------

Now I use one custom kernel (vanilla, from kernel.org) 

------------------
$ uname -r
2.6.16.18-smp-bitassa
------------------

I was compiled this vanilla kernel --with no results-- just for the ALSA 
problem with the Debian kernel (2.6.16-12 smp).  Maybe is one ALSA problem?  
You've seen some workaround about this?

> > Anyone have one Asus My Cinema P7131 Dua working in Debian?   With FM
> > sound.
>
> Not on Debian, but card=78 1043:4862 works since about eight or nine
> months for me now. With nice FM stereo sound since about four months
> after Hartmut adjusted the saa7133/35/31e to the special 5.5MHz FM IF
> the Philips silicon tuners use. Is in 2.6.16.

Good notice :)

> There is no signal strength and stereo detection on radio implemented
> with the saa7131e yet, means radio autotuning doesn't work. You have to
> set up a list of your stations manually once.

Is sufficient. I only would create Ogg Vorbis files at high compression 
because are voice only --my weekly collaboration (one free software and 
Internet advocacy space in http://www.cadenaser.com > Mallorca Island station 
without Internet streaming)

I use the KRadio scheduling and Ogg Vorbis save functions.

> The IR remote is also not 
> yet supported and to have a fine picture on analog TV it needs cable-tv
> input, poor FreeToAir broadcast is not recommended. Some complain about
> a little bit slow analog channel switching too. Else, for what I know
> and can compare to, it performs very well.
>
> BTW, using all three input types at once without to plug antenna
> connectors is only possible if you have the radio on the same antenna
> input as DVB-T. It comes up currently with DVB-T and analog on the
> cable-tv input. After using radio once the FM connector is also active
> for DVB-T input then. Using one of the analog video inputs switches
> back.
>
> To quote Hartmut for some other known caveats on this and similar cards
> from the video4linux-list

Thanks for the review, Hermann!

(I've sent this message to video4linux-list too, I apologize because seems 
that have people in the two lists.  I'm new to this area, what is the 
appropriate list to ask, speak and contribute experiences about those cards?)

Cheers,

-- 
Benjamí
http://blog.bitassa.cat



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