DVB-T TV on Pandora

[mcobit]

So, I will give some detailed information about the process:


I am using a MSI Digi Vox Mini Air adapter. It was the smallest I could find an it is only 24.95 Euro at "Saturn". (For the germans, that would like to buy it too).


Digi Vox Mini Air


It has no drivers in the current kernel and as I didn't have a kernel-developement-setup, the only chance is to compile the driver myself.


The chipset used in this product is the Realtek rtl2832u.


The driver is on the Internet in a package with a very handy installer script. For this adapter version 1.4.2 is the only working one.


rtl2832u Driver


Now for the compiling:


I used a dev-extend and a 2GB home-extend from Stuckies extends.


Mounted both and opened a shell. Then I did the following.


Now I went to my UBUNTU Box and installed git.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install gitg

With the command:

git clone git://git.openpandora.org/pandora-kernel.git kernel

I could download the kernel-source of the pandora-kernel.



When this finished, I copied the folder to my sd-card (approx. 270MB).



Now back to the Pandora:



Here I copied the source to the home extend:

cp -r /path/to/your/SD/kernel /var/volatile/tmp/homeExtend/

Went to the home-extend and into the copied folder:

cd /var/volatile/tmp/homeExtend/kernel

Now it is time to compile (not install!) the kernel.

For that i had to create some symlinks in the /usr/bin folder because the compiler looks for different filenames:

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-ar /usr/bin/arm-linux-ar

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-nm /usr/bin/arm-linux-nm

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-ld /usr/bin/arm-linux-ld

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-gcc /usr/bin/arm-linux-gcc

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-objcopy /usr/bin/arm-linux-objcopy

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi-objdump /usr/bin/arm-linux-objdump

Now I did:

make oldconfig

make prepare scripts

Then I copied back the original .config file from /proc/config.gz (thanks sebt3)

mkdir -p /lib/modules/2.6.27.46-omap1/build

zcat /proc/config.gz >/lib/modules/2.6.27.46-omap1/build/.config

Now I did

make

This compiles the kernel! Takes about 3 Hours at 800mhz.

There are some warnings but I ignored them for now.



The kernel needed to be compiled because there are some files, that are only there after compilation, that the driver needed to compile.



Whe this finished I did:

make modules

I don't know if it is necessary but It doesn't hurt, I think.





Now that I had a compiled version of the kernel-source, I could link it to where the drivers expect it:

mkdir /lib/modules/2.6.27.46-omap1/build

ln -s /var/volatile/tmp/homeExtend/kernel/* /lib/modules/2.6.27.46-omap1/build/

Now I downloaded and extracted the driver package:

 cd /var/volatile/tmp/homeExtend/

wget http://www.turnovfree.net/~stybla/linux/v4l-dvb/lv5tdlx/091207_RTL2832U_LINUX_Ver1.4.2.rar

As there is no rar in the pandora-image, I converted the package with some online unpacker like WobZIP.

I downloaded the onlinecreated zipfile and unzipped it:

unzip archive.zip

Then went into the folder and ran the install.sh script. That had to be done as root, because it includes the make install command.

cd archive/091207_RTL2832U_LINUX*/

sudo sh install.sh

The rest did the script.



Now I had the drivers installed in the dev-extend.



After a reboot and mounting of the dev-extend I was able to scan for channels using the dvb-apps:

sudo opkg install dvb-apps dvb-scan tvb-tzap

scan -o zap /usr/share/dvb/dvb-t/de-Hessen >~/channels.conf

This scans the transponder for channels and saves this information in a file called channels.conf in your home directory.



Then I started VLC (the packaged one by sebt3, not from the repros, as there seems to be no dvb support in it).



To watch the stream I had to open the file channels.conf with the open file-menu in VLC.



Then you can open view -> Playlist to see al the channels.



Note: It is pretty necessary to overclock for this. With 900 Mhz everyting is fluid. With 800 Mhz the picture will stutter sometimes, because the cortex can't keep up with rendering the picture.

Some dsp-action would be required here to do it at stock-speed.

After the first tests, I copied the modules in /lib/modules/ over to the nand (I just copied the whole folder, because I didn't know which modules were necessary), so that I don't have to mount the dev-extend everytime.



Maybe someone could help me to package the modules up for the others to use.



Edit: I typed this mainly from memory! If anyone finds some mistakes, please write them here that I can correct them in the post.



And here is a video for you:




https://www.youtube.com/embed/-_cnkGdCkpA?feature=oembed

[ 3105.048400] usb 1-2: New USB device found, idVendor=1d19, idProduct=1102

[ 3105.055206] usb 1-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3

[ 3105.062438] usb 1-2: Product: Rtl2832UDVB

[ 3105.066497] usb 1-2: Manufacturer: Realtek

[ 3105.070617] usb 1-2: SerialNumber: 1

[ 3105.735839] dvb-usb: found a 'DK mini DVBT DONGLE' in warm state.

[ 3105.742095] dvb-usb: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer.

[ 3105.753570] DVB: registering new adapter (DK mini DVBT DONGLE)

[ 3105.763977] DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Realtek RTL2832 DVB-T  RTL2836 DTMB)...

[ 3105.772552] dvb-usb: DK mini DVBT DONGLE successfully initialized and connected.

[ 3105.780090] dvb-usb: found a 'DK mini DVBT DONGLE' in warm state.

[ 3105.786285] dvb-usb: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer.

[ 3105.949859] DVB: registering new adapter (DK mini DVBT DONGLE)

[ 3105.960296] DVB: registering adapter 1 frontend 0 (Realtek RTL2832 DVB-T  RTL2836 DTMB)...

[ 3105.968841] dvb-usb: DK mini DVBT DONGLE successfully initialized and connected.

[ 3105.976440] usbcore: registered new interface driver dvb_usb_rtl2832u

Edit: it is possible, that you have to set the folder attributes to 775 or something after copyin.

 

[may88]

Wow! Good work. Sure got your hands dirty with this one. I have a stick but unsure the chip set at this time.


May well be revisiting this page in the future to make good use of your work.

 

[Farox]

this thread is just great


and pandora gets better and better :-D

^ +1


Fantastic work.

 

[MarkoeZ]

Just awesome


Now im still sort of a linux noob, but i have a Saturn just a 5 minute walk away!!


So with your download, how much of those actions do i need to repeat to get this working? :S


Great work anyway!


Cheers!

 

[gruso]

Great stuff, thanks for the detailed walkthrough mcobit. I am so doing this.

 

[banjeed]

Hell yeah! also first time I've seem my BG on an actual Pandora. Thanks man

 

[mcobit]

Just awesome


Now im still sort of a linux noob, but i have a Saturn just a 5 minute walk away!!


So with your download, how much of those actions do i need to repeat to get this working? :S


Great work anyway!


Cheers!

If you get exactly that stick you should only have to download and copy the modules. Then scan for channels and get vlc.


And I am looking for someone, who helps me find only the necessary modules and package them in a pnd like the hotfixes, that everyone, who wants to install them just has to click the pnd and enter the password.

 

[mcobit]

Here is one more video:


Now with better signal.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-_cnkGdCkpA?feature=oembed

 

[Asiyura]

Nice, now the pandora can fully replace the GameGear

More seriously, good job!


There are Saturn in Belgium too, so I hope that the stick will still be available when I'll get my pandora

 

[mcobit]

Or just:


http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_de_DE=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=digi+vox+mini+air&x=0&y=0

 

[mcobit]

Or just:


http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_de_DE=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=digi+vox+mini+air&x=0&y=0


Oops, doublepost, please remove!

 

[meandu229]

Ohhh wonder what it does for the battery life,


Love to sit on train watching tv from my pandora,


ill have to hunt for a compatible card in UK

 

[mcobit]

Ohhh wonder what it does for the battery life,


Love to sit on train watching tv from my pandora,


ill have to hunt for a compatible card in UK

I will start watching tv today evening and let it run until the Pandora will shut down.


The Stick gets pretty warm. It surely sucks the complete 100 mA.


But I think you can expect it to last for min. 4 Hours.

 

[mcobit]

OK, it lasts for 3 hours at 850 Mhz and a little reduced screenbrightness.

 

[meandu229]

OK, it lasts for 3 hours at 850 Mhz and a little reduced screenbrightness.

Thanks for that thats not at all bad,


(wifi on or off?)

 

[zapman]

wow great, thx for the detailed walk through!


The big USB port delivers up to 500mA though, 100mA is the small OTG port. Seems to really get the pandora sweating, only 2:12 with a 46% filled battery? Well, as long as the CPU is going full throttle probably a reasonable read.


Looking forward to that .pnd version of the modules.


EDIT: is Me-TV any better, concerning speed/ stuttering? How is the audio with VLC?

 

[mcobit]

Thanks for that thats not at all bad,


(wifi on or off?)

Off

 

[mcobit]

EDIT: is Me-TV any better, concerning speed/ stuttering? How is the audio with VLC?

That is what I wanted to test. It is smaller and has the scanning for channels etc. incoorperated. So it would be a better choice to watch tv, than vlc.


I had to send my pandora to ED so I can't test it at the moment. If you would like to test it and report back here, that would be great!


Also it has built in epg-viewer and easy record-function.

 

[sebt3]

easy record-function.

Its big red button cant be missed, that's for sure

 

[mcobit]

Its big red button cant be missed, that's for sure

Wit easy I meant, that you don't have to type many commandlineoptions or exportoptions like in vlc to save the stream. And you can program it like a vcr.