sound trouble on tvtime with a PCTV card based on Conexant Fussion bt 878a chip
 

My distro Fedora Core 5
Using Gnome 2.14.1.1 desktop
Nvidia Gforce 4mx 4000 graphics card (if it matters)
Running TVTime 1.0.1-3.2.i388
NTSC cable USA
Tv card is a Pinnacle PCTV based on Conexant Fussion 878a chip
sound card is a Sound Blaster Live
using alsa-lib 1.0.11-3.rc2.2.i386


I have included as much info as I could. Ant help to resolve this problem would be very appriciated.
I have read the man and info pages, but couldn't find it useful to resolve this problem.
The problem is with the sound. On startup the picture comes in great. The sound comes in as fuzzy kinda static with out any reconizeable audio. The audio is hooked up with an external cable to my line in on my sound card. Mixer volumes are all the way up. The odd thing is that if I goto channel managment and fine to aroung +10-12 I get poor audio quallity, and terrible picture quallity. Then I change the channel, and go back to the channel, Tvtime does not pick up a signal till i reset the fine tune to 0. Is there some kind of offset for audio tunning vs. video tunning. Or is there some other way to get the audio to work.


[areaper@datam ~]$ dmesg | grep bttv
bttv: driver version 0.9.16 loaded
bttv: using 8 buffers with 2080k (520 pages) each for capture
bttv: Bt8xx card found (0).
bttv0: Bt878 (rev 17) at 0000:02:0b.0, irq: 9, latency: 32, mmio: 0xf47fe000
bttv0: detected: Pinnacle PCTV [card=39], PCI subsystem ID is 11bd:0012
bttv0: using: Pinnacle PCTV Studio/Rave [card=39,autodetected]
bttv0: gpio: en=00000000, out=00000000 in=00ffefff [init]
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: pinnacle/mt: id=5 info="NTSC / mono" radio=no
bttv0: using tuner=33
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9875 @ 0xb0... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA7432 @ 0x8a... not found
bttv0: registered device video0
bttv0: registered device vbi0
bttv0: PLL: 28636363 => 35468950 .. ok
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).
bttv0: timeout: drop=139 irq=21331/21331, risc=0d64901c, bits: OFLOW
bttv0: reset, reinitialize
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).
bttv0: timeout: drop=155 irq=21348/21348, risc=0e0e3024, bits: VSYNC HSYNC OFLOW FDSR
bttv0: reset, reinitialize
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).
bttv0: timeout: drop=171 irq=21365/21365, risc=0d64901c, bits: VSYNC HSYNC OFLOW FDSR
bttv0: reset, reinitialize
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).
bttv0: timeout: drop=187 irq=21382/21382, risc=0e0e301c, bits: VSYNC HSYNC OFLOW FDSR
bttv0: reset, reinitialize
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).
bttv0: timeout: drop=203 irq=21399/21399, risc=0d649024, bits: VSYNC HSYNC OFLOW FDSR
bttv0: reset, reinitialize
bttv0: PLL can sleep, using XTAL (28636363).


[areaper@datam ~]$ /sbin/lsmod | grep snd
snd_rtctimer 3405 0
snd_seq_midi 8641 0
snd_emu10k1_synth 6977 0
snd_emux_synth 31553 1 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_seq_virmidi 7105 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_seq_midi_emul 5953 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_emu10k1 104261 3 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_rawmidi 24001 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_emu10k1
snd_ac97_codec 83937 1 snd_emu10k1
snd_ac97_bus 2497 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_seq_dummy 3781 0
snd_seq_oss 28993 0
snd_seq_midi_event 7105 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 47153 9 snd_seq_midi,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi_emul,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi _event
snd_pcm_oss 45009 0
snd_mixer_oss 16449 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 76869 4 snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_device 8909 8 snd_seq_midi,snd_emu10k1_synth,snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_ seq
snd_timer 22597 4 snd_rtctimer,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 10441 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem 5057 2 snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep 9541 2 snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
snd 50501 16 snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_os s,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_device,snd_timer,snd_hwdep
soundcore 9377 1 snd

forgot to include lspci
 

here is my lspci i forgot to includes ing the last post

[areaper@datam ~]$ /sbin/lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset Host Bridge (M CH) (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82850 850 (Tehama) Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801BA ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 04)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801BA IDE U100 (rev 04)
00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #1) (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM SMBus (rev 04)
00:1f.4 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #2) (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV18 [GeForce4 MX 4000 AGP 8x] (rev c1)
02:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Linksys NC100 Network Everywhere Fast Ethernet 10/1 00 (rev 11)
02:0b.0 Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Video Capture ( rev 11)
02:0b.1 Multimedia controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Audio Capture (rev 11 )
02:0c.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB12LV26 IEEE-1394 Controller ( Link)
02:0d.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 08)
02:0d.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game Port (rev 08)

Hey there!

I have a completly different environment so use with caution.
IIRC TVTime is kind of Wine based and can cause all kinds of trouble. Give KTV a try.
Furthermore, did you check that you selected the correct Input for your audio. Just pulling up all input levels doesn't mean that you will hear it if that particular input is not turned on.
I also realized that your driver reports
[..]
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9875 @ 0xb0... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA7432 @ 0x8a... not found
[..]
so you aren't using a driver that decodes the sound data.
Check also
http://linuxtv.org/v4lwiki/index.php/Main_Page

Good luck

Channels?
 

My info:

bttv: using 8 buffers with 2080k (520 pages) each for capture
bttv: Bt8xx card found (0).
bttv0: Bt878 (rev 17) at 0000:02:02.0, irq: 225, latency: 32, mmio: 0xf4000000
bttv0: detected: ATI TV Wonder/VE [card=64], PCI subsystem ID is 1002:0003
bttv0: using: ATI TV-Wonder VE [card=64,autodetected]
bttv0: gpio: en=00000000, out=00000000 in=00ffffff [init]
bttv0: using tuner=19
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9875 @ 0xb0... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA7432 @ 0x8a... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9887 @ 0x86... not found
bttv0: registered device video0
bttv0: registered device vbi0
bttv0: PLL: 28636363 => 35468950 .. ok

Looks similar to yours. In the mixer settings, I have to change to 2 channel mode to make it work. In Kmix, it's under the Switches tab on
my box. After I close TVTime, the sound doesn't stop until I change it back to 6 channel mode. Maybe someone else has a better way...

reply
 

I have tried KTV in KDE and still get the same problem with the audio. I can adjust the fine tunning to get some poor audio while greatly reducing my picture quallity

I will look into this :study:
bttv0: i2c: checking for MSP34xx @ 0x80... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA9875 @ 0xb0... not found
bttv0: i2c: checking for TDA7432 @ 0x8a... not found

And see if I can find something out.
Thanks for the link, I did not have this one.

AFAIK, poor picture quality in tuner cards often happen because of a low powered cable tv signal.
My understanding is that TVs might have signalboosting circuitry in them, but TV cards do not have.

To test the real pic quality, that your tuner card can produce, use a Video game console or a DVD Player

Have you tried to select a different tuner? The dmesg output shows it's using #33. For me, when trying to get my saa7133 card to work, I had to manually select a card and tuner to get it to work properly. Even though I have a NTSC card and tuner, I have to use PAL card selection and a different NTSC tuner then the autodetect uses to get it to work.

Try using different combos and see if you get any changes (even if worse). If you do, you know it's a driver (tuner/card selection) issue and not your soundcard/volume issue.

CARD #'s from the 2.6.15.5 Kernel:

39 -> Pinnacle PCTV Studio/Rave
52 -> Pinnacle PCTV Studio Pro
94 -> Pinnacle PCTV Sat

TUNER #'s from the 2.6.15.5 Kernel (NTSC):

tuner=2 - Philips NTSC (FI1236,FM1236 and compatibles)
tuner=6 - Temic NTSC (4032 FY5)
tuner=8 - Temic NTSC (4036 FY5)
tuner=17 - Philips NTSC_M (MK2)
tuner=21 - Temic NTSC (4039 FR5)
tuner=27 - LG NTSC+FM (TPI8NSR01F)
tuner=31 - SHARP NTSC_JP (2U5JF5540)
tuner=36 - Temic NTSC (4136 FY5)
tuner=39 - LG NTSC (newer TAPC series)
tuner=42 - Philips 1236D ATSC/NTSC daul in
tuner=43 - Philips NTSC MK3 (FM1236MK3 or FM1236/F)
tuner=47 - LG NTSC (TAPE series)
tuner=49 - Microtune 4042 FI5 ATSC/NTSC dual in
tuner=52 - Thomson DDT 7610 (ATSC/NTSC)
tuner=60 - Thomson DDT 7611 (ATSC/NTSC)
tuner=66 - LG NTSC (TALN mini series)
tuner=68 - Philips TUV1236D ATSC/NTSC dual in



Also check out the Documentation/video4linux/bttv/Sound-FAQ file if you haven't already.