7.1.1. Install the drivers

First, you will have to patch your kernel to support the v4l2 API (Video 4 Linux version 2). The patch is available on the Video4Linux HQ .

Once your kernel is ready, install the CVS version of the Linux drivers for the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250. They are hosted on ivtv.sourceforge.net. Then, you will have to create the device and load the modules; for this, please refer to the documentation shipped with the drivers .

7.1.2. Stream with VLC

You must add --enable-pvr to ./configure to use this feature. You may want to change the value of CR_MAX_AVERAGE_COUNTER to 1000 in src/input/input_clock.c to work around a problem with the card .

% vlc -vvv pvr:/dev/video0:norm=secam:size=720x576:frequency=576250:
bitrate=3000000:maxbitrate=4000000 --sout udp:192.168.0.42 --ttl 12

where :

• /dev/video0 is the device corresponding to the encoding card ,

• norm=secam is name of the standard of the analogic signal (possible values are pal, secam, and ntsc) ,

• size=720x576 is the size of the video you want to stream ,

• frequency=567250 is the frequency in kHz of the channel you want to stream ,

• bitrate=3000000 is the average bitrate of the stream ,

• maxbitrate=4000000 is the maximum bitrate of the stream ,

• 192.168.0.42 is either :

  • the IP address of the machine you want to unicast to ;

  • or the DNS name the machine you want to unicast to ;

  • or a multicast IP address .

• 12 is the value of the TTL (Time To Live) of your IP packets (which means that the stream will be able to cross 11 routers) .

7.1.3. Stream with VLS

There is no command line interface for this input for the moment, so you will have to use the configuration file .

You cannot set-up the parameters of the drivers (norm, size, frequency, bitrate, etc...) with VLS: for that, you will have to use the program ptune.pl that come with the drivers. Please refer to the documentation shipped with the drivers to learn how to use this program .

Here is a typical configuration file vls.cfgto run VLS with a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 encoding card :

# vls.cfg (VLS configuration file)
# Example of the VideoLAN HOWTO for the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 encoding card

BEGIN "Inputs"

  pvr       = "video"

END

BEGIN "pvr"

  # Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 device
  Device        = "/dev/video0"

  # Stream type
  Type          = "Mpeg2-PS"

END

BEGIN "Channels"

  channel1       = "network"

END

BEGIN "channel1"

  # Unicast or multicast IP address
  DstHost = "192.168.0.42"

  # Destination port
  DstPort = "1234"

  # If it's a multicast IP address, uncomment the line below
  #Type    = "multicast"

  # If it's a multicast IP address, set the "Time To Live" below
  #TTL     = "12"

END

BEGIN "LaunchOnStartUp"

  command1 = "start video channel1 pvr"

END

Once you have adapted the configuration file above, run VLS :

% vls -vv -f vls.cfg