MVPMC alternative

[zehd]

zehd...

I don't think you're getting four digital channels of sound out of the MVP? The MVP only has two analog sound connectors, left stereo channel and right stero channel.

I have an MVP plugged into a Dolby ProLogic Receiver too and I can set it to a 'simulated' 5.1 channel surround sound mode which sounds fair but it's not true Dolby 5.1 surround sound which would require a digital output or 6 channel analog out of the MVP.

The four channels are encoded into the stereo pair. The ProLogic Receiver decodes it into discreet channels... My Amp also has 5.1 simulation. It sounds terrible next to setting it to just decode the prologic surround (4 Ch)

[rscheller]

Wow... I learn something new about MVP and GBPVR every day.

Thanks zehd

[Braklet]

1) one of the functions in mvpmc is something I called Emulation Mode which does support GB-PVR to a limited extent.

[..]

ff/rw/skip/replay and OSD and even the smaller video mode from .98.8 ready for the next alpha. By the time it hits beta I expect some pretty good things.

Hi Martin,

I couldn't find any information about mvpmc/GB-PVR interaction over on the mvpmc forae. Do you have an idea about when this will be ready for beta?

Thanks!

[jksmurf]

mvallevand[/B]]I added a TOSLINK to one of my older boxes which I have hooked up to my stereo

Martin, I saw that mod over on shspvr quite some time ago and really wanted to implement it like this fellow but haven't been able to find a shop that sells a 3.3V TOSLINK here. Where did you get one from? Would SPDIF be just as good?

I have been keeping my eye out for an old DVD/Stereo player to scavenge one off, but no joy, and am feeling like a bit of wino fossicking around the rubbish bins. MSI no longer sell their adapters it seems. Wife is a (micro) Electronics Engineer, she gets to do all the soldering :-)

Cheers

k.

btw Here's a thread on AC3 audio.

[mvallevand]

Hi Martin,

I couldn't find any information about mvpmc/GB-PVR interaction over on the mvpmc forae. Do you have an idea about when this will be ready for beta?

Thanks!

I guess it really depends on one's definition of beta software, Hauppauge hasn't released a non-beta dongle in recent memory with mixed results for their users and I would prefer reaching the mixed results phase in the alpha cycle. In effect, I want somone using emulation to be able watch a couple of hours of recorded video with minimum difficulty on any version of the MediaMVP hardware using either GB-PVR or Hauppauge software. At that point I will move the code to the mvpmc nightly which is by definitition beta code where I will continue to modify the code to improve stability which will make it eventually into an mvpmc "release"

For current progress I expect to have all the function keys working soon, I'm still having some trouble differentiating sub's "manual skip" from the Hauppauge percentage skip which is my last major hurdle in understanding the protocol. Once that is done I can start to clean up some things I now know need improving (after watching hours of ethereal logs stream bu) as well as look into a couple of dongle enhancements suggested to me

So to answer your question

1 Non-video (audio, photo, Suduko etc) could be considered beta now.
2. I expect to add my code to the mvpmc code baseline before November.
3. Live TV will continue as alpha until testers tell me it is working as it should. (I don't have the capablity and eventually will need to buy a PVR-150.)

Martin

[mvallevand]

Martin, I saw that mod over on shspvr quite some time ago and really wanted to implement it like this fellow but haven't been able to find a shop that sells a 3.3V TOSLINK here. Where did you get one from? Would SPDIF be just as good?

I have been keeping my eye out for an old DVD/Stereo player to scavenge one off, but no joy, and am feeling like a bit of wino fossicking around the rubbish bins. MSI no longer sell their adapters it seems. Wife is a (micro) Electronics Engineer, she gets to do all the soldering :-)

Cheers

k.

btw Here's a thread on AC3 audio.

Your question is incredibly timely since a fellow GBPVR user helped identify to me today that the AC3 passthru output for video mpeg in mvpmc from GBPVR is in effect only PCM 48K because no one has completed the work (based on the fine work started by BtB and the original gurus of the the MVP that you pointed to) to ensure a/v stay in sync.

AC3 audio only files do stream fine so the possibility does exist and coders welcome to help finish this off.

For my own experience. I actually physically broke my first optical out off of an old sound card but buying them from http://www.digikey.com/ turns out to be a lot simpler, really cheap and you certainly won't look like a wino, unless of course you actually do. What might not be apparent is that it is called a fiber optic transmitter. This link might also help you or your wfie are looking at the complexity http://www.mvpmc.org/mvpmc_hardware_howto.html

The author of that how-to an active mvpmc developer and should also be able to answer some of your questions on the mvpmc site.

Since I'm a true hobbyist, I've actually lit up a similar VFD to that shown on that link in emulation mode from GBPVR displaying the filename, file size, bps and current location. It's just too bad Hauppauge opts for the short filename or it would be most impressive.

Martin

[jksmurf]

Cheers Martin,

I found this datasheet for TOSLINK transmitters and revievers at digikey.com. As I'm not in the US and wifu gets free samples, I'd like to tell her which one to choose. I understand it needs to be 3.3V as your referenced page says:

Note the SPDIF signal at TP 60 is probably a 0 to 3 volt signal and this alteration works despite the TOSLINK being powered at 5 volts. Please take a look at the specifications of the TOSLINK connector / adapter you will use to make sure there will be no problems.

To this end this datasheet http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T063/0233.pdf looks to have "the goods". I am not sure if the ones in Fig. 1 would fit (height-wise) but enables you to add a better fixing detail (screw, or more glue surface area). I know nothing about the data rate etc., but would any 2.7/3.6v transmitter suffice?

k.

[EDIT]More Info. for anyone looking. TOS in TOSLINK=TOSHIBA while S/PDIF=Sony/Phillips. While this page from Toshiba
http://www.semicon.toshiba.co.jp/eng/prd...00407.html shows a low voltage version of the TRANSMITTER Module if you search at this page, it says they are not available ? Only 4.75 to 5.25V ones :-( ???
Digikey in the US appear to have them though (I think). This list (See TOSLINK) no longer shows the TOTX147(F,T) either http://www.semicon.toshiba.co.jp/eng/prd...00510e.pdf. The history page shows the TOTX147(F,T) modules were added on 28 Jul, 2004, but have gone.

[Braklet]

2. I expect to add my code to the mvpmc code baseline before November.
3. Live TV will continue as alpha until testers tell me it is working as it should. (I don't have the capablity and eventually will need to buy a PVR-150.)

I wonder if a DVB-T or ATSC card would be cheaper or easier?

I'm a complete noob to mvpmc and my abortive attempts to try it prove that. But I'd be willing to at least exercise any GB-PVR interactions that might be helpful to you.

I'm primarily interested in AC3->stereo PCM downmix but the code snippets I've seen linked are a little over my head, having never worked with PowerPC before.

[mvallevand]

Cheers Martin,

I found this datasheet for TOSLINK transmitters and revievers at digikey.com. As I'm not in the US and wifu gets free samples, I'd like to tell her which one to choose. I understand it needs to be 3.3V as your referenced page says:

FWIW, I installed TOTX179's in mine 8 months ago. No idea if this is damaging my mvp or audio equipment or causing jitter, but your wife might be able to understand the data sheets and determine this herself. Caveat emptor!

Martin

[mvallevand]

I wonder if a DVB-T or ATSC card would be cheaper or easier?

I'm a complete noob to mvpmc and my abortive attempts to try it prove that. But I'd be willing to at least exercise any GB-PVR interactions that might be helpful to you.

I'm primarily interested in AC3->stereo PCM downmix but the code snippets I've seen linked are a little over my head, having never worked with PowerPC before.

Not easier here in Canada in my experience. <rant on> The cable companies here a stranglehold on the terrestial stuff and there is not sufficient FTA satellite to make me look at DBV-S. We also have no real DAB radio and I get frustrated comparing the state of the industry here to most of the world. Even PAL video would be better. </rant off>

Regarding installing mvpmc ignore everything you on the mvpmc web site about configuring it since GB-PVR emulation mode doesn't require anything more than a dongle.bin replacement. Just think of it like the older gbmvp.bin, I even rename mine to mvpmc.bin and let GBPVR serve it when I want and then set things back to dongle.bin when needed.

The PCM output should also work with no configuration on the model H MVP's, if it doesn't from the main setup menu configure SPDIF passthru.

Martin