The
program JTV (Jaak TV), which author is Jaroslaw Kowalski,
(jaak@polbox.com), is intended for review of television
channels with the help of BT8x8-chip PCTV-tuners. Despite
of defect presence, this program till now remains quite
competitive and it is pleasant much. However presence of
defects forces to press in a detail of hand-held customization
of parameters JTV to use all its possibilities. The version
JTV 3.0 wip 12.6, working in the environments Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
is most distributed now, and all below ratated to it, until
other version is indicated.
The
binding JTV to a custom TV-card consists in choice of appropriate
parameters in the window "JTV - Components", which
opens at the first start of the program. These parameters:
model of a TV-card, module and variant of radiotuner, and
the input of a sound card, to which an output of a sound
from a TV-card is connected. However it is possible only
for already known models of TV-cards, which settings beforehand
are known and are defined in the configuration JTV files.
For each model two files should be defined: the file of
the TV-card customization with the extension .crd
in the subdirectory \Cards and file of
the tuner customization with the extension .tun
in the subdirectory \Tuners.
Attention!
Since some time, many models of TV cards began to be released
both with the video controller Conexant (Brooktree) BT878,
and Philips SAA7130.
It is marked, that the second variant has the best characteristics,
however it is not supported by the current version of JTV.
Besides, JTV will not work in the system, constructed with
i810/i815 chipsets,
if Windows 98/ME
is used. In all these cases in the window "JTV
- Components " the variants of choice of components
ARE ABSENT.
It was
supposed to automize the process of customization of a new
card at pressing the button "New...", however
this option is not implemented. Sometimes for a new card
the customizations any of already known can approach. In
this case, using method of exhaustive search, at presence
of patience, the new card manages to be customized. Usually
it is possible for the next new model from the known manufacturer,
when changes frequently only cosmetic. For example, for
cards from AVerMedia: AverTV Studio 103/203 and TVPhone98
w/VCR, in main, the same customizations suit. And it is
clear, as firm declare that both driver and software for
them same.
If all is unsuccessful, it is possible to try to define
the necessary parameters for .crd of the file independently,
on a known technique in details described below.
As to
second (.tun) file, usually module of a tuner can be selected
from already available, as three their types are widely
distributed only: Philips, LG and Temic, thus the parameters
of customizations first two usually coincide, therefore,
at presence on a card of a LG tuner, it is possible to select
Philips. Failure, however, is here again possible, as for
any exotic card it is necessary manually to select parameters.
Generally
known technique of customization of a new card is those:
1) the program - monitor of the registers of the chip bT8x8,
for example btTool v5, shown at the left,
boots, then 2) the native, previously tuned program of review
TV (and FM), which was delivered with a card, boots and
3) for each of operation modes the values of defined registers
(allocated by a framework) are written. After that the written
values are brought in new .crd and .tun files and all is
ready.
There
are many programs - monitors for this purpose and practically
all of them suit operation in Windows 9x/Me, as were created
for a long time ago. However not all of them is suitable
for operation in Windows NT/2k/XPl. The monitor btTool
v5 is good by that works in any system, however
it is necessary to install, for example, bRadio
Pro, as btTool v5 is included into
it's distribution kit. At the same time bRadio
Pro, if it manages to be used on direct assignment,
can be also, indirectly, is used and for a part of parameters
definition of the JTV configuration.
Other,
more simple monitor - BtTest2,
also working with any version of Windows. It shows a state
not of all registers, but only what are necessary for customization
of RCU and configuration files of TV card. Especially attracts
that creation of the description of modes for a TV-card
and their values are combined in the sole window of the
program. Thus the text, received in result, can at any moment
be edited or rewrited, and then copyed in the buffer or
saved in the file.
Let's
state a technique of parameters definition for a new card
on an example AVerMedia TVPhone98 w/VCR, assuming, it is
natural, that the configuration files for it does not exist.
Conditions of experiment: MB ASUS P2B-B (FSB 100MHz), 450MHz
Celeron, 512MB SDRAM, HDD WD200BA, NVidia Vanta-LT 16MB,
Creative SB Live! 5.1, TVPhone98 w/VCR (Drivers&Soft
AVerTV Studio v3.04 WDM), Windows 2000.
The
values of the registers of a card vary even at change of
a state of the system, and not just by operation of appropriate
programs. So, at the left, on the large snapshot, the values
of the registers in the system without the installed drivers
and AverTV Studio software, and on the right area, interesting
for us, is a snapshot after their installation represented.
This implies, that the drivers already, to some extent,
influence a state of a card, and their various revisions
can influence differently. In both cases the screen monitor
booted at once after start of the system, before start of
any programs capable to affect on a state of the registers.
So,
the drivers and "native" software of a card are
installed, and TV channels and FM stations for them are
customized. The shortcut of a remote control unit (RCU)
program, in this case - QuickTV is removed from the folder
"Autoload". The system is restarted.
Creation
of the new .crd file
First load the monitor, then "native" program
of review TV. Switch modes of operations of a tuner, in
correspondence with the given table of modes, and write
values of the registers GPIO_Data, GPIO_Out_En and I2C for
each mode. In the table represented obtained for TVPhone98
w/VCR results, and the names of parameters of the JTV .crd
file, which correspond to them.
1.
TV mode: channel selected, sound on.
2.
TV mode: channel selected, sound off.
3.
S-Video (AV-Video) mode: sound on.
4.
FM mode: station selected, sound on.
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_TUNER
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_OFF
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_EXT
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_RADIO
Make
a copy of any existing .crd file, and name it, for example,
Aver_TVPhone98VCR.crd. Open the file in any text editor
and start to bring in the obtained values of the registers
(allocated by red colour). With the register GPIO_Out_En
all is clear: It does not vary in different modes and is
simply brought in appropriate string of the file in the
predefined format, thus the left, non-significant zero are
discarded. Further.
As it
is visible from the table of modes, the values of the registers
GPIO_Data for different modes of operations
differ only in rightmost position (that defines low four
bits of the register). It allows to discard a constant part
of value of the register and to bring in appropriate strings
of the file only ts changed part.
The parameter GPIO_DATA_SOUND_MASK defines"mask"
of visibility of appropriate bits of the registers. If the
mask bits are installed in "1", they are masked;
if in "0" - is not. It is important to understand,
that it is enough to install in "1" all bits of
that half-byte of a mask of the register, which varies at
change of the mode of a card. In our case (and in the majority
others) need to be exposed value of a half-byte mask equal
"F" (1111=0xF)
with number of half-byte, as in other strings GPIO_DATA_xx.
If in
any of modes the values, for example, in fourth (from the
right to the left) half-bit varied, it would be necessary
to insert into each string of the file 4-digit number (accordingly,
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_TUNER=0xFFFE).
Thus the value of a mask would need to be exposed equal
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_MASK=0xFFFF
or, as the changes are present only in 1-st and 4-th half-bytes,
GPIO_DATA_SOUND_MASK=0xF00F.
The
value for string RemoteControl= represents
a filename of the suitable RCU driver without the extension.
The writing of the incorrect or improper driver has not
an effect for operation JTV, and influences only operation
JTVRemote.
So, now we have the new file for a card AVer TVPhone98 w/VCR.
It is necessary to mark, that it does not coincide with
already existing for this card, which was, in due time,
it is simple copy from a card AVer TVPhone98.
The
technique of creation of the tuner configuration file is
similar stated above. However it is usual in it there is
no necessity, as it is possible to use the existing suitable
file. The file Philips_00-A.tun in this
case suits, as two left (high) half-bytes of value of the
parameter I2C from the table of modes (00)
are reflected in the name of the file and correspond in
string I2CAddress=0x00
of the file, and module of a radiotuner, on the given card,
is of Philips production.
The
new name of the configuration file of a tuner, permitting
here, is applied to avoid ambiguity of understanding and
basing on its contents. The correspondence of the old and
new names is stated in a note JTV
3.0 (12.6): Tuners.
Now
we have a new package of the configuration JTV files for
a "new" card and we can check up, that has turned
out. From the window "JTV - Components" we select
new parameters of the configuration JTV and start for the
program. In our case all works fine. It is interesting,
that at switching channels in JTV, the values of some registers
vary, and any more do not correspond exposed in the configuration
files, as it is visible on a snapshot on the right. As
the parameter I2C accepts, when JTV operation,
value C2xxx, in this case is valid also
to use the configuration file Philips_C2-A.tun.
The
matching of parameters, written in the configurations files
for all models of TV-cards from AVerMedia, allows to assume,
that obtained .crd file can be for certain "standard".
Probably, it suits both all already existing, and for the
future models of this corporation. Therefore it is included
in the JTV package under
a name Aver_XX.tun. Pay attention, that
the driver for JTVRemote in the file is not defined, as
it is individual for each model. When depositing in the
file of a name of the concrete driver for JTVRemote in string
RemoteControl =, the filename needs to
be resulted in correspondence with the name of model of
a TV-card.
It is
possible, that similar "unification" can be applied
and to TV-cards of other manufacturers. Successes.
If
you have taken advantage of this information, also have received
result or not, or have additions and specifications which
can help anothers, please, mail about it to the address <jtvhost@mailru.com>
or write in guestbook of this site. Your responses will be
located here. Do not forget to point your hardware configuration:
Processor / Motherboard / Videocard / TV-card / OS version
/ TV-software.
The
binding JTV to a custom TV-card consists in choice of appropriate
parameters in the window "JTV - Components", which
opens at the first start of the program. These parameters:
model of a TV-card, module and variant of radiotuner, and
the input of a sound card, to which an output of a sound
from a TV-card is connected. However it is possible only
for already known models of TV-cards, which settings beforehand
are known and are defined in the configuration JTV files.
For each model two files should be defined: the file of
the TV-card customization with the extension .crd
in the subdirectory \Cards and file of
the tuner customization with the extension .tun
in the subdirectory \Tuners.
Generally
known technique of customization of a new card is those:
1) the program - monitor of the registers of the chip bT8x8,
for example btTool v5, shown at the left,
boots, then 2) the native, previously tuned program of review
TV (and FM), which was delivered with a card, boots and
3) for each of operation modes the values of defined registers
(allocated by a framework) are written. After that the written
values are brought in new .crd and .tun files and all is
ready.
The
values of the registers of a card vary even at change of
a state of the system, and not just by operation of appropriate
programs. So, at the left, on the large snapshot, the values
of the registers in the system without the installed drivers
and AverTV Studio software, and on the right area, interesting
for us, is a snapshot after their installation represented.
This implies, that the drivers already, to some extent,
influence a state of a card, and their various revisions
can influence differently. In both cases the screen monitor
booted at once after start of the system, before start of
any programs capable to affect on a state of the registers.
Now
we have a new package of the configuration JTV files for
a "new" card and we can check up, that has turned
out. From the window "JTV - Components" we select
new parameters of the configuration JTV and start for the
program. In our case all works fine. It is interesting,
that at switching channels in JTV, the values of some registers
vary, and any more do not correspond exposed in the configuration
files, as it is visible on a snapshot on the right. As
the parameter I2C accepts, when JTV operation,
value C2xxx, in this case is valid also
to use the configuration file Philips_C2-A.tun.
