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Re: [orca-list] orca in talking streaming tv devices?


Hello,
I have tried to get dvb-s playback working with ubuntu 12.04.
I am not going to list a lot of details however you will at least be able to avoid tryal and error I did. 
My requirements are:
- to be able to play dvb programmes / channels
- to be able to decode scrambled channels,
- to be able to list channels,
- optionally to have access to EPG, be able to do manual recordings and set a timed record, - to be able to watch / record multiple channels broadcasting on the same transponder if possible. - to be able to switch to full screen and be also useable by the rest of my family, mostly sighted people. 

Unfortunatelly this is quite a huge demand.

What I have tested:
- accessibility wise I assumed gnome-dvb-daemon along with its totem plugin would be the most ideal solution. Installation using apt-get was straightforward, initial setup looked also okay, I got all the channels listed. The plus is that this dvb-daemon can do so called network scan meaning if the list of transponders is not completelly up to date the scanner module can identify missing transponders from the dvb stream. After the initial setup was done I fired totem, went into edit -> plugins, enabled dvb-plugin. all the channels were there but none of them was playable including free to air channels. Since this dvb-daemon cant handle descrambling of decrypted content I have manually built and installed software called sasc-ng. It provides virtual dvb adapter which can be used to have scrambled channels cleared so the dvb app will only see FTA channels. Of course I still need valid subscription to the individual services but it is usefull newertheless. After installing sasc-ng I was not able to setup chanels at all. so definatelly dvb-daemon is out of this game for now. - From the accessibility perspective I did not expect Kaffeine to work for me since thats a QT4 application and you all know QT4 apps are made accessible only recently. Still for sighted people this is preffered graphical app to use for watching dvb-s so I installed and tried it. After launching it I was unable to navigate in the main window. even flat review did not work for me. so I just killed it and uninstalled it. - A while ago I was using application called me-tv with ubuntu 2010.04. At that time it worked pretty well for me. I did not try it as a first choice this time because I was reading it is no longer activelly developed plus it doesnt work well with ubuntu 12.04. Anyway I tried it finally. The current development version as well as the stable version available in the ubuntu repo has inaccessible channel list so I dont know how to select channels. the stable version at least plays an initial channel automatically so from the technical point of view its functional. the developement version doesnt play on my system at all. I dont expect channel list to become accessible anytime soon so I am not counting on this for now either. - I have also tried running mplayer from the console. It worked for a few channels, I could even combine that with sasc-ng to get descrambling working but I am unable to figure out why the other channels are not working. perhaps there is a problem with mplayer configuration. - next there is mythtv which is a QT4 app. I havent tried it yet however I think comparing it with what I need it appears to be somewhat huge. I will most likelly test it out however I dont expect it to be accessible. - then there is an app called vdr. its primary interface is an osd displayed on the screen along with the video. so from this description this cant be accessible at all. I know it supports plugins there might even be web interface for it huh but really that might be too complicated I am afraid. - Finally I have found out semi working solution for me. There is an app called tvheadend. Thats is a streaming server which can take dvb-s as a possible input. Its main interface is web ui. It implements its own documented protocol to communicate with clients and can also do rtsp or http streaming. While the web interface it features is not entirelly accessible by using flat review and mouse emulation I am able to set it up. By using this web interface there is access to epg, ability to plan recordings. It even can be connected so called softcam or cardserver in order to do the descrambling. So once I figured out all the quirks of the built-in web interface I can just use its http streaming capabilities and play the streams in totem. I dont have access to epg this way but its verry simple and basically works. In theory while switching to other channel e.g. loading different stream from the playlist I need to stop totem first and then I can play another one. By default apps such as showtime media player and xbnc interface with tvheadend by using its native htsp protocol and are able to provide full integration where channnl list can be browsed and edited, epg events can be viewed and used for planning recordings and most importantly video can be viewed. However these apps them selves are not accessible at all.
I am sorry for a long maybe off topic message for many of you however I think this should get a bigger priority. Now dvb is broadcasted all over the world and while trying to make set top boxes accessible for us visually disabled it would be really easier to get this kind of services working on the PC. Is there something you think I should try? is there someone else interested in this thing? If anybody interested and knowledgeable enough is listening mayber there is a hope for some verry simple htsp client for tvheadend where we could have accessible way on browsing the channel list, browsing epg and planning recordings. 

Thanks for reading and let me know If you have to say something.

Greetings

Peter

On 16.07.2012 07:35, Peter VÃgner wrote:

Hello,
In fact are there apps you can recommend for watching dvb-t / dvb-s?
or the only 100 % all the time option is mplayer?
What about gnome dvb daemon project which also includes totem plugin for watching these? A while ago I was using ann app called me-tv which is no longer in development plus it may not work well with ubuntu 12.04 as I have read. I havent tryed it yet but I am trying to update my setup from older vinux to ubuntu 12.04 and am looking for a decent app for watching satelite programmes. I know tvheadend is a perfect app for handling tuning, managing channels but it doesnt allow watching. for that showtime media player or xbnc are advised and I dont think any of these are accessible. Then there is VDR which has a lot of plugins however its primary user interface is the osd menu so again not verry much luck for a blind user. Ideally I would love to have something I can use from the desktop, can display channel list and possibly record shows. I dont need automatic recording I just would to be able to record when I like it.
I will be playing with this stuff in coming days and weeks so maybe I will be able to find something what works for me but if anyone is already using something from what I have just mentioned or even something else I would be happy to get some advices. 

Greetings

Peter



On 15.07.2012 13:11, Simon Eigeldinger  wrote:

hi,

Am 15.07.2012 10:47, schrieb Jason White:

Simon Eigeldinger <simon eigeldinger vol at> wrote:

i also guess interesting would be if orca might also run together with
MythTV or other software so you have a talking satellite receiver and
recorder.


If memory serves correctly, MythTV is based on QT. This could open up
possibilities for Orca if someone wants to work on it.

I can't remember now whether MythTV has a Web interface as well. You
could of
course access a shell, but I don't think a system designed primarily
for use
with TV remote controls is likely to have a well developed set of
command line
tools.


It has a web interface as far as i know.
but would be quite interesting if the mythtv interface can be made to talk. 

greetings,
simon
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