Installing and setting AVerTV Digi Volar X in Debian

AVerMedia AVerTV DVB-T Volar X (A815) is an Avermedia usb device capable to capture and show DVB-T TV signals.
This device is able to also show HDTV DVB-T signals.

http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Afatech_AF9015


LINUX KERNEL DRIVER

The device contains an Afatech AF9015 Chip.
Supported in kernel since version 2.6.28.

NOTE: If you have an older kernel version you will have to compile the kernel module:
Compile AF9015 module tutorial.
AF9015 Kernel Module Source.


IMPORTANT: Although AF9015 module is already available in the kernel, it NEEDS ADDITIONAL FIRMWARE INSTALLED to work.


DETECTING THE DEVICE

I plug the usb device:

$ lsusb
... ID 07ca:a815 AVerMedia Technologies, Inc. AVerTV DVB-T Volar X (A815)

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TVAnts on Ubuntu

TVAnts is a peer to peer program that allows you to share live streams instead of files.
Although these streams can contain any sort of media they are mostly used for watching live football matches and other events on PCs.


TVAnts pages:

www.tvants-ppstream.com
Official TVAnts page is written in chinese: tvants.com


Installing TVAnts:

Download TVAnts setup program: ( I have obtained this address from official TVAnts page.)
$wget http://88.191.73.231/~cali/tvants/TvantsSetup.exe

We need wine to run TVAnts setup program because it is a microsoft windows executable:
$sudo aptitude install wine       # if you have not already installed wine program.
$wine "TvantsSetup.exe"

It will install itself, and then we will be able to exec the program:
$wine ~/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/TVAnts/Tvants.exe
or
$wine 'C:\Program Files\TVAnts\Tvants.exe'


Watching TV:

You will need at least one server at server tab.
e.g: list.tvants.com

At search tab you will be able to search for hundreds of channels.
Select some and add them to channel tab.

NOTE: Do not worry about error messages related to windows media player, we will use mplayer.

You can watch the channel you have selected runing in the console:
$mplayer -framedrop mms://localhost:16900/1
Last "1" means first channel from your selected channels list.
NOTE: Whenever you add a new channel this number increases in one, even if you delete previous unused channels.


NOTE: TVAnts is a peer to peer system so you should open 16800 port on your box to share streams you are watching with other users.

NOTE: You can also watch the tv streams using vlc instead of mplayer.

Zattoo on Ubuntu Feisty

Zattoo is a program that allows us to see streaming TV channels over Internet.

It is unfortunately closed source.


Let's go to official Zattoo web page: zattoo.com

Check on your language flag to see what channels are available to see at your zone.


Register to obtain zattoo program: http://zattoo.com/register

After registering, select linux and download zattoo deb file:
e.g: zattoo-2.2.10.6523-i386.deb

Now install the deb file:
$sudo dpkg -i zattoo-2.2.10.6523-i386.deb

I get dependency problems:
zattoo needs libgtkglext1 and libxul0d but those are not installed.

We install those required packages:
$sudo aptitude install libgtkglext1 libxul0d

Once dependencies are solved zattoo package configures automatically.
If that does not happen, then exec:
$sudo dpkg --configure zattoo

Download and install the Adobe Flash plugin from http://www.adobe.com if you have not it on your system yet.

run:
$zattoo_player

introduce your zattoo login (used when registering) and enjoy!

NOTE: To obtain new zattoo versions when they will be available, go to zattoo page, click on login word near country flags, and introduce your email and password.

NOTE: If you wanna know on which ports zattoo is listening, exec this command:
$sudo netstat -l -p -e | grep -i zattoo