[pvrusb2] WinTV HVR-1975 (with official drivers) failing to load firmware

[Roger]

2014.02.26 Hauppauge Press release:
http://www.hauppauge.com/pdfs/pr_hauppauge_wintv-hvr-1975.pdf
"We expect the WinTV-HVR-1975 to be used in Linux based systems for digital 
signage, sports equipment, hospital patient entertainment systems and other TV 
watching and high speed data delivery applications"

"For Linux system builders, Hauppauge has driver support which can be provided 
under NDA."

LinuxTV.org Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1950
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-1950
Note: As of August 2014, the WinTV-HVR-1955 is sometimes shipped instead of the 
HVR-1950. The HVR-1955 does not, at this time, have a open-source driver 
available.  A source-level driver for Linux is available from Hauppauge after a 
NDA is signed. Hauppauge technical support can be contacted for more details.

>From the above, I'm ascertaining the HVR-1955 is possibly the HVR-1975, or 
similar situation.  Judging by the press release, I'm guessing contacting 
Hauppauge will result in the firmwares being released after a NDA is signed.

I'll take a gander, likely one or two chips (or maybe some of the code for the 
firmware) have questionable disclosures attached during the 
engineering/manufacturing process.  And may or may not be provided openly at a 
later date.  But then I stumble back on this thought, and if it's just the 
firmwares, we should be able to extract them from the Windows' driver package.

Take a further look at a mailing list post by dheitmueller at kernellabs on Mar 
7, 2016, 7:39 AM (Post #9 of 15)
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/597124

I think dheitmueller did a good job explaining some of the material.

(I prefer to copy the material here, but think I've wrote enough already.)

Of course that list ends up recently asking this list for further information!  

But as dheitmueller stated within his post, or somebody immediately following 
his post, the Linux HVR-1955/1975 drivers are posted on this page.
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/linux.html

kernel 3.16
http://hauppauge.lightpath.net/software/linux/linux-ubuntu-14-04-2.tar.xz

kernel 3.19 patch
http://hauppauge.lightpath.net/software/linux/hvr-9x5-19x5-22x5-kernel-3.19-2015-07-10-v2.patch.tar.xz

kernel 4.2 (already has) built in support for the WinTV-HVR-955Q.

At this point, I'm wondering if the drivers also for the HVR-1955/1975 are 
included within kernel >= 4.2?


Interesting, does the original poster have access to the Internet, or to 
hauppauge.com?


> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 05:35:17PM -0500, isely at isely.net wrote:
> (snip)
>I know basically nothing about the HVR-1975.  Again sorry, been out of this 
>too long.  Is it even compatible?  (If you bought the '1950 but got this then 
>it's probably reasonably close.)  Has anyone else successfully used this 
>model?  Frankly I figured after all this time and with the world moving to 
>digital video streams that this technology from 2003 would be fading away...  
>But as I said, I've been away too long and am not up to speed.
>
>  -Mike

Off-topic, most digital streams (including satellite subscription TV) are 
compressed video & audio.  Your over-the-air broadcast TV is of slightly better 
quality and it's free.  One just needs to know how to install an antenna, 
cabling, etc...  I've even experience broadcast TV having superior quality 
audio versus Cable TV, but that was a few years ago.

-- 
Roger
http://rogerx.freeshell.org/