<![CDATA[FedoraForum.org - Guides & Solutions (Not For Questions)]]> https://forums.fedoraforum.org/ en-US Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:02:49 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forums.fedoraforum.org/images/vbmobile/misc/rss.png <![CDATA[FedoraForum.org - Guides & Solutions (Not For Questions)]]> https://forums.fedoraforum.org/ DVB Digital TV with mpv https://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?336525-DVB-Digital-TV-with-mpv&goto=newpost Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:40:59 GMT I wrote this guide as part of my Linux Notes (see this thread), and thought someone here might find it useful. I'm using a Hauppauge WinTV 950Q USB ATSC TV tuner, but I think the guide would work for any such USB tuner.


Digital TV viewing and recording

To use mpv for viewing and recording digital TV with a DVB-based USB digital TV tuner (e.g. Hauppauge WinTV 950Q), first do the initial setup:

  1. Install the required DVB packages:
    Code:
    dnf install dvb-firmware dvb-tools libdvbv5 dtv-scan-tables
  2. Reboot, then install the w_scan package from F36 (use the Fedora Archives):
    Code:
    dnf install https://archives.fedoraproject.org/pub/archive/fedora/linux/releases/36/Everything/x86_64/os/Packages/w/w_scan-20170107-12.fc36.x86_64.rpm
  3. Plug the tuner into a USB port, then run w_scan to get all the available (US) stations:
    Code:
    w_scan -c US -f a -A 1 -X > ~/.config/mpv/channels.conf
  4. Edit ~/.config/mpv/channels.conf to trim any whitespace around the station names. After editing, my channels.conf file looks like this (yours of course will be different):
    Code:
    WHNE:63000000:VSB_8:49:52+52:1
    Bridge1:63000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:2
    Bridge2:63000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:3
    AWSN:63000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:4
    OAN:63000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:5
    YTA:63000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:6
    Sales:63000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:7
    BarkTV:63000000:VSB_8:161:164+164:8
    ZLiving:63000000:VSB_8:177:180+180:9
    FTF:63000000:VSB_8:193:196+196:10
    MTRSPR1:63000000:VSB_8:209:212+212:11
    Binge:63000000:VSB_8:225:228+228:12
    NBT:63000000:VSB_8:241:244+244:13
    DrOz:63000000:VSB_8:257:260+260:14
    Bein:63000000:VSB_8:273:276+276:30
    ShopNow:63000000:VSB_8:289:292+292:32
    WJBK:177000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:3
    Movies!:177000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:4
    Buzzr:177000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:5
    WEST:177000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:6
    CATCHY:177000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:7
    WMYD-MS:177000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:8
    FOX WX:177000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:9
    WUDT-LD:183000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:1
    WUDT-ES:183000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:2
    WUDT-SD:183000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:3
    WTVS-HD:509000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+54+52+53+54:1
    D-KIDS:509000000:VSB_8:65:68+69+70+68+69+70:2
    D-CREAT:509000000:VSB_8:81:84+85+86+84+85+86:3
    D-WORLD:509000000:VSB_8:97:100+101+102+100+101+102:4
    D-MLC:509000000:VSB_8:113:116+117+118+116+117+118:5
    WWJ-HD:515000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:1
    StartTV:515000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:2
    DABL:515000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:3
    365 BLK:515000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:4
    Story:515000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:5
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:49:52+52:1001
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:1002
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:1003
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:1004
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:1005
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:1006
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:1007
    WDWO-CD:521000000:VSB_8:257:260+260:1008
    ION:533000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:3
    IONPlus:533000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:4
    Grit:533000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:5
    DEFY:533000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:6
    BUSTED:533000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:7
    GREAT:533000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:8
    GameSho:533000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:9
    HSN:533000000:VSB_8:161:164+164:10
    HSN2:533000000:VSB_8:177:180+180:11
    WXYZ-HD:539000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:3
    WXYZ-BN:539000000:VSB_8:65:68+69+68+69:4
    WXYZ-LF:539000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:5
    WXYZ-CT:539000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:6
    WMYD-HD:539000000:VSB_8:113:116+117+116+117:7
    HSN:539000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:8
    ShopLC:539000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:9
    WDIV-HD:581000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:3
    H&I:581000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:4
    Me TV:581000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:5
    COZI:581000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:6
    WMYD-AT:581000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:7
    WKBD-HD:593000000:VSB_8:49:52+53+52+53:1
    Comet:593000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:2
    Charge:593000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:3
    Roar:593000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:4
    Nosey:593000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:5
    QVC:593000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:6
    MeTVToo:593000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:7
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:49:52+52:1001
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:65:68+68:1002
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:81:84+84:1003
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:97:100+100:1004
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:113:116+116:1005
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:129:132+132:1006
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:145:148+148:1007
    WUDL-LD:599000000:VSB_8:257:260+260:1008

The tuner is now ready for viewing and recording.

For viewing a station (e.g. D-CREAT), run mpv:
Code:
mpv --vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi dvb://D-CREAT
Some stations broadcast audio in 5.1 surround sound, so that the rear channel part of the audio signal is lost when your computer has only front speakers. To combine all the audio channels into a standard stereo setup so that no audio channel is lost, put this in your ~/.config/mpv/mpv.conf file:
Code:
audio-channels=stereo
Some stations (e.g. WXYZ-HD, the local ABC affiliate in metro Detroit) include an audio track for the visually impaired, normally identified in the mpv output as --aid=1 or --aid=2:
Code:
$ mpv --vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi dvb://WXYZ-HD
[dvbin] Tuning to channel "WXYZ-HD"...
[dvbin] Tuning to ATSC frequency 539000000 Hz
...
File tags:
 Title: WXYZ-HD
* Video  --vid=1  (mpeg2video [Main] 1280x720 59.9401 fps)
* Audio  --aid=1  (ac3 6ch 48000 Hz 384 kbps)
* Audio  --aid=2  'visual impaired' (ac3 2ch 48000 Hz 192 kbps) [visual-impaired]
* Subs  --sid=1  (eia_608) [default]
...
To disable that track (aid=2), run mpv like this:
Code:
mpv --vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi dvb://WXYZ-HD --aid=1
If you get the wrong number for the --aid option, then you can cycle through the audio tracks in mpv using the # key until you reach the correct track.

For recording a station (e.g. WJBK) to an MP4 file, run mpv:
Code:
mpv --vo=gpu --hwdec=vaapi --stream-dump=some_file.mp4 dvb://WJBK
The same caveat about a visual impaired audio track when viewing applies to recording as well.


Here's what mpv looked like when I was watching the World Cup in June:

screenshot_F44_mpv_usbtv.jpg

The picture quality is much better than with my old analog Zoltrix Genie TV PCI card. Another advantage is I no longer need an external digital-to-analog converter to connect to the PCI card, since the DVB-based USB tuner has built-in ATSC support for digital broadcasts. All I have to do is connect an antenna to the USB device and plug it in to a USB port:

wintv_usb.jpg
Attached Images
]]> RupertPupkin https://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?336525-DVB-Digital-TV-with-mpv