TV tuner install on Ubuntu with PPA

PPA makes it easy to install Hauppauge TV tuners with Ubuntu. PPA's are the only way to ensure you get the latest fully updated Hauppauge drivers, no matter which Ubuntu you are running. Hauppauge's engineering team developed and maintains the PPA for our TV tuners.

Hauppauge's PPA has support for the following models of Hauppauge TV tuners

• WinTV-HVR-955Q, WinTV-HVR-935C and WinTV-HVR-975 (including analog TV)
• WinTV-dualHD (all models, both tuners)
• WinTV-quadHD (both PCIe and USB models)
• WinTV-soloHD (DVB T/T2/C)
• WinTV-HVR-1255 and WinTV-HVR-1265 (including analog TV)
• ImpactVCBe video capture (PCIe)
• USB-Live2 video capture (USB)
• Starburst 2 satellite TV receiver
• PCTV 292e triple mode TV receiver
• PCTV 461e Satellite TV receiver (both old and new models)
• WinTV-NOVA-S2 Satellite TV receiver

PPA supported Linux versions

The Hauppauge PPA supports Ubuntu versions (on Ubuntu desktop and server with 64-bit Intel and AMD processors):

• 20.04 Focal with kernel 5.4
• 19.10 Eoan with kernel 5.3
• 18.04 Bionic HWE with kernel 5.3
• 16.04 Xenial HWE with kernel 4.15
• 16.04 Xenial with kernel 4.4
• 14.04 Trusty with kernel 4.4

For other versions of Linux, you can install the Hauppauge drivers manually. Most Linux kernels after 4.0 include the Hauppauge drivers, but they need to be added manually.
For Linux versions other than Ubuntu, please check your kernel's community on how to install the Hauppauge drivers. Example: Fedora 33 includes driver support for the Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD.

PPA installation instructions for TV tuner driver on Ubuntu

Open Terminal in Ubuntu The easiest way to open terminal is to right click on desktop and select Open Terminal. You can also click Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard.

In Terminal, type the following or copy and paste the following lines, one by one, then click enter.

First, determine the version of Ubuntu you are running
To do this, run this command:

dpkg -l | grep linux-image-generic-hwe

If a line is displayed beginning with "ii", then you are running the HWE version of Ubuntu. You will need to know if you are running HWE this in a moment when you install the mediatree.

Download the PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:b-rad/kernel+mediatree+hauppauge

After this first line, click enter when prompted to add this PPA.

sudo apt-get update

Install the media tree

If you are running an HWE version of Ubuntu, use this command:

sudo apt-get install linux-hwe-mediatree

If you are NOT running HWE, use this command:

sudo apt-get install linux-mediatree

Close Terminal and restart your computer.

You can now connect your Hauppauge WinTV TV tuner to your computer and it should be available for use by your Linux TV watching application.

Notes:

GIT

If you'd like to see the latest directions from the GIT repository, click here

Plex and Hauppauge TV tuners

This support is for Plex running under Ubuntu

Click here to see which Ubuntu versions are currently supported with the Hauppauge PPA

nVidia Shield and Plex with the Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD

You can use the Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD (North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand) on the nVidia Shield for live TV in Plex. You will need the latest version of nVidia Shield firmware (5.2 or later).

Setting up Plex TV with a Hauppauge TV tuner on the NVidia Shield

Here are some instructions from the nVidia blog

Here are some ideas on cord cutting from the nVidia blog.

The Hauppauge PPA for Ubuntu

Hauppauge has created a PPA to simplify adding TV tuner drivers into Ubuntu for use with Plex. The current Hauppauge PPA has support for the following tuners:

• WinTV-HVR-955Q for North America: single tuner
• WinTV-soloHD for Europe/Australia/New Zealand: single tuner
• WinTV-dualHD for North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand: dual tuner
• WinTV-quadHD for North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand: quad tuner

nVidia Shield and Plex with the Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD

You can use the Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD on the nVidia Shield for live TV in Plex. You will need the latest version of nVidia Shield firmware (5.2 or later).

Setting up a Hauppauge TV tuner with Plex on the NVidia Shield

Here are some instructions from the nVidia blog

Here are some ideas on cord cutting from the nVidia blog.

Screen shots of Plex with a Hauppauge TV tuner (WinTV-dualHD)

Questions?

If you have any questions, you can contact Hauppauge support at: techsupport@hauppauge.com

Firmware for Hauppauge TV tuners

Most Hauppauge North America TV tuners have firmware built into the TV tuner receiver chips, so no extra firmware is needed under Linux: you just need to configure the Hauppauge Linux driver into your Linux system.

But European and Australia/New Zealand TV tuners need to have firmware downloaded into a /firmware directory on your Linux system.

Below are instructions to do this

Firmware download and install on your Linux computer:

Note: this firmware is for most Hauppauge European/ANZ products including the WinTV-soloHD, WinTV-dualHD, WinTV-HVR-5525 (satellite and DVB-C/T/T2) and the 461e/WinTV-NOVA-S2.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:b-rad/kernel+mediatree+hauppauge

sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-hauppauge

NAS Support for Hauppauge TV tuners

Some NAS drives have support for Hauppauge TV tuners. While currently the WD NAS has the best Hauppauge TV tuner support, coming is support for Synology and the QNAP TS-235.

WD NAD drives

Instructions:

• Plug your Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD, WinTV-HVR-955Q or WinTV-HVR-935C into the back of a WD NAS drive (see list below for tested drives).
• Go to the WD app store and install "TV/Media Device Drivers" on the WD NAS.
• You will need to install the Plex server, Emby or TVHeadend on the NAS drive too.
• On your client computer (examples: Windows PC, AppleTV, AndroidTV, Roku), you will need a TV watching application. If you have installed the Plex server on the NAS, you can use Plex on your Windows or Linux computer which is networked to the WD NAS drive.

Tested WD NAS drives

• WD PR2100/PR4100/EX2100/EX4100/EX2Ultra

Raspberry Pi Support for Hauppauge TV tuners

Hauppauge technical support has been testing with the Raspberry Pi 3 and 4, which work "out of the box" with Raspbian OS 4.19 or later with these Hauppauge TV tuners: WinTV-soloHD (Europe/ANZ), WinTV-dualHD (North America and Europe), WinTV-HVR-955Q (North America) and the 461e/WinTV-Nova-S2.

Raspian OS

The WinTV-dualHD drivers come with the latest Raspbian OS, so all you need to do is plug your WinTV-dualHD into your RPi 3 or 4, install a TV application like Kaffeine, connect an antenna and scan for channels.

Firmware is needed for some Hauppauge TV tuners

Some Hauppauge TV tuners, in particular all European DVB tuners, need additional firmware to be install on your Raspberry Pi. Here are the command lines to add Hauppauge firmware for those tuners which need it. You can load the firmware at any time, but it needs to be installed before you use the TV tuner.

Firmware install instructions for the WinTV-dualHD and WinTV-soloHD (European or Australia/New Zealand DVB)

cd /tmp
wget https://www.hauppauge.com/linux/dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw # download the SI2168 firmware
md5sum dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw # verify first couple and last couple chars match b267...8f6e
sudo cp dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw /lib/firmware # copy the firmware to the /lib/firmware directory

Firmware install instructions for the WinTV-Nova-S2 or 461e (revision B7H9/B8H9 and revision revision B6H9 or earlier):

# Get both 3103 and 3103b firmware
sudo su
cd /lib/firmware
wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/blob/master/firmware/dvb-demod-m88ds3103.fw?raw=true # 3103 (non-b) firmware
wget https://www.hauppauge.com/linux/dvb-demod-m88ds3103b.fw # 3103b firmware

Firmware install instructions for the WinTV-HVR-5525 (PCI-e, Analog, DVB-C, DVB-S/S2, DVB-T/T2):

cd /tmp
wget https://www.hauppauge.com/linux/dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw # download the SI2168 firmware
md5sum dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw # verify first couple and last couple chars match b267...8f6e
sudo cp dvb-demod-si2168-b40-01.fw /lib/firmware # copy the firmware to the /lib/firmware directory
wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/raw/master/firmware/dvb-demod-m88rs6000.fw # RS6000 firmware
md5sum dvb-demod-m88rs6000.fw # verify first couple and last couple chars match m88rs6000
sudo mv dvb-demod-m88rs6000.fw /lib/firmware # copy the firmware to the /lib/firmware directory

Firmware install instructions for Starburst 2 (PCI-e, DVB-S/S2)

Note: "Starburst 2" (model 150300 or 150310) is a digital satellite (DVB-S / DVB-S2) PCI-e TV tuner. Its DVB-S/DVB-S2 tuner is identical to the satellite tuner part on the WinTV-HVR-5525. While the WinTV-HVR-5525 is fully supported since Linux kernel 4.1, Starburst 2 is not detected "out of the box". But making it work is easy. By adding a configuration file cx23885.conf, the linux kernel treats the card as a WinTV-HVR-5525. Tested in kernel 4.13.0-21-generic.

The steps:

• 1. Install firmware file dvb-demod-m88rs6000.fw
• 2. In directory /etc/modprobe.d/ create the file cx23885.conf with this content: options cx23885 card=52
• 3. Reboot

Open a terminal window and enter the following commands (example for Ubuntu Linux):

sudo su

cd /lib/firmware

wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/dvb-firmware/raw/master/firmware/dvb-demod-m88rs6000.fw

cd /etc/modprobe.d

echo "options cx23885 card=52" > cx23885.conf

Then reboot the system.

Firmware install instructions for the WinTV-HVR-1950

cd /tmp
wget https://www.hauppauge.com/linux/firmware_1900.fw
md5sum firmware_1900.fw # verify first couple and last couple chars
sudo cp firmware_1900.fw /lib/firmware # copy the firmware to the /lib/firmware directory

OpenElec

The current version of OpenELEC 6.0.1 Kernel also has support out of the box for the WinTV-dualHD (both North America and European versions) plus the WinTV-HVR-955Q.

All Hauppauge drivers and firmware are included as part of the OpenElec distribution, so you don't need to add the firmware. Just plug your Hauppauge TV tuner into a USB port and fire up OpenElec.

OpenElec also includes Kodi, which you can use as your TV viewer.

OpenELEC can be downloaded from http://openelec.tv/get-openelec

Please check the OpenELEC community on how to install and run an operating system on the Raspberry Pi.

All you need to do is connect the HVR-955Q to a USB port on the Raspberry Pi.

The firmware is already included in OpenElec. Nothing else needs to be done to get the WinTV-dualHD (both North America and European versions) and the WinTV-HVR-955Q detected in OpenElec.

Running the HD PVR 2 under Ubuntu

Ubuntu installation instructions for the HD PVR 2

Click here for the step by step instructions

Note: Please check on the bottom of your HD PVR 2 for the 6 digit 157xxx model number. Download the correct package for your model below.

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157210 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157220 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157221 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157222 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157310 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157320 Linux drivers

Click here for the HD PVR 2 model 157321 Linux drivers

Linux for Colossus 2

Linux support for Colossus 2 is through a user mode application. You can get the application from the link below.

Click here for the step by step instructions

Download the Linux Colossus 2 application:

Click here for the Colossus 2 Linux application

MythTV and the Colossus 2

John Poet has created Colossus 2 support for MythTV, including AC3 audio support:

https://github.com/jpoet/HauppaugeUSB/network

Pal from Snap.TV has forked the MythTV Colossus 2 support and has added support for analog PAL composite video.

Android Live Channels

We have tested with Live Channels version 1.14.012

Supported Hauppauge TV tuners include the WinTV-HVR-955Q and the WinTV-dualHD for North America. At this time, there are no DVB TV tuners supported in Live Channels.

Here is an installation video for Live Channels

Note: if you are getting TV video but no audio with Live Channels, most likely your video monitor is missing an AC3 decoder. With Live Channels, you need to have a video monitor connected to your Android system which has an AC3 decoder built in. Unlike Plex (which decodes AC3 and turns it into two channel audio if needed), Live Channels does not decode the AC3. If you are using a video monitor which does not support AC3 surround sound audio, you can use a sound bar (which normally have AC3 decoders built in).

Kaffeine TV application for Linux

Use Kaffeine to watch live TV on your Linux system with a Hauppauge WinTV TV tuner

Hauppauge Videos with Linux