HDPVR color is off [SOLVED]

[Linuxgrrl]

I just installed a HDVPR model1212. To solve the known problem with color, I've upgraded the firmware to the latest version (3/11/2012).
The hue is off. It's a combination of too pink, too dark, and washed-out.
As suggested in the wiki, I've tried using various commands to adjust the picture. But, even though the commands report no error (see below), the color looks exactly the same. It's as if the commands are not "taking" somehow.
Possibly related, if I run "vrl2-ctl --all" it does not list my device.
To test the color adjustments, I'm running the v4l2-ctl command and then I switch directly into mythfrontend and watch live. Nothing changes.
What am I doing wrong?

Example:

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mary@mythbox:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo v4l2-ctl --verbose --device=/dev/video1 --set-ctrl brightness=0x80 --set-ctrl contrast=0x40 --set-ctrl hue=0x80 --set-ctrl saturation=0x40
VIDIOC_QUERYCAP: ok
VIDIOC_S_CTRL: ok
VIDIOC_S_CTRL: ok
VIDIOC_S_CTRL: ok
VIDIOC_S_CTRL: ok

[Linuxgrrl]

Update: I can now change the picture settings. Apparently "v4l2-ctl --device /dev/video1" silently failed to select my device, but "v4l2-ctl -d1" selects it fine.

The problem is that the colors still look terrible. I have played with a bunch of combinations of hue, sharpness, brightness, saturation, and contrast. Although I can see the changes take effect in LiveTV, they are all in a range of just a not very good picture. Rich greens and blues seem to be missing from the spectrum, with the picture mostly darkish/greyish/pinkish. DS wants to watch golf and I want to watch football, so green is critical path.

The wiki suggests settings like:

Code: Select all

brightness=0x80 --set-ctrl contrast=0x40 --set-ctrl hue=0xf --set-ctrl saturation=0x40 --set-ctrl sharpness=0x80

But when I print the help from v4l2-ctl, it offers a numerical range for each setting (like 0 to 128) and reports the setting as an integer within the range.

How does the "0x80" type of setting relate to the integer that v4l is asking for? Is this part of my problem?
Any advice on how to get greens/blues from my HDPVR would be great. I see so many of you report getting a great picture with it. My video source is an Arris STB using component video.
TIA.

[Gribnif]

I recently upgraded the firmware on both of my units, and I found that the default values work just fine, where I had previously been using a hack to change them to suit the old firmware.

"0x80" is hexadecimal for 128 decimal. I think v4l2-ctl will understand either format. So here are the defaults, represented in hex:

Code: Select all

v4l2-ctl  -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl brightness=0x80 --set-ctrl contrast=0x40 --set-ctrl hue=0xf --set-ctrl saturation=0x40 --set-ctrl sharpness=0x80

[Linuxgrrl]

Thanks for the explanation.
I'm trying those settings, and they are a little better, but there is still a pinkish/grayish overlay. Greens still look washed out.
Suggestions welcome.

[Gribnif]

Before you do any more tinkering with the settings, if you have another cable, try swapping it out. It could just be that your current one isn't making good contact or is frayed. Or even just try swapping the three parts of the cable you have now, the same at both ends. (So, for instance, connect red to blue, blue to green, and green to red at both ends.) If the symptoms change, then you know the cable is at fault.

[Linuxgrrl]

Right you were! I'm not sure how, but one of the blue cables had worked itself all the way out in the back of the cabinet. Didn't even think to check.
Thank you! Golf and everything else looks great now.

[Steve Goodey]

If you're happy with the fix could you possibly added [Solved] to the subject line in the first post?

Ta.