DVB-TUSBDevice

Does anyone know of a DVB-T USB device which works with gnewsense? That is a device that doesn't need non-free firmware.

I have done some googling and looked at the hardware support page at fsf.org, but haven't been able to find anything.

Sorry for bumping this topic, but doesn't anyone have experience with these kind of devices? By doing a search I fond out that another gnewsense user asked the same question quite some time ago.

/? TESTING INGNORE ?/

/? TESTING AGAIN?/

there are gnu/linux compatible usb DVB-T devices. I was once considering buying a dvb/analog hybrid for my eee: http://www.terratec.net/en/products/TV_and_radio_on_the_Eee_PC_34649.html

The problem is being sure it's free. There are these guys providing drivers for some devices: http://mcentral.de/wiki/index.php5/Main_Page

But be careful about the free-ness of drivers, since I am not suggesting these are truly free.

Thanks for your reply. The terratec product looks interesting, and I will have a look at the script mentioned in the wiki. The most important thing is probably to find out whether additional firmware is required since such firmware is almost certainly non-free.

Part 1

It looks like there are almost no free pieces of hardware to handle DVB. Almost every single piece needs a piece of firmware for the digital decoder.

However, after looking through a few hundred usb adapters I think I've found something to do the trick.

TerraTec's Cinergy T2. It was discontinued about four years ago, and when it was the company released both the specs and the firmware's source (yah!). Though I don't think it needs a firmware uploaded at all to function (at least everyone else doesn’t seem to be talking about it). It appears to store it internally, at least according to:

http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/TV_Cards

Part2

Luckily I think they can still be bought at:

http://www.pcupgrade.co.uk/productdetails.asp?ProductID=2449&categoryid=336

Or one or two might be located on ebay.

Info on the device can be found here:

http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/TerraTec_Cinergy_T2

Here's a bit on installation:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/terratec-cinergy-t2-usb-and-udev-446950/

And here: http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-38577.html

And here:

http://michael-prokop.at/blog/2008/05/05/terratec-cinergy-t-usb-dvb-t-and-linux/

On a questionable note at least one person,

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/how-to-set-up-and-use-terratec-cinergy-hybrid-t-usb-xs-fm-device-0ccd0072-633288/

 claims to have gotten the 'Terratec Cinergy hybrid T usb xs fm' working 

without a firmware.

Though this:

 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/em28xx#head-4c3197d9f27036e5ed6dec41fc220db61b2cae44

says the 'Terratec Cinergy hybrid T usb xs fm' does require a firmware.

Part5 Disclaimer:

All this info comes from research only I have no actual experience with any of these devices (it’s very hard to test dvb-t in the United Sates). Unfortunately atsc seems to be in just as bad a state firmware-wise. It seems kind of sad that here we are going to go to this ‘wonderful’ new technology and fewer people can use it with freedom than the old crappy technology.

Darren, thank you _so_ much for all the research you have done. The terratec cinergy t2 could be the answer I have been looking for. I will see if I can find it at a reasonable price her in Denmark.

Just a little update with a success story :-)

I followed Darren F Hall's advice to go for a Terratec Cinergy T².

I found a very cheap one on the German ebay site (about $11 -- there was a company selling lots of them), and it works great out of the box without having to install firmware or drivers.

PS: I didn't use the kernel from the repositories though, but the one mentioned in this post in the gnewsense mailing list:

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnewsense-users/2008-09/msg00006.html

Just wanted to let you know, if someone else is looking for a DVB-T USB receiver.