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1 | .. -*- coding: utf-8; mode: rst -*- |
2 | ||
3 | ============ | |
4 | Introduction | |
5 | ============ | |
6 | ||
7 | This document covers the Linux Kernel to Userspace API's used by video | |
8 | and radio streaming devices, including video cameras, analog and digital | |
9 | TV receiver cards, AM/FM receiver cards, Software Defined Radio (SDR), | |
10 | streaming capture and output devices, codec devices and remote controllers. | |
11 | ||
12 | A typical media device hardware is shown at :ref:`typical_media_device`. | |
13 | ||
14 | .. _typical_media_device: | |
15 | ||
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16 | .. kernel-figure:: typical_media_device.svg |
17 | :alt: typical_media_device.svg | |
18 | :align: center | |
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19 | |
20 | Typical Media Device | |
21 | ||
22 | The media infrastructure API was designed to control such devices. It is | |
23 | divided into five parts. | |
24 | ||
25 | 1. The :ref:`first part <v4l2spec>` covers radio, video capture and output, | |
26 | cameras, analog TV devices and codecs. | |
27 | ||
28 | 2. The :ref:`second part <dvbapi>` covers the API used for digital TV and | |
29 | Internet reception via one of the several digital tv standards. While it is | |
30 | called as DVB API, in fact it covers several different video standards | |
31 | including DVB-T/T2, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C, ATSC, ISDB-T, ISDB-S, DTMB, etc. The | |
32 | complete list of supported standards can be found at | |
836cf1db | 33 | :c:type:`fe_delivery_system`. |
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34 | |
35 | 3. The :ref:`third part <remote_controllers>` covers the Remote Controller API. | |
36 | ||
37 | 4. The :ref:`fourth part <media_controller>` covers the Media Controller API. | |
38 | ||
39 | 5. The :ref:`fifth part <cec>` covers the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) API. | |
40 | ||
41 | It should also be noted that a media device may also have audio components, like | |
42 | mixers, PCM capture, PCM playback, etc, which are controlled via ALSA API. For | |
43 | additional information and for the latest development code, see: | |
44 | `https://linuxtv.org <https://linuxtv.org>`__. For discussing improvements, | |
45 | reporting troubles, sending new drivers, etc, please mail to: `Linux Media | |
46 | Mailing List (LMML) <http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-media>`__. |