---
name: "bktr"
section: "4"
platform: "linux"
package: "freebsd-manpages"
version: "6.0-5"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bktr"
---

# bktr(4)

Brooktree Bt848/849/878/879 and Pinnacle PCTV video capture driver

## NAME

**bktr** – Brooktree Bt848/849/878/879 and Pinnacle PCTV video capture driver

## SYNOPSIS

**device** **bktr**

**device** **iicbus** **device** **iicbb** **device** **smbus**

## DESCRIPTION

The **bktr** driver provides support for PCI *video* capture and *VBI* capture on low cost, high performance boards. The driver is based on the Matrox Meteor driver and uses the same API. The **bktr** driver should support most video cards based on the *Brooktree Bt848/849/878/879 Video Capture Chip*. Also supported are most *Pinnacle PCTV* video cards. Furthermore, the driver supports *FM* *Radio* if the tuner supports it.

The driver currently supports the following features:

```
PCI to PCI dma transfer
clipping
yuv
rgb16
rgb24
rgb32
```

On the supported cards, tuners and other components are interconnected with an I2C bus. The Brooktree848 chips act as a master device on the bus to control them. Therefore, [iicbus(4)](/iicbus/4.md), [iicbb(4)](/iicbb/4.md) and [smbus(4)](/smbus/4.md) controller declarations are mandatory to activate **bktr** support.

The following kernel parameters may be used to further configure the driver:

*options* *BROOKTREE\_ALLOC\_PAGES=xxx* specifies the number of contiguous pages to allocate when successfully probed. The default number of pages allocated by the kernel is 216. This means that there are (216\*4096) bytes available for use.

```
options BROOKTREE_SYSTEM_DEFAULT=BROOKTREE_PAL
options BROOKTREE_SYSTEM_DEFAULT=BROOKTREE_NTSC
```

One of these options can be used to set the default video format for the driver. This fixed random hangs and lockups with the VideoLogic Captivator PCI card.

The following sysctls may be used to further configure the driver:

*sysctl* *hw.bt848.card=nnnn* This can be used to override the card make which was detected at boot time. ‘nnnn’ is set to an integer from 1 to 13 taken from the following table:

- MIRO

  1

- HAUPPAUGE

  2

- STB

  3

- INTEL

  4

- IMS\_TURBO

  5

- AVER\_MEDIA

  6

- OSPREY

  7

- NEC\_PK

  8

- IO\_GV

  9

- FLYVIDEO

  10

- ZOLTRIX

  11

- KISS

  12

- VIDEO\_HIGHWAY\_XTREME

  13

*sysctl* *hw.bt848.tuner=nnnn* This can be used to override the tuner make which was detected at boot time. ‘nnnn’ is set to an integer from 1 to 13 taken from the following table:

- NO\_TUNER

  0

- TEMIC\_NTSC

  1

- TEMIC\_PAL

  2

- TEMIC\_SECAM

  3

- PHILIPS\_NTSC

  4

- PHILIPS\_PAL

  5

- PHILIPS\_SECAM

  6

- TEMIC\_PALI

  7

- PHILIPS\_PALI

  8

- PHILIPS\_FR1236\_NTSC

  9       /\* These have FM Radio support \*/

- PHILIPS\_FR1216\_PAL

  10      /\* These have FM Radio support \*/

- PHILIPS\_FR1236\_SECAM

  11      /\* These have FM Radio support \*/

- ALPS\_TSCH5

  12

- ALPS\_TSBH1

  13

## HARDWARE

The **bktr** driver supports video capture cards based on the Brooktree Bt848/849/878/879 chips, as well as Pinnacle PCTV cards, including:

- AOpen VA1000

- AVerMedia AVerTV Studio

- AVerMedia TF/FM-98

- ATI TV Wonder VE

- Hauppauge WinCast/TV

- Hauppauge WinTV-Go-FM

- Hauppauge WinTV-pci

- Hauppauge WinTV-radio

- Intel Smart Video Recorder III

- KWORLD PCI TV Tuner

- Miro PC TV

- Pinnacle PCTV Pro

- Pinnacle PCTV Rave

- PixelView PlayTV PAK

- SIGMA TV II

- STB TV PCI Television Tuner

- Super TV Tuner

- V-Stream XPERT TV-PVR 878

- Video Highway XTreme

- VideoLogic Captivator PCI

## FILES

- */usr/share/examples/meteor*

  Examples of what you can do with the (similarly designed) Meteor driver.

- */usr/ports/multimedia/fxtv*

  A TV and Camera display program utilizing the bktr driver - requires that *The* *X* *Window* *System* and *The* *Ports* *Collection* also be installed.

- */usr/ports/misc/alevt*

  A program to capture and display Teletext (VideoText) pages - requires that *The* *X* *Window* *System* and *The* *Ports* *Collection* also be installed.

- */usr/ports/audio/xmradio*

  An FM Radio Tuner for cards which have an FM Radio tuner fitted - requires that *The* *X* *Window* *System* and *The* *Ports* *Collection* also be installed. It also requires *Motif* or the *lesstif* port.

## SEE ALSO

[meteor(4)](/meteor/4.md)

## HISTORY

The **bktr** driver first appeared in FreeBSD 2.2.

## AUTHORS

This driver is based on the work of Jim Lowe ⟨james@miller.cs.uwm.edu⟩, Mark Tinguely ⟨tinguely@plains.nodak.edu⟩, Amancio Hasty ⟨hasty@star-gate.com⟩, Roger Hardiman ⟨roger@FreeBSD.org⟩ and a bunch of other people. Support for Pinnacle PCTV Rave cards was added by Branko Lankester ⟨branko@euro.net⟩.