1<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><title>Introduction</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="LINUX MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE API"><link rel="up" href="index.html" title="LINUX MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE API"><link rel="prev" href="index.html" title="LINUX MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE API"><link rel="next" href="v4l2spec.html" title="Part I. Video for Linux Two API Specification"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Introduction</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="index.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center"> </th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="v4l2spec.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="preface"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a name="id-1.3"></a>Introduction</h1></div></div></div><p>This document covers the Linux Kernel to Userspace API's used by 2 video and radio streaming devices, including video cameras, 3 analog and digital TV receiver cards, AM/FM receiver cards, 4 streaming capture and output devices, codec devices and remote 5 controllers.</p><p>A typical media device hardware is shown at 6 <a class="xref" href="pr01.html#typical_media_device" title="Figure 1. Typical Media Device">Figure 1, “Typical Media Device”</a>.</p><div class="figure"><a name="typical_media_device"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 1. Typical Media Device</b></p><div class="figure-contents"><div class="mediaobject"><object type="image/svg+xml" data="typical_media_device.svg"></object></div></div></div><br class="figure-break"><p>The media infrastructure API was designed to control such 7 devices. It is divided into four parts.</p><p>The first part covers radio, video capture and output, 8 cameras, analog TV devices and codecs.</p><p>The second part covers the 9 API used for digital TV and Internet reception via one of the 10 several digital tv standards. While it is called as DVB API, 11 in fact it covers several different video standards including 12 DVB-T/T2, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C, ATSC, ISDB-T, ISDB-S,etc. The complete 13 list of supported standards can be found at 14 <a class="xref" href="frontend-properties.html#fe-delivery-system-t" title="fe_delivery_system type">the section called “fe_delivery_system type”</a>.</p><p>The third part covers the Remote Controller API.</p><p>The fourth part covers the Media Controller API.</p><p>It should also be noted that a media device may also have audio 15 components, like mixers, PCM capture, PCM playback, etc, which 16 are controlled via ALSA API.</p><p>For additional information and for the latest development code, 17 see: <a class="ulink" href="http://linuxtv.org" target="_top">http://linuxtv.org</a>.</p><p>For discussing improvements, reporting troubles, sending new drivers, etc, please mail to: <a class="ulink" href="http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-media" target="_top">Linux Media Mailing List (LMML).</a>.</p></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="index.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"> </td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="v4l2spec.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">LINUX MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE API </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Part I. Video for Linux Two API Specification</td></tr></table></div></body></html> 18