0001 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
0002
0003 ============
0004 Introduction
0005 ============
0006
0007 This document covers the Linux Kernel to Userspace API's used by video
0008 and radio streaming devices, including video cameras, analog and digital
0009 TV receiver cards, AM/FM receiver cards, Software Defined Radio (SDR),
0010 streaming capture and output devices, codec devices and remote controllers.
0011
0012 A typical media device hardware is shown at :ref:`typical_media_device`.
0013
0014 .. _typical_media_device:
0015
0016 .. kernel-figure:: typical_media_device.svg
0017 :alt: typical_media_device.svg
0018 :align: center
0019
0020 Typical Media Device
0021
0022 The media infrastructure API was designed to control such devices. It is
0023 divided into five parts.
0024
0025 1. The :ref:`first part <v4l2spec>` covers radio, video capture and output,
0026 cameras, analog TV devices and codecs.
0027
0028 2. The :ref:`second part <dvbapi>` covers the API used for digital TV and
0029 Internet reception via one of the several digital tv standards. While it is
0030 called as DVB API, in fact it covers several different video standards
0031 including DVB-T/T2, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C, ATSC, ISDB-T, ISDB-S, DTMB, etc. The
0032 complete list of supported standards can be found at
0033 :c:type:`fe_delivery_system`.
0034
0035 3. The :ref:`third part <remote_controllers>` covers the Remote Controller API.
0036
0037 4. The :ref:`fourth part <media_controller>` covers the Media Controller API.
0038
0039 5. The :ref:`fifth part <cec>` covers the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) API.
0040
0041 It should also be noted that a media device may also have audio components, like
0042 mixers, PCM capture, PCM playback, etc, which are controlled via ALSA API. For
0043 additional information and for the latest development code, see:
0044 `https://linuxtv.org <https://linuxtv.org>`__. For discussing improvements,
0045 reporting troubles, sending new drivers, etc, please mail to: `Linux Media
0046 Mailing List (LMML) <http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html#linux-media>`__.
