diff --git a/libao2/ao_mpegpes.c b/libao2/ao_mpegpes.c
index 59cba696ec..fe3924f4ca 100644
--- a/libao2/ao_mpegpes.c
+++ b/libao2/ao_mpegpes.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ static int init_device(int card)
 
 static int preinit(const char *arg)
 {
-	int card = 1;
+	int card = -1;
 	char *ao_file = NULL;
 
 	opt_t subopts[] = {
@@ -153,6 +153,21 @@ static int preinit(const char *arg)
 		mp_msg(MSGT_VO, MSGL_ERR, "AO_MPEGPES, Unrecognized options\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
+	if(card==-1)
+	{
+		//search the first usable card
+		int n;
+		char file[30];
+		for(n=0; n<4; n++)
+		{
+			sprintf(file, "/dev/dvb/adapter%d/audio0", n);
+			if(access(file, F_OK | W_OK)==0)
+			{
+				card = n+1;
+				break;
+			}
+        	}
+	}
 	if((card < 1) || (card > 4))
 	{
 		mp_msg(MSGT_VO, MSGL_ERR, "DVB card number must be between 1 and 4\n");
diff --git a/libvo/vo_mpegpes.c b/libvo/vo_mpegpes.c
index 05e81631f7..d251ff75df 100644
--- a/libvo/vo_mpegpes.c
+++ b/libvo/vo_mpegpes.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ config(uint32_t s_width, uint32_t s_height, uint32_t width, uint32_t height, uin
 
 static int preinit(const char *arg){
 #ifdef HAVE_DVB
-    int card = 0;
+    int card = -1;
     char vo_file[30], ao_file[30], *tmp;
     
     if(arg != NULL){
@@ -115,6 +115,21 @@ static int preinit(const char *arg){
     
     if(!arg){
     //|O_NONBLOCK
+        //search the first usable card
+        if(card==-1) {
+          int n;
+          for(n=0; n<4; n++) {
+            sprintf(vo_file, "/dev/dvb/adapter%d/video0", n);
+            if(access(vo_file, F_OK | W_OK)==0) {
+              card = n;
+              break;
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        if(card==-1) {
+          mp_msg(MSGT_VO,MSGL_INFO, "Couldn't find a usable dvb video device, exiting\n");
+          return -1;
+        }
 #ifndef HAVE_DVB_HEAD
 	mp_msg(MSGT_VO,MSGL_INFO, "Opening /dev/ost/video+audio\n");
 	sprintf(vo_file, "/dev/ost/video");