[mythtv-users] channels.conf import: Not all channels appear!

[stefan_jones at comcast.net]

----- "Dave Johansen" <davejohansen at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:18 AM,  <stefan_jones at comcast.net> wrote:
> > Grrrr . . .
> >
> > I used the procedures detailed here:
> >
> >
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Adding_Digital_Cable_Channels_(For_ATSC/QAM_Tuner_Cards_--_USA/Canada)
> >
> > . . . and here:
> >
> > http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/DVB_search
> >
> > . . . to create a channels.conf file.
> >
> > I used mplayer to view the channels -- using the same capture card
> as my
> > mythtv setup uses, using the data in channels.conf  -- and give them
> valid
> > labels.
> >
> > I know for a fact that Cartoon Network was viewable and tunable. I
> saw it
> > live.
> >
> > However . . . when I used mythtvset=>Scan Channels to do a scan
> using
> > channels.conf, Cartoon Network (and possibly others) didn't end up
> on the
> > final roster of channels.
> >
> > I spot checked a few of the other channels added via channels.conf
> input and
> > they work fine.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Stefan
> 
> I had the same issue and it turns out that the channel scanning in
> MythTV 0.21 is kind of flaky, so I just cranked up the timeout and
> repeated the scan several times until it picked up all the channels
> Dave

OK. I figured it out.

I selected the "ignore timeout" checkbox and scanned a few times. I never did see the named, imported channels appear. However, I did see a bunch of "Ignoring, audio only" channels appear that had familiar program name numbers. e.g., 305 and 307, which I recognized, from the QAM sniffing I've been doing, as the program numbers of the Cartoon Network and Food Network. On my printout of clear QAM channels, those are unique.

So I selected the allow audio only channels box, and rescanned. The "audio only" channels were matched with the channels in my channels.conf and entered in the DB.

I've added XMLids and am now doing a mythfilldatabase with refresh all.

The remaining question: Will MythTV be able to capture from them, since its fakaktenna scanner seems to have trouble with them. I know the tuner can receive them just fine since I was able to visualize them via mplayer, as noted above.

Stefan