[mythtv-users] Missing channels from Astra 28.2E

[Chris Dennis]

Terjesen Jens Peder wrote:
> Chris Dennis wrote:
> ________________________________________
> Hello MythTV people
> 
> This is a problem which I've had for a year or more, but I haven't had
> time until now to investigate it fully.
> 
> Basically, my list of channels is incomplete, whether I use MythTV's
> scanning, or DVB-utils' 'scan' command.
> 
> I'm using a Hauppauge Nova-S-Plus card, which shows up in lspci as:
>    00:08.2 Multimedia controller: Conexant Systems, Inc. CX23880/1/2/3
>     PCI Video and Audio Decoder [MPEG Port] (rev 05)
> 
> The output of this command
> 
>    scan -a 0 -x -1 -t 7 -U -o zap -l UNIVERSAL ./Astra-28.2E
> 
> when ./Astra-28.2E contains this
> 
>    S 10773000 H 22000000 5/6
> 
> is this (heavily edited)
> 
>    scanning ./Astra-28.2E
>    using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
>    initial transponder 10773000 H 22000000 5
>    >>> tune to: 10773:h:0:22000
>    DVB-S IF freq is 1023000
>    0x0000 0x18af: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC THREE (not running)
>    0x0000 0x18bb: pmt_pid 0x0101 BSkyB -- BBC 1 NI (running)
>    0x0000 0x18bf: pmt_pid 0x010b BSkyB -- FIVE (running)
>    0x0000 0x189d: pmt_pid 0x0100 BSkyB -- BBC 1 London (running)
>    0x0000 0x189e: pmt_pid 0x0102 BSkyB -- BBC 2 England (running)
>    0x0000 0x18a2: pmt_pid 0x0104 BSkyB -- ETV (running)
>    0x0000 0x18a5: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC TES 2 (not running)
>    0x0000 0x18ab: pmt_pid 0x0103 BSkyB -- BBC TES 3 (running)
>    0x0000 0x18ac: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC FOUR (not running)
>    0x0000 0x18ad: pmt_pid 0x0106 BSkyB -- CBBC Channel (running)
>    0x0000 0x18ae: pmt_pid 0x0105 BSkyB -- CBeebies (running)
>    Network Name 'ASTRA'
>    ... [lots of lines snipped]
>    >>> tune to: 11953:h:0:27500 (tuning failed)
>    DVB-S IF freq is 1353500
>    WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>    ... [lots more lines snipped]
> 
> In other words, it finds some channels and not others.  Specifically,
> the information on pages such as
>    http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2b.html
> and
>    http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f39/bbc-1-2-missing-40088/
> suggests that BBC Radio 4 (and others) should be available on
> 11953:h:027500, but I've never been able to get it.
> 
> I can get other radio stations, such as BBC R5L on 10802:h:0:22000.
> 
> Has anyone else experienced this?
> 
> Is it likely to be the fault of the tuner card, or the LNB, or the
> direction the dish is pointing in?
> 
> cheers
> 
> Chris
> --
> Chris Dennis                                  cgdennis at btinternet.com
> Fordingbridge, Hampshire, UK
> _______________________________________________
> 
> Hi.
> 
> I guess you are using an universal LNB?
> 
> It looks like you are only getting the low-band channels?
>    >>> tune to: 10773:h:0:22000
>    DVB-S IF freq is 1023000
> I.e. 10733 Mhz - 9750 Mhz = 1023 Mhz -> OK
>  >>> tune to: 11953:h:0:27500 (tuning failed)
>    DVB-S IF freq is 1353500
> I.e. 11953 Mhz - 10600 Mhz = 1353 Mhz -> NOK.
> 
> It that is the case it would mean that the tone-switching on your card is broken.
> 
> I bought a Hauppauge Nova-S-Plus a few years ago that functioned as it should for a few months, then the tone-switching stopped working.
> 
> Fortunatly for me the webshop replaced it with a Hauppauge HVR-4000 at no extra charge.
> 
> Jens

Aha!  That's an interesting thought.  I was wondering why the -tone 
option of dvbtune made no difference.

In fact I've got two Nova-S-Plus cards in the backend -- maybe both of 
them have failed in this way.  I'll try them one at a time at the 
weekend.  They're a couple of years old, so not within warranty.

Which are good DVB-S PCI cards these days?

cheers

Chris
-- 
Chris Dennis                                  cgdennis at btinternet.com
Fordingbridge, Hampshire, UK