[mythtv-users] DVB-S2 card failing to display channels

[Jeffrey Ratcliffe]

I've just built my first HTPC, using Mythbuntu 12.04, as my other
machines run Ubuntu 12.10. For various reasons, I have both a DVB-C
card (adapter 0) and a DVB-S2 card (adapters 1 and 2, although only 1
is connected to an LNB ATM). DVB-C is working properly, as is DVB-S
via a set-top box.

I started with a DVBSky S952 DVB-S2 card. I had to compile the drivers
for it, but after I did, it was found by the kernel.

scan -a 1 -x0 /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E | tee channels.conf

produces a seemingly sane channels.conf file, but

mplayer dvb://"1:0 at BBC THREE"

refused to show anything:

MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.6 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing dvb://1:0@BBC THREE.
Option stream url: This URL doesn't have a password part.
dvb_tune Freq: 10817
ERROR tuning channel
dvb_tune, TUNING FAILED
ERROR, COULDN'T SET CHANNEL  604: Failed to open dvb://1:0@BBC THREE.

for comparison, with the DVB-C, this works fine:

$ mplayer dvb://"0:0 at KiKA"
MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.6 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing dvb://0:0@KiKA.
Option stream url: This URL doesn't have a password part.
dvb_tune Freq: 394000000
TS file format detected.
VIDEO MPEG2(pid=310) AUDIO MPA(pid=320) NO SUBS (yet)!  PROGRAM N. 0
VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x576  (aspect 3)  25.000 fps  15000.0 kbps (1875.0 kbyte/s)

The channel scanner in mythbackend couldn't even find any channels on
the DVB-S2 tuner. I tried both a full scan (using information I found
here: http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_freesat.php), and importing the
channels.conf produced by the scan command.

After much messing about and frustration, I sent the DVBSky card back,
assuming that there was some compatibility problem or fault, and
instead ordered a Digital Devices Cine S2 V6, which was recognised
automatically by the kernel.

Frustratingly, I have *exactly* the same problems with this card, with
scan finding channels, but mplayer not showing them, and mythbackend
not finding channels.

Now I am completely at a loss, and don't know what to try next.

I assume that the fact that the set-top box is working OK demonstrates
that it is not a problem with the dish, LNB or cable.

I assume that it is unlikely that both DVB-S2 cards were faulty.

Does this mean that I should start blaming the motherboard?

Does anyone have any insight?

Regards

Jeff