[mythtv-users] HD programs on Comcast using HDHomeRun Prime?

James R. Van Zandt jrvz at comcast.net
Sat Nov 9 16:50:26 UTC 2013


I just got an HDHomeRun Prime.  I got a Motorola M-Card from Comcast and
got it authenticated and paired.  The SiliconDust GUI can access HD
programs.  With Myth, I can access SD programs, but not HD - even for
programs available OTA.

For example, using the command line
    hdhomerun_config 131A48E8 scan 0 /tmp/thescan
I find that physical channel qam256:92 carries four programs:
    SCANNING: 633000000 (us-irc:92, us-cable:92)
    LOCK: qam256 (ss=100 snq=100 seq=100)
    TSID: 0x846C
    PROGRAM 1 805 WCVB HD (encrypted)
    PROGRAM 2 807 WHDH HD (encrypted)
    PROGRAM 3 297 WHDH THIS.TV (encrypted)
    PROGRAM 4 292 WCVB ME.TV (encrypted)

hdhomerun_config_gui shows the same four programs, listed this way:
    1 805 WCVB HD (encrypted)
    2 807 WHDH HD (encrypted)
    3 297 WHDH THIS.TV (encrypted)
    4 292 WCVB ME.TV (encrypted)

In each case, the "view" button will show the program in a VLC window.
The first two look like HD, the others SD.

When I point my browser to the HDHRP at 192.168.1.104/linup.html, the
"detect channels" button finds 333+ channels.
The "Basic Channel" and "Subscribed Channels" lists are empty, but the "All
Channels" list shows many channels, including:
  802 WENH HD
  803 WBPX HD
  804 CBS4HD
  805 WCVB HD
  806 WFXT HD
  807 WHDH HD
  808 WLVI HD
  809 WMUR HDTV
  810 NECN HD
It also shows MSNBC twice, at channels 40 and 901, and Al Jazeera
America at 107.  (For reference, the STB shows MSNBC at 40 but not 901,
and Al Jazeera at 107 and 254.)

For example, while viewing WHDH, following the link 
http://192.168.1.104/status.html?page=tuner0 shows:

    Virtual Channel  807 WHDH HD
    Frequency        633.000 MHz
    Program Number   2
    Authorization    subscribed
    CCI Protection   unrestricted
    CGMS Protection  n/a
    Modulation Lock  qam256
    PCR Lock         locked
    Signal Strength  99% (-1.1 dBmV)
    Signal Quality   100% (37.6 dB)
    Symbol Quality   100%
    Streaming Rate   16.645 Mbps
    Resource Lock    none


In MythTV backend setup, when I used "Fetch channels from listing
source" I got entries for no HD programs and only some of the SD
programs (not, for example, MSNBC or Al Jazeera America).  "Scan for
channels" with a check for decryption took a long time, but found many
more programs including the HD programs available OTA (but still not
MSNBC or Al Jazeera America).

mythfilldatabase runs, but mythfrontend shows no program information for
the HD channels.  

I would like MythTV to show WHDH HD as channel 7, to match their
OTA channel number.  When I set that up using the channel editor, 
and tried to view WHDH HD using Live TV, mythfrontend displayed an error
"Irrecoverable recorder error" and crashed.  To recover, I used "killall
mythfrontend.real".

I also tried setting the channel number to 807 to match the HDhomerun
Prime listings, but then Live TV only got as far as "Loading..." before
crashing.


When MythTV asks the HDHomeRun Prime to change channels, does it
specify:

 1) the QAM channel and program number?  If so, why doesn't the channel
 editor display those parameters for each channel?


 2) the Comcast channel number?  If so, why doesn't the channel editor
 get pre-loaded with the channel number showed in the HDHR's scan?


How should I set MythTV up to access the HD programs?

       - Jim Van Zandt


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