[mythtv-users] Unicable problems

[Piotr Oniszczuk]

Klaas, Matthias,

I have unicable system @my home working perfectly last 6 years (4 tuners, 35-50 recordings per day; usually 3..8 concurrent recordings tested 16 w/o any problems; months without failed recording)

IIRC unicable setup is very simple:

in mythtv-setup
1. select "2. capture cards"
2. select "new capture card" then press Enter
3. go by arrow keys to "New Capture Card"
4. press right arrow
5. select DVB-T/S/C...., press enter
6. press right arrow
7. go down by arrow keys to "DiSEqC...", press right arrow
8. in Device type select "Unicable", press enter
9. press right arrow, you should see "Unicable configuration"
10. press right arrow to enter Unicable config
11. set "Userband" to 0 (for your first tuner, 1 for second etc) (*)
12. set "Frequency" to 1210 for your first tuner (1420 for second, 1680 for third; 2040 for 4th)
13. leave "pincode" to -1
14. "Repeat Count" - start with 3 (**)
15. Set "Device Type" to LNB
16. press Esc, then select "save"

You can repeat steeps 2...15 for rest of yours tuners - but remember set appropriate values in steeps: 11 and 12

(*)
Some unicable vendors are using enumeration starting from 0, some others starting from 1
Try first with 0 and if your first tuner will not work ok - try starting with 1


(**)
Some unicable vendors - for reliable operation - requiring multiple resending tune commands to get reliable each userband PLL setting in unicable unit at myth tuning time.
This is case i.e. with mine Inverto unicable unit: when myth BE sends single tune command - i have 5-10% of failed tunings. 
But when I do 3 sends (send + 2 resends) - then failed tunings are goinf down to approx 0.01%.
Some time ago - i addeed to mythv capability of resends: when you set repeat count in steep 14 to value above 10, myth will enter resending mode with N-10 resends. So i.e. setting to 13 will cause 3 sends of tune command at tuning stage

Happy watching!