[mythtv-users] Unicable problems

[Piotr Oniszczuk]

> Wiadomość napisana przez Matthias Thyroff <matthias at thyroff.net> w dniu 28.05.2022, o godz. 21:09:
> 
> Am 28.05.22 um 16:24 schrieb 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!
>>  
>> 
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>> 
> Hi Piotr,
> 
> that gives me hope! :-)
> 
> I have done all as you say and man I have a hard time getting it to work. I have tried back and forth a million things and times, and still I can't rule out (1) failing cards (2) failing antenna (3) failing cables (4) failing drivers (5) failing mythtv
> 
> because it is so inconsistent. When it works, as you say, tuning fails frequently especially at the first tune,  but resending 9 or 15 times has not done anything, it seems I need to change channel back and forth to get a lock.
> 
> What cards are you using?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Matthias
> 
> 

Matthias,

Ok - then indeed we have checklist to do: 
(1) failing antenna
(2) failing cables 
(3) failing cards 
(4) failing drivers
(5) failing mythtv DVB subsys
(6) failing LNB unicable implementation
(7) failing mythtv unicable implementation


Without steep-by-steep elimination we will not able to find root case and fix.

Lest start with list+order like i'm proposing

(1) failing antena/ (2)failing cables:
can yo go for test with no Unicable and make sure LNB+dish are positioned ok?
Ideally will be i.e. with borrowed SAT receiver and: tune to SAT channel + verify signal strength + S/N are good enough for reliable reception?
(borrow receiver from friend, neighbourhood, etc)

If above will show you all is ok - the we can go with (3)
Install on you BE software to watch SAT TV.
best will be sw. provided by card vendor eventually any well known SAT watching software.
Alternatively You can try with tools scanning SAT transponders:
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Frequency_scan#Comparison_of_DVB_frequency_scanning_commandline_utilities
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Scan
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Dvbscan

If above will be ok - we already know: (1)/(2)/(3) are ok.
If in above test you will use target kernel+target card drivers - then steep (4) also can be marked as ok.

So we can go with (5):
configure mythtv to use standard LNB (no any Unicable) and try tune to some FTA channels.

If (5) will go ok - then we can try (7): setup myth to use unicable and try.

If it will fail then:

-borrow somewhere SAT receiver capable to do Unicable, configure Unicable and verify is it working OK.

If such SAT receiver will work - then out root cause is (7)
If such SAT receiver will now work - then out root cause is (6)

let me know how it goes for you!