[mythtv-users] What does ATSC poor signal look like? or isthePCnot up to it?

[Misty P]

Andre Newman wrote:
> I think you've found it, it's poor signal.
>
> status 1e | signal 83df | snr 1207 | ber 00000000 | unc 00001c4c |
> FE_HAS_LOCK
> status 1e | signal 8513 | snr 1231 | ber 00000000 | unc 000003ab |
> FE_HAS_LOCK
> status 1e | signal 96ab | snr 1499 | ber 00000000 | unc 0000127b |
> FE_HAS_LOCK

Yup yup, if you're getting UNCs then you have a signal quality issue.  I get 
UNCs (and BERs) when the winds *really* pick up around my place and blow 
about 45 MPH...  it starts the tree across the street rocking and my tuners 
lose their mind trying to compensate.  Once the wind dies down below 40 or 
so, the tuners all happy-dappy-doo again.

...and my across the street neighbor just REFUSES to let me cut that tree 
down!  :)

> I ran femon while it wasn't recording or viewing and it's behaving the
> same so I think it must be signal rather than any load related issues,
> doubtless that will show through when the signal strength and quality
> is sorted out :-P

Haha, yeah you pretty much have to slay the elephants in order; if the 
signal isn't rock solid nothing else can be.  The good thing is that myth 
leaves the tuners tuned even when it's not really 'doing' anything (I think 
that's a configuration option somewhere), which is super handy for antenna 
futzing.  (Don't have to worry about the dreaded 'There was an error 
displaying video' message!)

>> Don't know if the HVR-950 reports ber or not.  My Hauppauge 1250,
>> 1600, and 1800 all report both, so I would be surprised if the 950
>> didn't.  (Yes, I have and use all three with myth!)
>
> Looks like it doesn't, can't imagine that a bunch of unc errors like
> that could result in a ber of 0.

Well, all I have to say is....   SURPRISE!  :)

>> Femon is also really useful for playing around with antenna
>> positioning/aiming, since that's the next logical step if you find
>> you have signal degredation.
>
> Time for that age old ritual of standing on one leg whilst waving an
> antenna around and trying not to fall off the kitchen stool!

I think I can beat that! 
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=e2246271565759ce11b582385f2413b6&p=15892034#post15892034


> Thanks for the help, I'll have a play with femon on my own system as
> well, would be good to get some feel for benchmark values on a system
> with good clean signal. I think I'm helping another friend get over
> the initial MythTV hurdle next week, thankfully he's on a few miles
> away and has the same tuners as me so "should" be easy.

No problem.  I am noting that the output from femon on the different model 
cards is completely non-comparable; your signal numbers are a few orders of 
magnitude higher than I get with my internal cards.  (My signal strength 
tops out at 0127!  And the status line is *completely* different.  I know, I 
know, it comes with source...)