[mythtv-users] Missing channels from Astra 28.2E

[Chris Dennis]

Hello MythTV people

This is a problem which I've had for a year or more, but I haven't had 
time until now to investigate it fully.

Basically, my list of channels is incomplete, whether I use MythTV's 
scanning, or DVB-utils' 'scan' command.

I'm using a Hauppauge Nova-S-Plus card, which shows up in lspci as:
   00:08.2 Multimedia controller: Conexant Systems, Inc. CX23880/1/2/3
    PCI Video and Audio Decoder [MPEG Port] (rev 05)

The output of this command

   scan -a 0 -x -1 -t 7 -U -o zap -l UNIVERSAL ./Astra-28.2E

when ./Astra-28.2E contains this

   S 10773000 H 22000000 5/6

is this (heavily edited)

   scanning ./Astra-28.2E
   using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
   initial transponder 10773000 H 22000000 5
   >>> tune to: 10773:h:0:22000
   DVB-S IF freq is 1023000
   0x0000 0x18af: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC THREE (not running)
   0x0000 0x18bb: pmt_pid 0x0101 BSkyB -- BBC 1 NI (running)
   0x0000 0x18bf: pmt_pid 0x010b BSkyB -- FIVE (running)
   0x0000 0x189d: pmt_pid 0x0100 BSkyB -- BBC 1 London (running)
   0x0000 0x189e: pmt_pid 0x0102 BSkyB -- BBC 2 England (running)
   0x0000 0x18a2: pmt_pid 0x0104 BSkyB -- ETV (running)
   0x0000 0x18a5: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC TES 2 (not running)
   0x0000 0x18ab: pmt_pid 0x0103 BSkyB -- BBC TES 3 (running)
   0x0000 0x18ac: pmt_pid 0x0000 BSkyB -- BBC FOUR (not running)
   0x0000 0x18ad: pmt_pid 0x0106 BSkyB -- CBBC Channel (running)
   0x0000 0x18ae: pmt_pid 0x0105 BSkyB -- CBeebies (running)
   Network Name 'ASTRA'
   ... [lots of lines snipped]
   >>> tune to: 11953:h:0:27500 (tuning failed)
   DVB-S IF freq is 1353500
   WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
   ... [lots more lines snipped]

In other words, it finds some channels and not others.  Specifically, 
the information on pages such as
   http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2b.html
and
   http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f39/bbc-1-2-missing-40088/
suggests that BBC Radio 4 (and others) should be available on 
11953:h:027500, but I've never been able to get it.

I can get other radio stations, such as BBC R5L on 10802:h:0:22000.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Is it likely to be the fault of the tuner card, or the LNB, or the 
direction the dish is pointing in?

cheers

Chris
-- 
Chris Dennis                                  cgdennis at btinternet.com
Fordingbridge, Hampshire, UK