[mythtv-users] Missing channels

[Michael T. Dean]

On 02/08/2016 12:41 PM, Michelle Dupuis wrote:
>
> I noticed three channels are missing from my Guide, and also verified 
> in the web interface to the backend (channel info).
>
>
> So I went to schedules direct and found 2 were disabled in my lineup, 
> and 1 enabled.  So I enabled the other two, and ran a 
> "mythfilldatabase  --do-channel-updates"
>
>
> But still a 3 are missing.  Can someone suggest how to fix this?
>

mythfilldatabase is for filling the MythTV database with listings data, 
not with channels.

The *only* time you can use mythfilldatabase to add channels is if you 
have a non-scannable input--i.e. firewire or OCUR or some other 
"externally-tuned source"--or an analog input (whether using an analog 
tuner or, again, a PVR-x50 or HD-PVR connected to an STB--an 
externally-tuned source).  And, if you have one of those inputs for 
which mythfilldatabase can add channels, it will do so automatically, 
unless you run it with --remove-new-channels.  You shouldn't ever do 
--do-channel-updates, which simply says, "I don't care about any 
customization I've done to my existing channels, mess with them however 
much you like," (in other words, a more appropriate name for the 
argument is --do-unsafe-channel-updates). The --do-channel-updates 
argument doesn't say anything about adding new channels.  See, also, the 
mythfilldatabase --help output, which explains that it just resets 
existing channels and doesn't say anything about adding new channels.  
(That said, it seems nearly every MythTV user seems to think 
--do-channel-updates means to add new channels, so the only reason I'm 
being so emphatic here is because this is a very often misunderstood 
argument to mythfilldatabase that people always seem to think is the 
right way to add new channels to their database when, in fact, it should 
probably almost never be run by anyone.  It doesn't add new channels, 
but instead messes up existing, usually working, channels.)

On what type of input are these missing channels available?  Is it 
scannable?  If so, scan to get your channels, just like when you first 
set up MythTV.

Mike