Scrambled channel names (1 Viewer)

[Kit Elliott]

I have been having a strange issue with MP for several generations now. Currently using 1.15.0, but as I say, it has been the same for at least two generations.

After a channel scan, sorting and grouping into favourites category, all the channel names are correct. However, over a period of days, several of the channel names will revert to some scrambled name - weird characters that I cannot even reproduce. If I go into the TV server and edit the channel, the channel ID is correct, but I have to relabel the name manually. After a few days, the names become scrambled again for no apparent reason. It is always the same channels, and always just HD channels. Everywhere that the channels exist (favourites list, channels list) are the same - scrambled name. The channels work fine and the epg schedule list is correct.

My system uses a dual channel satellite tuner card and a USB Freeview terrestial tuner. I have combined all relative channels and mapped mainly to the satellite cards.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Kit

Anyone got any thoughts?

Standard TV Server never (and I really do mean never) updates channel names automatically. Therefore you must be using a non-standard/customised version of TV Server and/or a 3rd party plugin that updates the names. The fault must lie within the non-standard version or plugin. For obvious reasons (no access to or knowledge of the code etc.) we're unable to help you with either of these things. You need to get help from wherever you acquired whatever you're using.

Regards,
mm

 

[Kit Elliott]

Thanks for the info. The TV server is as standard, I have not made any alterations. I am using XMLTV, which might be the culprit, although I cannot see why. I have temporarily disabled the off-air EPG, to see if that makes a difference. Don't think I have any other plugins that would affect this, but I will check.

Thanks again - it is not a crucial problem, just annoying.

K.

 

[mm1352000]

I am using XMLTV, which might be the culprit, although I cannot see why.

The XMLTV import plugin doesn't have any capacity to change channel names.

Are you able to provide TV Server log files that cover the period when channel names change?

 

[Kit Elliott]

IT can be difficult to pick up exactly when it is happening, but I will see if I can narrow it down next time I notice it happen.

Thanks for your interest.

K.

 

[mm1352000]

IT can be difficult to pick up...

Well, if the problem happened in the last few days - maybe even up to 10 days - your existing log files should be fine.

 

[Kit Elliott]

OK, so I have uninstalled all extensions, but it has happened again. I am attaching 2 files, which I believe are the logs you want, and an image file which shows the scrambled names - channels 7,8,9 and 10. All of them are BBC HD channels. The only other one that is affected is Channel 5 HD. The problem has happened since approx 18.00 yesterday (23rd), which is when I last corrected the names. That should save you looking through the whole logs I guess.

Grateful for any pointers.

K.
--- Post updated ---
Notice the problem seems to have commenced around 01:07:46 in TVServce.1.log, although I cannot see what caused it.

K.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Hi,

The channels in question aren't standard but portal channels, which are received by MP's linkage scanner.

Spoiler: Linkage

[2016-07-23 18:46:17,025] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - ChannelLinkage received. 2 portal channels read
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,026] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - [Linkage Scanner] New portal channel 2 8300 2042
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,028] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - [Linkage Scanner] - YOTV1 nid=2,tid=2025 sid=5028
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,039] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - Linked channel with name=YOTV1, networkId=2, transportId=2025, serviceId=5028 not found
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,040] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - [Linkage Scanner] New portal channel 2 8305 2042
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,041] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - [Linkage Scanner] - YOTV1 nid=2,tid=2025 sid=5028
[2016-07-23 18:46:17,048] [Log ] [Channel linkage update thread] [INFO ] - Linked channel with name=YOTV1, networkId=2, transportId=2025, serviceId=5028 not found

The linkage scanner is reading information from a portal channel to provide the names of associated sub-channels. Unless you are absolutely certain that BBC broadcasts this kind of channels, deactivate the linkage scanner in TV Server (this is the default)

 

[Kit Elliott]

Many thanks for your help. I can report that the problem is now solved - no more scrambled channel names since I deselected linkage. What is strange is that I do not remember selecting it in the first place as I do not understand what it does. I guess I must have selected it by mistake. What does it do- apart from screw up the channel names in this case?

 

[HTPCSourcer]

The development of the linkage scanner goes back to German Pay TV broadcaster Sky, then still called Premiere, who was broadcasting football through a portal channel only. The individual matches then needed to be selected through this portal and were individually named by the respective playing teams, e.g. "Dortmund-Bayern". In the meantime this is obsolete and Sky has assigned permanent channels that are no longer addressed through a portal.

Regarding BBC I can't tell why the linkage scanner detects the presence of sub-channels and more important renames some. This could be a bug or maybe due to a non-standard setup of BBC. Although I would be surprised if the latter was the case.