[solved] Any idea where Channel 107 (DVB-T2) BBC News HD (and others!) have gone??? (1 Viewer)

tonewheelkev

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February 10, 2012
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Receive Freeview from Emley Moor...and was required to retune, following changes, on 5th Feb.

I re-tuned from scratch!!!

A couple of anomalies here, and hoping you might advise!!?

BBC News HD....Channel 107...now can't be found in MP TV-Server config....although it CAN be found using the TV app (Sony TV FWIW!)
Others, such as RT HD (ch.113) are also missing form MPTV config.
 

CyberSimian

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    BBC News HD....Channel 107...now can't be found in MP TV-Server config....although it CAN be found using the TV app (Sony TV FWIW!). Others, such as RT HD (ch.113) are also missing form MPTV config.
    There are two MUXes that go by the names of COM7 and COM8:

    (1) These MUXes are DVB-T2, and so can be received only by DVB-T2 tuners; they cannot be received by DVB-T tuners.

    (2) Although these MUXes carry a few HD channels such as "BBC News HD", "Four+1 HD", "RT HD", and "QVC HD" (essential viewing, that one), they also carry a number of SD channels such as "Five USA+1", "Pick+1", "FreeSports".

    (3) COM7 and COM8 are broadcast at significantly lower powers than the other MUXes. For example, at my location (Rowridge transmitter):
    • three MUXes are 200kW,
    • three MUXes are 50KW,
    • three MUXes (which include COM7 and COM8) are 20kW.
    The three low-power MUXes can be extremely difficult to receive. At my location, they are too weak to receive reliably, so I don't bother trying to tune them.

    (4) COM7 and COM8 have been moving frequencies in recent months, and this may be why you had to retune. It is possible that your aerial is a tuned aerial (for example, band A), and does not work well at the frequencies now used for COM7 and COM8. You can get a wideband aerial (band W or band K), but see the next point.

    (5) COM7 and COM8 are temporary MUXes, and will be discontinued sometime within the next 2-3 years. This is why I have not bothered to upgrade my aerial system to receive them.

    (6) Tuners in HTPCs are generally less sensitive than tuners in dedicated TV sets. So you may find that your Sony TV can receive with acceptable quality a weak signal that your HTPC cannot receive (or which it receives with unacceptable quality).

    If you definitely want to continue to receive COM7 and COM8, you need to find out if you can improve reception by installing a better aerial, which probably means paying an aerial installer to visit your location and install a better aerial.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    CyberSimian

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    Others, such as RT HD (ch.113) are also missing form MPTV config.
    There is one other possible explanation for your problem:

    To speed up scanning for channels, "TV Server" uses a "tuning parameters" file that specifies the frequencies of the MUXes available at your location. "TV Server" scans only the frequencies specified in that file. If this file is out of date, it may not contain the correct frequencies for COM7 and COM8.

    I believe that it is possible to get "TV Server" to scan all frequencies (I have never done this myself). If the new frequencies for COM7 and COM8 have acceptable signal strength at your location, "TV Server" should be able to tune them. The catch is that tuning will take much longer (I don't know how long -- 30 minutes perhaps?).

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    tonewheelkev

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    Thanks for the comprehensive reply....:)
    Wondering how the muxes you refer to, relate to the 'bands' that I'm seeing in MP channel tune page?
    Here is what I see:
    1581262524081.png
    The Sony TV is seeing the very same signal source...and finds Ch. 107....as you said....this just implies that the TV receiver has greater sensitivity!
    Just noticed your 2nd reply...will look into the "scan all frequencies" thing!
    Where will I find this option please???
     

    CyberSimian

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    Wondering how the muxes you refer to, relate to the 'bands' that I'm seeing in MP channel tune page?
    From the screen shot, all of your MUXes seem to be at high frequencies (lowest successfully received: 618000). That suggests that your aerial is OK, and it is the "TV Server" tuning-parameters file that is out of date.

    The tuning-parameters file for the Emily Moore transmitter is located here:
    "C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\TuningParameters\dvbt\UK.Emley Moor.xml"

    If you can find the correct frequencies, you could update the tuning parameters file.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    tonewheelkev

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    Found the file....but as to editing it...aaaaggghhhh!!!!!
    Also found this info on frequencies...scroll down:
    Not sure how up-to-date this page is BTW....can see references to late 2019...but Feb 5th 2020 isn't leaping out!!
     

    joecrow

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    The Sony TV is seeing the very same signal source...and finds Ch. 107....as you said....this just implies that the TV receiver has greater sensitivity!
    Just noticed your 2nd reply...will look into the "scan all frequencies" thing!
    Where will I find this option please???
    If you select "All Regions" rather than your specific transmitter/region it should scan everything, at least it does for "Germany".
    Modifying the scan params for your region, on first look, may appear to be daunting but it can't be too hard because I managed it for the Munich area.:p
     

    tonewheelkev

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    ..........Modifying the scan params for your region, on first look, may appear to be daunting but it can't be too hard because I managed it for the Munich area.:p
    Thanks....perhaps I could move to Munchen and everything would be sorted!!!:):):):)
    Seriously though...I've selected the "All regions" thing...and am now tuning.
    Suspect it will take around 3 weeks to do both of my TBS6281 tuners....:sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep:
     

    CyberSimian

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    Found the file....but as to editing it...aaaaggghhhh!!!!!
    I have a vague recollection that @Jasmeet_181 has provided updated tuning-parameters files in the past (apologies to Jasmeet if I have misremembered this).

    I have just been looking to see if the MUX frequencies are available anywhere. They must be available somewhere, but I seem to have lost the link for the page that gave transmitter details. Try the following page (it may relate specifically to your retune event):


    You can enter your postcode and house number to get a prediction of the MUXes that you can receive, but it no longer seems to show the MUX frequencies (I am sure that it did in the past).

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

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