[Bug] ATSC channels scanned into DB with old version, don't work with 1.2B (1 Viewer)

[x4mer]

MediaPortal Version: 1.2 Beta
MediaPortal Skin: Default Wide
Windows Version: Windows Vista SP1
CPU Type: Intel Q8200
HDD: 120G
Memory: 2G
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
Video Card: Radeon 3450
Video Card Driver: 8.12
Sound Card: Integrated
Sound Card AC3: Optical
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: digiwave 103g
1. TV Card Type: DVB-S
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Hauppauge HVR-2250
2. TV Card Type: dual-ATSC/Analogue
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card: Hauppauge HVR-2250
3. TV Card Type: dual-ATSC/Analogue
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MS
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
h.264 Video Codec: FFDShow
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Antec
Cooling: Stock
Power Supply: Antec 500W
Remote: MCE
TV: Samsung 56
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI


In the past, scanning in my analogue cable channels resulted in green balls next to the channels, with the FTA flag set to yes. Scanning in ATSC antenna channels, resulted in red balls next to the channels with FTA set to no. None of the channels are encrypted, and they all worked fine, so I didn't really care that the FTA status for my ATSC channels was wrong.

Upon installing 1.2B, none of my ATSC antenna channels would work. They all gave the error that the channel was not mapped to any card (not complaing that channel was encrypted). I was about to tear my install apart, thinking that the upgrade had gone awry, when I luckily tried a rare ATSC channel that had FTA set to yes (I had recently scanned it in as a new channel using 1.2A which correctly set FTA = yes). That channel worked, and since I was at the server by that point, I could see the difference that channel had to the rest. I tried setting FTA = yes on some other channels, and they all started to work.

I've got them all switched now, and they all work fine, but for anyone else running into this problem the error message is misleading since the channels are mapped to cards as they always have been. Anyone with a database that's been running for a while, will have all their ATSC channels entered as FTA=no, and the 1.2B won't work with those channels.

I've created the attached logs, by setting CBLT back to FTA=no & then attempting a preview on the server. It fails with the no mapped card error, and then I change the FTA flag and try again - it works.

I've not heard of any encrypted ATSC channels in N.A., so I wonder could the MP installer check the DB for ATSC channels, and ensure that the FTA flag is set to yes?

 

[mm1352000]

Hi x4mer

So let me see if I've got this right: your old ATSC channels (that you imported from your previous install) were all [incorrectly] set up as encrypted. They used to work fine even though they were encrypted, but when you tried to view them in 1.2.0b it gave you the "channel not mapped" message.

Firstly, I think that message is a known and outstanding bug (you get that message if you haven't got any tuners configured with CAMs), however I can't seem to find it in mantis so I'll make sure it gets added.

I have a further question for you: we made a change in 1.2.0b that reversed the ATSC encryption flag (discussion thread, mantis). If you scan for channels, does TV Server update the free-to-air status of your ATSC and QAM channels correctly?

 

[x4mer]

Hi x4mer

So let me see if I've got this right: your old ATSC channels (that you imported from your previous install) were all [incorrectly] set up as encrypted. They used to work fine even though they were encrypted, but when you tried to view them in 1.2.0b it gave you the "channel not mapped" message.

Correct.

Firstly, I think that message is a known and outstanding bug (you get that message if you haven't got any tuners configured with CAMs), however I can't seem to find it in mantis so I'll make sure it gets added.

If it's an outstanding bug, how come I've never experienced it with previous versions?

All my tuners have always been set up with no cams

I have a further question for you: we made a change in 1.2.0b that reversed the ATSC encryption flag (discussion thread, mantis). If you scan for channels, does TV Server update the free-to-air status of your ATSC and QAM channels correctly?

Once I found the way to get my channels to work, I figured something had been changed in the FTA flag handling that was making my formerly good channels not work. It also stood to reason that the scanner would have had to have been updated to adhere to this, so I tested it by marking a couple of low channels back to FTA=no, and letting a scan run till it got passed those channels. It correctly updated the channels back to FTA=yes.

So, people with this problem could just run a rescan, although it would be more convenient if the installer checked and updated to conform to current requirements. Also, if the person uses a rotor with their antenna setup (as I do), getting all channels updated is not as simple as a single scan, since not all channels come in when facing one particular direction.

Thanks for responding, and looking in to this issue.

 

[mm1352000]

If it's an outstanding bug, how come I've never experienced it with previous versions?

We rewrote/refactored a large part of the tuner allocation algorithms for 1.2.0. I'm not sure what version you were using before now but you might have seen this issue if you were using 1.2.0a...

 

[x4mer]

I was using 1.2 alpha since it came out. Never had the "card not mapped" error come up.

 

[dmertz]

you might have seen this issue if you were using 1.2.0a.

I think I recall seeing my ATSC channels (added using 1.1.2) flagged as encrypted in 1.2.0alpha TVServer config, but 1.2.0alpha TVServer wasn't looking at the same encryption flag to block the use of the channel and allowed the use of the channel anyway. I think 1.2.0alpha TVServer was still looking at the old flag (still present in the DB) while TVServer config was displaying the new flag (which somehow defaulted to encrypted). I think that 1.2.0beta uses the new flag exclusively (and I think the old flag has been removed entirely from the DB with the installation of 1.2.0beta) and blocks the use of channels flagged as encrypted with the new flag. I used TVServer config to manually change the (roughly 50) channels to unencrypted.

I'm not sure what would happen with a direct upgrade from 1.1.2 to 1.2.0beta. I'm not familiar with the mechanism for converting the old DB format to the new. Of course the proper result would be for the channels encryption state to be migrated from the old flag to the new so that unencrypted channels remain flagged as unencrypted after the upgrade.

Dave

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Dave

There is no new flag - the flag may have been moved, but that is it. What we fixed was the detection of whether ATSC channels are encrypted or not. All it would require is a rescan to make all the flags correct. I will however speak to the team about tweaking the installer...

 

[2BitSculptor]

To avoid rescanning and relabeling my OTA ATSC channels, I had to edit each channel to checkmark the free-to-air selection. after that, all my channels showed up as active.

- Chuck

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Chuck

Rescanning shouldn't rename your channels - if it does then it is a *major* bug. It will correct the FTA flag though. Scanning would be much less labor intensive and annoying than doing it manually. The only other alternative would be modifying the database directly. Is anybody brave enough to test that a full rescan updates the FTA flag without relabelling?

mm

 

[x4mer]

When I did a test to see if it would correctly set the FTA flag back to the way it needs to be, it did, without changing the naming of my ATSC channels. Besides, I've done rescans many times in the past, when out of market signals are coming in to my area, and it's never renamed my ATSC channels (at least as far back as I can remember anyways).

I've finally got around to testing the QAM side of the digital tuners, and it seems there is a problem there also with the handling of whether channels are encrypted or not.

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/.../scan-qam-finds-no-channels-96427/#post743911