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

[mm1352000]

Replied on the other thread. Another TV Server bug. We really need some North American team members!

 

[jameson_uk]

OK so what are the issues here?
The QAM issue is a service type one?
The ATSC issue is something else? A rescan fixed it (so it not a bug but a need to rescan ???) If that is the case we should add a database update script to set all ATSC tuning details to FTA ??

Both are marked as bugs but can't see anything in mantis?

 

[mm1352000]

The QAM issue is a service type one?

Yes. Mantis yet to be raised (will do).

The ATSC issue is something else? A rescan fixed it (so it not a bug but a need to rescan ???) If that is the case we should add a database update script to set all ATSC tuning details to FTA ??

Pre-1.2.0b, the FTA flag on ATSC/QAM channels used to be flipped (mantis). With the changes in card allocation, people now get a "no free card available" message (actually, I have seen "channel not mapped" in the past but I can't reproduce that tonight ) for FTA channels if they haven't somehow set the FTA flag correctly. I think we should do something to make the upgrade smoother (ie. flip the FTA flag during upgrade rather than forcing our fine users to do it) - a DB script is probably easiest...

The bigger issue here which I wanted to remember and raise is that the allocation code won't even attempt to tune channels that are marked as encrypted unless a tuner is configured with a CAM. That really doesn't work for channels that are encrypted only some of the time. I thought if a channel is mapped then we used to actually check whether the channel is encrypted rather than assuming it can't be tuned just because there is no CAM. I consider that a bug, but others may disagree; worth raising anyway...

 

[jameson_uk]

OK so for ATSC a rescan does fix it? (but as you say flipping the values in db upgrade script would be good; although this would then re-break any setups with 1.2 beta installed .... )
Perhaps setting all to FTA would be easier and less likely to cause errors. Only issue I can envisage is that users could get a this channel is scrambled message?

The allocation code is slightly problematic but I think too risky for 1.2 and is something we should look at for 1.3 ?

 

[mm1352000]

OK so for ATSC a rescan does fix it?

It would as long as there is no trouble with service types. Some people are clearly having a problem with that though...

Perhaps setting all to FTA would be easier and less likely to cause errors. Only issue I can envisage is that users could get a this channel is scrambled message?

I'm not sure that is advisable. It is my understanding that some QAM channels are scrambled. Some ATSC channels definitely are. The only sure way of doing this correctly is for users to rescan, but like you say, it will screw up things for users who have been game enough to try 1.2.0b - not exactly a great reward!

The allocation code is slightly problematic but I think too risky for 1.2 and is something we should look at for 1.3 ?

I reluctantly agree. We can look into this when we look at detecting whether channels are off air. Do you think I should mantis?

 

[dmertz]

There is no new flag - the flag may have been moved

That's essentially what I meant, but 1.2.0alpha was in an intermediate state where both were present and used. In 1.2.0alpha, the channel table had freetoair, the older indication still used by 1.2.0alpha TVServer and tuningdetail had freeToAir, used by 1.2.0alpha TVServer-config. 1.2.0beta TVServer was changed to use tuningdetail's freeToAir and freetoair was removed from channel.

Not having any experience with doing a rescan and not knowing that doing a rescan would correct the issue, I chose to manually fix the FTA settings. Had I been in the habit of keeping a backup copy of the DB at the time, as I am now, I would have just have used MySQL's command-line interface to change them all at once.

A conceptual thought: From a user's point of view, I'm sure that losing the correct FTA settings when upgrading to 1.2.0beta was not the intended behavior, so I would consider this to be a bug even if there is a workaround (rescan). However, since there is a workaround that only needs to be performed once, it's somewhat reasonable to defer fixing this bug, perhaps forever. However, unless it's made very clear up front that a rescan will need to be performed, it's going to annoy each person who encounters the issue.

Dave

 

[x4mer]

Perhaps setting all to FTA would be easier and less likely to cause errors. Only issue I can envisage is that users could get a this channel is scrambled message?

I'm not sure that is advisable. It is my understanding that some QAM channels are scrambled. Some ATSC channels definitely are. The only sure way of doing this correctly is for users to rescan, but like you say, it will screw up things for users who have been game enough to try 1.2.0b - not exactly a great reward!

As far as I know ATSC (OTA) is never encrypted. I've never heard of an OTA digital station in N.A. that is encrypted. Scripting in FTA=yes for all ATSC channels should cause no problems. QAM (digital cable) can be open (FTA) or encrypted so a db script is no good there.

 

[davidpmays]

OK so for ATSC a rescan does fix it? (but as you say flipping the values in db upgrade script would be good; although this would then re-break any setups with 1.2 beta installed .... )
Perhaps setting all to FTA would be easier and less likely to cause errors. Only issue I can envisage is that users could get a this channel is scrambled message?

The allocation code is slightly problematic but I think too risky for 1.2 and is something we should look at for 1.3 ?

MP 1.1.3 does the same thing as other posts. Scanning produces channels that can be viewed in setup but not in MP. Clearing and letting SchdulesDirect EPG scan and add solves the TVGuide but leaves channels unmapped. TV Mapping solves the analog channels so they may be viewed in MP but not digital channels. Re-Scanning the digital channels finds channels but will not map so SchdulesDirect is un-able to match them. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

I tried to upload my log files and obviously doing something wrong. I uploaded my log directory as log-dmays.zip
After uploading the top says "Sum of all attachments owned by davidpmays: 0" The upload seemed to have worked.
Thanks

 

[mm1352000]

I'm thoroughly confused. Let me try to unwind this a little...

MP 1.1.3 does the same thing as other posts. Scanning produces channels that can be viewed in setup but not in MP.

What do you mean by "viewed". Listed in channel lists, or actually watched? You have missed a step if you're using preview in TV Server configuration to check whether the channels work then expecting them to work in MediaPortal. That step would be setting up MediaPortal codec preferences (some reading material here and here). TV Server preview just uses any old codecs... no setup required, but not guaranteed to work.

Clearing and letting SchdulesDirect EPG scan and add solves the TVGuide but leaves channels unmapped. TV Mapping solves the analog channels so they may be viewed in MP but not digital channels.

I'm assuming you're talking about deleting any channels that have been scanned in when you say "clearing". You can map channels to analog and digital tuners in exactly the same way (-->wiki<--), so I'm confused about why you have a problem with digital channels.

Re-Scanning the digital channels finds channels but will not map so SchdulesDirect is un-able to match them.

Again, confused. To be specific, I'm confused about the way you seem to be mixing up mappings for EPG (ie. SchedulesDirect) and mappings for card allocation. Maybe I'm just stupid (quite possible as I've never used SchedulesDirect) but I think a fuller explanation would help.

mm

 

[davidpmays]

I'm thoroughly confused. Let me try to unwind this a little...

MP 1.1.3 does the same thing as other posts. Scanning produces channels that can be viewed in setup but not in MP.

What do you mean by "viewed". Listed in channel lists, or actually watched? You have missed a step if you're using preview in TV Server configuration to check whether the channels work then expecting them to work in MediaPortal. That step would be setting up MediaPortal codec preferences (some reading material here and here). TV Server preview just uses any old codecs... no setup required, but not guaranteed to work.

Clearing and letting SchdulesDirect EPG scan and add solves the TVGuide but leaves channels unmapped. TV Mapping solves the analog channels so they may be viewed in MP but not digital channels.

I'm assuming you're talking about deleting any channels that have been scanned in when you say "clearing". You can map channels to analog a digital tuners in exactly the same way (-->wiki<--, so I'm confused about why you have a problem with digital channels.

Re-Scanning the digital channels finds channels but will not map so SchdulesDirect is un-able to match them.

Again, confused. To be specific, I'm confused about the way you seem to be mixing up mappings for EPG (ie. SchedulesDirect) and mappings for card allocation. Maybe I'm just stupid (quite possible as I've never used SchedulesDirect) but I think a fuller explanation would help.

mm

Thanks for the reply. Let me start again.
I had MP working (version 1.2) but could not get any EPG
I joined SchdulesDirect then downloaded the SchdulesDirect plugin.
After a day or so some channels were correct and some were mixed up.

I download MP1.1.3.0 in hopes it would clean up and it did not. I read a posts that said let SchedulesDirect find the correct channels. I deleted all the channels in setup and checked the box in SchedulesDirect to automatically add new digital cable/satellite channels with External Video Input for new channels: as "Tuner" I also checked the box, Include analog channels.
SchedulesDirect found all my channels but marked them all as analog. In MP channels and guides were present however after selecting "Channel" the channels had a brown box with a crossed circle in lieu of a green box with a check mark, therefore not viewable.

Back in setup (TV-server configuration) selecting "TV Channels" channels were listed and in the column marked "Mapped Cardtypes" the display showed "Channel not mapped to a card." I found in this post on an earlier comment that scanning would correct the problem.

I selected "TV Servers/office/Analog ATI AVStream" and selected "Scan for TV channels." The results were more channels in MP. I could watch the newly scanned channels without program guide and the channels with program guide were not viewable.

I deleted all the channels again and started over letting SchedulesDirect scan.
Then in setup I selected "TV Channels/TV Mapping" and selected ATI AVStream Analog Tuner. I selected all the items on the left and selected ">>" to put them on the right. Low and behold I had program guides and viewable channels in MP but only for the analog channels.

Back in setup I selected "TV Channels/TV Mapping" and selected ATI BDA Digital Tuner. The Available channels list was empty.
Next I selected "TV Servers/office/ATSC ATI BDA Digital Tuner and selected "Scan for channels"
Back to "TV Channels/TV Mapping" selecting ATI BDA Digital Tuner and Available channels were visible. I selected all the channels and ">>" to move them to the right.
In MP the analog channels still worked, program guide was available and the channels were selectable and viewable. Programming guide for digital channels found by SchdulesDirect were not mapped and digital channels found by scanning in setup could be viewed in MP without program guides.

In all cases, in setup I could select "TV Channels" highlight a channel and select preview and see the channel in a box.

All this said, here is where it is left:
analog channels are viewable and have program guides.
digital channels are listed in the program guide as analog and are not mapped.
digital channels found by scanning in setup are not listed in the program guide but are viewable in MP.

I am sure I have done something wrong or in the wrong order, just can't figure out what.
Thanks for your help.
David