HDHomeRun QAM Scan (1 Viewer)

[mizzourob]

I just upgraded my HTPC setup by adding a HDHomerun, I'm very satisfied with it but I've noticed over the last week an issue with clearQAM scanning in MediaPortal. When I use the included software to scan my cable setup I get 180 clearQAM channels that I can view with VLC media player, but when I scan with MediaPortal for setting up the channels I see, I only get 68 channels. I've tried multiple configurations of placing the tuner direct to the cable input in my home, and such trying to ascertain if MediaPortal scan engine is more sensitive than the manufacturer's client. I've also looked at the HDhomerun channel scan xml file produced by manufacture's software, and I can't figure out how to map it to MediaPortal XML syntax. I've attached my TVServer logs for MediaPortal, plus the channel scan with MediaPortal (MP_HDHomeRun_Scan.xml) and the scan results from the manufacturer's software (HDHomeRun_Scan.xml).

In trying to figure things out, and find a solution myself, I noticed that the frequencies in the XMl file generated from the manufacturer's software didn't match the QAM frequencies listed in the QAM_Standard.qam TuningParameters file, I then tried taking the XML file from the scan done with the software from the HDHomeRun manufacturer and then extracting the frequencies, then filtering the list to unique values (as there may be multiple channels on a single frequency), then truncating the frequencies to be in the thousands (dividing by 1000 to match the syntax of the other QAM definition files) to create a custom QAM tuning setup to store into C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\TuningParameters. Then I re-ran the tuning setup in TVServer. This, however, did not produce any results either. (I've attached the custom QAM file below, but I had to add a .txt to the .qam suffix for the system to accept it as a valid file to upload).

I've also tried tinkering with values found in General Settings->Scan for the TVServer too with no luck. I've tried cutting these values to 1, and extending them all to 30 with neither action resulting in any additional channels found.

I've had this problem with clean installs of 1.0RC1 (no svn), and with SVN builds 19311, and 19376 (admittedly, I haven't tried the rest of the earlier SVNs).

For what it's worth I've had similar issues with my Hauppauge HVR-1600 too, my intuition is that the problem is the same (or VERY closely related) for both QAM tuners.

Any ideas on how to fix this?






-Rob


TV-Server Version: 1.0 RC + SVN
MediaPortal Version: 1.0 RC + SVN
MediaPortal Skin: Blue Two
Windows Version: XP SP2
CPU Type: Intel P4 2.26Ghz
HDD: 2 80GB IDE
Memory: 2GB
Motherboard: Biostar U-866D
Video Card: Diamond Stealth AGP 256MB
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: HVR-1600
1. TV Card Type: Analog/ATSC/QAM
1. TV Card Driver: Latest BDA drivers from mfg. website
2. TV Card: HDHomeRun
2. TV Card Type: ATSC/QAM
2. TV Card Driver: 20080430 (latest BDA drivers from mfg. website)
MPEG2 Video Codec: FFDShow
MPEG2 Audio Codec: FFDShow
h.264 Video Codec: FFDShow
CableTV Provider: Sunflower Broadband (Lawrence, Kansas)
HTPC Case: In the market for a new one
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Hauppauge 45 Button
TV: 27" 4:3 aspect ratio SDTV
TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video

 

[mizzourob]

HDHomeRun Channel Scan Update - Beating the 68 Channel Limit

Ok here's a followup on this issue. I've finally got it resolved!

through multiple testing I noticed that the scan was capped at resolving 68 channels in MediaPortal. Much to my surprise, this it turns out is not related to MediaPortal or the TV-Engine in MP. Apparently the BDA drivers that HDHomeRun uses feed off the XML file that is generated in the HDHomeRun Setup application and in WinXP stored in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Silicondust\HDHomeRun. In the setup application if you uncheck the first few channels, then magically, the 68 channels listing for use with the BDA drivers will exclude these, and will add more furhter down the list and these will appear in MediaPortal on the next scan. My next course of action was to then export the first 68 channels I found with MediaPortal, then go back and uncheck them in HDHomeRun Setup, rescan MediaPortal, then import the first scan. This sort of worked but left a number of channels in error. In the XML file (digital cable.xml) generated by HDHomeRun Setup, it always starts numbering channels starting at 80.1, and in importing the first scan creates conflicts by trying to map two channels onto the same 80.1 channel. So to fix this here is the magic solution....

1)Open Microsoft Excel
go to File-Open, then navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Silicondust\HDHomeRun and select the file "Digital Cable.xml" (this should be the only file in this directory). Excel will ask how to open the file, select "As an XML list" and click ok.Then click ok to bypass the warning that no xml schema is found.

2) Now the the file is laid out nice and pretty in Excel, scroll over to columns F (RemapTrigger), and G (VirtualChannel), and copy the entire columns. Since excel is sort of funny with formulas open inside of an XML schema, paste these columns into to sheet2 at the same column letters (for simplicity).

3)Then starting from the first line set the RemapTrigger to increment by 1 for each channels starting from 2 for the first channel. Then fill the formula down to the end of the list. The final number should be = (total channels +1). The excel formula to fill down would be =F2+1

4) scroll over to column G (VirtualChannel). Now we will set the first value to be 10.1, and copy into column G the following formula and fill down =IF(INT(G2+0.1)=(G2+0.1),(G2+0.2),(G2+0.1)) this will cause the Virtual channel number to increment by 0.1 and adjusting if the new VirtualChannel number ends in a zero, as this violates the QAM standard.

5)Now paste these values back into Sheet1. Do this by copying, then going to Edit, Paste Special, and selecting values (so as to ensure there are no formulas here).

6) delete worksheets Sheet2, and Sheet3

7) Scan through the Name column, A, and ensure there are no identical names, otherwise MediaPortal will try to combine them togehter. So you might have to have Unknown1, Unknown2 etc. if your scan with HDHomeRun Setup did not yield unique names.

8) now save this new masterpiece into the same location as you opened it and with the same name by going to file-save as dialog. In the dialog box, keep the same filename, but choose the option for XML Data. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, saving as XML Spreadsheet will ruin your work!

9) Close excel, open MediaPortal TV-Server Configuration, and rescan your HDHomeRun. Now you should see all the missing channels.

10) Enjoy!

One other note, As there are 138 QAM frequencies to scan through, I've not tested to see if this creates a limitation. I'm suspicious as during the QAM scan it finds most of the HDHomeRun channels on separate frequencies, and only rarely reported several on the same frequency. With my 180 QAM channels, I removed the music channels that my cable company throws in so I've only got 132 channels and I'm happy! As to why the HDHomeRun software can't manage more than 68 channels on it's own, is beyond me, when the fix here is fairly simple!

-Rob

PS SiliconDust just released a Beta driver for the HDHomeRun the other day. I used that driver as part of this fix, though I don-t think that matters as it too had the 68 channel limit too. [Link]

 

[gwynethh]

Did you/ would you send a copy of your info to Silicon Dust so they can incorporate your fix?
tia
Gwyneth

 

[mizzourob]

gwynethh, I'm not sure how to get this to Silicondust, maybe there is an email address that I could send this to perhaps?

Just a couple of more details to follow-up with on my fix:

1) In the HDHomeRun Setup tool, guide numbers do not import into MP during a channel scan. You have to set those individually in MediaPortal.

2)Like I said before each channel must have a unique name, however this must be unique within the first 6 characters of the channel name. MP will only take the first 6 characters, so if for example you have channels called "Weather" (7 characters) and "WeatherHD" (9 characters) both will be truncated to six letters and called "Weathe" thus overwritting eachother and then neither channel will work. So you might have to be creative to give unique name in HDHomeRun Setup. If you want to use the full name, you can go in to TV-Server setup and type the rest of the name in (and assign the guide number too so that SchedulesDirect will work right).

-Rob

 

[2BitSculptor]

Hi Rob,

You could post this on the Silicon Dust forum... Silicondust :: Index

Chuck

I also have the HDHR.. but just for OTA channels.

 

[mizzourob]

As a follow up, Silicondust has released new firmware and software for the HDHomeRun that will enable native QAM scanning in Mediaportal without a 68 channel cap. While this sounds great, at the surface, my experience is that a scan with the HDHomeRun Setup tool will find more channels than will a regular QAM scan with MP. This left me without 28 channels (all of which were incorrectly listed a radio channels). So to continue to use the workaround I posted previously, set the HDHomeRun Setup to "ATSC/Remap" and NOT to MediaPortal.

 

[DugieHowsa]

Which QAM tuning frequencies were you using?

• QAM HRC+3
• QAM HRC
• QAM IRC
• QAM Standard
• QAM Std Alternative

I am able to tune 80+ channels with the application that came with my card (FusionHDTV), but I cannot get MediaPortal to recognize any stations.

I am running 1.0.0.0RC2.