High band does not (always) work (1 Viewer)

[GregorV]

TV-Server Version: Rev 17086 /16587 / 16614
MediaPortal Version: Rev 17086 /16587 / 16614
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo wide
Windows Version: XP SP2
CPU Type: AMD 64 X2 4200
HDD: Samsung HD401LJ
Memory: 2GB OZC2P8001G
Motherboard: GA-MA69GM-S2H
Motherboard Chipset: ATI RS690
Motherboard Bios: Award Rev F3
Video Card: X1250 (on mb)
Video Card Driver: ATI Catalyst 7.11
Sound Card AC3: Realtec HD Audio (on mb)
Sound Card Driver: Realtec Ver:R1.80
1. TV Card: Hauppauge WinTV Nova-S Plus / Nova-HS-S2
1. TV Card Type: DVB-S
1. TV Card Driver: 88x_2_121_25351_WHQL (2.119.25023.0 had the same problem)
MPEG2 Video Codec:Nvidia Purevideo
MPEG2 Audio Codec: AC3 filter
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Astra 19.2
HTPC Case: Silverstone
Cooling: active
Power Supply: BeQuiet 400W
Remote: MCE
TV: Philips 42PF7621
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI
LNB: STL UQS3B Quad Switch (direct connection)



I have still problems with receiving/scanning high band channels.
Today I made some tests and found that the problem occurs in about 60% cases of TV-Server restarts.
Rebooting the machine or even shutdown and switch off (keep it off for 5 min) and boot up does not show any difference in the occurances of the problem. So I focussed on getting logs from situations after service restart only.
Here the tests:
1. stop tvservice, delete tvlibrary database,
2. delete the first entries from the file 19.2 Astra... so that it starts with:
[DVB]
0=77
21=11685,V,22000,56,DVB-S
22=11719,H,27500,34,DVB-S
...

3. run SetupTV, connect to database, start TVService
4. stop TVService from SetupTV and start it, scan 19.2 Astra...

Frequency 11685: 14 Cannels found
Frequency 11739: No Signal / or 14 Cannels found

Now repeating step 4 multiple times

Frequency 11685 work always but for 11739 (high band) it only works after about 40% of the TVService restarts.
For both cases I attached the TVServer logs.
When comparing the logs I found one difference in the tv.log
The following log line can say:
[9]: card: Tuner locked:True signal strength:100 signal quality:100
or
[9]: card: Tuner locked:True signal strength:0 signal quality:100
But there is no dependency from weather the scan will work or not

Another line shows a clear dependency:
if it says:
[9]: Scan: tuner locked:True signal:0 quality:100
then the scan worked (for 11685 it always shows that line, for 11739 only in 40% of the tests).
But if it says:
[9]: Scan: tuner locked:False signal:100 quality:0 (values 100 and 0 exchanged)
then the scan did not work (always in about 20 tests)

Apparently TVService can start in two different modes, a problem mode and a OK mode.

Additional Infos:
If I run TVService with my 'production' database then I find the same percentage of working high band channels after starting TVService.
Tuning to ZDF fails in about 60% after TVService restarts/pc reboots...
So I need to restart TVService several times until high band channels work. Once they work it seem OK until next reboot/restart but if it does not work directly after starting TVService it will work never at any time later.

Now two very interesting points:
1. If I connect a second tuner to the same SAT cable (tuner has SAT out) and tune it to a high band channel then scanning high band channels always works !
This makes me think that the Hauppauge has a problem with the 12KHz - BUT WRONG, because:
2. If I stop TVService and run Hauppauge Software instead, it works always (btw. with a much faster channel switch).
So it surely is hanging together with the 12KHz switching signal but apparently the card sometimes does not get the command to switch it on. (Sometimes is not correct, because when TVServer started into the problem mode then it is 100% reproducable)

Other details:
Another PC with a DigiBox USB SAT receiver does not have that problem (also, when it is connected to the same SAT cable). Another DVB-S card in the pc that has the problem (SkyStar2) brings the same results (seems to be worse). With the SkyStar2 I tested the BDA driver and the WDM driver and both do not show a difference. So it seems to be independent from the known BDA issues. Again the SkyStar works with the software that comming with the card.
In other post I have seen similar issues - somebody wrote that his setup needs several reboots until it works.

Another test:
setting the LNB switch Frequency to 12000 or higher makes the 'lower' high band channels work always (e.g. ARD/ZDF) but I cannot cover the full range with that trick.
Also interesting: If I check "Override default LNB Frequencies" in LNB Setup but use the standard default frequencies and then the problem occurances are not so often - more than 50% good cases.

I also checked different releases of psisdec.dll, mpeg2data.ax and msdvbnp.ax with no noticable difference.
Currently I use the releases 6.5.2710.2732 and the old 6.5.1.900 for msdvbnp.ax (from DX9c cab).
Note: this did not come with the latest release, at least I have that problem since several releases, but not sure weather it was different with older releases.
Hope this helps to develop a good idea how to solve the issue.

edit:
TV card changed to Nova-HD-S2.




Thanks
Gregor

 

[paulchen2k7]

yep, same here. but i've got a skystar hd. with the technisat drivers i have the same problems. with the newest technotrend drivers it's working (but with these drivers my diseqc isn't working anymore).

could it be the motherboard? i just saw that i've got exactly the same model from gigabyte. did you tried both pci slot? i only tried the first.

oh, an it seems that lnb2 (hotbird for me) is always working.

 

[GregorV]

has GA-MA69GM-S2H problems with DVB-S cards

paulchen2k7

this is, what I also think. It seems like the mainboard affects proper function of DVB cards together with TVServer.
I checked both PCI slots without any difference.
It also seems to be independent from powersupply, because I tried two different.
I also tried to switch on/off some BIOS options like Spread Spectrum - without difference.

Still it is something that also has to do with TVServer.
1. The problem does not appear with the software comming with the card (Hauppauge and also SkyStar2)
2. In some cases TVServer starts in a working mode, so it CAN work.

Gregor

 

[paulchen2k7]

@ GregorV
i reinstalled my windows yesterday. installed the skystar drivers (4.1.10.18 are the actual technisat drivers). now i've seen that i've got a new problem (i bought this card just a few days ago and tested it directly with tvserver). i've got a diseqc setup with two birds. i thought this problem was only with tvserver. but if i switch from sat 1 to sat 2 i won't switch back to sat 1. i don't know why. i've got an other satellite receiver witch can switch my diseqc (i thought my diseqc was dead).
do you know anything i can do to fix it? thanks.

 

[GregorV]

I think release 4.1.10.18 are BDA drivers, right ?
From the forum I found that BDA drivers do not work with diseqc - but I am not sure.

 

[paulchen2k7]

yep, that's bda drivers. but i need them to watch hdtv. but from what i heard, only the 5.0.0.x drivers from technotrend have diseqc problems. i think i've got my problem: my cheap diseqc switch that doesn't get enough voltage to switch. but i didn't test that. i'll report as soon as i switched my diseqc switch to an other.

 

[paulchen2k7]

hi again!

i've got my new diseqc switch. everything is workin now with original technisat software. now it's time to install mediaportal again.

 

[GregorV]

do high band channels work ?

paulchen2k7

if you have it up&running please let me know how TVServer works.
Can you always tune high band channels after TVServer started or does it mostly also only work with low band channels ?
If so, can you fix the problem by restarting TVServer (several times) ?

Thanks,
Gregor

 

[paulchen2k7]

i will post my results if i've got it running

 

[GregorV]

Hi,

I did some new tests today and it is a bit frustrating. Meanwhile I have Rev16614 installed for TVServer & SVN. It seems to get worse with the newer revs.
For diagnostic purposes I have Transedit on my pc and I see that this software allways can tune high band channels.
It is only TVServer that (mostly) cannot receive high band channels.
Apparently TVServer also can cause a hangup of the Nova card - after some tries (restart TVServer & try to tune ZDF) it did not even work with Transedit any longer.
I tried to disable the Tuner device and reenable it again (that helps sometimes to bring TVServer into a working mode) but that did not help here. Even reboot did not help. The only way was to shutdown and switch off the pc.
After restart again the usual result - Transedit works, TVServer only with low band channels.

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks,
Gregor