Problems configuring TVServer (1 Viewer)

[ijourneaux]

MediaPortal Version: 1.1.3
Windows Version: Win7
CPU Type: Athlon X2
HDD: Seagate 500Gb
Memory: 3Gb
Video Card: HD2600XT
1. TV Card: Adaptec AVC3610
1. TV Card Type: Analog
2. TV Card: HDHomeRun
2. TV Card Type: QAM
3. TV Card: HD-PVR
3. TV Card Type: Digital
MPEG2 Video Codec: ArcSoft
h.264 Video Codec: ArcSoft
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Charter
[TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

I have an HTPC that I use to BeyondTV for TV shows and XBMC for everything else. I have started looking for alternatives to BeyondTV. BeyondTV has worked well for me for years but it is nolonger supported.

I wanted to evaluate MediaPortal as a TV Server but I am struggling with what is required for it to work.

I installed MediaPortal 1.1.3 with the TV Server. All of my recording devices show up correctly in the TVServer configuration. I also installed the SchedulesDirect plugin. I have two lineups in SchedulesDirect; a Basic Cable lineup and a digital cable lineup. I started by scanning the channels on my two analog tuners (Adaptec AVC-3610) The scanning operation is correctly identified my basic cable stations in the 2-99 range.

Unfortuantely I am stuck at this point. From within MediaPortal I am unable to watch TV (no signal available). I am unsure what to do with the list of scanned channels on the 2 adaptec tuners. I tried stopping and restarting the TV service but no luck.

I know I ma missing somthing obvious but can't figure out what I am missing.

Apprecaite someone pointing me toward a solution.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi ijourneaux

Welcome to the forum!

I know I ma missing somthing obvious but can't figure out what I am missing.

That is quite possible. Do you mind posting logs just so I can double check exactly what is happening?
Use the watchdog (info -->here<--) with option 1. MP should start when you click proceed. Attempt to view a channel or two, then close MP. A zip file of the logs that I need will be automatically created and saved [to your desktop by default]. If you could post that zip file here it would be a good start...

mm

 

[ijourneaux]

Here is the log. Appreciate any insight.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again ijourneaux

I have to admit this one is a bit of puzzler. So that happens on all channels? What about your Hauppauge card - what happens if you map the channels to that card and temporarily disable the other tuners (to force the Hauppauge to be used)?

One thing I can suggest: try editing one of the channels and changing the audio source to "tuner":

1. Open TV Server configuration.
2. Go to the "TV Channels" section.
3. Select a channel and click "edit".
4. Select the tuning detail (the row) and click "edit".
5. Change the audio source from "automatic" to "tuner".
6. Click "ok" then "ok" again.
7. Test whether that channel works.

Let me know if that makes any difference.

mm

 

[ijourneaux]

Thanks for the comments. Will look into this this evening. At this point, although all of the tuners were correctly listed, I only scanned channels on the two Adaptec Analog tuners as they are rarely used in my normal configuration. The HDHomeRun and the HD-PVR are the workhorses in my BeyondTV setup.

 

[ijourneaux]

Ok. The issue appears to be with the Adaptec Tuners. Although I only have channel 3 coming in on a PVR-150 I an sucessfully scan and preview the signal on Channel 3.

Any ideas why the adaptec Tuners wouldn't work? They work with BeyondTV on the same computer. THere are a couple of older threads indicating problems with the Adaptec dual tuner. I wonder if there3 is an update?

Then I have to figure out how to get the HDHomeRun tuners to work and the HD-PVR. Just going over to that thread t see what they say about the HD-PVR.

 

[mm1352000]

Ok. The issue appears to be with the Adaptec Tuners. Although I only have channel 3 coming in on a PVR-150 I an sucessfully scan and preview the signal on Channel 3.

Any ideas why the adaptec Tuners wouldn't work? They work with BeyondTV on the same computer. THere are a couple of older threads indicating problems with the Adaptec dual tuner. I wonder if there3 is an update?

There is some specific code for handling the Adaptec tuners. It was added well before my time, but I can try and do some research and see when and why it was added. If the people who added it are still around then I'll obviously contact them.

Then I have to figure out how to get the HDHomeRun tuners to work...

They should just work.

...and the HD-PVR. Just going over to that thread t see what they say about the HD-PVR.

The HD-PVR is supported. If you want the full channel lineup in MP then you'll find that adding the channels is probably the most onerous part - they can't be scanned in and there is currently no bulk-channel-add functionality (work in progress, hopefully it'll be available in 1.3.x...). Other than that, it should just work.

mm

 

[Mark963]

I'm getting similar problems. I can use the SiliconDust HDHomeRun with it's own utilities and it finds all the open QAM stations on my service (Mediacom). I was trying to run MediaPortal TV Server Configuration v1.1.3 and it was showing me like 164 QAM channels, but most of them weren't labeled with a station name and when I selected them, most of them said there was no signal. At some point, I tried the v1.2 beta. It frequently shows no stations on the HDHomeRun tuners. I've tired uninstalling, choosing the broadest uninstall features, but it seems to remember all sorts of settings after I re-install. When I went back to v1.1.3, I couldn't get it to find anything. So I reinstalled v1.2 beta again.

So now, I'm typically getting about 54 channels if using QAM Stanard Alternate (seems to catch a few more than QAM Standard and the channel numbers line up better with the HDHomeRun config) but missing most of the ones I want. The tools that came with the HDHomeRun show 98 channels and that number seems correct.

The other odd thing is that if it catches say 11 stations on channel 54, that's exactly what the HDHomeRun tools say. But then the HDHomeRun tool shows stations on channels 55, 56, 81, 82, 110, 113, 114, 115 ... where MediaPortals TV setup says "Nothing Found" on those channels. I note that because the other channels where truely nothing is, it says "No Signal". So whatever "Nothing Found" means, it seems to be in error. Using the HDHomeRun QuickTV, I can tune any channel. Maybe the newer firmware in the HDHomeRun has changed something?? Still odd that some channels are found repeatably and other are repeatably "Nothing Found". I'd think if the interface works for one channel, it would work for all.