1.30.0 Unable to tune some channels with cable card (Spectrum Cable) (1 Viewer)

Cam

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Wondering if someone could help me with a tuning problem?

My equipment for tuning are (3) HDhomerun primes each with a cable card.
Tuning adapter for each card (from Spectrum).

I can't tune in (3) channels, GACFHD, HMMHD and UPHD in mediaportal tvserver. They all say NoPMT.

I have tried re scanning many times with same result.

I am able to view them through HDhomerun app through the fire cube with no problems.

Been on the phone with spectrum cable, they say all things are good on their end. They also say no DRM for these channels.

MP is up to date, HDhomerun firmware is up to date.

time and date for tuning attempts is around 4:00PM 7-31-2022
 

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CyberSimian

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    I am able to view them through HDhomerun app through the fire cube with no problems.
    I am not a TV Server expert, and sadly MP currently does not have a TV Server expert. So the following may not be correct.

    (1) As I am in the UK, I have no experience of, or knowledge of, cable-card tuners. But I recollect reading elsewhere that the HD HomeRun setup program has a specific setting for MP. Have you enabled this setting?

    (2) The log file "tvserver_TVService-Error.1.log" shows six errors, all of which are "Tuner in use". I am not sure how to interpret that in your case. Were other people in your household trying to watch/record TV, or were you recording some other channels at that time?

    (3) In "TV Server Config", when you setup your tuners, you scan for channels using one tuner, but that enables the channels found only for that tuner. So you need to do something else. If the tuners are all identical, you can use the "Map Channels" panel to map the channels found to the other tuners in your system. An alternative (which is what I do, but I have tuners with differing capability) is simply to perform "scan channels" for each tuner in turn (remember to select "Enable channel movement detection").

    (4) MP cannot handle channels that have "copy once" DRM control. I note that you said that the Spectrum cable helpline said "No DRM on these channels", but can you rely on them to know what they are talking about? They may be mistaken in their assertion that there is no DRM control (especially if they are non-technical minimum-wage employees). From reading elsewhere, my understanding is that more and more cable companies in the US are adding DRM control to channels that are free to air.

    I cannot think of anything else to check that might explain your TV Server problem. However...

    (5) In looking at the file "MediaPortal.log", I see that the log is full of SQL errors. I don't think that this affects your TV Server problem, but it is a problem that you should try to fix. I notice that you are using the "TVSeries" plugin, and my recollection is that this plugin had database-contention problems, which may be what you are experiencing. I may be misremembering this, but I think that this problem has been fixed. Perhaps @doskabouter knows more?

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    doskabouter

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    Really elaborate explanation, and I don't think I can add much to it.
    Only thing springing to mind (triggerd by your remark about tuners in use): I do have the occasional issue like that too with my iptv.
    Caused by needing to set a rather large timeout for unreliable sources, so it could take a while for a tuner to give up tuning and be ready to get another channel.
     

    CyberSimian

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    In looking at the file "MediaPortal.log", I see that the log is full of SQL errors
    Looking at the log again, I am less sure that there is an SQL problem. I don't use any plugins, and so have never seen those log entries relating to SQL in my log files. But perhaps they are normal for the plugins that you use. :confused:

    I notice that you are using the "TVSeries" plugin, and my recollection is that this plugin had database-contention problems, which may be what you are experiencing.
    I had misremembered this -- it was a problem with WebEPG that had the SQL contention problem: see this post. So not related to your problem, I think.

    So overall I don't think that I have been of much help to you :(. Sorry about that.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Cam

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    Thank you guy's for taking a look!!
    All input is good. it can help spring up other ideas.

    I've started using MP in 2010, and I too am not an expert at it.
    HDHomeRun turner since 2012 or so. For the most part all channels having been doing great except these (3).

    HDHomeRun turner show all channels show (HD) symbol beside these channels like the other channels that work.
    HBO's, SHOWTIMES have the (DRM) symbols so I knows I can get those.

    I have about 60 other channels that are ready for use when called upon. They work fine for live and recording.

    But I recollect reading elsewhere that the HD HomeRun setup program has a specific setting for MP. Have you enabled this setting?
    Yes, The setting is BDA Compatibility Mode is set to MP

    Were other people in your household trying to watch/record TV, or were you recording some other channels at that time?
    No, they are using KODI to watch from the network library.


    All tuners are the same so most of the time I use (1) to scan then map the other tuners.


    I mainly use MP TV server just to record, then edit out ads and save to watch for later.

    oskabouter

    My Scanning times are:

    Tune: 2 secs
    PAT: 5 secs
    Cat: 5 secs
    PMT: 10 secs
    SDT/VCT: 120 secs
    Analog: 20 secs
     

    CyberSimian

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    My Scanning times are:
    Tune: 2 secs
    PAT: 5 secs
    Cat: 5 secs
    PMT: 10 secs
    SDT/VCT: 120 secs
    Analog: 20 secs
    You could try increasing some of those times to see if that makes a difference. Since the error was "No PMT found", I would suggest initially increasing the PMT timeout by (say) a factor of 2. I think that these times are merely upper limits, so the time to tune a channel won't be longer than it needs to be.

    If the increased PMT does not solve the problem, increase all of the other timeouts by the same factor and see if that works.

    There was a case recently of a user of DVB-T/T2 in the UK having to increase one of these tuning timeouts in order to tune successfully. I use DVB-T/T2 and have never had a problem, so I was surprised that this other UK user encountered a problem :eek:. Possibly one of these timeouts is marginal in some cases, and the default could usefully be increased slightly.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Cam

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    Tried it and got the same result.:(
    Just wondering if a fresh install might work.
    This TV Server has been restored from backups 3 or 4 times over the years.
    You mentioned errors, got me thinking about that.
     

    CyberSimian

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    Just wondering if a fresh install might work.
    The TV Server component of MP has been unchanged for years, but it is always possible for a config file to have acquired an incorrect value (that is just a guess), so re-installing MP might be worth trying. If you decide to go this route, you ought to remove all traces of MP and MySQL, so that it looks like a first-time install. This means:
    • Stopping the TVService and MySQL services.
    • Running the MP uninstall tool and the MySQL uninstall tool.
    • Removing all folders in "ProgramData", "Program Files", and "Program Files (x86)" that have "MediaPortal" or "MySQL" in the name.
    • Reboot.
    • Run the MP installer with the internet accessed.
    However, as most of your channels are receivable, it seems to me to be less likely that this will solve your problem.

    They all say NoPMT.
    My understanding is that "NoPMT" means that MP can receive successfully the UHF frequency that contains a particular set of channels, but that that UHF frequency does not contain the specific channels listed as not found. The usual explanation for this is that the channels have moved to a different frequency (this is stated repeatedly in the log file "tvserver_TsWriter.log".

    This raises the question of how MP knows what channels to expect at each frequency. Typically, TV Server scans the frequencies defined in a config file, but discovers the specific channels at each frequency by examining the datastream. If TV Server is diagnosing "NoPMT" for the missing channels and specifying the channel name, it is presumably using the existing channel definitions in TV Server's channel database. So...

    It might be worth resetting your channel list, and then rescanning. "Resetting your channel list" means deleting all of your existing channels before scanning. Remember to delete both TV channels and radio channels (if you have radio channels). Note that deleting your entire channel list means that you will need to recreate your recording schedule, and re-implement any channel renames that you have performed.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Cam

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    Thank you for all your help!!
    I think I will try the fresh install.
    I'll let you know
     

    Cam

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    This computer is dedicated for TV Server and hdhomerun, so I just went for the windows reset.
    Reloaded everything, Tuners seem to response a little faster.
    But still same problem not being able to get those channels.
     

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