Weird problem with UK DVB-T independent radio channels (1 Viewer)

[CyberSimian]

I have just discovered that I can no longer receive any of the independent radio channels broadcast on DVB-T in the UK. In contrast, I can receive all of the BBC radio channels broadcast on DVB-T. The channels are not all broadcast in the same MUX. Here are the details for the Rowridge transmitter:

• BBC radio channels: 498 MHz
• "Smooth" and "Premier" channels: 530 MHz
• All other independent channels: 482 MHz

In the MP client, a pop-up appears saying "Unable to play [name_of_timeshift_file]", and the client log shows a Windows error code of 0x80004005. This is a non-specific error code that does not really identify the problem. However...

We don't need to involve the MP client, as "TV Server Config" cannot preview the channels either. For a BBC radio channel, the tiny pop-up preview window appears and is completely blank (white), but the sound plays as expected. For an independent radio channel, the pop-up still appears, but there is no sound. Looking at the logs, the "SetupTv.log" (i.e. TV Server Config) has the lines shown below. Notice that attempts to play channels "BBC1" and "BBC2 HD" (both TV channels) were successful, as were attempts to play "Radio 3" and "BBC Solent" (both radio channels), but the attempt to play "Classic FM" (an independent radio channel) failed with:

TSReaderPlayer:Failed to load file

Here is the extract from "SetupTv.log":

[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - preview BBC1 user:-1 -1 setuptv C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - play:C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:add TsReader to graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - load file in Ts
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:render TsReader outputs
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - run graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:running:1
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - preview BBC2 HD user:-1 -1 setuptv C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - play:C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:add TsReader to graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - load file in Ts
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:render TsReader outputs
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - run graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:running:1
[14       ] [DEBUG] - Filter listview for
[14       ] [DEBUG] - Finished filtering 25 items for
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - preview Radio 3 user:-1 -1 setuptv C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - play:C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:add TsReader to graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - load file in Ts
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:render TsReader outputs
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - run graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:running:1
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - preview BBC Solent user:-1 -1 setuptv C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - play:C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:add TsReader to graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - load file in Ts
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:render TsReader outputs
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - run graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:running:1
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - preview Classic FM user:-1 -1 setuptv C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - play:C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\timeshiftbuffer\live3-0.ts.tsbuffer
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:add TsReader to graph
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - load file in Ts
[SetupTv  ] [INFO ] - TSReaderPlayer:Failed to load file

I would be interested to hear from any UK user who has a DVB-T/T2 setup. Can you receive the independent radio channels?

• If you can, it suggests that there is a problem with my system.
• If you cannot, it suggests that there is a problem with TV Server.

I would be particularly interested to hear from any user who receives signals from the Rowridge transmitter (Isle of Wight). The two MUXes that transmit the independent channels are both owned by the Arqiva company, so it is possible (just) that they have recently modified slightly the way that radio channels are encoded, and TV Server does not understand this modification. If there is such a change, it must be minor as my Sony TV receives the independent radio channels without problem.

If you have any ideas as to the cause of this problem, please post. Thank you.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[AberDino]

Hi @CyberSimian, I have just tested this, and it's the same for me. I'm on the Durris transmitter (NE Scotland) with Classic FM on the COM5 mux 514MHz and Smooth Radio on the COM6 mux 546MHz. TV channels on those muxes work fine, and so do the BBC radio channels on the PSB1 mux 530MHz.

 

[CyberSimian]

I have just tested this, and it's the same for me.

Thank you for reporting this . Your results are exactly the same as mine, even though your MUX frequencies are different.

I have two different tuner cards in my system -- a TBS 6284 quad-tuner card, and a Pinnacle 2000i dual-tuner card. The prioritisation of the cards means that normally the Pinnacle would be used, but yesterday I disabled that to force the TBS card to be used. But neither could receive the independent radio channels. I also rescanned on all tuners, but that made no difference.

When I rescan, I normally select the Enable channel movement detection, as this retains channel-name edits and the recording schedule. I wondered whether that was causing the problem, so this morning I deleted the independent radio channels, rebooted, and then rescanned (so the independent radio channels would appear to TV Server as new channels), but it made no difference -- the problem still occurs.

At the moment I cannot think of anything else to try.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[brain1000]

Hi @CyberSimian , I have also the same problem on the 3 machines I have access to. Two of them are new builds and one has not been updated for a few years. They all have different tuner models.

Having searched around I was not able to find a solution so I ended up using the inbuilt Radio Web Stream Card which works really well for me. The only hassle is getting the URL's, which I found from radio-browser.info

BR Brian

 

[CyberSimian]

I have also the same problem on the 3 machines I have access to.

Thank you for confirming the problem.

It is beginning to look as though the two MUXes owned by Arqiva have slightly modified the encoding of radio channels. There probably needs to be a fix to TV Server to accept this change, but as we no longer have anyone with expertise in TV Server, the needed fix may not be forthcoming.

Arqiva will revert the change only if large numbers of TVs and set-top boxes are unable to receive the independent radio channels. My 10-year old Sony TV can receive the independent radio channels, so the number of TVs that cannot receive them might be quite small.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[AberDino]

Hi @CyberSimian, you might be on the right track in terms of a change made by Arqiva, see this article towards the bottom:

Arqiva has now followed SDN in implementing encoder improvements that allows more channels to broadcast simultaneously on a multiplex

I completed the contact form on that website and asked whether they have any more information regarding these encoder improvements. I'll let you know if/when I hear back from them.

 

[CyberSimian]

I completed the contact form on that website and asked whether they have any more information regarding these encoder improvements.

Well done for finding that article . I had searched previously but had not found anything relevant.

That web site has this article that describes the changes in more detail. If I have understood it correctly, the Arqiva MUXes are now using the DVB-T2 method of encoding video and audio for some channels (MPEG-4 for video, and HE-AAC for audio). The test for this is TV channel 71. If you can receive this channel (video and audio), your device is compatible. My 10-year old Sony TV can receive this channel.

TV Server is slightly odd, in that it can receive TV channel 71, but cannot receive the independent radio channels, which (presumably) are also now encoded using HE-AAC. TV Server has the necessary decoding logic for HE-AAC somewhere in its innards, but it is not expecting radio channels in a DVB-T1 MUX to be using it. In contrast, TV Server can handle a TV channel that is using DVB-T2 encoding in a DVB-T1 MUX. Hmm.

The fix might be quite small, but I am not sure whether there is anyone in the development team who can make the necessary changes.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[AberDino]

Hi @CyberSimian, like you, I'm also able to receive "That's TV3" on Freeview channel 71, with "H264" video and "LATM AAC" audio, as reported in the TsWriter.log file . When I try Classic FM however, the audio stream is identified as "MPEG2 - audio", and I agree with you that this is now likely to be an HE-AAC (MPEG4) audio stream, so hence it fails to decode. Perhaps if TV Server can identify the stream properly, it can be decoded by the client. It would be nice if it could be fixed .

 

[Jasmeet_181]

Arqiva's multiplexes are still using MPEG-2 audio and video.

ARQA-COM5 content of DTT UK London / National

Bitrate measurements of TV channels and Radio DAB+ DTT FIBER Satellite Cable OTT.

www.digitalbitrate.com

ARQB-COM6 content of DTT UK London / National

Bitrate measurements of TV channels and Radio DAB+ DTT FIBER Satellite Cable OTT.

www.digitalbitrate.com

That's TV 3 is on Digital 3&4's PSB2.

D3-AND-4-PSB2 content of DTT UK London / National

Bitrate measurements of TV channels and Radio DAB+ DTT FIBER Satellite Cable OTT.

www.digitalbitrate.com

 

[AberDino]

Nice find @Jasmeet_181, I'll bookmark that site! Unfortunately, that does mean we're back to the drawing board in terms of trying to figure out what might have changed.