Importing remap channel file to SageTV (for QAM channels)

[LehighBri]

I have a HDHomeRun and I recently upgraded to SageTV 6.2.4 to take advantage of using BDA to configure the HDHR. I removed the old video sources, and added the new, but in the process, I lost the custom channel settings I had for my HDHomeRun.

Is there an easy way to "import" or restore my channel settings to what they were rather than entering them all from scratch again (e.g. physical to virtual channel mappings)? Also, is there a way to import the QAM remap file? I'm trying to figure out the best way to quickly import channel settings without having to redo them through the cumbersome EPG setup in SageTV.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by LehighBri

I have a HDHomeRun and I recently upgraded to SageTV 6.2.4 to take advantage of using BDA to configure the HDHR. I removed the old video sources, and added the new, but in the process, I lost the custom channel settings I had for my HDHomeRun.

Is there an easy way to "import" or restore my channel settings to what they were rather than entering them all from scratch again (e.g. physical to virtual channel mappings)? Also, is there a way to import the QAM remap file? I'm trying to figure out the best way to quickly import channel settings without having to redo them through the cumbersome EPG setup in SageTV.

In either instance you have to manually enter the physical channel you want it remapped to. If you want to use BDA you can use QAM Remapper to create the hdhomerun_bda.remap. But you'll still have to edit it for the channels you're going to use. And then go into Sage and remap it to the physical channel number you want to use from that file. The remapping is required in either method. No quick way I'm aware of to get that into Sage.

Gerry

[LehighBri]

That's what I figured.

SageTV Developers - maybe we consider this a formal request to have a future feature give us the ability to import a channel remap file to be able to easily import channel mappings (similar to how channels are imported to Windows MCE)?

[scoful]

It would be nice to have a re-map online database that could be used. I guess it would really just be an extension of the guide listings - either remapping them or simply listing them (although a re-map would be tidier especially when you're using a cable box, qam and ota)

Perhaps doing away with channel numbers altogether wouldn't be a bad way to go either.

My cable provider won't even tell me what is where other than a few. They act like they have to change them around all the (which sounds to me like it's just to make things difficult).

[Fuzzy]

Not that they necessarily have to change them around all the time, but if they made the information readily available, they'd also be obligated to notify customers when it was going to change, something they really don't want to have to mess with.

[LehighBri]

Wow this is an old thread... this should be a non-issue any more for folks using 6.6.2+ and HDHR's beta threads from 2010... if you setup your channels properly in the HDHR setup program, and then run a channel scan in Sage (which should run in seconds not minutes as it reads through the file HDHR setup spits out) it will restore your channels and map things all for your... no intervention should be needed (great work Sage!)

[scoful]

Makes me wish I had HDHR's instead of Hauppauge cards.

Any idea if this method can work with these?

[LehighBri]

Originally Posted by scoful

Makes me wish I had HDHR's instead of Hauppauge cards.

Any idea if this method can work with these?

No, this method does not work with any cards other than the HDHR.

[scoful]

I've got about 200 QAM channels (which is great) but they rearrange them about every month! They claim they have to do this, but I think it's really just to make it difficult for those who don't want to rent a cable box.

There HAS to be an easier way to remap these - It'd be a TON easier if there was a substitution table - CSV would be great - or better yet an online sub table plugin that could be used in conjunction with the tuner source.

It would be ideal if in the tuner setup had an option after selecting the epg source you could select a substitution table to plug in - and the substitution table could also omit unavailable channels from the tuner, while still using the same lineup as an STB - for example:

Station STB Channel QAM Channel
KCTV 205 27-0-1
SHOW 401 0

This would ensure that the lineup would still automatically add channels (which copying the lineup doesn't allow). QAM Channels of 0 would be ones that aren't available as QAM and would be omitted from the lineup

It would also be really nice to be able to exclude a channel from one source without excluding it from the lineup - I use this with my STB to ensure it isn't tied up recording shows on channels my other 3 QAM tuners can be recording instead.
I guess it would be nice if instead of the lineup being copied, we could just opt to have the source use the epg guide source independently for channel selection - perhaps using EPG custom names:

EPG Source:Time Warner Digital Cable STB
EPG Plugin:None

EPG Source:Time Warner Digital Cable QAM
EPG Plugin:Time Warner QAM KCKS

Ideally the EPG plugin would be an online table - would be really cool if this could come from silicon dust's data, but could be a community project.
I'd much rather edit a substitution table than go through channel by channel in Sage and remap them.