QAM channel remapping 101 needed

[dvd_maniac]

I am trying to solve massive QAM mapping related issues as well as an HDHR meltdown.
I installed a 2250 on a fresh install of SageTV(6.4.8) and setup both tuner1 and tuner2 as QAM.
Scanning found all my channels on both and under tuner1 I remapped using Map different station to this physical channel and then went to tuner 2 and tried to do the same but the channels were not there to pick from. I must have done tuner 1 wrong. Was I suppose to use Map to different Logical channel number or map to different physical channel number or both?

[dvd_maniac]

I am at my wits end on this one. I tried any possible combination of the mapping choices and none seem to work correctly except for Map different station to this physical channel. But how do I do this to both tuners since the channels are not there to map to on the second tuner?

[gplasky]

If you're work on the HDHR go back to the thread that explains how to set it up. I would make a copy of your SageTV directory and then get rid of the .scn and .frq files and remove the HDHR tuners and start from scratch. You need to scan both tuners. Make sure you use the Zap2It channel names and channel numbers and put those in the HDHR software channel scan after you finish scanning the channels. Scan one-make correct channel names and numbers-scan the next and make sure they are all the same.

Follow the instructions closely and you should get a fully functioning HDHR setup. I'm guessing it's the channel name/number that is causing your pain.

Gerry

[dvd_maniac]

I seem to have the 2250's 2 QAM tuners functioning. I remapped the 2nd tuner to the remapped 1 tuner's corresponding channel.
Now I am looking to get the HDHR working again.
Could it be that the HDHR and the 2250 were getting confused? Can I pick any channel number in the HDHR software and maybe that will unconfuse them?

[carlgar]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

Could it be that the HDHR and the 2250 were getting confused? Can I pick any channel number in the HDHR software and maybe that will unconfuse them?

I think that it is very possible. The HDHR should have it own channel numbers.

[gplasky]

Yes. I would think you would want to set up a seperate guide. My HDHR uses one guide and the HD-PVR uses another. That's keeps everything seperate and no issues for me.

Gerry

[CollinR]

What I don't get is how to get the lost channels back.

Okay here is my situation.

1 HVR1250 tuning QAM

Intially I set it all up just fine however I noticed on the first of each month my cable provider switches stuff up (only the pay stuff they sent out unencrypted). The first month was dandy had FoodHD and HistoryHD for free, the second month not as good but not really so bad either. The third month I got mostly foreign stuff so I tried to unmap them. Well whatever I did I would up with those gone and rescanning wouldn't make them reappear. So I figured hell I'll delete them all and remove the source and simply readd it. Now the channel scan will only find channel I never mapped in the first place, the religious channels and the 24/7 weather stuff.

So what do I do to get it to scan? Or better yet is there a method of just manually keying in the channels I want. I documented my initial channel scan pretty well so I know what it should get and would rather just edit a text file over wait the time for the scan.

TIA
Collin

[dvd_maniac]

I used digital cable EPG when setting up the 2250's QAM and used no guide with the HDHR as it should just scan the HDHR scn file created by HDHR software so the guides should be different. Also I changed the channel numbers in the HDHR channel editor to make sure they could not get confused with any channel in any guide by making them 1000, 1001, 1002 etc...
This still didn't work as the only channel that shows up in the guide is the only channel I did not have to remap in the guide for the 2250. And even that is giving me "NO SIGNAL" in Sage but displays perfectly in the HDHR channel editor using VLC...

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I used digital cable EPG when setting up the 2250's QAM and used no guide with the HDHR as it should just scan the HDHR scn file created by HDHR software so the guides should be different.

Even though you scan the channels with the HDHR software and it creates a .scn you still need to choose a guide for it in Sage when you add it as a tuner. Mine is associated with a Comcast Digital lineup. And you would perform the scaan on both tuners after choosing your lineup. Maybe this is the missing piece.

Gerry

[dvd_maniac]

OK. I am starting from scratch again. I just finished installing Sage and will only add the HDHR tuners. I will add them to a new Charter Digital extended lineup.

Should I make sure that the channels in the HDHR program are the same as the channel # on my STB? I would prefer to make them something else for troubleshooting when I add other tuners if possible?

Update:
Fresh install of Sage and only selected one of the HDHR tuners with a fresh ditigal lineup.
Result is that the HDHR program displays the channels fine and Sage does not...

[gplasky]

In your HDHR channel scan did you enter the channel name and channle number the same as it is on the Zap2it site? So for me Fox is WJBKDT and the channel number is 236. You would enter both in the HDHR channel scanning utility and do that for all of them before saving the line up. (If they are not already that way)
From the latest instructions:

Run the HDHR setup program, as directed in the SiliconDust instructions, step 4. After scanning for channels, click on the "Zap2it website" button & check its channel listings for your lineup. You will need to at least enter the Guide Name exactly as shown on the Zap2it site in order for the channels to get mapped correctly for EPG data in SageTV; for best results also enter the Guide Number -- you can enter channel numbers like x.y (example: 2.1) or x (ex: 34). Apply the results in the HDHR Channel Editor and exit. NOTES: Be sure to give every channel on a single HDHR tuner a unique name; don't name 2 channels WCBSDT on one HDHR tuner, for example. And, while entering a guide number for a channel should be optional, doing so is strongly recommended and will help map the channel to the logical number you want it to be at in SageTV.

Gerry

[dvd_maniac]

OK. I'm getting closer. I deleted HDHR software, Sage and everything I could find about SiliconDust from the registry, shutdown everything in the house, turned everything back on. Installed HDHR, Sage and got the 2 HD-PVR's and both tuners on my HDHR to work. I copied a backup of the Sage folder just in case things go haywire when I try to install the 2250's QAM tuners again.
Does anybody with an HDHR and 2250 setup as QAM have this working? If so, how did you not screw up the channel mappings?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Even though you scan the channels with the HDHR software and it creates a .scn you still need to choose a guide for it in Sage when you add it as a tuner.

Not always -- if the channels used by the HDHR are already in SageTV via a lineup used on another already-configured tuner, the channels will get mapped correctly if you name them correctly in the HDHR software. This is covered in the instructions & is the way I do it.

I configured my HD-PVR tuners first so they used my digital cable lineup, then I configured the HDHR tuner and told it to use no lineup.

This type of setup only works for the HDHR becuase its .scn file provides the required channel names for this option.

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

Should I make sure that the channels in the HDHR program are the same as the channel # on my STB? I would prefer to make them something else for troubleshooting when I add other tuners if possible?

They should be named and numbered as you see the channels listed on the Zap2it website for your lineup. If you aren't going to the Zap2it web site while using the HDHR's channel editor, then you are skipping an important step.

And, remember, if you have the same station name enabled on multiple lineups, that station will be listed in the Program Guide under only 1 channel number. Do not give them different numbers in the expectation that you will see WABCDT or whatever listed in multiple places in the guide. It won't happen.

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I copied a backup of the Sage folder just in case things go haywire when I try to install the 2250's QAM tuners again.
Does anybody with an HDHR and 2250 setup as QAM have this working? If so, how did you not screw up the channel mappings?

If you want to be able to separately configure the channels for each tuner, then choose to copy the lineup when it asks if that is what you wish to do.

I think I also explained to you in a different topic how to copy & rename the HDHR's .scn files for use with another tuner that is supposed to be able to tune the exact same channels -- i.e.: both are digital OTA or both are QAM.

And, the 2250 can't use the "no lineup" option unless you copy the .scn files because its SageTV-created .frq file won't have station names used for channel mapping.

- Andy

[dvd_maniac]

Thanks everybody I have it working now. Although I really do not know why it stopped working in the first place. I did number them correctly in HDHR and copied the scn files for the 2250 to work. I also did as you Andy. I created the HD-PVR lineup first and then copied them each time when adding the HDHR's and the 2250's tuners.

Thanx for all the help with the scn and frq files Andy. I was just hoping that having a different channel number for the different tuners would make it a whole lot easier to troubleshoot a single tuner at a time.

I am knocking on wood, crossing my fingers and throwing salt over my shoulder in hopes that I do not have too many of these catastrophies, especially in the middle of the fall season.

Again thanx everybody.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Even though you scan the channels with the HDHR software and it creates a .scn you still need to choose a guide for it in Sage when you add it as a tuner. Mine is associated with a Comcast Digital lineup. And you would perform the scaan on both tuners after choosing your lineup. Maybe this is the missing piece.

Gerry

Originally Posted by Opus4

Not always -- if the channels used by the HDHR are already in SageTV via a lineup used on another already-configured tuner, the channels will get mapped correctly if you name them correctly in the HDHR software. This is covered in the instructions & is the way I do it.

I configured my HD-PVR tuners first so they used my digital cable lineup, then I configured the HDHR tuner and told it to use no lineup.

This type of setup only works for the HDHR becuase its .scn file provides the required channel names for this option.

- Andy

OK-good to know. Because I have my HDHR handle the clear QAM (mostly locals) I have the HD-PVR handle all the other HD stations. That way I keep it seperate and not tying up the HD-PVR when I don't have to. (No need to mess with tuner merits either)

Gerry