SageTV not picking up HD Homerun

[emotionnotion]

Running the Sage TV trial at present.

Original tests using an internal PCI tuner (Hauppauge) which worked well.

Now trying with HD Homerun tuner; HD Homerun is setup and working flawlessly with its on software and via windows media player.

SageTV does not find any channels when I add this source although it does detect the tuner.

Am I missing something silly here?

Cheers

Tranquil PC WHS, 4TB Movies, SageTV 7 trial, HD Homerun, 2 XBOX 360, 1 PS3

[jerryt]

You have to first select SageTV in the HDHomerun setup program and then scan each tuner in both HDHomerun setup and SageTV.

[sic0048]

The HDHR software should create some .scn and .frq files. Check to see if these files are in your sage folder (the one with the sage.properties files, etc). If they are, then when you do a channel scan in the tuner setup in Sage, it should read those .scn files and tune to the correct channels. The actual channel scan in Sage should go very quickly. A 200 channel scan should take perhaps 15 seconds. If the scan goes slow (several seconds per channel), then Sage is not reading the HDHR produced .scn and .frq files. Either the HDHR setup software isn't properly creating one, or it is putting the file in the wrong location. Find the files and move them if needed. There should be one .scn and .frq file per tuner.

[emotionnotion]

I don' get it gents.

I have been able to install more complex stuff like SageMC and Movie wall without issue.

I have HDHomerun working perfectly on the WHS with a 60 channel lineup on both tuners.

I go into Sage, add a digital source (twice), I have checked my nearest transmitter (HD Homerun defaults to a CB4 post code without issue) this being Waltham in the midlands, I run the channel scan and.....

Tuner 0 finds 5 channels
Tuner 1 finds no channels

Channel scan is VERY SLOW; cannot see these .SCN files anywhere but still looking

Total stumped. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by jerryt

You have to first select SageTV in the HDHomerun setup program and then scan each tuner in both HDHomerun setup and SageTV.

When you select SageTV in the HDhomerun setup program and then scan, it writes the .scn and .frq files to the normal SageTV directory.

Scaning the second time in Sage allows Sage to find the channels

So check the default SageTV directory location for those files.

You can copy the files from another computer, as long as the line up is the same.

[sic0048]

You need to find those .scn and .frq files. Without those files in the Program Files/SageTV/SageTV folder, Sage will not set that tuner up correctly. If they are not being produced, then it is a HDHR issue. If they are being produced, but you find them in a different location, then move them to the correct folder.

The slow channel scanning in Sage is a clear indicator that the files are not where they are suppose to be. Until they are, Sage cannot install the tuner correctly.

[emotionnotion]

I have found the frq's which look OK; no scn's.

When you setup HD Homerun did you use your actual postcode for tuning?

I found the CB4 3AH standard postcode to work but then I have chosen the Waltham transmitter in Sage. Could this be causing issues with Sage tuning?

[ke6guj]

what version of windows are you using? 7? If so, there is an issue with the HDHR software not being able to write the .scn files into the physical sagetv folder and needing to write it into a virtual folder, but since it doesn't exist, no .scn file is written at all, due to UAC issues. IIRC, there is an updated HDHR software build that fill fix that problem, or you can disable UAC and then run the HDHR software again.

[emotionnotion]

I am using the Windows Home Server with TV Pack.

I am running the latest version of software/firmware for HD Homerun.

By UAC did you mean 'User Access Control'?

Do you know what virtual folder it is trying to write to; maybe I can create one.

[ke6guj]

yes, I mean User Access Control.

I'm not sure of the exact virtual folder offhand, but a search on the forum regarding HDHR and UAC should find it.

[Grant.Edwards]

Originally Posted by sic0048

You need to find those .scn and .frq files. Without those files in
the Program Files/SageTV/SageTV folder, Sage will not set that tuner
up correctly.

Can anybody explain why those files are needed?

Is the scan done by SageTv broken somehow? If so, has anybody filed a
bug report?

[I set my system up fine without using the HDHR software, but I guess
YMMV.]

[sic0048]

I guess SageTV doesn't talk directly with the HDHR. You need to set up the HDHR first using its supplied software (including a channel scan). Then you need to make sure the lineup listed in the HDHR lineup matches the listings in your local zap2it lineup. Once that is done, then you can do the channel scan in Sage. But all it is doing is searching for the HDHR generated files and using it to set all the channels.

I cannot explain why it has to be done that way, but that is how it works.

[Grant.Edwards]

Originally Posted by sic0048

I guess SageTV doesn't talk directly with the HDHR.

It seemed to when I installed it. I told it to do a scan, and it did.

You need to set up the HDHR first using its supplied software
(including a channel scan).

That's not what I did. I just installed SageTv added the HDHomerun
tuners, and did a scan. It found all the channels except one or two.
I added them manually. [It turns out that one of the channels SageTv
didn't find when it did the scan had a very poor signal quality and
didn't actually work until I shifted my antenna slightly -- so "not
finding" that channel during the scan was correct behavior.]

Then you need to make sure the lineup listed in the HDHR lineup
matches the listings in your local zap2it lineup. Once that is done,
then you can do the channel scan in Sage. But all it is doing is
searching for the HDHR generated files and using it to set all the
channels.

I cannot explain why it has to be done that way, but that is how it
works.

Thats weird. I didn't have those files, but SageTv seemed to do a
scan anyway. It never occured to me that the "scan" operation during
video source setup wasn't meant to do a scan.

[emotionnotion]

I am confused now guys! :-~

I have spent the last couple of days dropping a call into the silicondust forums (for HDHomerun) to confirm where the .SCN files are created specifically on a windows home server.

Do I need to do this or, should I simply reset SageTV and run the scan from SageTV?

Cheers
Simon

[Opus4]

You are hearing different people's different experiences because some people are using cable QAM tuning and some are using OTA ATSC tuning; see the instructions:
HDHR setup for Windows

Since your location is listed as "UK", I assume you are using neither QAM nor ATSC. Please state how your HDHR tuner is being used so that that someone familiar with that setup can comment. I think you need to follow the QAM instructions, but I don't have my notes with me & don't remember the details. Edit: I just noticed the QAM comment in your sig lines, so that may answer that question, but I didn't think QAM was used in the UK...

- Andy

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by Opus4

You are hearing different people's different experiences because some people are using cable QAM tuning and some are using OTA ATSC tuning; see the instructions:
HDHR setup for Windows

Good call. We tend to assume everyone's situation is just like our own! Thanks for helping clarify that.

I should note that my instructions were for QAM in the USA.

[emotionnotion]

I have misunderstood what QAM is I believe. :-)

I am in the UK and I am using HDHomerun using a freeview digital antenna link not cable or using a satellite but over-the-air OTA.

I have just read your link Opus4 and I believe this may have cleared the issue up. It seems I should NOT be doing the scan in the HDHR software first rather doing it directly in Sage.

My question is simply do I need to undo anything before I try this again (i.e) remove the HDHR software and configuration, or reset SageTV in some way?

[mevans]

You shouldn't have to so anything to 'cancel' what you have already done.

see this thread which may help (post 8 in particular):

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46784

having said that, i haven't upgraded to v7 yet....

good luck!

[emotionnotion]

Success finally......

Uninstalled Sage and HDHomerun software, cleared directories and registry.

Updated HDHomerun software and firmware again just to be sure.

Checked my local transmitter via the freeview site.

Installed latest beta of SageTV 7.

Ran configuration and scan on HDHomerun against my postcode - Found 80 channels

Ran SageTV 7 setup and followed OPUS instructions as directed - Found 78 Channels.

Used example FRQ files from other forum members to manually add remaining 2 channels.

WHS configured and working in minimised mode.

Installed SageTV client on laptop, successfully watched BBC1 and ITV and all in time to watch the England game tonight.

Thanks to. Everybody for helping me to this point. I know have the EPG and channels to configure using XMLTV and Digiguide.

I know SageTV will be worth it in the end but it is worth noting, I have Windows Media Centre fully working on the HDHomerun with all channel data and EPG automated in 30 minutes. The Sage experience has taken the best part of 6-7 hours so this is defintely an area to improve if this product is to go out to a wider audience.

Some good new though. I don't need to wait 2 months or more for the HD200 (or 300) extenders as I have managed to secure 2 second-hand ones!