ScanChannelsBDA for SageTV

[Slingshot72]

Hi James,

Im not too sure what the problem could be. For a comparison, heres what the top of my log file looks like:

Checking for new BDA DVB-T Cards
  Tuner - Cinergy 2400i DT Tuner 1 (1a480098)
    @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&tuner#5&1a480098&0&2#{71985f48-1ca1-11d3-9cc8-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a7ad-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030004d56}
      Finding Demod and Capture filters
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
            SUCCESS
        Checking for Capture filter
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - BDA Slip De-Framer
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{03884cb6-e89a-4deb-b69e-8dc621686e6a}&global
          Trying - BDA MPE Filter
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{8e60217d-a2ee-47f8-b0c5-0f44c55f66dc}&global
      Finished Finding Demod and Capture filters
      Capture - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
        @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
  Tuner - Cinergy 2400i DT Tuner 2 (1a480098)
    @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&tuner#5&1a480098&0&2#{71985f48-1ca1-11d3-9cc8-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a7ae-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030004d56}
      Finding Demod and Capture filters
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
            SUCCESS
        Checking for Capture filter
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - BDA Slip De-Framer
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{03884cb6-e89a-4deb-b69e-8dc621686e6a}&global
          Trying - BDA MPE Filter
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{8e60217d-a2ee-47f8-b0c5-0f44c55f66dc}&global
      Finished Finding Demod and Capture filters
      Capture - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
        @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
  Tuner - Cinergy 2400i DT Tuner 1 (394ffa5f)
    @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&tuner#5&394ffa5f&0&2#{71985f48-1ca1-11d3-9cc8-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a7ad-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030004d56}
      Finding Demod and Capture filters
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
            SUCCESS
        Checking for Capture filter
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - BDA Slip De-Framer
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{03884cb6-e89a-4deb-b69e-8dc621686e6a}&global
          Trying - BDA MPE Filter
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{8e60217d-a2ee-47f8-b0c5-0f44c55f66dc}&global
      Finished Finding Demod and Capture filters
      Capture - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
        @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
  Tuner - Cinergy 2400i DT Tuner 2 (394ffa5f)
    @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&tuner#5&394ffa5f&0&2#{71985f48-1ca1-11d3-9cc8-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a7ae-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030004d56}
      Finding Demod and Capture filters
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
        Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
          @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
            SUCCESS
        Checking for Capture filter
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&1a480098&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 1
            @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a796-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
          Trying - BDA Slip De-Framer
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{03884cb6-e89a-4deb-b69e-8dc621686e6a}&global
          Trying - BDA MPE Filter
            @device:pnp:\\?\root#system#0000#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{8e60217d-a2ee-47f8-b0c5-0f44c55f66dc}&global
      Finished Finding Demod and Capture filters
      Capture - Cinergy 2400i DT Capture 2
        @device:pnp:\\?\ngene#ven_18c3&dev_0720&subsys_1167153b&rev_00&capture#5&394ffa5f&0&4#{fd0a5af4-b41d-11d2-9c95-00c04f7971e0}\{2745a797-e8ca-11d8-a988-004030005452}
Finished Checking for new BDA DVB-T Cards
4 BDA devices found.

Has ScanChannelsBDA worked for you in the past? Is it just ScanChannelsBDA that is having this trouble or are there difficulties tuning in Sage too? Also, I could have introduced a bug when fixing things in the last release - could you try again with the 2.6.2 release (attached).

Given that the program is still picking up a card that is no longer in the system, I wonder if the cards driver uninstaller has left behind some bits & pieces? Might be worth trying to clean up the registry and trying again (I use the registry cleaner in CCleaner after I uninstall stuff).

Ooo...just had another thought. Ive never tested this with any satellite cards installed (& I dont know if anyone else has either). Maybe that's causing some problems? Ive just rigged up some cables from my satellite dish to the Sage box and Im in the process of looking for a good satellite card/usb stick. Anyone have any suggestions?

Cheers,
Slingshot

[jamesdisco]

Thanks for having a look, ive tried a no. of versions but none have ever worked. Does the program have a front end or does it just produce a .frq file. All i ever get is the command window pops up for a bit then it produes a log file. I'll run crap cleaner and see if that gets rid of the uninstalled devices.

[jamesdisco]

Originally Posted by Slingshot72

Hi James,

Ooo...just had another thought. Ive never tested this with any satellite cards installed (& I dont know if anyone else has either). Maybe that's causing some problems? Ive just rigged up some cables from my satellite dish to the Sage box and Im in the process of looking for a good satellite card/usb stick. Anyone have any suggestions?

Cheers,
Slingshot

I can definately recomend Pinnacle Dual DVB-S Pro(4000i) ive never had a problems with it.

[Slingshot72]

ScanChannelsBDA has always been a console program and AFAIK has never had a front end. I just grabbed a copy of the source code and added some to output the Sage channel list at the end of the log.

Thanks for the DVB-S recommendation. I'll try and get hold of one soon.

[rickgillyon]

Originally Posted by Slingshot72

ScanChannelsBDA has always been a console program and AFAIK has never had a front end.

But shouldn't James see options at the command prompt?

[Slingshot72]

Only if a tuners are found, then it displays a list to choose from. If no tuners are found then it just quits. I should add a "No tuners found" message" and wait for a keypress - something to add to the ToDo list.

[jamesdisco]

Good price at amazon i'd have another myself if i had a free slot.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hauppauge-Sa...f=pd_rhf_p_t_4

Does anyone using the Bilsdale transmitter fancy posting the .frq that scanchannels produces.

[michaeldjcox]

Really need this to work now - they have started the migration to digital.

With 2.6.3 it gets so far and then crashes - same with 2.6.1 and 2.6.2.

locks on a frequency, please wait for network information, 3 timeout getting tables and then bang it crashes.

Any ideas? Or does anyone now of an alternative that might work better in my area?

(SageTV tune is no good - messes things right up)

Michael

[starfire]

If you can't get it to work you could always shutdown Sage, backup the whole directory (really just .properties and .frq probably needed) then run a Sage scan, save the .frq's, revert to backup copy then compare old and new .frq's and edit appropriately.

[emotionnotion]

I had the same problem with timeouts, in the end I tried it 7-8 times and eventually it worked.

Seems to be a combination of poor signal strength and this utilities lack of configuration when it comes to checking certain frequency ranges.

Failing that, follow Starfire's instructions which are bomb-proof. If you need any help on creating and maintaining the FRQ's this way, many of us have done it

Good Luck

[fac13]

This utility stopped working for me when the first HD channels were introduced on Freeview, so maybe you've hit the same problem.

Unfortunately it seems SageTV can't scan HD channels either, so if you use Starfire's method I think you'll still be missing those.

Notepad is probably the way forward

[rickgillyon]

My way with Sage is to delete a tuner, then add it back it but don't assign a lineup. Do a full scan to get a FRQ, can even tune the channels to test, copy the the FRQ, then delete the tuner and re-add it using the previous lineup. All back to normal.

[willy_nilly]

Whenever there is a 're-tune' day I get a cold sweat and start to feel ill.
Today is that day for me - Norfolk UK, Tacolneston Tx have decided that channels would like nicer in a different place on the frequency scale.. again.

To date I have been struggling on with my original SageTV (v6) scan from a couple of years ago, that has been manually remapped (back to logical channel order) and frequency updated (from ScanChannelsBDA) but every time I have to do this one or two channels seem to stop working and I end up giving up and loosing them (disabling them).

I wondered if it's because when you re-map the channel number it creates a copy in the .properties file (?) which then conflicts with the entry in the .frq file and causes it to ignore the .frq file from then on. Or maybe not. Anyway I decided to start from fresh today (partly because I don't want to loose another channel or two and partly because there is another retune day on a few weeks when they turn off more analogue so I can't be arsed doing this all again). So I removed all my tuners, re-added them, and ignored all previous re-mapping and re-scanned for channels. I was prepared to accept the non LCN order, as long as all the channels were there. Easy right..

Except as it's now that it's evening and CBeebies (by far the most important channel in our house ) is not transmitting I can't add that to my channel list even if it's in the .frq file (having been pasted there after the sage channel scan from teh ScanChannelsBDA log file). There are a few others missing (Dave, CITV..) too.

I can (and have) run ScanChannelsBDA + SageTV 2.6.3 sucessfully and it does a great job finding all channels (even non-transmitting) and formatting a section at the end of the .log that seems to be cut&pastabel into the .frq files. But as mentioned in the first post this is not the only place Sage looks.

One of the big advantages of ScanChannelsBDA is that it gets channels in the correct order (LCN) and detects non-transmitting channels, but if there is no way to make Sage 'read' this info then it's an awful waste.. I get the feeling I must be missing something - so my question (finally):

Is there any way to take control of which channels sage has in it's lineup (and maybe the the order) and (using the output from ScanChannelsBDA) do it all from scratch properly - or am I forced to keep re-scanning in Sage to get the channels into the lineup in the first place, and then over-writing the .frq file (which seems rather pointless, since the I don't have problems with the frequencies Sage find when it scans)

(I note post #7 and #32 but I think I need more detail)

P.S. I am not using and external guide (xmltv etc) just the OTA one that' just works'

[fac13]

There definitely is a way, yes. And a good job too, because some of us won't let Sage do a scan unless we've got a full backup of its Program Files folder we can restore when it's finished making a mess. Maybe that's putting it a bit strong.

The best thing you can do is get a copy of a thing called the SageTV XMLTV Importer from a company called LMGestion. Its author, Stéphane, answers questions about it in these forums. There is a free version which will do everything you need.

It's basic purpose is to import program guide listings from XML files, but one REALLY neat feature is it allows you to manage you channel lineup.

Basically if you can create an frq file (manually or, as you say, by cutting and pasting from ScanChannelsBDA output) and then input the same channel numbers into the Importer, then it will take care of everything needed to make Sage "see" the channels and make Sage show them its lineup.

It's something unfamiliar you'll have to learn of course, but it's not hard and honestly once you've tried it you won't go near a Sage scan ever again.

[willy_nilly]

Thanks.

In the time since I posted the last message, I have actually upgraded to sage v7 (since it's now free if you have a v6 licence) and scanned again (completely automatically) and it seemed to find all the channels (even those off air).

So maybe I will now either stick with that (still not sure I prefer it THB, but maybe I just need to adjust to it - I had a custom menu setup which I liked and launched external programs etc so it's not easy to get back to that capability) in the hope that it seems to work (early days but here's hoping)

If it all goes wrong I may revert to v6, and I'll give it a go. I did also see a v7 plugin that allows you to export and import a channel lineup which also maybe an option??

Regarding Stephanes importer, actually I did play with that while I was considering changing to xmltv guide data, but decided not to in the end as it costs money and I was not sure I was going to use it permanently.

Does anyone know if the over the air epg still works if you manually create a lineup this way (i.e. using Stephanes importer but not using xmltv guide data)? When I tried to manually create a channel in sage it never did..

[jamesdisco]

Has anyone got this to work after digital switchover. Were changing over in the north east shortly and sage wont know the correct frequencies to scan for.

[starfire]

Sorry haven't used it for a long time.

btw. how have you got on with the TBS 6284 as I'm considering one of these, is it reliable?

[jamesdisco]

Originally Posted by starfire

Sorry haven't used it for a long time.

btw. how have you got on with the TBS 6284 as I'm considering one of these, is it reliable?

Pretty well, sage seems to struggle sometimes with the 1st recordings of the day usually kids stuff early morning. No idea if its the TBS 6284 or my setup. Otherwise its great.

[i0zjh02]

unfortunately when I run this as soon as its worked itself through to a frequency with available channels I get a message that "DVB-T Scanner with SageTV Output......" has stopped working, windows will close the program. (I am using Win7 64 bit)
Any Ideas ?

[jamesdisco]

Originally Posted by i0zjh02

unfortunately when I run this as soon as its worked itself through to a frequency with available channels I get a message that "DVB-T Scanner with SageTV Output......" has stopped working, windows will close the program. (I am using Win7 64 bit)
Any Ideas ?

Thats the error i was getting so after DSO this morning ive had to retune the hard way through sage.