Lost All Channels

[wacole]

I have no channels available to SageTV but as I run HDHomeRun the HDHomeRun QuickTV tool shows that channels are available.

Here's what I was doing before things went dark. I had opened the Video Source Setup on one of the two tuners on my dual channel HDHomeRun box. I had selected a channel to preview so that I could watch the signal strength meter while I adjusted the antenna distribution amplifier that is attached to that tuner. So far, so good; tweaking the amp gave me better signal on a few of my weaker channels. I did this for a while and then after I was satisfied that things were working I picked a channel that had no issues - hah - and it showed no signal at all. And then, one by one, none of the other channels showed signals either.

Troubleshooting mode ... did the distribution amp crap out? Nope, checked that on a regular TV and it was OK. Maybe the coax magically developed a problem? Swapped it out with a brand new one and -- no signal. Checked the HDHomeRun's QuickTV app and see that I have signals with or without the amp. So there are signals getting to the tuner and the server is able to find and use the signals. Now what?

Powered the server down and restarted SageTV. Still getting signals through QuickTV but no signals show in SageTV. I.e. Watch TV doesn't work nor can I see any channels using the Preview function in Video Setup. Rescanned the channels. Channel scan completes but shows 0 [as in ZERO] channels with a signal.

I am completely stumped and hope that some kind forum member can point me in the right direction.

Thanks so much.

[timg11]

Bill, I have a similar problem with my HD-PVR. This problem just started a week ago, but now (on a regular basis) SageTV simply stops seeing the HD-PVR as a video source, although the HD-PVR is running and enumerated on the host computer. All the cable channels disappear in SageTV (but I can still see the OTA channels from my HDHomerun).

The only workaround I have found is to disable service mode and run the client on the host computer, then re-enable service mode. That seems to bring it back for a while (until the next time it happens).

I started another thread here, but nobody has responded yet.

A common factor is that we both use an HD-300. Your signature doesn't say if you use SageTV in service mode or not.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by wacole

I have no channels available to SageTV but as I run HDHomeRun the HDHomeRun QuickTV tool shows that channels are available.

Since you said you've already tried rescanning, make sure no other app is running that is using the HDHR at the same time, since if that app has it, then SageTV can't use it. Otherwise, if no one else posts a reply, then check with tech support. They may ask for a debug log.

- Andy

[wacole]

Thanks very much for the pointers. I do run SageTV as a service so I disabled it and restarted SageTV. Once started re-enabled it as a service. This did not solve the problem.

To be sure that re-scanning hadn't missed something - or that I may have done it incorrectly - I re-scanned both tuners again. Same result: no channels found to be active.

Per Opus I'll submit a trouble report to the tech folks.

[wacole]

I found the problem. A bad cable. I apologize, again, for making a production out of this.

A lesson learned, however.

I used HDHomeRun's QuickTV app to determine that I was receiving signals from the antenna and that those signals were being passed to the server. I was using one tuner to pickup Washington, DC channels and the second tuner to pickup Baltimore channels. [Actually both tuners pick up both city's stations it's just that you need to do this to get the EPG to populate all of those channels.] Problem is that the QuickTV app will take it's channel signal from wherever it finds it first and since it doesn't care whether it's using tuner 0 or tuner 1 [their numbering] what you see in QuickTV doesn't identify the tuner that is doing the receiving. Even though I was getting all DC and Baltimore channels, those signals, as it turned out, where coming from the tuner I had designated as the video source for Baltimore - the cable between the distribution amp and the Washington DC tuner was dead. [Tempting political metaphor, but I'll pass.]

I didn't catch this because I was focused on the cable coming from the antenna, not the cable between the distribution amp and the tuner. Even though I tried swapping those latter cables out, I somehow missed that one of them was bad. [Don't do this stuff when you're tired.]

No wonder help desk guys burn out quickly.