[mythtv-users] hdhomerun scan produces pound signs

[Jay Foster]

> >> With the new DTV transition, I figured I needed to
> rescan for   
> >> current digital channels using one of my
> HDHomeRuns.  What happens   
> >> now is that all the channels come out with pound
> sign separators,   
> >> ie. 7#1, 13#2.  I saw a message way back from
> 2008 on this list   
> >> saying I should increase my tuning timeout, which
> I did (from 3 to   
> >> 6 seconds) but that didn't seem to help.
> >>
> >> Any other ideas that might help?  For what
> it's worth, I'm in   
> >> southern california and mythtvfrontend --version
> shows this:
> >>
> >> MythTV Version   : exported
> >> MythTV Branch    : tags/release-0-21
> >> Library API      : 0.21.20080304-1
> >> Network Protocol : 40
> >> Options compiled in:
> >> linux release using_oss using_alsa using_backend
> using_dbox2   
> >> using_dvb using_frontend using_hdhomerun
> using_iptv using_ivtv   
> >> using_joystick_menu using_lirc using_v4l using_x11
> using_xrandr   
> >> using_xv using_xvmc using_xvmcw using_xvmc_vld
> using_bindings_perl   
> >> using_bindings_python using_opengl
> using_ffmpeg_threads using_live
> >>
> >> and I'm using 3 HDHomerun's for a total of 6
> tuners (all hdhomeruns  
> >>  are on a separate Gigabit network).
> >>
> >
> > The choice of seperator is user selectable via drop
> down box on the
> > scan page. You must have changed it by accident.
> 
> I thought about that but as it turns out the pound sign is
> not one of  
> the available separators.  There's underscore, dash,
> period and zero  
> but no pound sign.  Also, after the scan, there's no
> channels on 2, 4  
> or 5 along with a bunch of others.  On those channels,
> the signal  
> strength is great but the scanner says "no tables". 
> Any other ideas?

From my experience, The pound signs are used for channels that have no PSIP data (or are too weak to accurately read the PSIP data).  Channel 7 and 13 are VHF and you may need a different antenna.  I'm also in Southern California and KCOP-DT (13) and KTTV-DT (11) are currently broadcasting at lower power, so that may also be contributing (although I'm 105 miles from their transmitter and still receive them).

The "no tables" shows up because there still are stations broadcasting on channels 2,4, and 5, but they are analog.  Analog stations have no PSIP tables.