[mythtv-users] Hidden Silicon Dust channel guide wonderfulness

[stefan_jones at comcast.net]

----- "Kirk Bocek" <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:
> stefan_jones at comcast.net wrote:
> > Everything was ducky until earlier in the month.
> > 
> > Over the last two weeks the clear QAM channels for the most
> desirable 
> > cable stations (Syfy, Cartoon Network, TNT . . . basically
> everything 
> > but local broadcast, public and school access, shopping and
> Telemundo) 
> > have disappeared. They really are scrambled, not just moved to other
> 
> > transports. I can still watch them via an STB or DTA, but my digital
> 
> > tuner couldn't see them.
> 
> Thought I'd check one more thing for you:
> 
> http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/lineup_web/US:97212#lineup_1134552
> 
> Silicon Dust, the makers of the HD Homerun, keep a database of the
> digital 
> channels their device finds. I only checked a couple of zip codes in
> the 
> Portland area but the pickings were pretty meager. Basically OTA,
> public 
> access and shopping channels, like you said.
> 
> Sad.

The Silicon Dust site is indeed wonderful. And it has hidden secrets! If you View Page Source, you'll see XML data for all of those channels. AND the listings show transport (frequency) and program number! Here's the listing for The Discovery Channel in my area:

		<Program>
			<Modulation>qam256</Modulation>
			<Frequency>675000000</Frequency>
			<PhysicalChannel>104</PhysicalChannel>

			<ProgramNumber>303</ProgramNumber>
			<GuideNumber>7</GuideNumber>
			<GuideName>DSCP</GuideName>
			<Resolution>704x480i</Resolution>
			<Resolution>704x480p</Resolution>
			<Aspect>4:3</Aspect>

			<Snapshot>16059432</Snapshot>
			<Snapshot>16058654</Snapshot>
			<Snapshot>16042253</Snapshot>
		</Program>

Back when there were more clear QAM channels, I'd make a channel guide printout for my live TV viewing by importing the XML into Excel, trimming out the unneeded columns, and printing it out.

You can use the above data to help during channel scans.