[mythtv-users] DVB-S2 card failing to display channels

[Nick Morrott]

On 28 February 2013 14:25, Jeffrey Ratcliffe
<jeffrey.ratcliffe at gmail.com> wrote:

> I started with a DVBSky S952 DVB-S2 card. I had to compile the drivers
> for it, but after I did, it was found by the kernel.
>
> scan -a 1 -x0 /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E | tee channels.conf

Are you creating different channels.conf files for each type of card
you have? Using a common channels.conf for both DVB-S{,2} and DVB-C is
not going to work unless each channel name is unique.

I always specify the '-l UNIVERSAL' option to scan to setup the LNB
before scanning starts - I don't know if this is still required but
you might try adding it and regenerating a new channels.conf.

If you want to pastebin or send a copy of your DVB-S channels.conf I
can compare it with a recent one I have here.

mplayer supports using a separate channels.conf file for each type of
DVB service (apologies if the formatting fails here, man mplayer for
the details):

      -dvbin <options> (DVB only)
              Pass the following parameters to the DVB input module,
in order to override the default ones:

                 card=<1-4>
                      Specifies using card number 1-4 (default: 1).
                 file=<filename>
                      Instructs  MPlayer  to  read the channels list
from <filename>.  Default is
~/.mplayer/channels.conf.{sat,ter,cbl,atsc} (based on your card type)
or ~/.mplayer/channels.conf as a last
                      resort.
                 timeout=<1-240>
                      Maximum number of seconds to wait when trying to
tune a frequency before giving up (default: 30).

> produces a seemingly sane channels.conf file, but
>
> mplayer dvb://"1:0 at BBC THREE"
>
> refused to show anything:
>
> MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.6 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
> mplayer: could not connect to socket
> mplayer: No such file or directory
> Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.
>
> Playing dvb://1:0@BBC THREE.
> Option stream url: This URL doesn't have a password part.
> dvb_tune Freq: 10817
> ERROR tuning channel
> dvb_tune, TUNING FAILED
> ERROR, COULDN'T SET CHANNEL  604: Failed to open dvb://1:0@BBC THREE.
>
> for comparison, with the DVB-C, this works fine:
>
> $ mplayer dvb://"0:0 at KiKA"
> MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.6 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
> mplayer: could not connect to socket
> mplayer: No such file or directory
> Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.
>
> Playing dvb://0:0@KiKA.
> Option stream url: This URL doesn't have a password part.
> dvb_tune Freq: 394000000
> TS file format detected.
> VIDEO MPEG2(pid=310) AUDIO MPA(pid=320) NO SUBS (yet)!  PROGRAM N. 0
> VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x576  (aspect 3)  25.000 fps  15000.0 kbps (1875.0 kbyte/s)
>
> The channel scanner in mythbackend couldn't even find any channels on
> the DVB-S2 tuner. I tried both a full scan (using information I found
> here: http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_freesat.php), and importing the
> channels.conf produced by the scan command.

After adding the DVB-S card to MythTV, creating a video source for it
and connecting them together in Input Connections, you need to
(re)configure the LNB and ensure it reports as being connected in the
Capture Card options screens. If unconnected, scanning will fail.

> After much messing about and frustration, I sent the DVBSky card back,
> assuming that there was some compatibility problem or fault, and
> instead ordered a Digital Devices Cine S2 V6, which was recognised
> automatically by the kernel.
>
> Frustratingly, I have *exactly* the same problems with this card, with
> scan finding channels, but mplayer not showing them, and mythbackend
> not finding channels.
>
> Now I am completely at a loss, and don't know what to try next.

My old failsafe is to use the Kaffeine media player which supports DVB
scanning and playback in a nice GUI interface.

Once you know the card is working, getting it configured in MythTV is
straightforward.

Cheers,
Nick