Unable to tune channels - Compro DVB-T200 and Hauppauge HVR-1200

[Andy_L]

Thanks for that, clayt_d. Unfortunately by the time I saw your post I had already almost completed the laborious process of copying all the channel data from TSReader into a spreadsheet. Your info was very useful in helping me better understand the data though, and I was able to fill in the odd blank in my list from yours for channels that weren't transmitting when I was doing my scan.

For the sake of interest I've attached the cache file that I came up with, which is working fine. The audio and video stream PIDs for a lot of channels also seem to be different to the ones on your transmitter.
I'm not certain I've got the right info for some of the time-sharing channels, but all the important ones are OK.

One interesting thing I have observed with those time sharing channels. In some cases, e.g. Dave Ja Vu and Russia Today, the channels use different audio and video PIDs. But for others, like BBC4 and CBeebies, the PIDs are all the same (apart from the PMT PID). The result seems to be that you see the same thing in GBPVR when you view either channel. If my recollection is correct, with a normal set-top box you would see something like "this channel is not transmitting" if you selected BBC4 during the day or CBeebies at night. I wonder what the reason is for the different behaviour.

[clayt_d]

Hi Andy_L

Glad it was of some use to you

Once I have my main PC repaired I'll download your list to see what differences there are. It should be interesting seeing how many of my country bumpkin assumptions are incorrect lol.

You have surprised me about the audio and video IDs being different on your transmitter. With the exception of BBCs 1,2 ITV1 and C4 I honestly thought that most of the broadcasters wouldn't bother going to the trouble of encoding different regional IDs for these streams for what is essentially a nationwide broadcast. I'll have to remember that for when I want to take GBPVR with a USB tuner on holiday..

As for BBC THREE VIDs I had noticed that it was the same as CBBC. I can only guess that the BBC originally intended to set it up as a 24 hour channel, swapping between children's and adult programming according to schedule.

GBPVR is designed to work worldwide on any broadcast system - and not to care what it's TV source is (or what is in it) - so showing channels only based on the PMT would probably break it for those people on different digital systems.

GBPVR does allow these time split channels to show up when the boxes do not, but it isn't a big issue - except where parental filtering of channels is desirable because it is disturbing to see those endless BBC3 features about teenage slappers and how to be a confidence trickster etc on a children's channel after 7pm. Not exactly pornographic - but worrying to think that the BBC are teaching my kids how to fleece me for a round of drinks and then kick my a*s afterwards lol.

Reliance on the PMT turned my 2 year old set top boxes into scrap when the broadcasters changed everything around in 2008 - only GBPVR continued to work without problems.

I've been toying with the idea of using these PMT IDs as a basis for extending what my computer can do with TV broadcasts in the future.
"Goto the website" of whatever channel you happen to be watching being one obvious example for anyone who has ever poked around in TSReader's output and found URLs embedded in the stream.
Teletext and "red button" services.
Notification and allocation of new channels in real time may be possible by comparing a cached PMT list with that being transmitted.
Automatic caching of the channel logos embedded in the stream would be another nice feature to have.
Maybe I'll try to do those things in GBPVR one day. I just need a lot more time, a lot more research - and a lot more talent

Regards

PS: if you want a really ugly workaround to get the built-in compro remote working with GBPVR - let me know. There are still a few kinks to iron out.

[Andy_L]

Ah yes, the Compro remote - I was just about to start on trying to set that up. I found this:
http://www.byremote.com.au/downloads/def...IP%20EXTRA
Is that what you're using?

[clayt_d]

Ah yes, the Compro remote - I was just about to start on trying to set that up. I found this:
http://www.byremote.com.au/downloads/def...IP%20EXTRA
Is that what you're using?

Nope - I wish I'd have seen that earlier! I've been using some pretty ugly hacks to get the native Compro app to work with GBPVR. I understand that GBPVR supports HIP remotes, if it does the trick it'll be one to add to the hardware Wiki..

Have you tried it yourself? The Compro device drivers are generic for most of the T series - When I fitted a T750 card the drivers for the T300 already present plug-n-played it a treat without having to install anything else. Chances are that the driver for the T200 remote might be the same as the T300?

I'll give it a whirl when I get some time to play with it. It seems my free time is about to vanish since we've just discovered that BT are increasing their charges for the third time in a year (it's hidden in the small print) - so I've been given the job of dumping our BT lines and moving all of our firm's phones to a central VOIP PBX (once I've built the server, learned how to operate it, rewritten our own software to work with it and ported all the numbers across).
By Monday morning? Sure - I'll be needing a much bigger ashtray..

Press 1 to leave a message, press 2 to monkey around with our critical safety systems, press 3 to watch Dancing On Ice..

[Andy_L]

Press 1 to leave a message, press 2 to monkey around with our critical safety systems, press 3 to watch Dancing On Ice..

Amazing what they can do with these VOIP systems these days

I've got the Compro remote working now in at least a rudimentary fashion - the number keys, arrow keys OK and menu buttons work at least. I need to fiddle around with the mappings in HIP to get it all working nicely.

It seems you need 3 things running for it to work:
The ComproRemote app from the Compro software bundle
Compro2Hip
And finally HIP itself - I downloaded the "complete" package but I think you only actually need the basic program and installer package.

I found this article in the wiki very useful as a guide for setting up HIP:
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Tips/HipGuide
but when it tells you to select "MCE Interface (HipMCE.dll)" as the input device, you need to select Generic instead. And there's no predefined HIP key map for the Compro remote but it's easy enough to generate one by scanning the IR codes off the remote. It looks like all the keys on the Compro remote should be mappable, with the exception of the FM button for some reason.

[clayt_d]

Thanks for the heads up Andy_L

I'm glad you were able to get it to work with your T200, have you managed to get the keys all mapped?

I think that the FM function might is one of those keys mapped to launch the ComproFM App, but it's not possible for me to test that for the time being as I can only access GBPVR through remote desktop at the moment. I know that the ComproRemote HID (which I've been using) doesn't allow you to remap any of those keys that launch their own software without a fight, but I'll be working on that one soon.
Compro remote app allows you to select one their different remote types, some have FM buttons, others don't. Perhaps selecting a different remote type on the compro tray icon might enable it?

The lack of a "back" button is a PITA too, but easy to map a spare button to the 'ESC' key - if you can remember which button was assigned..

One Caveat for using the Compro Remote App..
If you are finding error popups on your screen relating to directX and display problems, or GBPVR crashes out daily - that is because the remote app is trying to launch the compro Scheduler app (and the Compro TV app) to download the EPG.
It tries to grab control of the screen from GPVR and causes stuff to fall over.

My solution was to rename every .exe (except the remote) in the compro folders to something else. It seems to work OK - except of course you lose remote control of the bundled Compro apps - which is no real loss..

I'll have a bash at your HIP solution as soon as I can - it definitely looks like the way forward.

cheers