Dual DVB-T(Freeview) Card Installation.

[Devonian]

Hi.
I have been using GBPVR for a long time now for Freeview using the Freeview EPG with no problems.

However after recently adding a second DVB-T card I'm unable to get both cards fully functional even though both cards work OK when installed individually.

Depending on the installation sequence I use I can't always get all the channels to show on the both cards and some channels which appear after scanning can be viewed but not recorded via the EPG.

I also had to copy Scan-1.cache to overwrite Scan-2.cache.

1. Can you run through the installation/Search/EPG update sequence for two cards i.e. does each have to have its own EPG. If so will both EPG's update automatically.

2. What is the best channel update procedure to follow when the Plympton transmitter channels change in August and the analogue signal is turned off. At the same time the BBC transmissions will change to QAM 64 from the present QAM 16. Will a complete re-install be required.

The two cards are Hauppuage Nova-t USB2 and Pinnacle 310i PCI.

Thanks for your assistance.

[Graham]

Hi.
I have been using GBPVR for a long time now for Freeview using the Freeview EPG with no problems.

However after recently adding a second DVB-T card I'm unable to get both cards fully functional even though both cards work OK when installed individually.

Depending on the installation sequence I use I can't always get all the channels to show on the both cards and some channels which appear after scanning can be viewed but not recorded via the EPG.

I also had to copy Scan-1.cache to overwrite Scan-2.cache.

1. Can you run through the installation/Search/EPG update sequence for two cards i.e. does each have to have its own EPG. If so will both EPG's update automatically.

2. What is the best channel update procedure to follow when the Plympton transmitter channels change in August and the analogue signal is turned off. At the same time the BBC transmissions will change to QAM 64 from the present QAM 16. Will a complete re-install be required.

The two cards are Hauppuage Nova-t USB2 and Pinnacle 310i PCI.

Thanks for your assistance.

Do you have Device Number set 1 for both cards? Are you losing signal strength by splitting the ariel cable?

I use multiple DVB cards. They are all configured identically. I use Birtles XMLTV grabber to create an XML file. That single file is the set as the EPG source for each card. I specified the capture source and EPG source for the first card then did a map channels. I then repeated the identical process for the second card.

You will need to do a rescan when the transmitter is updated.

Good Luck.

[Devonian]

Thanks for the reply.

I do have the device numbers set to 1 and 2.

The aerial signal is adequate and I get good reception from both cards when they are selected independently with the splitter in place.

However I am using the Freeview EPG so this will be downloaded from both devices.

If I switch one device to no EPG I can't scan for channels and I can't see how to switch the this device to use the EPG downloaded by the first device. Do I have to use an external grabber or is it OK to download the EPG twice?

When I rescan I only seem to get channels previously detected e.g. if I scan when BBC3 is off air and then re-scan when it is on air it doesn't seem to be detected.

It does seem that the scan works completely differently from commercial programs where a complete rescan is easily selected. I don't fully understand the interaction with the EPG.

[sub]

I do have the device numbers set to 1 and 2.

They both need to be device #1 since they use different drivers.

[Devonian]

Thanks Graham and Sub but I still have not fully overcome the problem and the problem occurs even with only one card installed.

I have re-installed GBPVR and initially reverted to a single card.

If I try to scan with Plympton selected, some channels are not detected and, although all Mux's scanned, the last Mux (D on 754MHz) reports no channels at all. The signal strength is reported as good with 100 percent quality.

If I scan with "All Channels" selected then most channels can be detected after repeated scans, including those on Mux D. However I am still unable to find E4 on Mux 2. On some scans I got "Unknown Channel" for several channels.

E4 is no great loss, especially as I can get E4+1. I have now installed the second card with similar results.

If I close GBPVR and use either Win TV or PCTV, without making any other changes, then all the channels are immediately detected and I also get some from Caradon Hill which is 35 miles away at 30 degrees from Plympton and has Horizontal as opposed to Vertical polarization.

For the moment I'm leaving well alone but it would be nice to Know why tuning via GBPVR seems to result in lower sensitivity for both cards.

After August I will probably switch to Caradon Hill as the power is increasing by a factor of 18 and this should overcome any problems.

Regards,

[Graham]

I have a vague recollection that I had a problem with E4 scan yonks ago and that it went away when I ticked one of the CRC error options in BDA Advanced Settings in Capture Source configuration.

But ... a few months later I fixed some other problem (that I cannot now recall) by clicking it off again and E4 scan continued to be problem free.

Sorry that my rubbish memory doesn't provide much help. I can only suggest that you try the age old solution ... trial and error.

Good Luck