Preview scan is not what records

[gkreis]

I am finding that several digital channels are getting messed up when mapped. I did a scan (I have an HVR 1600 card) and then I viewed the channel in the preview window and then selected that channel in the drop down box to map it to a channel.

When I did some recordings I found several channels where recording or watching live are the wrong content. For instance, ABC Family content was appearing on FS Sports channel and vice versa. (I found out when my Bridge to Terabitha recording was a Bowling Tournament...)

I scanned again and carefully mapped them again. Same thing. About 80% of the channels are right, but others display no channel or the wrong one.

How could the preview window show one thing and then the actual recording or live display another?

Help.... ;-)

[sub]

What BDA multiplexer do you have selected? Not 'Full TS'? If you do have it set to 'Full TS', then you need to switch it to 'TS Mux'.

[gkreis]

Thanks for a quick reply.

I have it set to Microsoft DVR-MS. (You are referring to the drop down box on the Misc 2 tab, right?) I experimented and found I get the best voice and video sync with DVR-MS files, so I'd rather not have to go to TS.

I guess I don't understand how this setting can cause the channel in some of the mappings to be off (watching live or recording).

[sub]

Its only the 'Full TS' option that can make it appear like the wrong channel is recording (since it records multiple channels on the same frequency, and sometimes when you play that file it shows one of the other channels from the same frequency, even though the requested channel is somewhere there in the file).

You'd probably have to post the GBPVRRecordingService.exe.log and GBPVRRecordingService.exe-native.log next time the problem happens, and I'll take a look.

[gkreis]

OK. I recorded the last couple minutes of a show on the Family Channel (85-104) just before 2300 hours. What recorded is what appears on my TV at 85-109. Though when I 'previewed' it during mapping, it was showing 85-104 content.

I've included the two logs you requested. (They include a recording from 8pm to 10:30pm that went fine, so some mappings work as expected.)

[sub]

Do all recordings on 85-104 record 85-109?

I'm guessing this is a mapping error, or the broadcaster has changed the audio/video PIDs associated with that channel, otherwise we'd have seen other more wide-spread reports of the problem.

I suspect if you were using the TS Mux it'd always record the right channel (since the audio/video PIDs collected at scanning/mapping time are not used).

[gkreis]

Do all recordings on 85-104 record 85-109?

Yes.

I'm guessing this is a mapping error, or the broadcaster has changed the audio/video PIDs associated with that channel, otherwise we'd have seen other more wide-spread reports of the problem.

Any theory why the preview window shows the right content and then when mapped, live and recordings are consistently wrong? Perhaps you can get a clue by comparing how these two different processes use the same frequency/channel values to get different results. (Or perhaps they don't use the same info... <the plot thickens ;->)

I suspect if you were using the TS Mux it'd always record the right channel (since the audio/video PIDs collected at scanning/mapping time are not used).

I'll give that a try as a diagnostic approach....

[sub]

Any theory why the preview window shows the right content and then when mapped, live and recordings are consistently wrong?

The preview window is showing channels from the last scan results (in the *.cache files), which are not necessarily what you mapped the channel to. You may have mapped the channel earlier, and the scan results could have been different at that stage.

Perhaps you can get a clue by comparing how these two different processes use the same frequency/channel values to get different results. (Or perhaps they don't use the same info... <the plot thickens ;->)

Yes, I could probably tell be seeing the config.exe.log/config.exe-native.log from a session where you previewed this channel.

[pBS]

may want to delete the scan cache files as well to make sure starting from scratch..

also, when i go back in for a rescan, the currently mapped channels are still in the drop down box above the new set just scanned for, so for every channel, be sure to change it to the second correct channel, as the first set are the old scan...don't assume that because it looks ok it has been remapped...

and they will be resetting OTA frequencies when/if they ever change us over to full digital..
so after the changeover, rescan all channels..
it may affect cable co's too...all the rules will be changin..

[gkreis]

may want to delete the scan cache files as well to make sure starting from scratch..

I renamed them to something other than SCAN-1.Cache and the mapping process started a scan on its own, so I figured it was purged. Is that good enough? (I had a 'short' one that helped me find PBS at a low channel number - 5. I had to specially create it.)

also, when i go back in for a rescan, the currently mapped channels are still in the drop down box above the new set just scanned for, so for every channel, be sure to change it to the second correct channel, as the first set are the old scan...don't assume that because it looks ok it has been remapped...

I have always wondered what the junk is in the drop down box. I have LOTS of repeats and I find it very confusing. So with your idea above, I went to the bottom of the list and scrolled back up and picked the first instance and VOILA! It is now working. I was always suspicious of the entry in the first couple that matched, but apparently I was finding one after that which was STILL not the one in the last set. That explains why some mapped and some didn't.

Any idea why all that clutter is there?

Here is my ideal interface. Let me drag the playing preview window (or the highlighted line in the scan list that is being previewed) and drop it on the channel number. That would make mapping SO much easier and I'd be less likely to pick the wrong entry.

and they will be resetting OTA frequencies when/if they ever change us over to full digital..
so after the changeover, rescan all channels..
it may affect cable co's too...all the rules will be changin..

I am hoping that the cable company did all that with the first deadline.... I don't want to go trough remapping again. Gulp...