No BBC Channels from Central, Waltham

[sub]

I found the frequency for the bbc channels hidden in a bit of the GUI I missed. The magic numer's 482166
Added it to a .ini, did a scan and the BBC channels are listed OK.

Great.

There is an odd thing with the UK broadcasts that uses 166hz offsets from the center frequency. The vast majority of devices have drivers that take care of this offset automatically. For whatever reason, I'm guessing your device didn't.

The Other folder doesnt exist. Why's it looking for ffmpeg?
I don't think I've set stuff to trancode anything (but was thinking about it finding a way to..)

Are you trying to view it in the web app? If so, it needs to transcode it to a format that a web player can actually play (ie HLS using H264 video, and AAC audio). There is no web app that can play native broadcast standards.

I'll check why NextPVR is looking for ffmpeg in that specific location. In the mean time, if you copy ffmpeg.exe to that location, does it start working?

[mad_tunes]

I'm sure I found uktvfree and tried them last night, but I've just added the frequencies it mentions, removed all channels and done another scan.
It found nothing

uktvfree shows Belmont as the most likely transmitter. I've done the same with the frequencies for that one and I got the original 43 channels I had, with none of the BBC
rescanned to get 68 listed again.

yeh, I was trying it in a browser.
I put ffmpeg in the Other folder and tried again. I get 'receiving data' with an incrementing number for a while and then a solid green picture, or 'receiving data' forever.
Logs shows lots of this:
2019-09-20 23:08:09.376 [DEBUG][79] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] ac-tex damaged at 1 11
2019-09-20 23:08:09.376 [DEBUG][79] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] mb incr damaged
2019-09-20 23:08:09.376 [DEBUG][79] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] 00 motion_type at 1 14
2019-09-20 23:08:09.376 [DEBUG][79] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] ac-tex damaged at 4 15
2019-09-20 23:08:09.376 [DEBUG][79] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] ac-tex damaged at 24 16

If I try watching anything through the player app, it now goes back to the EPG and logs a load of:
2019-09-20 23:10:25.642 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: frame= 2 fps=0.0 q=0.0 size=N/A time=00:20:55.03 bitrate=N/A dup=0 drop=666 speed=5.88x
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: [mpeg1video @ 000002142b4745c0] slice below image (776 >= 548)
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: Error while decoding stream #0:0: Invalid data found when processing input
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: [mp3float @ 000002142b475800] Header missing
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: Error while decoding stream #0:1: Invalid data found when processing input
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: [mp3float @ 000002142b475800] Header missing
2019-09-20 23:10:25.643 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: Error while decoding stream #0:1: Invalid data found when processing input
2019-09-20 23:10:25.644 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: [mp3float @ 000002142b475800] Header missing
2019-09-20 23:10:25.644 [DEBUG][75] [FFMPEG]: Error while decoding stream #0:1: Invalid data found when processing input

Gave the machine a restart and tried again - its all bust, no channels play now.
Also, when I start kodi it tells me it cant load the NextPVR add-on, mentioning an unknown error
Tried dissabling and re-enabling the add-on and it says it cant conenct, check the PIN. The pins still set right
I could play the channels that it could find OK last night. I've dont think I've changed anything other than re-scanning channels.
removing ffmpeg makes no difference


edit: disabling and re-enabling the kodi add-on a few times got it to connect. its listing channels and I just watched a few seconds of ITV2 OK.
BBC channels fail in Kodi, others are OK
all channels fail to play in the client app
BBC channels fail in a browser

Removed and replaced the USB tuner and was just able to see a few seconds of a very garbled BBC2 (just like really poor reception on a normal digital TV, blocky, choppy and pretty broken)
The signal strength bar's about 3/4 of the way to the right though. Shouldn't that be OK?

I think things are working except for the client app and the signal isnt strong enough for the BBC channels?


Do TV signal boosters tend to help out much with cheap USB tuners and poor signals?

[sub]

I think things are working except for the client app and the signal isnt strong enough for the BBC channels?

Yeah, it is sounding like weak reception on the BBC channels

[jcjefferies]

UKFree.TV is not the most reliable source of info! Instead use Digital UK the official source! Bottom left of home page is Coverage Checker and select Detailed View. It will give you list of transmitters starting with the best one for your area.

If you were living in a C/D area (700-800MHZ frequencies) which is now being cleared for mobile use your old aerial will not be much use for the 500-600Mhz now being used instead.

Also have you checked if the aerial is actually pointing at the Waltham transmitter?

[Bobins]

Also have you checked if the aerial is actually pointing at the Waltham transmitter?

Took the words right out of my mouth

[mad_tunes]

Checking rather than guessing made a lot of sense.
There's no aerial on the roof, so I've just been up in the loft.

I may well have found the cause of the ropey reception:
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
It's just slung over a joist. Not attached and just flapping around.

I've a more basic issue to resolve before doing anything in nextPVR.
I rent the place and havent been into the loft before, had no idea.

My best guess is it's pointing closest to Waltham, but not right at it. It's orientation was obviously decided by how it could be wedged/balanced rather than where would be best.
Looking at neighbours roof aerials, they all seem to point in one of two different directions.
Mines sort-of like one of the two, but not the same.

Reception of Dave's never been good enough to watch on the TV. It was there, but always choppy/broken.
So I turned Daves broken sound up really loud, went into the loft and nudged the aerial about.
Just that's got Dave perfect on the TV, but I didn't have instant success with BBC channels through NextPVR.

I realise this is nothing to do with NextPVR now, but has anyone had any experience with the £6-7 meters that are on ebay?
I'm hoping one of those and a few screws might get this sorted.

[mad_tunes]

I thought there was more mileage in the approach that got Dave sorted, so I just did the same again.
Picked a channel with rubbish reception. There but broken video and sound.
Turned it up loud, went upstairs, nudged the aerial about and listened.

Found a huge improvement.
I can now watch any/all channels I've wanted to on both my TV and through NextPVR.
Worst scan I've done in NextPVR showed 43 channels. Now it lists 111!
I havent even screwed the aerial to anything. I likely will though, I'm not sure it'll stay put.

[sub]

Found a huge improvement.
I can now watch any/all channels I've wanted to on both my TV and through NextPVR.
Worst scan I've done in NextPVR showed 43 channels. Now it lists 111!

Great - that's good news. (and glad it wasn't something NextPVR was causing)

[mad_tunes]

Thanks again for pointers in the right direction