HDHR Channel Scan issues

[s003apr]

I am trying out NPVR for the first time (long-time gb-pvr user) and I am having issues getting NPVR to detect any channels with my hdhomerun tuner. I have verified that the hdhr works with a number of other apps. A log file is attached of my channel scan activities. I have checked the firewall, I am aware that it is a common issue, but it is disabled and npvr is marked to be allowed anyway.

Here is a chunk of the log file showing that npvr detected a strong signal from channel 48.

Code:

<tuning>
  <type>ATSC</type>
  <locator>
    <physical_channel>47</physical_channel>
  </locator>
</tuning>

2011-02-25 01:46:17.828    [DEBUG][1]    Calling LockChannel()
2011-02-25 01:46:17.828    [DEBUG][1]    locked=0, present=0, strength=28, quality=0   (took 0ms to check)
2011-02-25 01:46:17.828    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StartStream() allocated handle: 0x38
2011-02-25 01:46:17.828    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StopStream() handle: 37
2011-02-25 01:46:22.859    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StartStream(c:\nowhere\null.ts)
2011-02-25 01:46:22.859    [DEBUG][1]    Switching BDA graph to tune:
<tuning>
  <type>ATSC</type>
  <locator>
    <physical_channel>48</physical_channel>
  </locator>
</tuning>

2011-02-25 01:46:23.187    [DEBUG][1]    Calling LockChannel()
2011-02-25 01:46:24.687    [DEBUG][1]    locked=1, present=1, strength=98, quality=100   (took 1500ms to check)
2011-02-25 01:46:24.703    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StartStream() allocated handle: 0x39
2011-02-25 01:46:24.703    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StopStream() handle: 38
2011-02-25 01:46:29.750    [INFO][1]    DigitalRecorder.StartStream(c:\nowhere\null.ts)
2011-02-25 01:46:29.750    [DEBUG][1]    Switching BDA graph to tune:

Any idea why this channel and the other good channels would not be put in the channel queue?

[johnsonx42]

I know you say it's not the firewall. But when an HDHR scan shows locking on to channels with good signal, but shows no data actually being delivered to the app, it's always the firewall.
I believe there's also something about setting the Application in the HDHR drivers to "Other".

[s003apr]

I know you say it's not the firewall. But when an HDHR scan shows locking on to channels with good signal, but shows no data actually being delivered to the app, it's always the firewall.
I believe there's also something about setting the Application in the HDHR drivers to "Other".

Thanks for the tip. It was not the firewall, but the hdhr driver setting was set to "GB-PVR". I changed it to "Other: ATSC/QAM" and it works now. I had forgot about this setting after having switched from gb-pvr, and I did not even think that it was all that important since most applications can access the tuner regardless of that setting.

Again, Thanks for the help.

[johnsonx42]

Glad you have it working. The infamous getting started/tech support sticky will be getting a big re-write soon, maybe a quick note on setting the HDHR driver setting to "Other" will make it in there.

[GlenH]

I'm having this issue on one notebook. I've installed it on a different laptop and it works fine there. Both running XP and the same anti-virus/firewall software. No special configuration of the firewall was required on the one that is working. Do you have any clues as to what configuration items, or anything else, I should look for?

What I do notice in the scans is as follows.

The log extract from one of the channels I expect to tune on the one that fails:
<tuning>
<type>ATSC</type>
<locator>
<physical_channel>14</physical_channel>
</locator>
</tuning>

2011-02-28 17:35:16.187 [DEBUG][1] Calling LockChannel()
2011-02-28 17:35:17.437 [DEBUG][1] locked=1, present=1, strength=87, quality=87 (took 1250ms to check)
2011-02-28 17:35:17.453 [INFO][1] DigitalRecorder.StartStream() allocated handle: 0x8
2011-02-28 17:35:17.453 [INFO][1] DigitalRecorder.StopStream() handle: 7
2011-02-28 17:35:22.531 [INFO][1] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(c:\nowhere\null.ts)
2011-02-28 17:35:22.531 [DEBUG][1] Switching BDA graph to tune:

On the one that works there's a Metadata section, and two debug lines, after the "handle" line that show the channel information.

[sub]

2011-02-28 17:35:17.437 [DEBUG][1] locked=1, present=1, strength=87, quality=87 (took 1250ms to check)

Getting these "locked=1" lines but no channel information with an HDHR always end up being the firewall software isnt allowing network traffic from the HDHR to NextPVR.exe. Take another look at your firewall settings - I'm positive this is the cause.

[GlenH]

This is fixed. Here's what was going on.

The PC is running Win XP, has another company's firewall and anti-virus software running. That software had all the necessary rules in it for NPVR programs. Its security logs did not show any blocking. Another PC with XP and the same security software didn't have a problem with NPVR when it was put there.
Suddenly, yesterday out-of-the-blue (no, not blue screen but it might as well have been) a message box popped up when I started NPVR. Stupid Windows Firewall was saying it was blocking "some" accesses by NPVR and gave me a choice to continue to block, unblock, cancel. No other details. I unblocked. NPVR scan found the channels. Stupid Windows Firewall is now out of the picture where it was supposed to be in the first place.

Thank you for your patience. "Firewall settings" was the cause. I have no idea what turned that stupid stuff on.