Multiple Silicondust tuner problem

[Rich A]

Thanks guys .. I think I got it.
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I think this will solve the problem. The 101C789 tuners are the clear QAM tuners (HDHR dual) and the 1310308C tuners are the HDHC Prime tuners
I deleted all but those 9 channels which are clear QAM channels. I think I should remove the clear QAM channels from the Prime's channels as well ? I have to think this out a bit. Sometimes I need 3 clear QAM at once and sometimes I need 3 encrypted at once .. Maybe I just need to get another prime tuner ??

Let's see how this setup works.

[BrettB]

I think this will solve the problem. The 101C789 tuners are the clear QAM tuners (HDHR dual) and the 1310308C tuners are the HDHC Prime tuners
I deleted all but those 9 channels which are clear QAM channels. I think I should remove the clear QAM channels from the Prime's channels as well ? I have to think this out a bit. Sometimes I need 3 clear QAM at once and sometimes I need 3 encrypted at once .. Maybe I just need to get another prime tuner ??

Rich,

There should not be any problem with leaving the clear QAM channels enabled on the Prime. As long as the Dual is listed first (higher priority), NPVR will (most of the time) use those tuners first for the clear QAM channels, but can used the Prime tunes if additional ones are needed.

HOWEVER, you are still using the "HDHR" type for your HDHR Dual. You should be using the "QAM" type for those 2 (101C789) tuners (the ones that should have a "Description" of "Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-0" and "Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-1"). The "QAM" device type will allow multi-recording and is sub's recommended device type to use for the non-Prime HDHRs.

[ttfitz]

I think I have a handle on what is happening now. Those errors are happening when ever the HDHR Dual records an encrypted channel. The errors show up in the log but don't stop the Npvr application from continuing to record. Because the channel is encrypted the HDHR Dual cannot decode it. This results in a recording that is just a black screen.

While testing I never let any recording end. I just canceled them all. I "think" if I let the recording continue normally and end normally I might have seen the "no data found" error. But by just canceling the recording early there were no errors and the result was a black screen.

I can tell you from experience that, at least with the cablecard devices, it will record a full "blank" recording if the channel isn't available for you. I had a premium channel that was on a free-view weekend recently, and set up to record something that was after the end of the freeview period. That recording didn't produce any errors, and it created a full file, but nothing played back on it, either.

[Rich A]

Rich,

There should not be any problem with leaving the clear QAM channels enabled on the Prime. As long as the Dual is listed first (higher priority), NPVR will (most of the time) use those tuners first for the clear QAM channels, but can used the Prime tunes if additional ones are needed.

HOWEVER, you are still using the "HDHR" type for your HDHR Dual. You should be using the "QAM" type for those 2 (101C789) tuners (the ones that should have a "Description" of "Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-0" and "Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-1"). The "QAM" device type will allow multi-recording and is sub's recommended device type to use for the non-Prime HDHRs.

Thanks for that info. I'll check that tonight after tonight's recordings finish. Are you talking about this setting in NextPrv or in the Silicon Dust setup? They are properly labeled in the SiliconDust setup but I'll check everything again.

As for the black channel problem that was surely caused by the HDHR dual trying to decode an encrypted channel (which it can't do) The channels in question DO decode properly with the HDHR Prime and I can normally view/record them with the Prime tuner.

[BrettB]

Are you talking about this setting in NextPrv or in the Silicon Dust setup? They are properly labeled in the SiliconDust setup but I'll check everything again.

I'm talking about in the NextPVR settings.

When NextPVR sees an HDHomeRun tuner (either a Dual or a Prime), it will actually create 3 tuner devices in NextPVR. One will be of type "ATSC" which is used for OTA channels. One will be of type "QAM" which is used for clear (unencrypted) QAM (digital) cable channels. The other is the type "HDHR" which is required for the Prime with a CableCard. You can get the type "HDHR" one to work with clear QAM cable channels, but in that case it is strongly encouraged to use the "QAM" version of the tuner rather than the "HDHR" version because it supports more features (like multi-record) and is generally more stable and has a larger user base.

So, in the NextPVR devices setup for your HDHR Dual, you should disable the "ATSC" and the "HDHR" versions and only have the "QAM" version enabled. And then you should only select/enable the unencrypted, clear QAM channels on that device.

[Rich A]

I'm talking about in the NextPVR settings.

When NextPVR sees an HDHomeRun tuner (either a Dual or a Prime), it will actually create 3 tuner devices in NextPVR. One will be of type "ATSC" which is used for OTA channels. One will be of type "QAM" which is used for clear (unencrypted) QAM (digital) cable channels. The other is the type "HDHR" which is required for the Prime with a CableCard. You can get the type "HDHR" one to work with clear QAM cable channels, but in that case it is strongly encouraged to use the "QAM" version of the tuner rather than the "HDHR" version because it supports more features (like multi-record) and is generally more stable and has a larger user base.

So, in the NextPVR devices setup for your HDHR Dual, you should disable the "ATSC" and the "HDHR" versions and only have the "QAM" version enabled. And then you should only select/enable the unencrypted, clear QAM channels on that device.

After an evenings recordings finished .. NONE of the recordings made with the HDHR Dual were playable. No errors .. while recording everything was supposedly working. But they ALL have just a black screen. So this confirms that all the problems have been caused by what ever is wrong with that tuner. I don't see anywhere in the NPVR devices where I can change those parameters you are talking about. I've deleted those tuners and shut down NPVR and it's server. Then restarted and that HDHR Dual with it's two tuners come back automatically listed as seen in the most recent screen capture back a few posts. I don't see anywhere in the NPVR device setup where I can select any of those settings. Maybe this is the problem and why I been having trouble with that HDHR Dual tuner? Can you tell me exactly where those setting would be ?? Thanks ..

<edit> ... After playing with every possible settings there are none that are available to me to change. I don't even see ATSC, HDHR or QAM in any field anywhere in any of the setup options. Perhaps I need to physically remove the HDHR Dual from the system (unplug it's CAT5 feed) and delete the HDHR Dual tuners from the setup, then plug the tuner back into the system and let the NPVR software re-discover it ?? I'm at a loss. I DO remember seeing those settings when I first installed the Prime. But that was several months ago and all I had in the system was the Prime tuner. At that time NPVR was recording all the encrypted channels and a BeyondTV server was using the HDHR Dual and was JUST recording the clear QAM channels. Then I removed the BTV and added the HDHR Dual to the NPVR software. While running the two servers I had no problems BUT I did have to disable the HDHR dual in the PVR system because the system kept automatically adding it as enabled but of course with no channel line up. Still I disabled those HDHR Duals in NPVR while I was running both BTV and NPVR on the same system.

I sure hope you can tell me where those settings are ... Cuz I'm feeling pretty stupid right now .. <grin>

[johnsonx42]

You keep setting up your regular hdhr as a prime, despite me and everyone else telling you not to for two weeks. Now you seem to have lost the bda drivers altogether. Reinstall the bda drivers, then in npvr use the QAM device for the regular hdhr, NOT the "HDHR" prime device.

[BrettB]

I sure hope you can tell me where those settings are ... Cuz I'm feeling pretty stupid right now .. <grin>

The "QAM", "ATSC", "HDHR" aren't "settings" but rather are device types. When you 2 physical devices are properly installed, you should see the device listing in NPVR like you had back on this post:

The install / setup for the HDhomerun tuners for both the regular HDHomeRun and the HDHomerun PRIME are the same. Both those tuners are being seen and set up properly. And after installing the HDHomerun from scratch again when I open up NextPVR devices I get what you see below.

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It will have 15 "logical device types" listed. You then need to go into the NPVR Device Settings screen and DISABLE (but still leave them in the device list--don't DELETE them) all but the following 5:

Code:

QAM    Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-0
QAM    Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-1
HDHR    DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-0
HDHR    DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-1
HDHR    DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-2

When you go into the Device Setup for the first QAM one (Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-0), you should do a channel scan which (I believe) should find your 9 clear QAM channels and you should enable them, but disable any other (encrypted) channels.

When you go into the Device Setup for the second QAM one (Silicondust HDHomeRun Tuner 101C7789-1), you will probably get prompted to see if you want to just copy the channels from a previously configured device. Considering the problems that you've had with the Dual, I would recommend that you DO NOT just copy the channels, but rather go ahead and have NextPVR do the channel scan with that physical tuner as well. It SHOULD come up with the same list of available channels. If it doesn't then it would probably indicate that there is a hardware problem with the Dual device itself (since the Dual only has one cable coax input both of its tuners should see the same channels).

When you go into the Device Setup for the first HDHR one (DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-0), you should do a channel scan to get all of the CableCard enabled channels.

For the 2nd and 3rd Prime tuners (DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-1 & DCR-2650/HDHR Prime 1310308C-2), you can probably just accept the copy channels option since those seem to have been working OK for you.

[Rich A]

Finally got this sorted out. Long story short .. the PC was "confused".

I was doing all the install and configuration correctly .. (I had installed NPvr several times on different PCs while testing without any problems)

But in the HTPC there were a lot of registry "crumbs and bits" left over from running two servers (NPvr and BeyondTV) in the same chassis and system using a mix of 7 different tuners .. PCI analog PCI digital, USB digital OTA, PCI-e digital, the HDHR Dual and HDHR Prime. I was running BTV and NPvr side by side in the same box for several months without an issue. I started this thread when the removal of the BTV server and application caused the HDHR Dual tuners to not configure correctly.

I know some of my helpers here had mentioned several times that I wasn't doing something correctly with the setup of the devices. But rest assured I WAS doing everything "by the book". But no matter what .. it would not work. The solution was to remove ALL of the tuners, remove the BTV PVR software and it's server. Then ditto the NPvr system. Then remove the SilconDust applications. Then do a "deep" scan of the registry to remove every vestige of anything involving "tuners".

After all that .. I installed only the HDHR Dual .. that went great. Then I installed the HDHR Prime and that also had no problems. I probably should have gone that route to begin with. My system had been running for almost 12 years non stop and I guess it was time to blow the dust out anyway.

Thanks for everyone's patience. Here's a couple snap shots that should make everyone happy. All 5 tuners are FINALLY showing up like they should during the device configuration.

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Thanks everyone ... Rich

[z1nman]

Just installed an HD Homerun Prime HDHR3-CC and set up the cablecard with Comcast, ; however, in the HD Homerun Setup, it does not allow me to enabel tuners 2 and 3. Tuner 1 seems to work fine.

Has anyone experienced this before and/or know how to fix it?

Thanks.