Flaky DVB-S reception??

[martint123]

..... Here in NZ we're only using a single polarity for all our channels, so the voltage is always correct.

And only a single (tone switched) band??

[lost@c]

And only a single (tone switched) band??

Correct. Assuming we are talking about NZ Freeview, there are only 2 frequencies, 12483 and 12456. Both sit above the switch point of a "standard" LNBf

[mattyb]

Hmmm... replaced the splitter and still have the same problem. I've also re-enabled my DVB-T card (it's been sitting in the PC not in use for a while) and it seems not everything is right with that either. TV1 and 2 are fine, but TV3 is glitchy and hangs... in the same way the DVB-S channels were. I've checked the CPU usage and there's no significant difference when watching either 1/2 or 3.

Logs attached - can anyone see anything obvious that's wrong? Or anything I can test?

Thanks in advance.

[mattyb]

Hmmm... replaced the splitter and still have the same problem. I've also re-enabled my DVB-T card (it's been sitting in the PC not in use for a while) and it seems not everything is right with that either. TV1 and 2 are fine, but TV3 is glitchy and hangs... in the same way the DVB-S channels were. I've checked the CPU usage and there's no significant difference when watching either 1/2 or 3.

Logs attached - can anyone see anything obvious that's wrong? Or anything I can test?

Thanks in advance.

Any advice here?

[sub]

From what I've read of you description, it's sounding like dodgy reception.

Are you seeing the same problem in the Hauppauge WinTV software?

[Jaggy]

Looking at these quality figures it looks like you have a major reception issue on DVB-T so I don't think it will show you anything of any value regarding your DVB-S problem

<type>DVB-T</type>

2016-06-12 19:25:47.352 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-5393.ts)
2016-06-12 19:25:51.628 [DEBUG][4] locked=0, present=0, strength=2000, quality=0 (took 0ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:26:12.155 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-5394.ts)
2016-06-12 19:26:12.469 [DEBUG][4] locked=0, present=0, strength=2000, quality=0 (took 0ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:27:18.705 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR Plus 1-5395.ts)
2016-06-12 19:27:19.025 [DEBUG][4] locked=0, present=0, strength=2000, quality=0 (took 15ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:27:33.264 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV2+1-5396.ts)
2016-06-12 19:27:33.586 [DEBUG][4] locked=0, present=0, strength=2000, quality=0 (took 0ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:29:23.271 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(C:\Recordings\3 Ninjas\3 Ninjas_20160612_18302030.ts)
2016-06-12 19:29:29.078 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:29:31.783 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-5398.ts)
2016-06-12 19:29:32.731 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=25 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:30:48.912 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-5399.ts)
2016-06-12 19:30:54.521 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=25 (took 31ms to check)

2016-06-12 19:32:57.319 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-5400.ts)
2016-06-12 19:33:02.807 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=15 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-12 21:12:22.208 [INFO][11] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV ONE-2505.ts)
2016-06-12 21:12:28.418 [DEBUG][11] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 16ms to check)

2016-06-13 20:31:12.191 [INFO][16] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-2514.ts)
2016-06-13 20:31:18.761 [DEBUG][16] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 31ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:01:09.977 [INFO][16] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-2515.ts)
2016-06-13 21:01:11.367 [DEBUG][16] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:01:28.031 [INFO][17] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV2-2516.ts)
2016-06-13 21:01:29.431 [DEBUG][17] locked=1, present=1, strength=2000, quality=25 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:02:40.530 [INFO][16] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-2517.ts)
2016-06-13 21:02:41.873 [DEBUG][16] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 31ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:04:18.073 [INFO][10] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV2-2518.ts)
2016-06-13 21:04:19.403 [DEBUG][10] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 31ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:10:02.506 [INFO][10] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-FOUR-2519.ts)
2016-06-13 21:10:03.496 [DEBUG][10] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 32ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:10:27.209 [INFO][5] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV ONE-2520.ts)
2016-06-13 21:10:28.319 [DEBUG][5] locked=1, present=1, strength=2000, quality=20 (took 31ms to check)

2016-06-13 21:10:55.682 [INFO][8] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3 PLUS1-2521.ts)
2016-06-13 21:10:56.962 [DEBUG][8] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2000, quality=20 (took 15ms to check)

[Jaggy]

On the other hand these DVB-S figures don't look all that bad to me & I would expect most of (if not all) these to play fine......

<type>DVB-S</type>

2016-05-24 19:18:30.294 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-4235.ts)
2016-05-24 19:18:41.598 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2500, quality=100 (took 124ms to check)

2016-05-26 19:16:08.590 [INFO][23] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-7325.ts)
2016-05-26 19:16:19.461 [DEBUG][23] locked=1, present=1, strength=-1899, quality=100 (took 125ms to check)

2016-05-27 02:45:58.783 [INFO][17] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(c:\devxxxxxx\null.ts)
2016-05-27 02:46:09.696 [DEBUG][17] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2199, quality=0 (took 125ms to check)

2016-05-27 19:25:21.627 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-7328.ts)
2016-05-27 19:25:32.598 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2599, quality=100 (took 125ms to check)

2016-05-27 19:28:57.719 [INFO][11] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-7329.ts)
2016-05-27 19:29:08.584 [DEBUG][11] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2599, quality=100 (took 109ms to check)

2016-05-27 19:30:58.537 [INFO][4] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-7330.ts)
2016-05-27 19:31:09.418 [DEBUG][4] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2699, quality=100 (took 124ms to check)

2016-05-27 19:31:38.104 [INFO][13] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-7331.ts)
2016-05-27 19:31:49.044 [DEBUG][13] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2599, quality=100 (took 125ms to check)

2016-05-27 20:29:00.100 [INFO][20] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(C:\Recordings\The Graham Norton Show\The Graham Norton Show_20160527_20302130.ts)
2016-05-27 20:29:08.563 [DEBUG][20] locked=1, present=1, strength=-3000, quality=100 (took 46ms to check)

2016-05-28 02:47:00.075 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(c:\devxxxxxx\null.ts)
2016-05-28 02:47:08.455 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2699, quality=100 (took 31ms to check)

2016-05-29 20:29:00.066 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(C:\Recordings\Bring It On Again\Bring It On Again_20160529_20302220.ts)
2016-05-29 20:29:08.308 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2199, quality=100 (took 31ms to check)

2016-05-30 21:05:12.343 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3 PLUS1-4537.ts)
2016-05-30 21:05:20.627 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2500, quality=100 (took 32ms to check)

2016-05-30 21:11:45.502 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3 PLUS1-4538.ts)
2016-05-30 21:11:53.723 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2599, quality=100 (took 31ms to check)

2016-05-30 21:15:11.630 [INFO][9] DigitalRecorder.StartStream(LIVE&C:\Temp\live-TV3-4539.ts)
2016-05-30 21:15:19.858 [DEBUG][9] locked=1, present=1, strength=-2699, quality=100 (took 32ms to check)


I did have problems like you are describing (went on for years actually) a long while back & I'm 98% positive it was a System HDD (not Recording HDD & they were different drives) issue that caused it for me.... not saying that is what is happening for you but for me it looked exactly the same as a bad reception issue with recordings that would vary from being ok to pixilated & stuffed up.

[sub]

I'm guessing those DVB-S drivers are one of those that have a hardcoded "quality=100" in the presence of any detectable signal. I'm not sure about siginal strength of approximately -2500 though, but I'm not sure what this specific device uses. Quite a few devices have any positive value as acceptable, so this may represent something less than acceptable.

As suggested, I'd try it in the software that came with the device. I'm guessing it'll be the same there, and this will be a pretty solid clue that it's not a NextPVR issue.

[mattyb]

I'm guessing those DVB-S drivers are one of those that have a hardcoded "quality=100" in the presence of any detectable signal. I'm not sure about siginal strength of approximately -2500 though, but I'm not sure what this specific device uses. Quite a few devices have any positive value as acceptable, so this may represent something less than acceptable.

As suggested, I'd try it in the software that came with the device. I'm guessing it'll be the same there, and this will be a pretty solid clue that it's not a NextPVR issue.

Ok. Checked with WinTV and now can't get anything via DVB-T, and DVB-S is glitchy, just like through NextPVR.

So it certainly seems I have a dish reception problem. Any ideas how to fix it?? The dish is the same used for Sky and split (as mentioned previously).

[sub]

So it certainly seems I have a dish reception problem. Any ideas how to fix it?? The dish is the same used for Sky and split (as mentioned previously).

If you temporarily remove the splitter entirely, does it work better?