Getting Started - DVBS Channel Scan and Setup

[martini]

Hi,

I'm new to running NextPVR on Docker and looking for a bit of guidance on how best to manage Channel setup for Freesat in the UK. My system configuration is: Intel Server running Ubuntu 22.04 with a TBSTV DVBS2 tuner card. I'm running NextPVR with the Docker install as I understand that Ubuntu Server 22.04 doesn't support Dotnet3.1 which is required for a direct NextPVR install.

I've got the basic install/configuration working fine and successfully performed a Channel Scan of Astra-28.2E and saved all the 'unencrypted' free-to-air channels. My problem is that some but not all Freesat channels will play. For example BBC One HD, Sky News and other channels will play ok but others such as Channel 4 will not play. I'm wondering if the problem is that the Docker image doesn't include the latest correct channel tuning definitions for Astra-28.2E? I've checked on King-of-Sat so I can see what parameters are required for Channel 4.

My question is.. Can I edit the 'adapter-*-channels.conf' file in /Config to include the tuning parameters or does setting the tuning parameters require a change of content within the Docker container files?

I'm fairly certain my problem is not related to a transcoder problem as a variety of both HD/SD channels will play fine. I'm fairly certain that the problem relates to the tuner scan not picking up all the available channels.

With thanks in anticipation of your suggestions and guidance.

[mvallevand]

Yes there is a problem tuning dvb-s right now https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.ph...#pid571961 that sub is currently working on. I suspect you have the same PILOT issue and other things.

NextPVR v6 is coming with .net6 support for 22.04 but if you want to install v5 do this

echo "deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu impish-security main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/impish-security.list
sudo apt update

Then do the apt-install of nextpvr-helper

At that point you could remove /etc/apt/sources.list.d/impish-security.list

Martin

[martini]

Hi Martin,

Many thanks for your helpful response. Understood. Most channels are working so I'll probably leave things as they are for a while. The problem only seems to affect a limited number of channels and it is convenient running NextPVR in a docker.

I may try as you suggest and if I do, I'll let you know how things work out.

Martin2..

[martini]

Ok. I followed your instructions above and performed a native install of NextPVR on Ubuntu 22.04. All went well. Of interest the device satellite tuning dialog did present different options from the Docker install (I presume that the 0282.ini file in this package is more up to date than the one included in the Docker package?).



Having completed the tuning scan I experienced the same problems I found with the Docker version (some channels seemed to be missing and some [unencrypted] channels wouldn't play even though they were found during tuning). I then experimented further by downloading the latest 0282.ini from King of Sats. Again the symptoms remained the same. In summary the problems are..



1. Some channels expected to be found during tuning are not found.

2. Some channels will not play even though found during scanning [sometimes the player just hangs, sometimes  you get an error message either: 'no compatible stream found' or 'transcoder exited']

3. On occasions when trying to play a channel that will not play, the player locks up [you can't play another channel that has previously worked]. Once you restart the NextPVR server the channels that previously worked will work again.



Is this experience the DVB-S tuning anomaly you refer to above?



NextPVR server log attached.



Martin2.

[mvallevand]

I didn't expect it would work. I wanted to see if a normal scan will work

dvbv5-scan /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E

Then zip the dvb_channel.conf file it creates along with /var/opt/nextpvr/adapter1-DVB-S-channels-scan.conf and we can see if this is an issue with libdvbv5.so that sub is working on.

Martin

[martini]

I didn't expect it would work.  I wanted to see if a normal scan will work

[my annotations in bold below]

dvbv5-scan /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E

[do I need to run this command 'sudo' and/or in a particular directory? Presumably I have to stop the NextPVR server first?]

Then zip the dvb_channel.conf file it creates along with /var/opt/nextpvr/adapter1-DVB-S-channels-scan.conf and we can see if this is an issue with libdvbv5.so that sub is working on.

[where will the dvb_channel.conf file be located after I run the command above?]

If I run the command: dvbv5-scan /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E as is I get various error messages.

[mvallevand]

No sudo you can run from ~ and the conf file will be created in ~

Yes you may have to restart nextpvr-server since unfortunately NextPVR does leave the device locked if you tuned it even when not primed.

Martin

[martini]

If I run without sudo I get..

ERROR Permission denied while opening /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0

If I run with sudo I get a string of error messages..

ERROR command BANDWIDTH_HZ (5) not found during retrieve
Cannot calc frequency shift. Either bandwidth/symbol-rate is unavailable (yet).
Scanning frequency #1 11719500
ERROR Need a LNBf to work
ERROR FE_SET_PROPERTY: Invalid argument
ERROR dvb_fe_set_parms failed: Invalid argument
Scanning frequency #2 11758000
ERROR Need a LNBf to work
ERROR FE_SET_PROPERTY: Invalid argument
ERROR dvb_fe_set_parms failed: Invalid argument
..
Scanning frequency #82 11265000
ERROR command MODULATION (4) not found during store
ERROR Need a LNBf to work
ERROR FE_SET_PROPERTY: Invalid argument
ERROR dvb_fe_set_parms failed: Invalid argument
Scanning frequency #83 11265000
ERROR command MODULATION (4) not found during store
ERROR Need a LNBf to work
ERROR FE_SET_PROPERTY: Invalid argument
ERROR dvb_fe_set_parms failed: Invalid argument

I presume I need to explicity state the Tuner Device?

[mvallevand]

You might not be in the video group.

sudo dvbv5-scan -F /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E -l help

Then you will find help for the satellite parameter you need.

Martin

[martini]

Ok. Ran command: dvbv5-scan -a 1 -f 0 /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E This generated error message ..

ERROR    Permission denied while opening /dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0 [which is the correct active device]

[In NextPVR adapter1/frontend0 is the active device]

I then ran command: sudo dvbv5-scan -a 1 -f 0 /usr/share/dvb/dvb-s/Astra-28.2E

and I got..

[see attached file error.txt]