DVB duplicate channels causing problems with EPG

[fuzzweed]

When I scan for digital channels I get some duplicate channels suffixed with (1)
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

However it is often the duplicate channel that gets assigned a valid tuning request, rather than the 'original' [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
This then seems to causes problems in that the DVB EPG will not update due to the channel being incorrectly named (i.e. suffixed with (1)) [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]


any ideas to fix this? can I manually rename the duplicate channels somehow?

[gEd]

The channels with (1) are the same as those without (1) but they have no sound.

It looks to me as though you do not have the "channel" column in your mapping window, that enables you to map a channel to the channel name. I suspect that this is because you are using the dvb epg, invoking different logic in gbpvr (unless it changed in 97.7/13). Mind this is just a guess and I am not in front of my gbpvr pc atm to check.

If you were to use (for example) alan birtles xmltv program to download the epg, the channel mapping window should show another column that enables you to assign the correct channel found to the channel name obtained from the xml file.

[fuzzweed]

Thanks for the reply - you're right, the DVBEPG function in GBPVR does not allow true channel mapping. It just uses the exact broadcast name as the EPG channel, hence if GPBVR adds anything to the broadcast name (i.e. "(1)") then it can no longer find a corresponding EPG listing.
While it is possible for me to use other EPGs (bleb, xmltv - whatever) I'd love to get the DVB EPG working correctly as for 99% of the time it's a 'one-stop-shop' - simple and requires no other tweaking or set-up.
My ideal solution would be to dive into some file in GBPVR and manually delete the "(1)" and all would be sweet!! I just need to know where it is......


BTW if the channels with and without the (1) are the same channel - how come (for example) BBC THREE does not show any infomation in the tuning request column, while BBC THREE (1) does?

[gEd]

the channels are stored in the database - delete them at your own risk!
(someone may be able to advise on whether this can be done)

Honestly, setting up and configuring xmltv takes about 1/2 hour!

BTW if the channels with and without the (1) are the same channel - how come (for example) BBC THREE does not show any infomation in the tuning request column, while BBC THREE (1) does?

I think because no channel was found to map to this channel name.

[Chris.Day]

In the UK, the (1) channels are for the audio description track. If you listen to it for long enough, you will hear things like "So and so walks into the room". The idea is that it is mixed with the main audio track, for the visually impaired.

[AlanC]

Setting up the DVB EPG is easy and it works, but...
The first time you go into "Map digital channels..." if you scan the channels and then 'enable' only the ones you want, you find the "Tuning request" info against only the ones you have enabled. However once you "update the EPG", lots of other channel names appear in the list, without the "tuning request" info because these names have been taken from the program listings data (quirk 1) and don't work. Your second problem is that if you go back in and rescan the channels, you can't always pick up some more "tuning request" info (quirk 2). A third problem for freeview users is that you can only get tuning data for some of the channels at certain times of day. Although some PVR software will show you these channels on their channel 'sharer', GBPVR will only give you their audio stream, not the visual (quirk 3).
The solution I use is to create an edited list of tuning data (culled from old SCAN-x.cache files) and put it in place before defining each capture source (I have three). Then when I select "Map digital channels..." I am presented with this list. The SCAN files are in gbpvr\BDA and the number goes on incrementing if you define new sources.

[sub]

The first time you go into "Map digital channels..." if you scan the channels and then 'enable' only the ones you want, you find the "Tuning request" info against only the ones you have enabled. However once you "update the EPG", lots of other channel names appear in the list, without the "tuning request" info because these names have been taken from the program listings data (quirk 1) and don't work. Your second problem is that if you go back in and rescan the channels, you can't always pick up some more "tuning request" info (quirk 2).

These can be safely ignored. You'll notice if you go back into the config these channels that had be found in the DVB stream and add to list, are disabled.

[fuzzweed]

Thanks for all the info people! Lots of interesting stuff there that I wasn't previously aware of about UK DVB - always up for a bit of education!
Results as follows:
tinkering with the DB got me the EPG but (as partly predicted by gEd) ended up with no sound.
xmltv: yup read up on the documentation - looks great, but really still can't summon up the effort to try something 'new' - rather fix what I've got.
scan-x.cache: I can kind of see what your doing there - but didn't seem to work here, but then again didn't spend too much time on it either
ended up deleting the input devices and starting again (ok, cowards way out) but got much better results at 11.30pm than i did when i last tried doing that at 7.30pm - hence leading me to believe that AlanC's comments about time of day have as much to do with it as GBPVR et al set-up.
Anyway, happy again now, and thanks again for all the feedback.....