HVR 1600 - ASTC Channel scan with no results

[Jon_J]

I'm using Win XP SP3.
I once had my nine OTA channels loaded into GB-PVR, but then I deleted my EPG and wanted to try manually inputting these channels.
That didn't work either, so I started over just like I did when first installed GB-PVR four days ago.
Once installed, I started config and made the usual settings for OTA ATSC with my HVR-1600.
In "Capture Sources", I added my card under "Recording Source", set this to "Digital Recording Plugin", selected "Settings", on this page, I selected "Hauppauge HVR 1600 (ATSC)"
Next I clicked OK back to the "Recording Source" page and selected "XMLTV plugin" for my EPG.
Now I needed to get the "mc2xml.exe" from http://mc2xml.110mb.com
Next I followed the instructions at: http://mc2xml.110mb.com/#gbpvr
Once this was finished, I went back to GB-PVR "Recording Source" page (accessed with the edit button on your cards name in "Capture Sources" page)
Then I clicked "Update EPG"
Once this was done, I used the "Map digital channels to EPG channels"
This is where digital TV scanning occurrs.
This worked for me on the first day, but hasn't worked since.
I once had 6 channels without subs, then added the subs later.

Now I have been scanning all day between fresh installs of new Hauppauge drivers, cleaning the registry with CC Cleaner, rebooting many times, uninstalling GB-PVR, reg clean, reboot, reinstall GB-PVR, and scanning many more times. I even used a codec checker and re-installed Combined-Community-Codec-Pack
I still cannot get any digital ATSC channels to scan in the scan page of GB-PVR.

All channels work in WinTV-6 and Win-TV-7
I also get all my channels on my OTA televisions.

Did you do a channel scan and map your channels to your epg? Everyone seems to miss this critical step at first.

You will wish to carefully follow this page: http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Confi...HDTVSource

Also do you have audio and video codecs installed and selected on the playback tab? System Default is not acceptable for the decoders (but is fine for the audio RENDERER), and the MPEG Decoder provided with Windows XP won't work either. For OTA HD in the US, you need to have an MPEG-2 video decoder, MPEG Audio decoder (usually the builtin XP one is OK), and an AC3 decoder (usualy the AC3 decoder will decode MPEG Audio as well, so you can select the same for both)

If you've done all that and have the same problem (or another problem), reproduce the problem and then zip and post your gbpvr/logs directory.

I downloaded MPV and MPA and AC3 codecs from free-codecs.com and installed them as instructed on that page.
I enabled them in the Playback tab, but I still get no channels.
Using the codecs from Hauppauge: (Intervideo NonCSS Video Decoder for Hauppauge) in the "Playback" page results in a "memory protection error" when scanning for channels.

[johnsonx42]

This will be an odd suggestion, but it seems a couple of people have had an odd problem with their 1600's where it just won't tune any channels: disconnect the antenna cable for a few minutes, then reconnect. If that doesn't work, remove the card from the computer for a few hours, then re-install it. I'm not really a believer in this, but then I don't have a 1600 either... I'm just going on what others have reported.

As to your logs, all I see during the channel scan is that it never finds a signal on any frequency, as if you had no antenna attached at all. For every frequency you get this:

Code:

2009-05-02 01:56:26.468    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@2
2009-05-02 01:56:26.812    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@2
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    locked=0    present=0     strength=26000     quality=0
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@4
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@5
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@6
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    locked=0    present=0     strength=26000     quality=0
2009-05-02 01:56:29.312    VERBOSE    SIGNAL???

For a hauppauge device, strength=26000 is bad (essentially zero). strength=-7000 would be a good signal strength (yes, negative is good).

If the 'card trick' I suggested above doesn't do anything, then I don't know. Perhaps sub will have more insight (he usually does).

[Jon_J]

This will be an odd suggestion, but it seems a couple of people have had an odd problem with their 1600's where it just won't tune any channels: disconnect the antenna cable for a few minutes, then reconnect. If that doesn't work, remove the card from the computer for a few hours, then re-install it. I'm not really a believer in this, but then I don't have a 1600 either... I'm just going on what others have reported.

I'll wait for the last resort to do the above.
I just rescanned in both WinTV-6/WinTV-7 because one of our local affiliates changed their "virtual" channel number again.
Both WinTV versions picked up all five of the locals except the one that changed its "virtual" channel number.

Edit:
How does one input individual ATSC channels manually in GB-PVR ?
How does one input individual ATSC channels manually in WinTV ?

Thanks for any help with any or all of this,
Jon

Edit2:I just scanned all my available local channels into TSReader Lite with no problems, what is missing in GB-PVR that won't let me scan only 6 channels?

[Jon_J]

I'm bumping this thread with my original question about ATSC scanning problems.
I still cannot tune any ATSC channels.

I also have 2 additional questions.

How does one input individual ATSC channels manually in GB-PVR ?
How does one input individual ATSC channels manually in WinTV ?

I'm still getting the same output in config.exe-native.log as johnsonx42 posted above.

I know my HVR 1600 is working because I just recorded a 3 hour movie last night using WinTV.

new logs attached:

Code:

2009-05-03 11:52:50.906    VERBOSE    SubmitTuningRequest() complete
2009-05-03 11:52:50.906    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@2
2009-05-03 11:52:51.281    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@2
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    locked=0    present=0     strength=26000     quality=0
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@4
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@5
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder@6
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    locked=0    present=0     strength=26000     quality=0
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    SIGNAL???
2009-05-03 11:52:53.781    VERBOSE    ScanTransponder finished

[johnsonx42]

If WinTV is able to scan the channels, but GB-PVR can't, then I suppose I would have to say 'I dunno'. Sub?

As to manually adding channels, this wouldn't be the place to ask about WinTV. As to GB-PVR, you can type in a tuning request by hand, thought I'm doubtful it will help since the recording service doesn't do anything different to tune a channel than the config program does.

For example, my tuning request for KCBSDT is:

Code:

T:60,0,0~P:1~V:49~A:52~PMT:48~PCR:49~N:>2.1  KCBS-DT (eng)

The first number after the T: is the actual VHF/UHF frequency channel #. The next two are always zeroes in current releases of GB-PVR (this has to do with multi-record, so that the tuner delivers the entire transport stream - the recording process then picks out the streams it needs based on the remaining parameters).

The rest I honestly don't know for sure. The P: seems to be the sub channel program #, but it isn't always 1 for the primary channel (nor even for frequencies that carry only 1 channel). The V: and A: identify the correct Video and Audio stream id's withing the transport stream; PMT and PCR are presumably other streams associated with the channel but I don't know what they signify. On MY channels, th V:, A:, PMT: and PCR: are always the same as shown for the primary channel on each frequency, but then vary on the sub channels. I *think* the N: parameter is for human reference only and doesn't actually affect the tuning process.

I guess you can get the various parameters from TSReaderLite as shown in your screenshot.

[sub]

There is some normally-present log messages missing from your logs. Its enough to tell me that never actually started the device (errored out before that), so the device never delivered any data to GB-PVR, and no channels would possibly be found.

I'd probably need to add some additional log messages to determine exactly where it dropping out before starting the device, but unfortunately I'm about 10000 miles away from my development machine at the moment, so cant do that right now.

[Jon_J]

Thank you for your help johnsonx42 and sub.
You both have been very helpful.

There is some normally-present log messages missing from your logs. Its enough to tell me that never actually started the device (errored out before that), so the device never delivered any data to GB-PVR, and no channels would possibly be found.

I didn't realize this was happening, that the device isn't starting. I'll be patient and hopefully I can figure out what is going on. I've been studying the wiki and reading the many posts on this forum.

In the meantime, I borrowed a friend's laptop that has the full version of TSReader, and I've made some good quality recordings with it hooked up to my antenna.

[gemmagirl]

I have a 1600 card and had the worst time getting GBPVR to work with it. I recall having a hard time getting my card to scan for channels in GBPVR. Here are a few things I tried:

The first copy of GBPVR that I downloaded was corrupted - or this is my best guess. I downloaded a fresh copy, and I had a whole lot less problems.

After a week of tearing out my hair I started over with a fresh install of XP PRO. Best thing I ever did.

Lastly, and most important to note: In my very limited experience, I believe there is some kind of flaw in the card itself. To this day without warning the card will just stop working. Just as johnsonx42 suggested, power down and unplug EVERYTHING from the card and let it set for a good 10 minutes - sometimes I have had to leave it unplugged overnight, or for a good 6 hours before the card will work again. (I will admit, the last three times this has happened, a power down of 10 minutes worked like a charm. I guess it's overheating. Which I can't fathom, as I now have three fans in the case, one pointed directly on the card, and a very open front and back grill - the case is like a virtual wind tunnel.)

I hope that helps.

[Jon_J]

Today I powered down this PC. I first closed Windows down and powered down the PC, then I used the on/off switch on the back to turn the power off, then I unplugged the 120 volt power cord from the wall.
I then unscrewed my coax cable to my antenna.
Then I went and made a pot of coffee, came back and waited 15 to 20 minutes.
(I used this time to swap 2 DVD+R drives into the box)
Then I screwed on my coax cable to my antenna, plugged in the 120 volt cord, turned on the switch on the back, turned on the PC from the front and booted into Windows.
Next I launched GB-PVR configuration and went through the proper dialogs, as in my first post and hit "Map digital channels to EPG channels".
It scanned all the way through to digital channel 68, and did not pick up any channels.
I'll be patient and wait and see if something else works.

regards,
Jon

[johnsonx42]

@gemmagirl: I'd try getting your card replaced if it's happening that often. A lot of people around here have HVR-1600's, and most do not have so much trouble.

@Jon_J: I'm not surprised the unplugging trick didn't work for you, since you were still able to scan with WinTV and TSReader Lite. My understanding is the card doesn't work with ANY software if they have that particular problem. But of course, trying it didn't hurt anything either.

Have you tried different driver versions? How about a fresh install of XP?