Help with DVB-T

[paulie]

I have tried for hours to get my hauppauge HVR 1100 and HVR900H to scan for channels in sage to no avail. I have requested help from sage, I have sent log files etc but have had not luck.
When I scan for digital channels the scan starts, goes to 1 and ends saying no channels found. Both cards work no problem with wintv7 and windows MC.
Can someone please help, I'm going nuts here.

[doc]

Firstly, what is your local transmitter?

Look in the file PredefinedDVBT.frq in the SageTV folder and see if the transmitter is listed there.

Then you need to check the frequencies listed for that transmitter. It then depends which part of Ireland you're in.

If you're in the north....

Go to http://www.ukfree.tv/txlist.php

There is a map of the UK with the transmitters.
Click on the transmitter and it takes you to another page.

Two thirds of the way down there's a sections called Transmitter Frequencies.

It will show something like....

C22 C23+ C25 C26+ C28 C29+ C30+ C32 C33+ C34+

Click on each in turn.

If you click on C22, then next page starts....
UK TV frequencies map - channel C22 (482.0MHz)

You then need to check that there is an entry in the PredefinedDVBT.frq file under your transmitter for 482000000.

You need to do this for each of the C numbers mentioned.

So, for example, Broughe Mountain has its entry shown as

"United Kingdom-Northern Ireland@Broughe Mountain"
frq:546000000;band:8;
frq:578000000;band:8;
frq:490000000;band:8;
frq:514000000;band:8;
frq:538000000;band:8;
frq:570000000;band:8;
{tune:1;pat:6;sdt:16;}

I would then replace it as shown below

"United Kingdom-Northern Ireland@Broughe Mountain"
frq:482000000;band:8;
frq:490000000;band:8;
frq:506000000;band:8;
frq:514000000;band:8;
frq:530000000;band:8;
frq:538000000;band:8;
frq:546000000;band:8;
frq:562000000;band:8;
frq:570000000;band:8;
frq:578000000;band:8;
{tune:1;pat:6;sdt:16;}

I've only had to do this once before - for a friend in Cornwall.

Once you've changed the file, restart SageTV and do a fresh channel scan.
Remember though that it will only pick up channels being transmitted at the time, so you'll probably have to scan again after 7pm for the likes of BBC3 and BBC4.

If you're in the south...... I've no idea!

Let us know if this helps or not.

[paulie]

Many thanks Doc. I have all the frq details so I'll try it out later. I'll let you know how I get on.

[paulie]

No luck Doc,
Cermont Ciarn is my local transmitter and using the bundled winTV software I get 20 plus channels but with sage, nothing. I added the frq details as per your post but it made no difference. I used "ScanChannelsBDA.log" from the hauppauge help to scan and see what the frq details are for my area. I'll keep trying.
Thanks again.

[mickm]

Clermont Carn is an RTE transmitter and is only currently transmitting 3 TV channels (RTE1, RTE2, TG4) along with a news feed and some test signals so I can't see how you could possibly be getting more than that with any software, certainly nowhere near 20??

Doc had you on the right track but seeing as this transmitter is actually in Ireland (not UK), the frequency suggestions won't work for you. The pre-defined DVB-t frequency file in Sage has no entry for Ireland at all so if your location is set to Ireland, you'll have to edit and add an entry for Ireland yourself.

Easiest way to do this is to just copy one of the other countries (I think I used Sweden) and rename the block to Ireland. It will take a long time to do a scan with all the frequencies present but you should only have to do this once. If you want to speed up the scan process, only include the frequencies that C'Carn is transmitting on and make a sub-entry just for that transmitter as Doc detailed below.

If you're trying to recieve channels from the north and the south, then you'll have to make sure your pre-defined DVB-T file has the necessary frequencies for both transmitters combined into one section as Sage doesn't believe in bi-location...

[paulie]

Thanks Mickm,
I'll try again following your instructions. When I scan with "ScanChannelsBDA.log" I get BBC1 ,2,4 ITV2,3 Fiver, FiveUS, Virgin1, Quest etc along with RTE1,2 TV3 TG4. This is what led me to guess C,Carn was transmitting these. The nearest NI transmitter is almost 70miles away.

[paulie]

Brillant!!!!!!!!!! It worked guys. Thank you both very much. I now have 59 channels found in my scan.