MythTV Channels.conf

[jontydog]

Got mythtv working upto a point. Installed fine but can't scan for any channels I just get time out and then no signal. I want to make a channels,conf file so I can import all the channels from hotbird on lnb2 and astra 19E does anyone know the correct syntax or have an up to date channels.conf file I can use. I have tried

scan /usr/share/doc/dvb-utils/examples/scan/dvb-s/Hotbird-13.0E channels.conf
which just scans one transponder then gives up bit the Hotbird-13.0E file only has that one transponder on it. Astra is a bit more successful it scans and finds loads of channels but doesn't save it as channels.conf which I presume is down to the syntax of the command.

any help or anything gratefully received

[jontydog]

If anyone needs this I have managed to do a channels,conf for astra by doing this in terminal

scan /usr/share/doc/dvb-utils/example/scan/dvb-s/Astra-19.2E >channels.conf

That makes a file in your home directory called channels.conf that you can import into mythtv. Need to sort out how to use the diseqc command now to scan hotbird lol

[fergycool]

Hi Jontydog,

not been on here for a while, otherwise I would have answered your post. Soz!

If you want any help with the DiSeqc settings let me know. I've got a similar setup (with a monoblock) with MythTV. Took me a little while to figure out how to do it. It's v.different in 0.19 to 0.20. Although once you know how it's a lot more logical.

Cheers
Ferg

[jontydog]

still not managed it fergycool. I can scan only 19E which is lnb 1 on my monoblock but when I scan hotbird I get no signal. So any advice gratefully received m8.

[fergycool]

Hi,

Ok I will certainly try. At least I can offer the assurance that it's possible as I've got a monoblock working fine.

Just to check you are using MythTV 0.20?

Now this is all from memory, as my MythTV box is currently turned off and moved for Painting and Decorating purposes (eeek. do not ask. All bloody weekend.....!). This is not very detailed, and I could write something better later in the week, when I have the machine for reference.

Run MYTHTV-SETUP.

(1) For each tuner card setup page there's a DiSeqc button. Pressing this will let you define a DiSeqC switch and then define a connection attached to each. You can create a whole tree of switches, like you could create in real life, so be careful. But you should just end up with a single switch defined with two inputs.

(2) Create your two video sources, Hotbird and Astra.

(3)Then connect these two video sources to the appropriate DiSeqc switch you defined in step 1.

(4) Then go to the final Channel Editor page, and choose scan. You should be able to define the video source, which SHOULD connect to the correct switch and scan. Choose FULL SCAN, which will take about an hour or two, but should pick up stuff.

Does that help, or is it already stuff you know and have tried?

Cheers
Ferg

[jontydog]

Have already done that but when I do a scan that way I get nothing at all. I have been told there is a bug in MythTV when it comes to scanning which is why I went for the import channels.conf setting. I got the astra channels.conf using the scan command so I thought I would be able to do the same with hotbird but I get nothing and can't find the command in Scan to use LNB2 instead of LNB1. Its probably something very very simple but I just can't work it out at all.

[jontydog]

Sorted it. Bloody Stupid syntax was putting the lnb part of the command in the wrong place. The correct way is scan /usr/share/doc/dvb-utils/examples/scan/dvb-s/Hotbird-13.0E >channels.conf -s 1. I was putting the -s 1 at the beginning after scan. Now I can add the channels through import channels.conf and all should be well.

[jontydog]

lol getting bloody database errors again now ffs. Do I run mythbackend as su and mythfrontend as su or normal user?

[jontydog]

Right now when I run mythbackend as either normal user or su I get this

2007-02-26 03:29:02.807 Using runtime prefix = /usr
2007-02-26 03:29:02.862 New DB connection, total: 1
2007-02-26 03:29:02.895 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:02.907 Current Schema Version: 1160
Starting up as the master server.
2007-02-26 03:29:02.932 mythbackend: MythBackend started as master server
2007-02-26 03:29:02.967 New DB connection, total: 2
2007-02-26 03:29:02.969 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:02.976 EITHelper: localtime offset 0:00:00
2007-02-26 03:29:02.997 New DB connection, total: 3
2007-02-26 03:29:03.003 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:03.008 New DB connection, total: 4
2007-02-26 03:29:03.010 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:03.015 New DB connection, total: 5
2007-02-26 03:29:03.017 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:03.021 New DB connection, total: 6
2007-02-26 03:29:03.032 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:29:13.000 mythbackend: Running housekeeping thread
2007-02-26 03:32:19.776 New DB scheduler connection
2007-02-26 03:32:19.778 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:32:19.785 Main::Starting HttpServer
2007-02-26 03:32:19.816 Main::Registering HttpStatus Extension
2007-02-26 03:32:19.857 mythbackend version: 0.20.20060828-3 www.mythtv.org
2007-02-26 03:32:19.858 Enabled verbose msgs: important general
2007-02-26 03:32:19.870 AutoExpire: Found 1 recorders w/max rate of 138 MiB/min
2007-02-26 03:32:19.876 AutoExpire: Required Free Space: 3.0 GB w/freq: 10 min
2007-02-26 03:32:19.897 mythbackend: MythBackend exiting
Segmentation fault


When i run mythfrontend I get this

2007-02-26 03:37:31.801 Using runtime prefix = /usr
2007-02-26 03:37:31.919 Gnome-Screensaver support enabled
2007-02-26 03:37:31.920 DPMS is active.
2007-02-26 03:37:31.975 New DB connection, total: 1
2007-02-26 03:37:32.006 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
2007-02-26 03:37:32.013 Total desktop dim: 1024x768, with 1 screen(s).
2007-02-26 03:37:32.020 Running in a window
2007-02-26 03:37:32.021 Using screen 0, 1024x718 at 0,25
2007-02-26 03:37:32.283 Current Schema Version: 1160
2007-02-26 03:37:32.284 mythfrontend version: 0.20.20060828-3 www.mythtv.org
2007-02-26 03:37:32.284 Enabled verbose msgs: important general
2007-02-26 03:37:33.358 Total desktop dim: 1024x768, with 1 screen(s).
2007-02-26 03:37:33.361 Running in a window
2007-02-26 03:37:33.361 Using screen 0, 1024x718 at 0,25
2007-02-26 03:37:33.368 Switching to square mode (blue)
2007-02-26 03:37:33.414 Using the OpenGL painter
mythtv: could not connect to socket
mythtv: No such file or directory
lirc_init failed for mythtv, see preceding messages
2007-02-26 03:37:34.309 Joystick disabled.
2007-02-26 03:37:35.019 Loading from: /usr/share/mythtv/themes/default/base.xml
2007-02-26 03:37:37.254 Registering Internal as a media playback plugin.
2007-02-26 03:37:43.801 Using NV NPOT texture extension
2007-02-26 03:38:07.616 XMLParse::LoadTheme using /usr/share/mythtv/themes/default/status-ui.xml
2007-02-26 03:38:11.654 Connecting to backend server: localhost:6543 (try 1 of 5)
2007-02-26 03:38:11.655 Connection timed out.
You probably should modify the Master Server
settings in the setup program and set the
proper IP address.
QDateTime::fromString: Parameter out of range
2007-02-26 03:38:12.928 New DB connection, total: 2
2007-02-26 03:38:12.930 Connected to database 'mythconverg' at host: 127.0.0.1
QDateTime::fromString: Parameter out of range
2007-02-26 03:38:19.426 Connecting to backend server: localhost:6543 (try 1 of 5)
2007-02-26 03:38:19.427 Connection timed out.
You probably should modify the Master Server
settings in the setup program and set the
proper IP address.

all I get is cannot connect to the master server basically

[fergycool]

Hi Jontydog,

As long as the Mythbackend has the correct permissions to access both the devices files for your tuners (/dev/video/dvb*) and can connect correctly to your database, then it should not matter what user it runs as. However, most setups I've seen use a script to automatically start the Backend.

How are you starting the backend? I'm sorry but I've completely forgotten what distro you are using. But is there a script that you can use to start the backend?

On KnoppMyth it's:

/etc/init.d/mythbackend start

Then you can see error messages by tailing the error log:

 tail -f /var/log/mythtv/mythbackend.log

You will need to be root to run that script though. So make sure you have used "su" first, or just logged in as root.

Once you have it running, you can configure your OS to run that script on boot. Much in the same way that services are ran in Windows.

Forget about starting the frontend, until the backend is running sucessfully. It cannot run without being able to connect to the backend.
Cheers
Ferg