Problems with BBC HD channels (Craigkelly)

[ejstubbs]

Hmm, I'm still not sure that I understand tunefix. I thought I had it installed but now it appears that I don't. I'm pretty sure that I have something that deletes unwanted channels, but it's not tunefix AFAICS.

I shall do some more reading up on tunefix and see if it might be of use to me. I do have usable signal from two transmitters here which apparently might complicate things, at least going from what Black Hole wrote. As I say, I'll do more reading.

My recording of Dr Who glitched last night. I rewound and played the offending part again and it glitched again in exactly the same way. So it's not a playback artefact: the problem was either in the received stream, or in writing it to disc. Since fixdisk indicates that the disc is OK, that suggests that the problem is in the signal. But why only on the HD muxes, and apparently only on the BBC channels on those muxes? Very odd...

 

[prpr]

I'm pretty sure that I have something that deletes unwanted channels, but it's not tunefix AFAICS

Probably channeldel which now appears to have been removed from the repository.

I do have usable signal from two transmitters here

What's the other one? Same region or different?

 

[ejstubbs]

Probably channeldel which now appears to have been removed from the repository.

Ah yes, that would be it. I've deleted that, but now I can't install tunefix. I'm getting this error:

!!  ERROR - No network connectivity to package repository  !!
Check your Internet connection and DNS service and then try again.

Bother.

What's the other one? Same region or different?

It's STV, but for Glasgow. (I think we get Edinburgh-specific local news from Craigkelly. At least, we can understand the news reader )

 

[ejstubbs]

OK, I have tunefix (and boot-settings) installed via USB. No idea why I'm having the problem with the Humax accessing the repository. Is it at the same URL that the .opks are downloaded from via a browser?

Now to read up a bit more on tunefix...

 

[prpr]

No idea why I'm having the problem with the Humax accessing the repository. Is it at the same URL that the .opks are downloaded from via a browser?

Yes.
You'll need to do some debugging with Telnet or Webshell. Try these for starters and report the output:

humax# ip addr
humax# route -n
humax# nslookup hpkg.tv
humax# ping hpkg.tv
humax# ping 89.248.55.75
humax# tcpping hpkg.tv 80

 

[ejstubbs]

Looks OK to me (I didn't bother doing the IP address ping since the DNS name ping worked fine):

humax# ip addr                                                                                    
1: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP8000> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast qlen 1000                
    link/ether 00:03:78:b9:22:9f brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff                                            
    inet 192.168.0.4/24 brd 192.168.0.255 scope global eth0                                      
2: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 16436 qdisc noqueue                                            
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00                                        
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo                                                                
humax# route -n                                                                                  
Kernel IP routing table                                                                          
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface                    
192.168.0.0     0.0.0.0         255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0                      
0.0.0.0         192.168.0.1     0.0.0.0         UG    0      0        0 eth0                      
humax# nslookup hpkg.tv                                                                          
Server:    127.0.0.1                                                                              
Address 1: 127.0.0.1 localhost                                                                    
                                                                                                 
Name:      hpkg.tv                                                                                
Address 1: (null)                                                                                
Address 2: 89.248.55.75 rs.hpkg.tv                                                                
humax# ping hpkg.tv                                                                              
PING hpkg.tv (89.248.55.75): 56 data bytes                                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=0 ttl=246 time=20.943 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=1 ttl=246 time=21.175 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=2 ttl=246 time=21.148 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=3 ttl=246 time=21.007 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=4 ttl=246 time=20.843 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=5 ttl=246 time=21.044 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=6 ttl=246 time=21.353 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=7 ttl=246 time=21.423 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=8 ttl=246 time=22.939 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=9 ttl=246 time=21.376 ms                                          
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=10 ttl=246 time=21.630 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=11 ttl=246 time=21.146 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=12 ttl=246 time=21.803 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=13 ttl=246 time=21.248 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=14 ttl=246 time=21.713 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=15 ttl=246 time=20.686 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=16 ttl=246 time=20.982 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=17 ttl=246 time=20.673 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=18 ttl=246 time=20.992 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=19 ttl=246 time=21.211 ms                                        
64 bytes from 89.248.55.75: seq=20 ttl=246 time=20.874 ms                                        
[1]+  Stopped                    ping hpkg.tv                                                    
humax# tcpping hpkg.tv 80                                                                        
OK                                                                                                
humax#

I've just had another look at Package Management on the webif and it's working fine now. Must have been a temporary glitch of some kind - maybe DNS related? I note that the links to the .opks in the Wiki (which worked on my Mac last night) use hummypkg.org.uk whereas I presume the Humax is using hpkg.tv. Or maybe my poking around on the command line cleared something that was preventing the Humax from accessing hpkg.tv.

I think I now understand how to use tunefix to exclude any Winterhill muxes from an autotune. I'll give that a go (while SWMBO is out of the house, in case it doesn't work as expected and I have to do another manual tune!)

As far as I could see, tunefix and boot-settings picked up the settings from the packages that they replaced (channeldel and the other one whose name I forget). Which was nice. I always like being able to avoid re-work.

 

[Trev]

I think I now understand how to use tunefix to exclude any Winterhill muxes from an autotune.

Don't think it will do that. My understanding is that you have to manually tune just the mux's that you do want in a multiple transmitter reception area. Tunefix does its fine work on LCNs once the mux's have been tuned and the box re-booted.
I could be wrong though as I often am.

 

[ejstubbs]

I edited /mod/boot/tunefix.conf and that seemed to keep the Black Hill muxes out. I did have a mild panic after the autotune because there were lots of channels that I thought should have been excluded, and my favourites list was gone. However, all was put to rights following a reboot - I presume that is how it is supposed to work? (The Wiki entry for tunefix isn't clear on that.)

So this is what the multiplex info shows now:

Looks pretty rock solid to me.

Poldark glitched a few times again last night, but not as badly as last week.

I think I'll try recording lots of other channels on the same multiplexes, to try to confirm that it's only the BBC ones that do it. Off to the EPG, then...

 

[Black Hole]

following a reboot - I presume that is how it is supposed to work?

Yes. The stuff that makes it onto the wiki is usually only a summary - refer to the relevant forum topic for the full SP.

 

[prpr]

Must have been a temporary glitch of some kind - maybe DNS related?

Who knows, now it's gone? But connectivity or DNS problems certainly stop most things working!

I note that the links to the .opks in the Wiki (which worked on my Mac last night) use hummypkg.org.uk whereas I presume the Humax is using hpkg.tv.

It resolves to the same thing.

Or maybe my poking around on the command line cleared something that was preventing the Humax from accessing hpkg.tv.

Unlikely.

I'll give that a go (while SWMBO is out of the house, in case it doesn't work as expected and I have to do another manual tune!)

As far as I could see, tunefix and boot-settings picked up the settings from the packages that they replaced (channeldel and the other one whose name I forget). Which was nice. I always like being able to avoid re-work.

Something like poweron-channel. Can't speak for that but tunefix certainly imports from channeldel. It seemed like a good idea when I was writing it. I hate re-work too!

I did have a mild panic after the autotune because there were lots of channels that I thought should have been excluded, and my favourites list was gone. However, all was put to rights following a reboot - I presume that is how it is supposed to work?

Yes, tunefix only operates at startup as post 1 of the thread says in bold! Favourites and schedule can be put back by restoring a WebIf backup (or the auto-schedule-restore package).

So this is what the multiplex info shows now:

COM4 is notable by its absence. It was there on your previous screenshot. Odd effects like this are often caused by physical damage to aerial cable or flyleads - that may also explain your breakup.

 

[ejstubbs]

COM4 is notable by its absence. It was there on your previous screenshot. Odd effects like this are often caused by physical damage to aerial cable or flyleads - that may also explain your breakup.

Ah, good spot. It never occurred to me that a whole mux might go AWOL. It's not on the list of muxes to ignore in /mod/boot/tunefix.conf. I'll have a go at tuning it manually; if that works then I'll try another autotune and see if it goes missing again.

UPDATE - tuned it in manually no problem:

Will now try another autotune.

 

[ejstubbs]

Well now this is interesting. Here is the multiplex listing after doing an autotune, but before rebooting to allow tunefix to do its work:

COM4 on channel 42 isn't there! The box has picked COM4 on channel 41, which is the one from Black Hill. I wonder if this is to do with the box asking me which part of Scotland I'm in? I'll try another retune and select the Highlands option this time to see if COM4 on channel 42 shows up.

(No idea why I got a Highlands and Islands mux on channel 53. The weather suggests that we are in a high pressure situation at the moment so perhaps I'm getting it propagating from somewhere up north. The antenna does point to Craigkelly which is pretty much due north from here.)

 

[Trev]

No idea why I got a Highlands and Islands mux on channel 53

It's the work of the devil

refer to the relevant forum topic for the full SP.

That's if:
a You know what the thread title is to look for
b You look in the right section
c You can find it on page 5 of the forum list (currently)
d You are prepared to wade through 207 (currently) posts

 

[ejstubbs]

OK, just autotuned and selected Highlands & Islands and got this:

Not entirely sure what I've learned from this TBH!

However, it looks autotune simply can't find COM4 from Craigkelly, but picks it up from Black Hill fine. Odd, but I think I'll try allowing tunefix to keep channel 41, since I don't think there's anything on that mux that is regionalised to Edinburgh.

 

[Black Hole]

As mentioned elsewhere, the propagation conditions are somewhat unusual at the moment.

 

[Black Hole]

That's if:
a You know what the thread title is to look for
b You look in the right section
c You can find it on page 5 of the forum list (currently)
d You are prepared to wade through 207 (currently) posts

Agreed, but nonetheless if you want the complete info...

It has long been my assertion that the wiki entry should link back to the relevant discussion topic. That way, the interested reader can get to the original information and post any further questions. However, as the wiki is largely managed by a party that automatically disagrees with anything I have to say, it has yet to happen.

 

[prpr]

Is it not hot enough without starting fires?
I know I am...

 

[ejstubbs]

OK, have now completed an autotune with the tunefix tweaks and this is what I have:

I'll monitor the recording situation and see if it changes at all over the next few days.

COM4 is notable by its absence. It was there on your previous screenshot. Odd effects like this are often caused by physical damage to aerial cable or flyleads - that may also explain your breakup.

I did fully dismantle and re-assemble my complete TV setup a few months back (we were having a new floor laid), and I know that I had some problems with the aerial cabling after that, but I did eventually get those (as far as I knew) sorted out. Maybe there are still a few gremlins in there.

As I say, I'll keep an eye on things for a while after this latest fiddle about.

One final thought: the glitches quite often seem to happen near the start of a programme. I'm just thinking whether it might have something to do with another recording stopping? For example, we record Antiques Roadshow on BBC One Scotland HD immediately before Poldark on the same channel. We use padding, but AFAIK having two consecutive recordings scheduled on the same channel disables the padding at the changeover. That wouldn't explain the Dr Who glitches, though, since we don't record anything else around that time on a Saturday. Hmm...

 

[Black Hole]

Is it not hot enough without starting fires?
I know I am...

I refer you to another recent topic.

 

[prpr]

I'll monitor the recording situation and see if it changes at all over the next few days.

It might be instructive to retune your box to Angus while the current reception conditions are so 'good' and see whether you have continued problems with PSB3. Angus PSB3 is on 57 which is about as far away as you can currently get from Craigkelly PSB3 on 21.

I know that I had some problems with the aerial cabling after that

Ah! Specifically, what?