Tunefix problem

[confabulator]

Hi,

Hope you can advise. I had everything working smoothly here until the Freeview retune. After this I lost some HD channels but reading in the forums lead me to update tunefix and indeed this fixed that issue.

I have now found an issue with tunefix I cant work around. I had Really set to move to channel 8 prior to the retune but a new Really appeared at 17 after the retune. The Really I had at channel 8 has no signal any more. I cant however get rid of the Really at channel 8. I have removed the rule I added to tunefix to put it there in the first place but it remains. I then asked tunefix to move the new Really from 17 to 8 and I now have Really at channel 8 twice - one that works and one that doesnt.

I have a similar issue with another channel too (CBeebies HD). I had this in tunefix to appear at 94. In this case I have two of these at the same channel 94 again, one working and one not. With this one though this happened all by itself without my doing anything at all. I have removed the rule to move it to 94 but both still remain and I have nothing at the standard native position for CBeebies.

Any suggestions?

 

[Black Hole]

Are you retuning after changing the tunefix rule set? It only makes sense to apply the rules to a newly-acquired set of tuned LCNs, and then tunefix runs after a reboot.

If you are unsure about the consistency of your rule set, my advice is to clear it, do an auto-tune, then set it all up again. You need to take special measures if you are deliberately receiving services from more than one transmitter, otherwise you need to be certain you are not receiving from more than one transmitter (the MUX options are useful for that, not available via the GUI - edit the config file directly via WebIF >> Diagnistics >> File Editor >> Commonly edited files >> /mod/boot/tunefix.conf). See https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/tunefix-automatic-channel-organisation-and-maintenance.6639/ for info.

 

[prpr]

I had everything working smoothly here until the Freeview retune.

Which Freeview retune, when? And where is 'here' transmitter-wise?

I have now found an issue with tunefix I cant work around. I had Really set to move to channel 8 prior to the retune but a new Really appeared at 17 after the retune.

What retune have you done?

I cant however get rid of the Really at channel 8.

How have you tried to remove it?

I then asked tunefix to move the new Really from 17 to 8 and I now have Really at channel 8 twice - one that works and one that doesnt.

That shouldn't be possible. I would like to see your tuning database (/var/lib/humaxtv/channel.db) and tunefix configuration file (/mod/boot/tunefix.conf).

I have a similar issue with another channel too (CBeebies HD). I had this in tunefix to appear at 94. In this case I have two of these at the same channel 94 again, one working and one not.

Same answer as above.

With this one though this happened all by itself without my doing anything at all.

It can't do it by itself. Something must have done it.

 

[alanofcleeves]

I have a similar issue with another channel too (CBeebies HD). I had this in tunefix to appear at 94. In this case I have two of these at the same channel 94 again, one working and one not.

This doesn't sound like a problem with Tunefix.

I had a similar problem [Rowridge transmitter] when BBC4 HD was moved last time. After re-tune + reboot + tunefix changes applied (switching SD and HD numbers) two entries for channel 9 were listed in the HDR GUI. The EPG for one entry was correct, the other showed "..has moved". I believe it was caused by a (probably fleeting) Freeview error, BBC4 HD being sent on the same channel number from two muxes. I fixed it by deleting the "..has moved" entry using the Humax GUI.

 

[prpr]

This doesn't sound like a problem with Tunefix.

I had a similar problem [Rowridge transmitter] when BBC4 HD was moved last time. After re-tune + reboot + tunefix changes applied (switching SD and HD numbers) two entries for channel 9 were listed in the HDR GUI.

It does to me. I've got a feeling I know what might be causing this now (but I wish people would say at the time!).

I believe it was caused by a (probably fleeting) Freeview error, BBC4 HD being sent on the same channel number from two muxes.

That is NOT going to happen.

 

[alanofcleeves]

I bow to superior knowledge, however I couldn't repeat the problem on a second HDR with identical set up and concluded that some external force was at work! After deleting the unwanted extra channel 9 (incidentally invisible to Webif) all was well, so it didn't seem worth reporting.

 

[confabulator]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like you guys can help more if I go through more exactly the sequence of things for to pick through. I'm referring to the recent Feb retune.

I am on the Waltham transmitter. Nottingham transmitter is another option here but we are on Waltham.

I had tune fix set up how I like it including Really moved to channel 8 and CBeebies HD moved to 94 prior to retune.

After retune I had no BBC4 HD, BBC News HD and some other channels that all seemed to be on the same Mux, I think I saw it was COM8. I updated tunefix to the current version, did another automatic retune and these problems resolved.

Coming back to it the next day though I discovered the Dave, Drame and all the other COM5 channels had no signal. A further auto retune did not fix this. Checking our kitchen TV (internal decoder) which hadn't yet been retuned it had also lost these channels but these came back after retuning it. Having read on forum I therefore did a manual retune of channel 37 for COM5 on the humax and these channels started to all work. Prior to the manual retune the Humax didnt show a channel 37 in signal detection but after it did.

I think I remember now I was going to make some adjustments to CBeebies HD at this point but I don't think I did. I'm sure at this point there was still no CBeebies HD where I usually have it at 94 but there was something in the 800+ zone that I was intending to move to the right place. I never needed to that though as on a reboot it moved to the correct location - only later to discover I had a double channel with only one actually with a signal as I do now.

It was around this I found I had Really at channel 8 but not working and a new Really at channel 17 that was working. I removed the tunefix rule, rebooted but it didnt clear (several times) and ultimately moved the new Really at 27 to 8 leading to a double channel.

In both cases I removed my old tunefix rules for these channels but the extra channels did not disappear or move and that is where I am at.

What I haven't mentioned (was trying to keep it simple!) is I also have a doubling of the Sony Move Channel. This is set in tunefix to move to channel 49. I haven't fiddled with anything here, the rule is still in place in tunefix, but it is still doubled - one getting a signal and one not.

If needs be I'll start from blank by removing tunefix, autotuning and then reinstalling tunefix before readding the rules but any help/explanation appreciated. From what BlackHole says though it may be I need to auto-retune again as I haven't since I changed the rules because I thought a reboot was enough. I'm a bit nervous to do that as I had to do the manual retune for COM5 after my last auto-tune. I dont really understand why the auto-tune left COM5 channels unsorted.

 

[confabulator]

As with alanofcleeves my dual channels show on the humax EPG but not in the tunefix channel list. His option to delete the channel on the Humax rather than sort this in tunefix is definitely an option.

 

[confabulator]

I'm still learning here. I've just looked at the Mux Info in diagnostics. This shows COM5 at channel 37 - the manual retune I did - with 16 channels. It still shows COM5 at channel 56 though too with 3 channels those being Really, Sony Movie Channel and Sky News (I've looked and found I have a dead Sky News at 108 where I usually have it and a live one at 233). Seems this is the source of the double channels. Channel 56 also shows COM8 being there. I'm sure it cant be right to have COM5 and COM8 here. It seems this is at the core of my problem. Doesnt explain the CBeebies HD though.

Edit: Mux info shows CBeebies HD on both COM 7 and Com 8.

 

[confabulator]

Tunefix.conf

REGION|East Midlands
NAME|The Space
NAME|Christian
NAME|CONNECT*
NAME|VISION*
NAME|GOD TV
NAME|SONY SAB
NAME|CCTV
NAME|Sports
NAME|Racing TV
NAME|ADULT Section
NAME|Television X
NAME|ADULT smileTV2
NAME|ADULT smileTV3
NAME|ADULT Babestn
NAME|ADULT PARTY
NAME|ADULT Blue
NAME|ADULT Babestn2
NAME|ADULT Xpanded TV
NAME|ADULTXXX
NAME|ADULT Section
NAME|Rabbit
NAME|Gay Rabbit
NAME|QVC
NAME|QVC Beauty
NAME|Jewellery Ch.
NAME|QVC EXTRA
NAME|The Store
NAME|Rocks & Co 1
NAME|Gems TV
NAME|Create & Craft
NAME|Ideal World
NAME|Al Jazeera Arabic
NAME|Holidays TV
NAME|1-2-1 Dating
NAME|Kiss Me TV
NAME|Proud Dating
NAME|Sonlife
NAME|Dating
NAME|TBN UK
NAME|QVC+1
NAME|QVC + 1 HD
NAME|QVC Beauty HD
NAME|ADULT Sin TV
NAME|ADULT Studio 66
NAME|Freeview Information
NAME|365 Travel
NAME|Shop 8 to 12
NAME|Jewellery Maker
NAME|TJC
NAME|Community
NAME|Hochanda
NAME|Rishtey Europe
NAME|Ketchup TV
NAME|Children's Section
NAME|Al Jazeera Eng HD
NAME|QVC Style
NAME|Sewing Quarter
NAME|TJC Choice
NAME|Rishtey Cineplex
NAME|QVC HD
NAME|Loveworld
NAME|Arise News
FORCE|1|BBC ONE E Mid
FORCE|2|BBC TWO
FORCE|3|ITV
FORCE|4|Channel 4
FORCE|7|Notts TV
FORCE|8|Really
FORCE|13|Dave ja vu
FORCE|16|Film4+1
FORCE|17|Channel 4+1
FORCE|18|More4+1
FORCE|22|5USA+1
FORCE|23|Channel 5+1
FORCE|27|ITVBe+1
FORCE|31|5STAR+1
FORCE|32|Spike
FORCE|33|ITV+1
FORCE|34|ITV2+1
FORCE|35|ITV3+1
FORCE|36|ITV4+1
FORCE|39|4Music
FORCE|40|VIVA
FORCE|49|Sony Movie Ch
FORCE|50|True Movies
FORCE|63|CBS Action
FORCE|64|CBS Action+1
FORCE|65|CBS Drama
FORCE|75|Front Runner
FORCE|78|QUEST+1
FORCE|92|CITV
FORCE|93|CBBC HD
FORCE|95|POP
FORCE|96|Tiny POP
FORCE|98|CBBC
FORCE|99|CBeebies
FORCE|101|BBC ONE HD
FORCE|103|ITV HD
FORCE|720|BBC Nottingham
FORCE|721|BBC Leicester
FORCE|722|BBC Lincolnshire
FORCE|734|BBC Northampton
FORCE|735|BBC Derby
FORCE|97|POP Max

 

[confabulator]

Sorry trying to get channel.db gives a "not plain file" error.

 

[prpr]

I am on the Waltham transmitter.

That's good. I have direct access to a box there, which always helps.

Prior to the manual retune the Humax didnt show a channel 37 in signal detection but after it did.

Can't explain that, but the loss of COM7 and COM8 following a retune after Jan. was due to a national change. Tunefix was updated to cope with that. Then, last week, Waltham moved frequencies for COM5 and COM8 which caused your further problems.

I removed the tunefix rule, rebooted but it didnt clear (several times)

If it doesn't work once, it won't work "several times".

What I haven't mentioned (was trying to keep it simple!) is I also have a doubling of the Sony Move Channel.

The more detail you provide, the easier it is to diagnose the problem!

If needs be I'll start from blank by removing tunefix, autotuning and then reinstalling tunefix before readding the rules

You shouldn't need to do that. You need to copy/paste the following lines (exactly!) in to a new file
called /mod/boot/tunefix-update.conf - I would guess your best bet is to use the File Editor on the WebIf Diagnostics page and select the Create File option - and then reboot:

LCN|8,49,94,108
CLONE1|17|Really|23712|1|1|1|1|1|718|2111|2112|2111|20544|0|1|bds.tv
CLONE1|32|Sony Movie Ch|24032|1|1|1|1|1|713|2121|2122|2121|20544|0|1|www.moviemix.co.uk
CLONE1|205|CBeebies HD|45104|1|2|1|2|7|1005|211|212|211|45056|0|1|fp.bbc.co.uk
CLONE1|233|Sky News|22080|1|1|1|1|1|701|101|102|101|20544|0|1|www.sky.com
MOVE|17|8|Really
MOVE|32|49|Sony Movie Ch
MOVE|205|94|CBeebies HD
MOVE|233|108|Sky News

but any help/explanation appreciated.

There is a bug in tunefix which caused these duplicate channel problems which I'll address separately. You do need to keep your system up to date however, to cope with the constant changes that Freeview impose on us. I would recommend the auto-update package.
There won't be any more mux. moves at Waltham until 2020 though.

 

[prpr]

I've just looked at the Mux Info in diagnostics. This shows COM5 at channel 37 - the manual retune I did - with 16 channels. It still shows COM5 at channel 56 though too with 3 channels those being Really, Sony Movie Channel and Sky News (I've looked and found I have a dead Sky News at 108 where I usually have it and a live one at 233). Seems this is the source of the double channels. Channel 56 also shows COM8 being there. I'm sure it cant be right to have COM5 and COM8 here.

Ignore this until your tuning database is fixed - it will give weird information.

 

[prpr]

Sorry trying to get channel.db gives a "not plain file" error.

That's because it's an Sqlite3 database file. You need to do a binary copy, with FTP or similar. But don't bother - I think I know where the problem is.

 

[confabulator]

Thanks prpr. Two questions if I may. Firstly do you mind explaining what that new file will do so I understand. Secondly is there a benefit to doing that over simply deleting the duplicate non-fucntioning channels via Edit Channels on the Humax? That option just feels like I'm fiddling less and then less likely to run into something else related to the first fix further down the line.

 

[confabulator]

Incidentally I had already got the tunefix update installed. It too was out of date, lol.

 

[Black Hole]

tunefix-update does not update tunefix. tunefix sorts out your services to your liking after a retune, tunefix-update (bad choice of name as it happens) adjusts the tuning database to track the Freeview mux changes and avoid having to do a retune. Having tunefix-update installed is of no use whatsoever unless it is kept up to date, for which (at the moment) the auto-update package is the easiest way to go (but that will keep all your packages up to date, against some people's policy of "don't fix what ain't broke").

For what it's worth (ref post 9), it's easier to understand if the various services on a multiplex are called "services", and the word "channel" is reserved for the UHF transmission frequency for a particular mux. Ref post 10: please see
Newbies' Guide to the Forum (click), particularly the section on posting terminal output.

 

[EEPhil]

For what it's worth (ref post 9), it's easier to understand if the various services on a multiplex are called "services", and the word "channel" is reserved for the UHF transmission frequency for a particular mux.

It would be if everyone stuck to the same description. I've wrestled with this one myself and mainly refer to UHF channel 56 to mean the multiplex, and channel 1 or LCN 1 to mean BBC1. Confused? You should be. Of course, you could confuse people even more by referring to 754MHz instead.
I don't particularly like the term service in this context (BBC1 - a service - ), but since the S in SI and SDT is service, I suppose your suggestion is logical. However the C in LCN is channel...

 

[prpr]

Firstly do you mind explaining what that new file will do so I understand.

It deletes all the things you said had duplicates, re-adds them properly and moves them where you said you wanted them.

Secondly is there a benefit to doing that over simply deleting the duplicate non-fucntioning channels via Edit Channels on the Humax? That option just feels like I'm fiddling less and then less likely to run into something else related to the first fix further down the line.

No, the end result should be the same. It either works or it doesn't. There is no "more" or "less" with regards to the amount of fiddling.
It's just that one works automatically and the other needs you to do it.

 

[Black Hole]

It would be if everyone stuck to the same description. I've wrestled with this one myself and mainly refer to UHF channel 56 to mean the multiplex, and channel 1 or LCN 1 to mean BBC1. Confused? You should be. Of course, you could confuse people even more by referring to 754MHz instead.
I don't particularly like the term service in this context (BBC1 - a service - ), but since the S in SI and SDT is service, I suppose your suggestion is logical. However the C in LCN is channel...

But the Logical Channel Number is just a short cut designation (which is variable) for the service ID (which isn't). We can map an LCN to whatever service ID we like - it's the service ID that actually identifies the service to display its name in the EPG or send the tuning parameters from the tuning database to the tuner, or even set up a recording.

I wrote about this in 2011 - see Glossary (click), entry LCN. There's no problem referring to the LCN as a channel when the context is obvious, but in a mixed context it needs disambiguation for easy readability.

It makes very little sense to talk about LCNs in the context of CF anyway (or even without CF) - not everyone will have the same service on any particular LCN.