Mythtv Setup issues

[jvandam87]

Hey all,

I've been playing around with LMCE on and off for a few months now, and I gotta say, I'm a big fan so far, even though I think I've only scratched the surface. One feature I'd really like to get working is Mythtv, but I've been struggling to get it up and running, so I'd like to ask for some help.

I'm running 14.04 and using a pcHDTV HD-5500 capture card. I followed the setup process here, http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/MythTV , and it seemed like I had setup everything correctly, but when I get to the end and I have to run mythfilldatabase, the process only lasts a couple seconds (my understanding is this should take a while), and everything comes back with "Found 0." There's also a note stating "Attempting to contact the master backend for rescheduling. If the master is not running, rescheduling will happen when the master backend is restarted." I'm not sure if this means anything, but I thought I might need to start the backend. When I do that, it seems to have problems connecting to the capture card. Here's what a couple of the lines state:

ChannelBase: CreateChannel1() Error: Failed to open device /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0
Problem with capture cardsCard 2failed init
MythBackend: No valid capture cards are defined in the database

When I go into the capture card setup in the GUI, the card is defined as a DVB-T/S/C, ATSC, or ISDB-T tuner card, and the frontend ID seems to have autodetected it as the pcHDTV HD-5500 card.

At this point, I'm not sure where to go next. I know there's tons of information over on the MythTV website, but I'm struggling to find a situation like mine. One thing I did read is that the pcHDTV capture cards may need a little extra work to get them functioning properly.

I'm still very much a newbie with LMCE and Linux in general, so I feel like I'm in a bit over my head, but I'm learning a lot as I go, and any help that anyone can provide is much appreciated.

Thank you

[ardirtbiker]

Since the card is identified correctly, the next step is go move down to the menu item ' Video Sources'.  If you haven't already, create a 'new video source' .  Name it something descriptive.  Mine is 'LR Broadcast'.  The 'listing grabber' needs to be set to where your video source gets its data (schedules direct if you have an account,  transmitted guide only if your local stations broadcast program data, or no grabber if you don't want program data).
I don't alter anything else on this screen.

Next go to the menu item 'Input Connections'.  You should see at least one DVB entry for the 5500 card.  Select it and press enter to get the configuration screen.  You can modify the Input name and Display name.  The Video Source should be changed to the one you created earlier.  Now, if you will be using data from the local broadcasts, click 'scan for channels'.  A new screen will display. It should already be set to scan channels 2 thru 69 using Broadcast for frequency table and Terrestrial for modulation.  Click Next on lower right, and it should scan the channels and find your local stations.  If not, verify your antenna connection is good and another device can receive signal using it.

Reply back on results...

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[jvandam87]

Right. I left that out of the original post, but I did set the video source and input connections like you said. I do not have a schedules direct account, so I am using transmitted guide. I set up the input connections to align the 5500 card with the transmitted guide, and I scanned for channels. Now this part, I'm not sure which option I should use. When I leave it at Broadcast frequency and Terrestrial modulation, I get 0% signal strength. It does lock onto channels 7, 21, 43, 44, and 45, but no channels are found. The rest get no signal. I've also tried several other options, using cable, cable HRC, cable IRC, etc. When I scan with any of these options, it always has a 29% signal strength, but every channel comes back with no signal.

The system is set up this way: I'm using the "RF out" coax line on my cable box to plug into my capture card (I have Comcast cable by the way, if that makes any difference). I did try running the RF out line directly into my tv, and I get signal that way, so I know it's working. One thing I haven't tried yet is to simply bypass the cable box, and plug my capture card directly into the cable wall outlet. I'm not sure if that would do anything.

As a side bar, I also notice when I use the RF output on my cable box, I only get standard definition video. I guess it's supposed to do that. Is there a different way I can get HD video?

Thank you

[ardirtbiker]

If you are NOT using an airial antenna, the setup will be different.  I would try taking your cable IN coax direct to the 5500 card.   You will not use the terrestrial modulation, but one of the cable ones.  Since I am not using cable tv, I cannot make further recommendations.

Google is your friend.  Any other dvb-t capture card will be set up in a similar manner...someone out there has got to be capturing 'some' of the cable channels.  I think local channels are NOT encrypted, but the others are.

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[ardirtbiker]

You may get HD video if the cable tv IN is direct to the 5500 card.  If it does work. I would recommend a cable splitter to break out signal to your STB and the 5500

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[ardirtbiker]

/wiki/Connecting_Tuner_Card_To_Cable_Sat

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[ardirtbiker]

https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Connecting_Tuner_Card_To_Cable_Sat

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[jvandam87]

Thanks for the link. That was very helpful.

I've been playing around, and connecting the coax directly from the wall to the card works. However, everything from the cable company is encrypted except for a couple promotional channels. But at least I know MythTV is working. The other option I haven't tried yet is to connect my STB to my tuner card with an S-video cable, but I feel like It's going to give me the same result as when I connected the coax cable from the STB to the tuner card.

Going back to the coax cable from STB to tuner card, the above link says to keep the tuner card tuned to channel 3 and just let the STB control everything. When I go to configure my tuner card, however, I don't have the option of tuning my card to a specific channel. I'm curious if this is specifically my card that doesn't allow this, or it's a feature that's since been removed, or there is some other way of tuning the card to a specific channel?

The more research I do on this makes me wonder what other people are doing to implement TV into their LMCE systems. It would seem that ever since the cable signals started becoming encrypted, it more or less makes internal TV tuners obsolete. I also read on here somewhere recently that many of the developers no longer use MythTV. Are there alternatives out there that I could use instead of MythTV or trying to fight with decrypting a cable signal?

[ardirtbiker]

I was under the impression that cable doesn't scramble the local channels.  But I've been wrong before. 

The s-video output from the cable box should not be encrypted for all channels.  I had DirecTV and used a Hauppauge HDPVR to capture the Component out from the sat box.  It worked pretty good, mostly.  Occasional hickups were a slight inconvenience.

There should be a way to set your card to a particular channel, kind of like using a dvd player coax output into a tv set to channel 2 or 3.  I haven't tried this.

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[ardirtbiker]

With the coax output from your cable box connected to the capture card, and with the cable box ON,  go into mythtv setup and try scanning for channels.  I would think the cable box signal should be discovered.

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[Marie.O]

The more research I do on this makes me wonder what other people are doing to implement TV into their LMCE systems. It would seem that ever since the cable signals started becoming encrypted, it more or less makes internal TV tuners obsolete. I also read on here somewhere recently that many of the developers no longer use MythTV. Are there alternatives out there that I could use instead of MythTV or trying to fight with decrypting a cable signal?

I am using VDR, which is the second option inside of LinuxMCE. The original integration of MythTV was much more complete than VDR will probably ever be, but VDR has the advantage of working. Unfortunately, the support for VDR with the North American TV signals is not very high, and nobody wants to step up to the plate and take charge. Every now and then, someone comes around, and starts a plugin for some NA receiver, but most of the time the work diminishes after a year or two.

[jvandam87]

I went back and hooked up the coax cable from the STB to the tuner card, but again, no channels were found. I tried every possible scan option, but nothing came up. I also tried searching for a way to set the tuner card to channel 3, but I haven't been able to find anything.

I don't know much about VDR, but I feel like I would run into the same issues that I'm having with MythTV. I'm thinking about approaching this from a different direction. These are the three things that I keep going back to:

1. I need a decryption device. Seeing as how the cable company here has apparently encrypted every signal, even the local channels, I don't see a way around having a decryption device.
2. HD would be preferable. With the STB I have right now, I don't see how I can get an HD output from the STB to my tuner card. My understanding is the coax output and the S-video output are only standard defintion. There is an HDMI output, but I don't think I can get an HDMI output to go into the tuner card.
3. I would like to run everything through my LMCE system, including the tv. I know there are other ways outside of using LMCE that I can hook up multiple tvs in different rooms and have them watch the same or different channels at the same time, but ultimately, I'd like LMCE to be my one stop shop for all media.

So, just in the little research I've done today, I'm now leaning towards getting an HD homerun prime. With a cable card, it can decrypt the signal, it has HD output via ethernet, and it seems somewhat straightforward to incorporate it into MythTV. It looks like a handful of people on here have already tried this. Any word on what the feedback has been with this device?

[ardirtbiker]

I tried setting up VDR, but it is a daunting task to set up a DVB card for a motorized dish.  Mythtv is much more user friendly on system setup.

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[phenigma]

HDHomeRun units have been very successful for many people.  They are supported in MythTV quite easily if I remember correctly.