New setup finding many duplicate channels

Mark Brown

Having searched widely, I can't seem to fix this problem. Nothing I try works.
The question:
is there a way to scan and just have 1 of each channel?
Ideally that with the strongest signal.

TVH Build: 4.2.8-36 ~ LibreELEC Tvh-addon v12.0.0.0 (2024-04-24T15:17:38+0000)
Kodi Omega 21.1.0 Git:21.1 compiled 2024-08-18
Running on RPi4 64 LE 12.0.1LE

Having used this setup for many years in 3 previous locations without a problem (began with my first RPI 2).
I have just moved to the Gold Coast, Australia. Setting up my system.

The problem is that I end up with many duplicate channels, up to 18, and failed recordings. When it does manage to record, it will record 2 of the same program.
At this stage I only have 2 tuners, so that means only 1 program is recorded at any time.
(normally I run up to 6 tuners, but the rest are still packed).

In this location there are 2 towers nearby that are picked up on all my systems - TV, 2 Tivo's, 1 Fetch, and this RPi.

When I scan using DVP-T Network Australia: au-Gold Coast
It shows 8 muxes, but no channels

When I scan using DVP-T Network --Generic--: auto-Australia
Muxes 100, Services 168, Mapp 168

But many duplicate channels:
8 X 10 HD
10 ABC TV
10 SBS ONE
10 X 10 HD Gold Coast
18 7 Gold Coast
ETC

I tried with the newish LE app TVH-Quick-Start-main.zip, but it only lists au-Gold Coast and finds no channels (I'll le the developer of that know)

So dealing with each problem separately.

Firstly, is there a way to scan and just have 1 of each channel?
Ideally that with the strongest signal.

Thanks,
Mark

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown (I'll let the developer of that know)

That's me!

TVH uses some third party mux files to determine which frequencies to scan. It sounds like the file for the Gold Coast is incorrect. Unfortunately, TVH has no direct control over the content of those files.

Have you read the following thread on the LE forum?

https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/28698-getting-tvheadend-to-work/?postID=194869#post194869

If you are willing to experiment, perhaps we could try to build a correct file for the Gold Coast.

DeltaMikeCharlie

@ Mark Brown - Try this:

Download and unzip the attached file.
On your LibreELEC box, copy the unzipped file into /storage/.kodi/addons/service.tvheadend42/dvb-scan/dvb-t/.
Reboot.
Rescan selecting the updated file as your location.

au-goldcoast2024-09-19.zip

747B

The commercial networks will be duplicated, but only because of Seven/Prime, etc. ABC and SBS should not be duplicated.

Let me know how it goes. There could still be some fine-tuning required.

Mark Brown

Many thanks!!! Big improvement, almost there.
There are 3 fails in muxes:
613.5 SBS
627.5 Seven
788.5 (not sure what this is)

But the Seven channels are showing in services.
The only missing channels are the SBS channels. On Aust-all I was getting all SBS channels (e.g. SBS One x10)

Don't really know what to do.

Though I don't really know what I'm doing, I tried adding muxes manually from other towers:
Currumbin SBS 676.500 result 'fail'
Canungra SBS 564.5 result 'fail'

Always one to experiment, but run out of time for now. I'll look at it again later today.

Appreciate your help and efforts,
Mark

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown Don't really know what to do.

Which is you closest transmitter?
Perhaps Mount Tamborine is not the best for you.

https://ozdigitaltv.com/transmitters/QLD/165-Mount-Tamborine

Springbrook servicing Murwillumbah
Currumbin servicing Currumbin
Maroon servicing Maroon
Kooralbyn servicing Kooralbyn
Rathdowney servicing Rathdowney
Mount Tamborine servicing Canungra
Darlington Range servicing Brisbane South East

Also, do you know how to telnet to your LibreELEC box? If so, perhaps you could use a utility to manually scan to find which frequencies you can actually receive.

An alternative could be to do the 'Full Australia' scan and see what frequencies get used for which networks. From that, we could try to narrow down the right frequencies.

Mark Brown 788.5 (not sure what this is)
This is UHF 65.

Mark Brown

Quick note:

At central GC close to the coast, near Pacific Fair.
Yes SSH often using Kitty.
Reasonably proficient at general Unix - have 4 RPi's doing different things.
What "utility to manually scan" could I use.

Cheers ...

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown near Pacific Fair.

From the map, Mount Tamborine would seem to be your best bet.

Mark Brown What "utility to manually scan" could I use.

From Kodi, install the LibreELEC 'DVB Tools'. I get it on my x64 LE, I'm not sure if there is a Raspberry Pi version.

There is a utility called w_scan.

https://docs.tvheadend.org/documentation/setup/muxes-scan-files/using-w_scan-scan-files

You will need to stop the TVH service before you run w_scan. Either use systemctl or stop the addon via Kodi.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Something was bugging me about the auto-Australia option and I just worked it out.

I get some duplicates too when I use auto-Australia. I think that it is because some of the frequencies are close enough for a scan to pick up both optons.

FREQUENCY = 177500000
FREQUENCY = 177625000
FREQUENCY = 184500000
FREQUENCY = 184625000
FREQUENCY = 191500000
FREQUENCY = 191625000
etc

Perhaps removing all of the '625' frequencies could remove the duplicates. I have not tested this.

DeltaMikeCharlie

You could try the attached au-All. I get no duplicates with this one in Sydney.

au-all.zip

630B

Mark Brown

Testing now

Mark Brown

Tried au-all. Yes much better - e.g. SBS working, some duplicates.
Checked settings in 613.5 and 627.5 muxes which had "fail" on au-goldcoast2024-09-19
Found variation: Guard interval1/16 & FEC high 3/4

So went back to using au-goldcoast2024-09-19, scanned:
edited 613.5 and 627.5 Guard interval1/16 & FEC high 3/4, all other items were the same.
That got it. Now have SBS channels. :-)

But on first test record it is double recoding. So I stopped the recording and deleted the top one. It deleted both.
So now that is the next problem. The double recording.

I'll come back to it later in the day.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Good to hear that you are making process. Once we get this sorted, we will need to flag the exact answer for other Gold Coast users to benefit from.

How many muxes do you now have in total that have scanned services?
Could it be that you are getting some extra services from a transmitter that is close enough?

The double recording is odd. How do you start the recording and where do you see that duplicate recordings are occurring?

Mark Brown

DeltaMikeCharlie Good to hear that you are making process. Once we get this sorted, we will need to flag the exact answer for other Gold Coast users to benefit from.

Yes absolutely. be great to have it sorted for all to benefit.

How many muxes do you now have in total that have scanned services?

8 in total, no double up here.

Could it be that you are getting some extra services from a transmitter that is close enough?

It is possible. The system I'm using is unchanged from my past location. This problem did not occur.
But there are at least 2 towers here. Antenna appears to point to Mt Tamborine.

The double recording is odd. How do you start the recording and where do you see that duplicate recordings are occurring?

Experimenting. I've tried through the online interface. + autorec. Plus direct via kodi - timers, timer rules.
Same double recording for all.

The channel list shows the named channels without duplicates + a number of "name not set".
I'm sure I remember this from previous installations.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown 8 in total, no double up here.

That seems to be correct for Mount Tambourine.

All of the 'city' networks plus the 3 regional commercial affiliates.

https://ozdigitaltv.com/transmitters/QLD/165-Mount-Tamborine

Mark Brown a number of "name not set"

Can you trace these channels back to the TVH WebUI and see where these are coming from?

Mark Brown Experimenting.

OK, but when you schedule one recording/rule/etc, do you end up with multiple finished recordings, or do you start off with multiple scheduled recordings that give multiple finished recordings?

Do the duplicate recordings happen on ABC and SBS or only the commercial networks?
Do the duplicate recordings occur across Seven/Prime pairs, for example?

Mark Brown

DeltaMikeCharlie Can you trace these channels back to the TVH WebUI and see where these are coming from?

Not sure how to do this. I do a lot with TVH WebUI, but can't see this info so far. Will take another look.

OK, but when you schedule one recording/rule/etc, do you end up with multiple finished recordings, or do you start off with multiple scheduled recordings that give multiple finished recordings?
Do the duplicate recordings happen on ABC and SBS or only the commercial networks?
Do the duplicate recordings occur across Seven/Prime pairs, for example?

Yes, all channels that I have tried.
DVD Inputs channel list does have some with duplicates, but all record double no matter how many are listed:

SBS x1
ABC x 2
7 GC x4
7HD GC x1

All record x 2, and both are deleted when 1 is deleted.

Mark Brown

DeltaMikeCharlie All of the 'city' networks plus the 3 regional commercial affiliates.

Big congrats on helping sort this out. All GC Kodi users will benefit.
Can this now provided to Kodi so this it becomes the default?

Mark Brown

Mark Brown ABC x 2

In the DVD Inputs channel list I unticked enabled on the second ABC. So now just one ABC is enabled. Started a recording. Result = Rage x 2.
Again, deleted the top recording and both deleted.

(I better come back to this later today)

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown Not sure how to do this. I do a lot with TVH WebUI, but can't see this info so far.

Make sure that in Configuration -> General -> Base, that your 'Default view level' is set to 'Expert'.

Go to Configuration -> Channel/EPG -> Channels and look at the channel name column. Are there any that are empty or otherwise odd looking.

I would be keen to know how your channels match to your services.

In Configuration -> Channel/EPG -> Channels, how many channels do you have?
In Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> Services, how many services do you have?

In each Channel, how many Services are assigned?

Mark Brown

DeltaMikeCharlie In Configuration -> Channel/EPG -> Channels, how many channels do you have?

256

In Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> Services, how many services do you have?

In each Channel, how many Services are assigned?

DeltaMikeCharlie

Mark Brown Big congrats on helping sort this out. All GC Kodi users will benefit.

Can you please confirm which scan file actually worked for you and which changes you had to make.
Perhaps a screenshot from Config -> DVB Inputs -> Muxes.

Mark Brown Can this now provided to Kodi so this it becomes the default?

That's the tough bit. The scan files are not maintained by TVH, they are maintained by a third party that is by all reports, minimally responsive. The best that we could probably do is post the scan file here and perhaps on the LibreELEC forum and hope that people will see it.

We can TRY to get the upstream repository updated, but don't hold your breath.

I would probably try to create a new scan file called au-GoldCoast_Mount_Tamborine (or whatever).

Mark Brown

DeltaMikeCharlie Can you please confirm which scan file actually worked for you and which changes you had to make.

au-goldcoast2024-09-19
Edited muxes for 613.5 and 627.5 (which originally had "fail")
to:
Found variation: Guard interval 1/16
FEC high 3/4

Perhaps a screenshot from Config -> DVB Inputs -> Muxes.

(over and out from me for now :-) )