GEOSATpro microHD: Tuning the New Movies! Channel on 101w C-band TP Freq. 3961

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SatelliteAV

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Now that Lyngsat has listed this new Movies! channel, we are free to discuss an issue in the public forum.

Several users have reported an problem with watching the Movies! service on TP Frequency 3961. The channel is displayed the first time the channel is viewed, but then after watching Me TV on transponder frequency 3974 the 3961 Movies! channel when selected now is black with no Video or Audio and the V and A PIDs have changed.

At first I thought that the PIDs were not correctly saved, but after analyzing the user database file, I have determined that the data is saved correctly, but it is being updated when returning to watch the channel. Narrowed down part of the problem... and rarely would I call this a problem. The tuner might be a little too sensitive on the microHD and the AFT circuit might be set too wide! :D

Both of these can be called "Strengths" and "Features" of the microHD, except when the planets align....

The problem appears to be that there are now two channels are using the same polarity, both are identified as SID #1 and the transponders are only separated by 13MHz. When the microHD retunes the new channel on 3961MHz, the tables from 3974 update the PIDs. This is usually not a problem as broadcasters on adjacent transponders typically do not use the same SID or PIDs to avoid this type of issue.

When we either attenuate the IF signal or narrow the automatic fine tuning circuit, the tuner does not attempt to lock onto the ME TV transponder when tuning Movie! channel and the table does not update with new PIDs.

We may chose to update the firmware to narrow the AFT circuit or provide a SID lock feature to prevent PID updating. Reviewing the options and will announce in a few days the best solution that we will implement.
 
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Looking forward to your solution.
 
I would have thought ThisTV to be more a problem only 8mhz away and the exact same SR (2734) and FEC.
 
I would have thought ThisTV to be more a problem only 8mhz away and the exact same SR (2734) and FEC.

It could be, but This TV is a weaker TP in our region as compared to the very strong ME TV Mux. I have only observed the This TV PIDs infrequently populate and only if the dish is peaked for this TP.
 
Yes, ME is stronger than ThisTV here as well and both are stronger than Movies. I would hate to alter the performance of microHD. I could put up with using an editor to fix this kind of thing when it comes up. If it had to be, I vote to narrow the AFT.
 
Ah!, that's pretty much the exact issue I thought was going on, and mentioned in one of my postings in the Feed thread. I thought it odd that Movies! had all the same specs as Metv1, while being so close in transponder frequencies.

It would be interesting IF you could somehow come up with a firmware that could allow you to lock the SID through a toggled menu setting. That might be the best way to go about it in this case. After all, how many times would a scenario such as this one be likely to happen again? Even so, permanently detuning the MicroHD or anything of that scenario might not be in everybodies best interest going forward, so the lock feature seems a better solution if possible.

Brian, I'm sure you'll do whatever is best going forward
 
I used MediaBox Editor to [FONT=&quot]set the VPID to 656 / APID 658 / PCR 656 and set the SID to 0 and seems to be working fine.
[/FONT]
 
I used MediaBox Editor to [FONT="]set the VPID to 656 / APID 658 / PCR 656 and set the SID to 0 and seems to be working fine.
[/FONT]

Can you explain the steps to do this, as I've never used a channel editor as of yet. I'm concerned that I'd have to re-do a bunch of settings afterwards. I heard that doesn't import your settings as to switch and such?

Thanks!
 
Can you explain the steps to do this, as I've never used a channel editor as of yet. I'm concerned that I'd have to re-do a bunch of settings afterwards. I heard that doesn't import your settings as to switch and such?

Thanks!

In your case, use the microHD version of the ALI Editor. Switch and motor settings will be retained and only the USALS Longitude and Latitude will need to be entered.
 
I have never used MediaBox or the Ali Editor before today, so I am pretty new at editing these particular files. I did notice that I had to re-select my satellite list and reset the motor functions after I used MediaBox. Not a big problem, just a little extra time to get it running again. I will experiment with the Ali Editor this afternoon to see which one is easier to use.
 
The steps I took for MediaBox Editor:
After setup go to Options and select English.
Step 1
File – “Importa”
Step 2
Select “GSP microHD” in the Import window, then browse thelocation of your USERDB.UDF file.
Step 3
After import, locate the channel to edit, right click then “Modify”. Save your file than zap it back to microHD.
 
Ali Editor very easy to use as well.
Ali Editor Steps:
File – Open, browse location for USERDB.UDF
Expand “All Services” then expand “Satellite Information”
Locate “101w C SES1” then locate the channel you want to edit.
 
Ali Editor very easy to use as well.
Ali Editor Steps:
File – Open, browse location for USERDB.UDF
Expand “All Services” then expand “Satellite Information”
Locate “101w C SES1” then locate the channel you want to edit.

I had a wedding to go to out of town so was gone a couple days. I made this change to my userdb.udf file, but haven't had a chance to load it back to the MicroHD as of yet. When I do so, it won't erase my timer settings and such, right?
 
I did not notice changes to my timer settings. Everything is OK with Ali Editor. MediaBox Editor somehow deselected a few of my satellite selections and motor settings, but otherwise they both work pretty good.
 
I did not notice changes to my timer settings. Everything is OK with Ali Editor. MediaBox Editor somehow deselected a few of my satellite selections and motor settings, but otherwise they both work pretty good.

Cool, after my timers finish recording tonight, I'm going to load it with the fixed settings for Movies!. Thanks!
 
Ok, I reloaded my userdb.udf file after changing the sid for the Movies! channel to 0 (zero). It was awesome! I used the Alieditor, so I didn't have to re-enter any settings, even USALS. It worked well, and the Movies! channel now stays even after switching channels. I was scared to try this since some users have done so and caused their receivers to boot-loop. However, I followed the instructions as Brian laid them out in the stickie, and it all went perfect!

I am happy, and now no longer worried about having to make any other changes the same way if needed in the future.

Thanks guys!

p.s. Whoops! Ok, I saw one issue: the time on the receiver changed to the time last Thursday that I actually saved the file to the usb drive before modifying it on my pc. I was going out of town, so couldn't reload it right away. No big deal though, as it was easily corrected.
 
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I noticed that it didn't always change back and sometimes it took a couple of days for me. I simply changed the SID to 0 with the editor just like I have done with plenty of other channels that I didn't want reverting after a fresh scan.

I would rather solve it this way since this maybe an isolated case where this could occur than making the tuner somehow less sensitive.
 
Ah!, that's pretty much the exact issue I thought was going on, and mentioned in one of my postings in the Feed thread. I thought it odd that Movies! had all the same specs as Metv1, while being so close in transponder frequencies.

It would be interesting IF you could somehow come up with a firmware that could allow you to lock the SID through a toggled menu setting. That might be the best way to go about it in this case. After all, how many times would a scenario such as this one be likely to happen again? Even so, permanently detuning the MicroHD or anything of that scenario might not be in everybodies best interest going forward, so the lock feature seems a better solution if possible.

Brian, I'm sure you'll do whatever is best going forward

manual entry of a couple of things be a good idea.
 
Set the TP information manually, scanned, black display; then performed a blind normal scan, Bingo! Full signal now, no need to edit anything
The blind scan also found two channels that I never saw before and no yet in Lyngsat:

-Telever MPEG4 @ 3934/H/1562 PID: V 101/A 256/ P 8190 FEC 7/8 QPSK


-Telesystema 1 TV @ 3927/H/3124/ PID: V308/A256/P308 FEC: 7/8 QPSK
 
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