[stampeder]

For those of you using a Windows-based HTPC for watching ATSC DTV have you heard of the amazing TSReader tool and do you use it? TSReader Lite is free of charge, and there are two higher versions for purchase.

TSReader not only let's you watch digital OTA channels from your ATSC card but it also can dump statistics and important diagnostic info from a station's digital stream into a readable text format.

If you are unfamiliar with TSReader, please look into it because there is a need for users to help with accumulating reports on their Canadian ATSC stations.

Please take the poll.

 

[majortom]

Buffalo TSReader Report

I can definitely grab all of the Buffalo stuff for them myself here, but I can only receive CBLT and CHCH reliably over here in the Buffalo area.

Can anyone else with a PC Tuner and TsReader help and pitch in a few CPU cycles / Mouse clicks to help these guys out? I was gonna post mine up on Google Docs and just share the link with them here. Let's pitch in an help these guys out 'eh

Report from Buffalo

mt

 

[majortom]

Figures 2 days later there would be a notable change...
WNYB, a TCT affiliate added a 3rd channel this AM.
So, we're now regularly scanning in 24 Digital Channels here.

The list is still growing. A year ago there were only 18 to scan in regularly.

Report from Buffalo 01292011

 

[pnear]

Could I get a little more background as to the data we're trying to compile? I know and love TSReader, happy to help, but what are we helping with?

Maybe there's another thread that I've missed, from this thread alone I'm not sure what you need from me.

Pete

 

[Trip]

The data in question consists of HTML Exports from TSReader from the various OTA stations in Canada. The data is easily captured in TSReader Lite from the Export menu.

- Trip

 

[pnear]

Right, but why?

Are we trying to compile a newer list of stations per area? Trying to pinpoint more specific info about an exact lat/long, trying to update an existing list/thread that I'm not aware of?

Cheers,
Pete

 

[stampeder]

As I understand it, the hope is that an "almost real time" status and performance data report for certain stations could be offered over the web.

 

[majortom]

just one example of keepin tabs on the various stations
real world example usage:

 

[El Gran Chico]

Wish I could help but ....

I used to be a regular TSreader user and posted results quite regularly in the OTA forum. Then my 10 year old PC running XP became too slow for the things I was trying to do, and of course when I replaced it with a new PC, it came with Windows 7.

Unfortunately, I see TSreader will only run on XP (or has this changed recently?).

 

[NineBall]

I last used it several months back on a Windows 7 64-bit laptop with no problems.

PS. I voted no to contributing just based on the fact that I don't really spend time on PC at home (HTPC for viewing and laptop for programming). I only had the antenna hooked up to the laptop temporarily for alignment through a 950q and don't use a keyboard/mouse with the HTPC. If there was a purposed central site that we contributed to as pnear was pointing out and someone wrote a script/exe to execute TSReader automatically to generate the report and then upload results to said site, I would totally be in.

 

[majortom]

Some TSReader dumps from some recent Dx / Tropo

 

[wilspin]

Where would I submit this data to? Will the free version suffice?

 

[majortom]

hi wilspin,

I've just been sharing links to them via google docs and wuala.com
since my google docs has been getting filled up lately.
Yeah, the free version will let you export to HTML also.
Suppose ya could also just compress them with winzip,
and email them to Rabbitears.info. I prefer to share the link in
case I ever wanna go back and just browse them I can.

 

[majortom]

Unfortunately, I see TSreader will only run on XP (or has this changed recently?).

ElGranChico,
I think that might be dependent on the specific tuner your using.
For instance, the Windows 7 driver that gets loaded in mine gets some generic driver loaded via pnp, as opposed to the vendor provided driver that used to get loaded in XP. My tuner works with TSReader in Windows 7, but for some reason wouldn't let me tune anything outside of the VHF Hi range in TSReader's tuning dialog. I never did figure that out. My other tuner which uses different drivers didn't experience that issue, even though I use the same TSReader Source DLL for both.

In the end, I ditched Windows in favor of linux on my main pc anyway, (I can still run TSReader under wine). I still have an old laptop that I have around with XP. Been using that for the OTA html exports lately.

 

[wilspin]

I am using it on win 7 64 bit seem to work fine except that sometimes it thinks all stations have 1 WIVB and shows a sub channel for it. Who are these rabbit ear people? Related to this site? Also till the CDN TV guys bump up thier signal all I get here is CBC 20-1 rest are USA.

 

[majortom]

Trip is one, might be others hangin around too, dunno...
contributes here quite a bit.

 

[wilspin]

Here is one of those glitches in TSreader on TCT26 prog #3 ;
Program Association Table
PAT Version Number: 1
Transport Stream ID: 2153 (0x0869)

PMT PID 48 (0x0030) - Program 3 WGRZ-RT EIT Link
PMT PID 64 (0x0040) - Program 4 WNYB-HD EIT Link
PMT PID 80 (0x0050) - Program 5 WNYBSD2 EIT Link
PMT PID 96 (0x0060) - Program 6 WNYBSD3 EIT Link

 

[Trip]

Where would I submit this data to? Will the free version suffice?

Free version is fine. majortom's just been uploading them, which is fine. E-mail works too.

I am using it on win 7 64 bit seem to work fine except that sometimes it thinks all stations have 1 WIVB and shows a sub channel for it.

I have a tuner that does that on XP 32-bit once in a while. I think it's a driver issue; a computer restart always clears it up.

Who are these rabbit ear people? Related to this site?

http://www.rabbitears.info

I've got a link to DigitalHome on all my site's pages, but I'm not directly related.

- Trip

 

[majortom]

updated buffalo tsreader dumps, considering WNYB and WNGS added
a 4th sub-channel recently.

 

[wilspin]

Thanks Trip. So I think I am ready to capture this information for Canadian stations when they move to full power. I am not clear on where to upload or email them too. MajorTom is using a public storage site. I take it that I need to provide this also.