dvbv5-scan
dvbv5-scan is a command line frequency scanning tool for digital TV services that are compliant with version 5 of the DVB API, and backward compatable with the older v3 DVB API. It was developed as part of DVBv5 Tools suite, which resides in the v4l-utils git repositiory [1].
dvbv5-scan uses by default a new channel/service file format that it is capable of supporting all types of Digital TV standards. It can also support the legacy format used by the legacy dvb-apps.
For other dvbv5 tools, please see the main article.
A single physical channel (also called as transponder) may have several virtual channels inside it, encapsulated via a MPEG Transport stream.
Those virtual channels are called "services" in MPEG-TS terminology, and may have one or more audio/video/other elements inside.
dvbv5-scan scans for a list of physical channels/transponders and identifies if there is an MPEG-TS services available.
The dvbv5-scan tool is smart enough to retrieve the information from the MPEG-TS Network Information Table (NIT) about the availablity of other channels in the stream.
For example:
$ dvbv5-scan ~/dvbc-test Scanning frequency #1 573000000 Lock (0x1f) Quality= Good Signal= 100.00% C/N= -13.80dB UCB= 0 postBER= 3.14x10^-3 PER= 0 Service SBT, provider (null): digital television Service Globo, provider Globo: digital television Service Record, provider (null): digital television Service Band, provider (null): digital television ... Service Trilhas Sonoras, provider (null): digital radio New transponder/channel found: #2: 579000000 ... New transponder/channel found: #39: 507000000
The scan process will then scan the other 38 discovered new transponders, and generate a dvb_channel.com with several entries with will have not only the physical channel/transponder info, but also the Service ID, and the corresponding audio/video/other program IDs (PID), like:
[Globo] SERVICE_ID = 5 VIDEO_PID = 288 AUDIO_PID = 289 FREQUENCY = 573000000 MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 5247500 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A
Parameters
There are several options that could be used on dvbv5-scan:
| parameter | meaning |
|---|---|
| -3, --dvbv3 | Use DVBv3 only |
| -a, --adapter=adapter# | use given adapter (default 0) |
| -d, --demux=demux# | use given demux (default 0) |
| -f, --frontend=frontend# | use given frontend (default 0) |
| -F, --file-freqs-only | don't use the other frequencies discovered during scan |
| -G, --get_frontend | use data from get_frontend on the output file |
| -I, --input-format=format | Input format: CHANNEL, DVBV5 (default: DVBV5). The input format is case insensitive |
| -l, --lnbf=LNBf_type | type of LNBf to use. 'help' lists the available ones. The LNBf model is case insensitive |
| -N, --nit | use data from NIT table on the output file |
| -o, --output=file | output filename (default: dvb_channel.conf) |
| -O, --output-format=format | Output format: CHANNEL, ZAP, DVBV5 (default: DVBV5). The output format is case insensitive |
| -p, --parse-other-nit | Parse the other NIT/SDT tables |
| -S, --sat_number=satellite_number | satellite number. If not specified, disable DISEqC |
| -T, --timeout-multiply=factor | Multiply scan timeouts by this factor |
| -U, --freq_bpf=frequency | SCR/Unicable band-pass filter frequency to use, in kHz |
| -v, --verbose | be (very) verbose |
| -w, --lna=LNA (0, 1, -1) | enable/disable/auto LNA power |
| -W, --wait=time | adds additional wait time for DISEqC command completion |
| -?, --help | help |
| --usage | Give a short usage message |
| -V, --version | Print program version |
Please notice that, for Satellite systems, the LNBf and other corresponding settings are needed. the supported LNBf models by dvbv5-scan and dvbv5-zap are:
UNIVERSAL Europe 10800 to 11800 MHz and 11600 to 12700 MHz Dual LO, IF = lowband 9750 MHz, highband 10600 MHz DBS Expressvu, North America 12200 to 12700 MHz Single LO, IF = 11250 MHz EXTENDED Astra 1E, European Universal Ku (extended) 10700 to 11700 MHz and 11700 to 12750 MHz Dual LO, IF = lowband 9750 MHz, highband 10600 MHz STANDARD Standard 10945 to 11450 MHz Single LO, IF = 10000 MHz ENHANCED Astra 10700 to 11700 MHz Single LO, IF = 9750 MHz C-BAND Big Dish - Monopoint LNBf 3700 to 4200 MHz Single LO, IF = 5150 MHz C-MULT Big Dish - Multipoint LNBf 3700 to 4200 MHz Dual LO, Bandstacking, LO POL_R 5150 MHZ, LO POL_L 5750 MHz DISHPRO DishPro LNBf 12200 to 12700 MHz Dual LO, Bandstacking, LO POL_R 11250 MHZ, LO POL_L 14350 MHz
Other examples
example channel list:
[CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 113000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = AUTO [CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 121000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = AUTO [CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 130000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = AUTO [CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 330000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = AUTO [CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 338000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = AUTO [CHANNEL] DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A FREQUENCY = 346000000 SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = AUTO
example service list:
[Das Erste] SERVICE_ID = 28106 VIDEO_PID = 101 AUDIO_PID = 102 103 106 PID_0b = 2171 PID_06 = 105 104 84 PID_05 = 2070 FREQUENCY = 113000000 MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [Bayerisches FS Süd] SERVICE_ID = 28107 VIDEO_PID = 201 AUDIO_PID = 202 203 206 PID_0b = 2171 PID_06 = 204 PID_05 = 2178 FREQUENCY = 113000000 MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [hr-fernsehen] SERVICE_ID = 28108 VIDEO_PID = 301 AUDIO_PID = 302 303 PID_0b = 2171 PID_06 = 304 PID_05 = 2270 FREQUENCY = 113000000 MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [Bayerisches FS Nord] SERVICE_ID = 28110 VIDEO_PID = 201 AUDIO_PID = 202 203 206 PID_0b = 2171 PID_06 = 204 PID_05 = 2178 FREQUENCY = 113000000 MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [WDR Köln] SERVICE_ID = 28111 VIDEO_PID = 601 AUDIO_PID = 602 603 PID_0b = 2171 PID_06 = 604 PID_05 = 2370 FREQUENCY = 113000000 MODULATION = QAM/64 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [Planet HD] SERVICE_ID = 50003 VIDEO_PID = 6821 AUDIO_PID = 6822 FREQUENCY = 130000000 MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [13th Street HD] SERVICE_ID = 50004 VIDEO_PID = 6831 AUDIO_PID = 6832 6833 FREQUENCY = 130000000 MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A [ProSieben HD] SERVICE_ID = 50015 VIDEO_PID = 6841 AUDIO_PID = 6842 PID_06 = 6844 FREQUENCY = 130000000 MODULATION = QAM/256 INVERSION = OFF SYMBOL_RATE = 6900000 INNER_FEC = NONE DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBC/ANNEX_A