NYC DMA - Wrong sub-channel numbers - WJLPDT10 returned instead of WJLPDT1

[diana1055]

When running the python script everything works great except that it returns the wrong sub-channels. The channels on Locast are:

Call sign........Virtual Channel.............RF Channel WJLPDT1......33.1......................... ................3.1 WJLPDT2......33.2..........................................3.2 WJLPDT3......33.3..........................................3.3 WJLPDT4......33.4..........................................3.4 WJLPDT5......33.5..........................................3.5 WJLPDT8......33.8..........................................3.8 WJLPDT10...33.10.......................................3.10

However, the list returned to Plex by the script is: Call sign........Virtual Channel........... RF Channel WJLPDT10.....33.1.........................................3.10 WJLPDT2.......33.2.........................................3.2 WJLPDT3.......33.3.........................................3.3 WJLPDT4.......33.4.........................................3.4 WJLPDT5.......33.5.........................................3.5 WJLPDT8.......33.8.........................................3.8

As you can see, the script is returning WJLPDT10, when it should return WJLPDT1 and not returning WJLPDT1 at all.

I can forward any logs or perform any diagnostics you need.

Any advice you can offer to resolve this problem would be appreciated.

Thanks, Diana

[diana1055]

Thus what the channel map looks like in PLEX:

No matter what I have triedm I can't get WJLPDT1 to show up in the Device Channels.

[diana1055]

Closed by mistake.

[CTJohnK]

Given the partial Locast EPG results for DMA 501 below (listing data removed), could the issue be resolved by updating the "known_stations.json"?
If so, would the listing example below be correct based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJLP#Digital_channels ?

{"id":866,"dma":501,"stationId":"75523","name":"WJLPDT","callSign":"3.1 METVN","logoUrl":"":[],"sequence":32,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":1067186567}, {"id":867,"dma":501,"stationId":"92098","name":"WJLPDT2","callSign":"3.2 LAFF","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":33,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":1430812096}, {"id":868,"dma":501,"stationId":"99162","name":"WJLPDT3","callSign":"3.3 GRIT","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":34,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":3546339735}, {"id":869,"dma":501,"stationId":"99163","name":"WJLPDT4","callSign":"3.4 MYS","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":35,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":3546339767}, {"id":1436,"dma":501,"stationId":"111255","name":"WJLPDT5","callSign":"3.5 COURT","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":36,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":7312791843}, {"id":10000,"dma":501,"stationId":"112951","name":"WJLPDT8","callSign":"3.8 NEWS NJ","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":37,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":7917569308}, {"id":10001,"dma":501,"stationId":"105748","name":"WJLPDT10","callSign":"3.10 WJLP WX","logoUrl":"","active":true,"listings":[],"sequence":38,"logo226Url":"","tivoId":6073596066},

[ { "callSign": "WYBE", "name": "WPPT", "dma": 504, "analog": false, "rootChannel": "35", "subChannel": null }, { "callSign": "KAXT", "name": "KAXTLD", "dma": 807, "analog": false, "rootChannel": "1", "subChannel": "2" }, { "callSign": "3.1 METVN", "name": "WJLPDT", "dma": 501, "analog": false, "rootChannel": "33", "subChannel": 1 }, { "callSign": "3.2 LAFF", "name": "WJLPDT2", "dma": 501, "analog": false, "rootChannel": "33", "subChannel": 2 } ]

[diana1055]

Nice idea, but no dice. I added the stations to the known stations JSON but the script STILL doesn't return WJLPDT1/3.1. The only sub-channels that show up after a scan are 2,3,4,5,8,and 10 - no 3.1 or WJLPDT1.

It has nothing to do with EPG...the channels list returned by the scan of the Silicon Dust Tuner emulator is wrong, before we ever get to the EPG selection.

I've been trying to find a place to intervene in the code, but I'm not familiar with Python and haven't been able to find a way to force the code to ignore 3.10.

[diana1055]

Have discovered some more info. I inserted a print command inside LocastService.py to list the FCC stations found and I get 3.1 listed TWICE but no 3.10. Somewhere the subchannel value is being truncated to a single digit. This results in subchannel 10 being deduped as subchannel 1. I still haven't found where the string "WJLPDT10" is being constructed, or where the subchannel is getting truncated.

added to LocastService,py at line 280 (just before 'return stationRes'

        print(stationsRes[index]['channel'])

Output WITHOUT WJLP in known_stations.json:

Getting user's media market (DMA)... DMA found as 501 Getting list of stations based on DMA... Loading FCC Stations list... 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.1 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.4 5.5 7.1 7.2 7.3 9.1 9.3 9.4 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 13.1 13.2 14.1 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 31.1 31.2 31.3 41.1 41.2 46.1 47.1 47.2 48.1 48.2 48.3 68.1 68.2 68.3 Starting device server on 0.0.0.0:6077 Starting SSDP server...

[CTJohnK]

Looking at the code, it's not getting into the 'except' so the known_stations is not reviewed. And since the callSign is being converted into a float, the trailing zero is meaningless.

The other interesting thing is the is returning as '3.x', however according to the WJLP Wiki page (noted earlier) the channel is '33'.x

[diana1055]

Locust puts it in as channel 3 which IS their broadcast channel (i.e. they broadcast on RF channel 3 from a tower on the Condé Nast building). There is a long and controversial history of broadcast conflicts and licensing gimmicks for this channel. Bottom line, their RF channel is 3 but their virtual channel is 33. Therefore, all EPGs list it as 33.x. However, most cable systems and Locast position it as channel 3.

The core problem is simply that Locast2plex seems to be unable to correctly handle a subchannel of 10. I’ve tried tracing execution using Wing to set breakpoints but the variables are all compound objects making it close to impossible to see where to insert remediation code.

Somewhere the “second” 3.1 (which is really 3.10) overwrites the “real” 3.1.

[CTJohnK]

It appears removing 'float' allows the channel to process, however, I notice 3.5, 3.6, 3.8 and 3.10 show no channel label. This occurs with or without the 'float'.

[CTJohnK]

Never mind, I've experienced an ID-10T error, they are under '33.x'.

[diana1055]

Removing the float conversion worked. I now get 3.1 tuned correctly when I select 33.1 in Plex. I wonder if the float conversion was done for some other reason that will show up later, but for now I finally have it working correctly. Thanks for tracking down that "float" function - I hadn't noticed it.

[CTJohnK]

I reloaded DMA 501 on my test setup and re-installed the DVR in Plex. Guide appeared correctly, I'm able to watch and record those channels.

@tgorgdotcom perhaps stationsRes[index]['channel'] = float(locast_station['callSign'].split()[0]) can be changed to stationsRes[index]['channel'] = (locast_station['callSign'].split()[0]) in LocastService.py for the next release or do you see an issue with that change long-term?

[diana1055]

All I needed to do was relaunch Locast2plex and then re-scan channels in Plex and everything just fell into place. 3.1 showed up correctly in the device channels, and WJLPDT10 unmapped to a guide channel (my choice).

[CTJohnK]

Off topic, but how do you get Locast2Plex to re-scan? When I go back into the DVR config, it reports it cannot connect to Locast2Plex, but it always works, i.e. I can watch and record. Only way I can rescan and setup the channel list is to delete the DVR and re-add it.

If we had gone down to Ocean Beach, NJ this summer, WJLPDT10 would have been handy; I left that off my listing as well.

[diana1055]

IIRC the device settings and channel map link both started working when I installed PLEX beta 1.30.1.3232:

As you can see, I also updated the template to provide 4 tuners - had them all recording yesterday. I switched to the Secaucus OTA guide because the NY EPG listed WJLP as 33.1-1 which made it sort to the end of 33.x channels. (These are all using PLEX's EPG - I had Listings Direct running for a few days, but couldn't get the channel logos to load and had run into the Plex bug regarding large XMLTV files that was fixed in the current beta (1.20.1.3252). When I have time, I'll update Plex and try LD again.

[diana1055]

So far 1.20.1.3252 is solid. I was able to load a full 15 day guide from LD and load it up in PLEX. I had to configure the program to use web links for channel logos - trying to download them and load them from disk wasn’t working.

[tgorgdotcom]

I merged in a fix from FozzieBear for the incorrect channel detection, Hope that works @CTJohnK - I've noticed that Plex is finicky with Locast2Plex in that regard. I don't quite know why, but it's something I can look into.

[deathbybandaid]

I've made headway on retrieving the EPG from Locast directly, and then converting it to xmltv format. I'll check, but that may fix this.

[deathbybandaid]

I checked, and verified that my new system for creating xmltv.xml from Locasts API will fix this.

[tgorgdotcom]

I think this is already fixed -- but it's not in a tagged release yet.

[deathbybandaid]

I think my local copy is just git cloned master, and not fixed.

[deathbybandaid]

Locast legitimately has channels labeled as 3.x instead of 33.x

[tgorgdotcom]

Oh, that's right. I thought we were talking about the subchannel float issue, rather than the incorrect channel issue. Sorry for the confusion...