Topic: I lost all my TV-channel settings (Read 6644 times)

Berto · « **on:** February 28, 2005, 04:02:54 am »

I installed build 11.0.199 and as far as I know this was the first time all my TV channel settings were gone. I had to scan and override all the frequencies of my TV-channels and rename them.
Is this a bug? How can I avoid this with future builds?

Alex B · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:06:08 am »

I have installed 11.0.196 back. My TV channels survived the 198 & 199 builds, but I didn't start TV with them. I don't know if something would have happened.

The channel information is kept in the Windows registry. I would like to have an option for saving the channel information to a file and for loading it back. That would be useful in many occasions, e.g. when reinstalling Windows and/or MC.

Alex B · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:25:54 am »

The registry branch is this: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels.

You can export it to a .reg file with Regedit.

Of course it would be better to have an internal solution.

Berto · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:32:32 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 04:25:54 am

The registry branch is this: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels.

You can export it to a .reg file with Regedit.

Of course it would be better to have an internal solution.

I know of the registry-branch in which the TV-channel information is saved. But I don't see any information there about the frequency of the TV-channels. And that's just what I have lost after installing the latest build of MC.

Berto · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:36:53 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 04:25:54 am

The registry branch is this: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels.

You can export it to a .reg file with Regedit.

Of course it would be better to have an internal solution.

In the registry there is also a branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\Properties\TV Channels. What is that then? As far as I can see it has the same information as the branch you named.

Alex B · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2005, 05:38:19 am »

Quote from: Berto on February 28, 2005, 04:32:32 am

I know of the registry-branch in which the TV-channel information is saved. But I don't see any information there about the frequency of the TV-channels. And that's just what I have lost after installing the latest build of MC.

I suppose it's tied with the channel numbers. As far as I know MC doesn't have manual fine tuning for frequencies. I don't know if that is TV card specific.

Quote from: Berto on February 28, 2005, 04:36:53 am

In the registry there is also a branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\Properties\TV Channels. What is that then? As far as I can see it has the same information as the branch you named.

The other branch seems to be identical. I have no idea why it's there twice.

Berto · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2005, 06:45:05 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 05:38:19 am

I suppose it's tied with the channel numbers. As far as I know MC doesn't have manual fine tuning for frequencies. I don't know if that is TV card specific.

I can finetune the channel frequencies in MC. I have a Hauppauge PVR 350. I must finetune the TV-channels because the frequencies MC finds with Autoscan are not correct.

Alex B · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:34:21 am »

OK, I found the Frequency Override. I haven't noticed it before. I have a quite generic Brooktree TV card (Hercules Smart TV Nicam Stereo). Some channels are a bit noisy, perhaps I should try to finetune them.

I noticed by reading these threads that this is not the first time you have lost your TV channels.

I hope Yaobing will give us a backup possibility. I don't think it would be difficult to implement.

Berto · « **Reply #8 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:17:39 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 07:34:21 am

OK, I found the Frequency Override. I haven't noticed it before. I have a quite generic Brooktree TV card (Hercules Smart TV Nicam Stereo). Some channels are a bit noisy, perhaps I should try to finetune them.

I noticed by reading these threads that this is not the first time you have lost your TV channels.

I hope Yaobing will give us a backup possibility. I don't think it would be difficult to implement.

Once I had to fully deinstall and reinstall MC. Then ofcourse I lost all my settings. Then Yaobing told me of the registry-branch where the TV-channel settings are being saved.
I never had to use the backup of that registry-branch when I installed a new build of MC over the previous one. My TV-channel settings were always there. But after installing the latest build all my TV-channel settings suddenly were gone. Importing the backup of the registry-branch didn't help.

Yaobing · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:31:53 am »

Alex and Berto,

I hope the following will answer your questions, at least partially:

1. Frequency override is saved in a registry key under Microsoft. Here is the location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TV System Services\TVAutoTune\TS#-?

where # is your "Country Code" (1 for USA, 31 for the Netherlands etc.) and ? is 0 for antenna, 1 for cable. Notice that this is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE whereas the regular TV channel information for MC is saved under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Media Center does not mess with that key unless you actually carry out the "Frequency override" procedure. So I do not know why you would lose that information. You may want to backup that registry key for the future.

2. The correct location for TV channels, as you already know, is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels

If you also have a digital TV card, the digital TV channels are in a separate location, at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\Digital Channels.

The other location you referred to,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\Properties\TV Channels
is an artifact of older version, as well as some weird implementation details. Even though the information under that key actually duplicates the information under the two keys (for analog and digital) above, it is volatile. Thus you (as a user) should just ignore that key.

Yaobing · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:41:19 am »

Quote from: Berto on February 28, 2005, 08:17:39 am

Once I had to fully deinstall and reinstall MC. Then ofcourse I lost all my settings. Then Yaobing told me of the registry-branch where the TV-channel settings are being saved.
I never had to use the backup of that registry-branch when I installed a new build of MC over the previous one. My TV-channel settings were always there. But after installing the latest build all my TV-channel settings suddenly were gone. Importing the backup of the registry-branch didn't help.

Berto,

The channel information saved under "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels" only consists of a list of channels and their station names (if you entered any, otherwise just generic station names like "Channel 2"). Restoring the backup info for that key would only do as much. I got the impression after reading your other posts that when you said "TV-channel settings suddenly were gone" you mean your frequency info was gone. If that is the case, as I explained in my previous post, it is likely something else may have caused the problem.

Berto · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:51:13 am »

Quote from: Yaobing on February 28, 2005, 08:41:19 am

Berto,

The channel information saved under "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Center 11\TV Settings\TV Channels" only consists of a list of channels and their station names (if you entered any, otherwise just generic station names like "Channel 2"). Restoring the backup info for that key would only do as much. I got the impression after reading your other posts that when you said "TV-channel settings suddenly were gone" you mean your frequency info was gone. If that is the case, as I explained in my previous post, it is likely something else may have caused the problem.

Indeed I mean the frequency info was gone. I don't know of what else may have caused that problem. But then my question is where does MC save the frequency info if not in the registry?

Yaobing · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:59:08 am »

Quote from: Berto on February 28, 2005, 08:51:13 am

But then my question is where does MC save the frequency info if not in the registry?

I should have been clearer. MC does save the frequency info if and only if you do a Frequency Override. In that case, the info is saved in the Microsoft key under HKLM, not under HKCU\JRiver\...

Microsoft provides that registry location for applications such as MC to do frequency override. Once the info is saved there, Microsoft's DirectShow (on which JRiver's TV program is based), will use the info for tuning. Media Center does not use the frequency for tuning. MC only tells DirectShow to tune to "channel x", DirectShow would use its internal table, or the info in Freq. Override (if available), to decide which freq. to use.

Alex B · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:19:28 am »

Thanks for your answers. I understand it better now.

How about the backup option? Could there be buttons like "Save the configuration to a file" and "Load the configuration from a file"? It could be useful also if the TV is used with several antenna connections that have different TV channels (cable, aerial, satellite) or if the PC is moved between different locations.

The backup could also save the MS key. Actually, there could be a checkbox for it: "Include Frequency Override".

Many programs have this kind of options for saving laborious configuration processes.

Berto · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:27:35 am »

Quote from: Yaobing on February 28, 2005, 08:59:08 am

I should have been clearer. MC does save the frequency info if and only if you do a Frequency Override. In that case, the info is saved in the Microsoft key under HKLM.

In which registry-branch or -key exactly? I can't find it.

Yaobing · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:28:14 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 09:19:28 am

How about the backup option?

It is a good idea, at least in principle. I may add it sometime in the future. The only things that prevent me from immediate action on this are: 1. Other more urgent thing to do (as dictated by Jim and Matt); 2. Concern that too many options would clutter the configuration window. Someone would prefer simpler interface while someone would prefer more control.

Yaobing · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:29:22 am »

Quote from: Berto on February 28, 2005, 09:27:35 am

In which registry-branch or -key exactly? I can't find it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TV System Services\TVAutoTune\TS#-?

where # is your "Country Code" (1 for USA, 31 for the Netherlands etc.) and ? is 0 for antenna, 1 for cable.

Berto · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:34:08 am »

Quote from: Yaobing on February 28, 2005, 09:29:22 am

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TV System Services\TVAutoTune\TS#-?

where # is your "Country Code" (1 for USA, 31 for the Netherlands etc.) and ? is 0 for antenna, 1 for cable.

Thanks Yaobing

Yaobing · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:45:23 am »

By the way, if you have to override the frequencies of a large number of channels, and the information is available for you to mass copy (such as copying from certain web page), then you may consider the following approach:

There is a file in "Media Center 11\TV" folder named Frequencies.txt. Open it in a text editor and see if there are listings for your country. Check the frequencies there and if they need to be changed, change them. If you can not find a table under your country name, you can add one. Make sure you keep the format the the information exactly shown in the file (see the top of the file for format info). Save the file and then run Frequency Override from MC TV. The program will use the info in the file first. You can still manually adjust individual frequencies. Any manual adjustment goes to the registry, not to the file. Microsoft only retrieves the info from the registry.

Alex B · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:49:08 am »

Berto,

do you have XP and the System Restore active? I have many times restored my previous OS configuration when something went wrong. Usually I make a restore point before changes to my system.

Yaobing,

I look forward to seeing a backup option in the future. I may drop a description or screen capture here if stumble on nicely implemented "save configuration" option.

Berto · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2005, 09:53:10 am »

Quote from: Alex B on February 28, 2005, 09:49:08 am

Berto,

do you have XP and the System Restore active? I have many times restored my previous OS configuration when something went wrong. Usually I make a restore point before changes to my system.

Yes, but I don't make restore points at every install of a new build of MC. I have manually added my TV-channel names and frequencies now.

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Author Topic: I lost all my TV-channel settings (Read 6644 times)