VM free to air channels

Hi, I am curious to see if I can get some free to air channels from my Virgin line, I currently don't have a TV service from Virgin, but I do have the cable, etc. I have tried plugging a cable into my DVB-C PC card and scanning for channels but it detects nothing, I have inserted the, what I think, correct frequency for me (I'm in Orpington) so used 666750, but still get nothing. I am on Ubuntu, TVHeadend, TBS6281SE with correctly loaded DVB-C drivers, etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction please, anyway I can test to see if I am getting a signal, etc?

Kind regards.

satnav1234 said:

Hi, I am curious to see if I can get some free to air channels from my Virgin line, I currently don't have a TV service from Virgin, but I do have the cable, etc. I have tried plugging a cable into my DVB-C PC card and scanning for channels but it detects nothing, I have inserted the, what I think, correct frequency for me (I'm in Orpington) so used 666750, but still get nothing. I am on Ubuntu, TVHeadend, TBS6281SE with correctly loaded DVB-C drivers, etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction please, anyway I can test to see if I am getting a signal, etc?

Kind regards.

Click to expand...

Try different qam values.

It may not be connected at the junction box

JonMMM said:

It may not be connected at the junction box

Click to expand...

I have working internet, so I know the 'line' is active. What else can I check?

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Ferret said:

Try different qam values.

Click to expand...

Does VM use 256 QAM?

Not sure if any channels are unscrambled, but you should be able to scan for them just not clear them so something is wrong on your set up

JonMMM said:

Not sure if any channels are unscrambled, but you should be able to scan for them just not clear them so something is wrong on your set up

Click to expand...

Is there a Linux / Ubuntu application I can run to check for channels, etc (so I can rule out TVHeadend)?

satnav1234 said:

I have working internet, so I know the 'line' is active. What else can I check?

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Does VM use 256 QAM?

Click to expand...

yes m8..............

satnav1234 said:

I have working internet, so I know the 'line' is active. What else can I check?

- - - Updated - - -


Does VM use 256 QAM?

Click to expand...

Yes it does.

Still not getting anything, I am using TVHeadend (latest version), tried with 256 QAM, nothing.
Is there an app or something I can use in Ubuntu to check signal, etc?

can you see your tuner in TVHeadend?

it could be a problem with your splitter or your fly lead

JonMMM said:

can you see your tuner in TVHeadend?

it could be a problem with your splitter or your fly lead

Click to expand...

I can see the DVB-C tuner, drivers all seem correctly configured. I am also questioning the cabling.
So, I have the cable going into my Virgin Superhub, which is obviously working. I also have a small box in the lounge, in that box is a splitter (very old NTL splitter), cable in > FM + TV out. I am plugging in a cable (Labgear PF100 Satellite Coaxial Cable 25m Black | Cable | Screwfix.com) which is going into the TBS6281SE DVB-C card.
I did try plugging the Virgin cable which is going into my superhub directly into the DVB-C card, but I still got nothing (does that need that splitter for TV signal?)
So My questions:
1. Is my cable inadequate?
2. Is the old NTL splitter box too old?
3. Must you use a splitter box at all?

Sorry for so many questions, as I am very new to DVB-C, I've used DVB-S for a few years now though.

Kind Regards.

try it the over way around and plug your modem into the wiring that the DVB-C card is plugged into and see if the modem still works

I thought all virgin tv including fta are scrambled. Wouldn't have thought they would show up in a scan either

There are only a handful of free channels

BBC One
BBC Two
ITV
Channel 4
Channel 5
BBC Four (maybe)
Pick
Challenge
Channel 4+1
BBC Alba
S4C
BBC News
Sky News
BBC Parliament
CBBC
Cbeebies

(Also the the audio description version)

chookey said:

I thought all virgin tv including fta are scrambled. Wouldn't have thought they would show up in a scan either

Click to expand...

Cable may be different but with sat you can scan and pick up channels with out any cams / c-line / n-line setup you just cant clear them.

OK, in the NTL box, there is a slitter / junction box called "QAMTEX TV/FM ISOLATOR 5-10000MHz", which has the main cable in, then an FM and a TV/DATA out, same as this one here:

(Vocom Digital QAMTEX VQ330 TV/FM Isolator 5-1000MHz splitter | JPEGbay.com)

So my question is, do I need to use this box (the TV/DATA) out to get a signal to the DVB-C card, or can I emit this box and just use the Virgin cable straight into the DVB-C card?

Have you tried that lead that your router plugs into?

You know that works so that would be where I would start.

If it does not work then is definatly your settings or hardware as opposed to the feed

JonMMM said:

Have you tried that lead that your router plugs into?

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Yes, the cable that is plugged into the modem/router, and is working, I took that and plugged that straight into the DVB-C card, and still got nothing. That was why I was asking if I need to use that filter/splitter. Not sure where to go now or what to try.....

satnav1234 said:

Yes, the cable that is plugged into the modem/router, and is working, I took that and plugged that straight into the DVB-C card, and still got nothing. That was why I was asking if I need to use that filter/splitter. Not sure where to go now or what to try.....

Click to expand...

If you are getting nothing from that lead then it is down to the PC hardware or settings

You need a splinter mate the fm side is no good to you