DVBStreamExplorer Walk-Through / Quickstart Guide

A PDF version of this page is available here.

There are three steps involved to use the basic functionality of DVBStreamExplorer.

• Step 1: Select your device;
• Step 2: Tune your device;
• Step 3: Extract stream information.

These steps are described in more detail in the following pages. For additional features, please refer to the User Guide.

Step 1: Select your device

When you start DVBStreamExplorer for the first time, you will be asked to select the device or file supplying the DVB Transport Stream. You can select your device from this dialog, or if you are going to use a file as your transport stream, select "TS File Driver". You can change the device later on from Device->Driver Selection.

Step 2: Tune your device

The following section only applies if you are using a tuner card to receive your transport stream. If you want to analyze a transport stream directly from disk, skip to Step 3.

A. Manual tuning

The first time you run DVBStreamExplorer, the Tuning Dialog will appear automatically. At first there will be no presets, so you either need to enter the tuning parameters manually or locate the available transponders/MUXes automatically. Unless you know the tuning parameters, such as Frequency, Symbol rate and Modulation, we recommend automatic MUX Finder as explained in the next section. Click Cancel.

B. Automatic Transponder/MUX Finder

Click on the Options menu. Select the list manager option corresponding with your type of tuner, e.g. Terrestrial MUX list manager.

In the MUX list manager dialog, click the Scan button:

The parameters in next dialog (MUX Finder) depend on whether you have a Satellite, Cable or Terrestrial tuner. The example below is for Terrestrial. Click the Start button. During the scanning process, the log window on the main screen will show progress while sections are being read. Click OK when the scanning finishes.

The MUX list manager will now show the various transponders/MUXes detected. Click OK.

Note that at this point the tuner is not yet tuned. This can be identified by looking at the status bar at the bottom-right corner of the main screen, which shows the message: "Signal NOT locked" and "<no service>".

Step 3: Extract stream information

This can be done in one of three ways, depending on the transponders/MUXes you would like to scan:

1. Scan the transport stream on the currently tuned transponder/MUX. This will be the only option available if you are scanning a stream stored on disk.
2. Scan some or all of the transponders/MUXes as detected by Options->List Manager.
3. Scan all transponders reported by the NIT section of the currently tuned transponder/MUX.

A. Scan currently tuned transponder/MUX

1. Launch the Tuning Dialog from Device->Tuning. Select the transponder from the Transponder combo box and click OK. The device will tune on the signal, and the status bar message will change from "Signal NOT locked" to "Locked".
2. Select Action->DVB PSI/SI Scanning->Current Transponder.

B. Scan selected transponders/MUXes

This option requires that the MUX List Manager or Satellite List Manager contains valid preset entries. See Step 2 on how to automatically populate these entries using the Automatic MUX Locator.

The option to choose depends on whether you have a Satellite, a Cable or a Digital Terrestrial tuner. From the menu Action->DVB PSI/SI scanning, choose the correct option:

1. If you are using a Satellite tuner, select Scan satellites;
2. If you are using a Digital Terrestrial tuner, select Scan Terrestrial;
3. If you are using a Cable tuner, select Scan cable.

Select the transponders/MUXes you would like to scan, and click Start. When scanning is finished, click Close. During scanning, the progress is shown on the main window.

C. Scan all transponders reported by the current NIT section

If the transport stream currently tuned correctly supplies NIT sections, then it is possible to locate other transponders/MUXes by looking at the NIT sections, and in turn by looking at the NIT sections reported by these other streams. To perform this:

1. Manually tune by selecting the transponder from the Tuning Dialog: Device->Tuning.
2. Select Action->DVB PSI/SI scanning->Current NIT...
3. Click Start.