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Thread: Austar taking too long to scan channels

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    Default Austar taking too long to scan channels

    Hi,

    i have just moved my Austar (Mystar) box into another room, the scanning of channels is taking about 1 hour to complete, does anyone know why this takes so long. I see it is scanning for FTA channels also which once completed the only FTA channels are ABC and SBS.


    Regards,
    Etto



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    Options, One is to return the Mystar back to the room you took it from and see if the problem exists there too.
    If it doesnt, then you have a problem with the connections in the new location, if it does then I think there is a number to ring to get an auto 'Rehit' from the Satellite.
    If none of the above doesnt help, then you may have to ring Foxtel...............God Help you.!!!!
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    This is standard behaviour for MyStar box, 55 minutes to scan all terrestrial channel frequencies even if you have no antenna connected as I do.

    It maybe quicker if you had Terrestrial reception via antenna & it could find channels, however maybe not.

    It is not a fault. Edit: well it's not a fault if the box has been turned off at the power point or crashed & rebooted.
    If it happens when coming out of standby then it is definitely a fault & you should contact Foxtel.

    The FTA ABC & SBS channels that you are receiving are the Satellite ones you are allowed to have.

    I asked a tech at Foxtel if it could be turned off so no scanning for terrestrial channels, since I have no reception & they said no.
    Last edited by Tiny; 15-07-15 at 11:26 AM.
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    You would think after all these years seeing Foxtel covers vast areas of Australia with no terrestrial service, they could have programmed the decoders to ignore that section where possible.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Yes In a perfect world where the customers needs always come first that would be expected & they have implemented it with the iQ3.
    Terrestrial channel scanning can be turned on or off in the settings of the iQ3.
    It is luckily set as off by default so no hassles for us Terrestrial channel challenged rural people.

    Unfortunately they have not given the MyStar any consideration for this, I guess it is coming to the end of it's useful life.
    Foxtel really don't want Austar branded boxes sitting in homes.

    I have had the MyStarHD box since it's intro in ~2007 & at first it only scanned terrestrial channels in my postcode, which took about 15 mins.
    Then at some time ~ 5 years ago they changed it to scan every transmitter frequency in a 300KM radius including all the customer/community funded local translator towers, so it takes forever.
    In Tasmania it is scanning every transmitter in Tasmania.
    I've read somewhere that in other states it is a huge radius of transponders that it searches for the strongest channel frequency & so it is time consuming.

    The worst part is if the box crashes & does a reboot when you are about to watch something. You just have to put another box (VAST, DVD Player, etc) into operation to watch something until it's finished.
    Last edited by Tiny; 15-07-15 at 11:13 AM.
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    Tiny, If I am correct for NSW, your POSTCODE plays a part in your Terrestrial coverage and the 'area' your FTA TV Broadcaster's license covers using the various Post Codes
    My TV area is shown as Orange/Dubbo and all those translators owned and operated in that area from the East in Lithgow, North to Mudgee, across to Dubbo, south to Forbes then back across Cowra/Young with a couple in the middle covering Wallerawang and Bathurst.
    I am basing this on previous posts from comments made about members decoders going on holidays but werent able to receive any FTA because the channels used were on different frequencies and not 'entered' into their search list.
    When I got Austar installed years ago, the old Pace only had a the 'Pass Through' facility for FTA and because I didnt want it connected in case it reduced the reception and I was surprised what a fuss that made at the time.

    Since the Digital 'retune' over the last 12 months, this may not be the case now but as I dont have and no intention of changing over the current Titan STB's, I have no way of telling what works where now.
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 15-07-15 at 01:22 PM.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Quote Originally Posted by gordon_s1942 View Post
    Tiny, If I am correct for NSW, your POSTCODE plays a part in your Terrestrial coverage and the 'area' your FTA TV Broadcaster's license covers using the various Post Codes
    My TV area is shown as Orange/Dubbo and all those translators owned and operated in that area from the East in Lithgow, North to Mudgee, across to Dubbo, south to Forbes then back across Cowra/Young with a couple in the middle covering Wallerawang and Bathurst.
    I am basing this on previous posts from comments made about members decoders going on holidays but werent able to receive any FTA because the channels used were on different frequencies and not 'entered' into their search list.
    When I got Austar installed years ago, the old Pace only had a the 'Pass Through' facility for FTA and because I didnt want it connected in case it reduced the reception and I was surprised what a fuss that made at the time.

    Since the Digital 'retune' over the last 12 months, this may not be the case now but as I dont have and no intention of changing over the current Titan STB's, I have no way of telling what works where now.


    Keep Hiting the Austar button it should skip the transmitters.

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    This annoying feature also applies many TV's when you set them up or need to do a 'rescan', the auto 'rescan' usually starts with the now deleted analog channels.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Quote Originally Posted by cns View Post
    Keep Hiting the Austar button it should skip the transmitters.
    Just tried that, made no difference.
    Cheers, Tiny
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    There is a way to clear the FTA setting in the Mystar HD decoders.

    That is a factory reset.
    A factory reset will clear the FTA setting and allow the box to continue without searching for FTA on bootup at all.

    The FTA region is only set into the decoder when a full activation hit is done manually so you will effectively have the problem solved. (At least in my experience)

    Firstly however I will say here if you do this you WILL LOSE all your recordings on the Mystar.

    Now make sure you are not in any menu's or anything.
    You want to box displaying a Foxtel channel. (Channel 101 is fine)

    Next hold down the Foxtel/Austar button on the front.
    While doing that you press the following buttons on the remote control one at a time

    Yellow
    Red

    Green
    Red

    Blue
    Red

    The decoder should reboot after 5 to 10 seconds and it will have the FTA region cleared so it will not try and scan for FTA.

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    Quote Originally Posted by vk2amv View Post
    There is a way to clear the FTA setting in the Mystar HD decoders.

    That is a factory reset.
    A factory reset will clear the FTA setting and allow the box to continue without searching for FTA on bootup at all.

    The FTA region is only set into the decoder when a full activation hit is done manually so you will effectively have the problem solved. (At least in my experience)

    Firstly however I will say here if you do this you WILL LOSE all your recordings on the Mystar.

    Now make sure you are not in any menu's or anything.
    You want to box displaying a Foxtel channel. (Channel 101 is fine)

    Next hold down the Foxtel/Austar button on the front.
    While doing that you press the following buttons on the remote control one at a time

    Yellow
    Red

    Green
    Red

    Blue
    Red

    The decoder should reboot after 5 to 10 seconds and it will have the FTA region cleared so it will not try and scan for FTA.
    I have recently done this & found a new way as well, firstly the method above while it may work is not the Recommended by , the recommended is to perform the reset after powering the box off then on & starting the button pressing while it is scanning the channels.

    Now what I discovered was when I didn't get the coloured buttons sequence quite right, after about 30 seconds or so of holding the Austar button on front of the box, it aborted the FTA scan & took me straight to the live TV without erasing the recordings I had put in the Planner to test what would happen.Unfortunately next reboot it starts the FTA scan again, so it's useful if you don't want to erase the HDD & lose recordings, however it needs to be triggered every time. Also you wont lose the ability to scan your FTA channels should you want them later, FTA scanning can be selected from the MyStar settings menu.

    Hope that helps someone to some frustration relief.
    Cheers, Tiny
    "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
    The information is out there; you just have to let it in."

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