TV Tuner Card Not Working After Kernel Upgrade

Message

Beetle B. · Post by **Beetle B.** » Fri Mar 13, 2026 8:26 pm

My TV tuner card (WinTV-quadHD) was working fine.

I upgraded my kernel, and it wasn't even detecting the card. I discovered that somehow the config settings didn't all get updated in the new kernel. I enabled as many TV/DVB related settings and recompiled.

Now it's a bit better. It is recognizing the card, and even detecting signals on it, but still not tuning into any channel.

For example, output of w_scan:

Code: Select all

w_scan -fa -A1 -c US 
w_scan version 20170107 (compiled for DVB API 5.12)
using settings for UNITED STATES
ATSC
VSB US/CA, DVB-T TW
scan type TERRCABLE_ATSC, channellist 1
output format vdr-2.0
WARNING: could not guess your codepage. Falling back to 'UTF-8'
output charset 'UTF-8', use -C <charset> to override
Info: using DVB adapter auto detection.
        /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0 -> TERRCABLE_ATSC "LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend": good :-)
        /dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0 -> TERRCABLE_ATSC "LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend": good :-)
        /dev/dvb/adapter2/frontend0 -> TERRCABLE_ATSC "LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend": good :-)
        /dev/dvb/adapter3/frontend0 -> TERRCABLE_ATSC "LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend": good :-)
Using TERRCABLE_ATSC frontend (adapter /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0)
-_-_-_-_ Getting frontend capabilities-_-_-_-_ 
Using DVB API 5.12
frontend 'LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend' supports
INVERSION_AUTO
8VSB
QAM_64
QAM_256
FREQ (54.00MHz ... 858.00MHz)
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 
57000: 8VSB(time: 00:00.400) 
63000: 8VSB(time: 00:03.823) 
69000: 8VSB(time: 00:07.263) 
79000: 8VSB(time: 00:10.693) 
85000: 8VSB(time: 00:14.110) 
177000: 8VSB(time: 00:17.530) 
183000: 8VSB(time: 00:20.940) 
189000: 8VSB(time: 00:24.363) 
195000: 8VSB(time: 00:27.770)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=195000 kHz (0:0:0)
201000: 8VSB(time: 00:28.446) 
207000: 8VSB(time: 00:32.757)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=207000 kHz (0:0:0)
213000: 8VSB(time: 00:33.590) 
473000: 8VSB(time: 00:37.063) 
479000: 8VSB(time: 00:40.520) 
485000: 8VSB(time: 00:43.940) 
491000: 8VSB(time: 00:47.357) 
497000: 8VSB(time: 00:50.787) 
503000: 8VSB(time: 00:55.063) 
509000: 8VSB(time: 00:58.680) 
515000: 8VSB(time: 01:02.950)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=515000 kHz (0:0:0)
521000: 8VSB(time: 01:03.820)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=521000 kHz (0:0:0)
527000: 8VSB(time: 01:04.490)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=527000 kHz (0:0:0)
533000: 8VSB(time: 01:05.157)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=533000 kHz (0:0:0)
539000: 8VSB(time: 01:05.834)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=539000 kHz (0:0:0)
545000: 8VSB(time: 01:06.504)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=545000 kHz (0:0:0)
551000: 8VSB(time: 01:07.177) 
557000: 8VSB(time: 01:10.587) 
563000: 8VSB(time: 01:14.380)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=563000 kHz (0:0:0)
569000: 8VSB(time: 01:15.050) 
575000: 8VSB(time: 01:18.497) 
581000: 8VSB(time: 01:21.950)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=581000 kHz (0:0:0)
587000: 8VSB(time: 01:22.617) 
593000: 8VSB(time: 01:26.050)         signal ok:        8VSB     f=593000 kHz (0:0:0)
599000: 8VSB(time: 01:27.924) 
605000: 8VSB(time: 01:33.334) 
611000: 8VSB(time: 01:36.761) 
617000: 8VSB(time: 01:40.197) 
623000: 8VSB(time: 01:43.217) 
629000: 8VSB(time: 01:46.964) 
635000: 8VSB(time: 01:50.371) 
641000: 8VSB(time: 01:53.804) 
647000: 8VSB(time: 01:57.211) 
653000: 8VSB(time: 02:00.628) 
659000: 8VSB(time: 02:04.041) 
665000: 8VSB(time: 02:07.448) 
671000: 8VSB(time: 02:10.871) 
677000: 8VSB(time: 02:14.288) 
683000: 8VSB(time: 02:17.698) 
689000: 8VSB(time: 02:21.104) 
695000: 8VSB(time: 02:24.518) 
701000: 8VSB(time: 02:27.938) 
707000: 8VSB(time: 02:31.348) 
713000: 8VSB(time: 02:34.761) 
719000: 8VSB(time: 02:38.175) ^[[B
725000: 8VSB(time: 02:41.598) 
731000: 8VSB(time: 02:45.005) 
737000: 8VSB(time: 02:48.415) 
743000: 8VSB(time: 02:51.825) 
749000: 8VSB(time: 02:55.231) 
755000: 8VSB(time: 02:58.638) 
761000: 8VSB(time: 03:02.042) 
767000: 8VSB(time: 03:05.445) 
773000: 8VSB(time: 03:08.848) 
779000: 8VSB(time: 03:12.252) 
785000: 8VSB(time: 03:15.662) 
791000: 8VSB(time: 03:19.085) 
797000: 8VSB(time: 03:22.515) 
803000: 8VSB(time: 03:25.935) 
tune to: 8VSB     f=195000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 03:29.362) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=207000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 03:36.319) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=515000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 03:43.319) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=521000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 03:50.315) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=527000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 03:57.335) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=533000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:04.332) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=539000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:11.329) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=545000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:18.316) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=563000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:25.312) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=581000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:32.319) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
tune to: 8VSB     f=593000 kHz (0:0:0) (time: 04:39.316) 
        Info: no data from PAT after 2 seconds
        Info: no data from VCT(terr) after 6 seconds
(time: 04:47.333) dumping lists (0 services)

As you can see, no PAT + VCT.

Output of femon -H:

Code: Select all

FE: LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend (ATSC)
Problem retrieving frontend information: Resource temporarily unavailable
status       | signal   0% | snr   0% | ber 0 | unc -1084906784 | 
Problem retrieving frontend information: Resource temporarily unavailable
status       | signal   0% | snr   0% | ber 0 | unc -1084906784 | 
Problem retrieving frontend information: Resource temporarily unavailable
status       | signal   0% | snr   0% | ber 0 | unc -1084906784 | 
Problem retrieving frontend information: Resource temporarily unavailable
status       | signal   0% | snr   0% | ber 0 | unc -1084906784 | 
Problem retrieving frontend information: Resource temporarily unavailable
status       | signal   0% | snr   0% | ber 0 | unc -1084906784 |

I confirmed via fuser that nothing is using the card.

dmesg seems to show everything loaded:

Code: Select all

[    7.890456] saa7146: register extension 'budget dvb'
[    7.890574] saa7146: register extension 'budget_ci dvb'
[    8.226531] tveeprom: TV standards NTSC(M) ATSC/DVB Digital (eeprom 0x88)
[    8.313625] cx23885: cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    8.313673] cx23885: cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    8.313719] cx23885: dvb_register(): board=57 port=1
[    8.320345] cx23885: dvb_register(): QUADHD_ATSC analog setup
[    8.320391] dvbdev: DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
[    8.320438] cx23885 0000:06:00.0: DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend)...
[    8.320650] cx23885: cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    8.320698] cx23885: cx23885[0]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    8.320743] cx23885: dvb_register(): board=57 port=2
[    8.327356] dvbdev: DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[0])
[    8.327401] cx23885 0000:06:00.0: DVB: registering adapter 1 frontend 0 (LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend)...
[    8.663064] tveeprom: TV standards NTSC(M) ATSC/DVB Digital (eeprom 0x88)
[    8.750785] cx23885: cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    8.750833] cx23885: cx23885[1]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    8.750878] cx23885: dvb_register(): board=57 port=1
[    8.757496] cx23885: dvb_register(): QUADHD_ATSC analog setup
[    8.757542] dvbdev: DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[1])
[    8.757588] cx23885 0000:07:00.0: DVB: registering adapter 2 frontend 0 (LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend)...
[    8.757795] cx23885: cx23885_dvb_register() allocating 1 frontend(s)
[    8.757842] cx23885: cx23885[1]: cx23885 based dvb card
[    8.757888] cx23885: dvb_register(): board=57 port=2
[    8.764498] dvbdev: DVB: registering new adapter (cx23885[1])
[    8.764544] cx23885 0000:07:00.0: DVB: registering adapter 3 frontend 0 (LG Electronics LGDT3306A VSB/QAM Frontend)...
[    8.765135] cx88_dvb: cx2388x dvb driver version 1.0.0 loaded
[    8.765179] cx8802: registering cx8802 driver, type: dvb access: shared
[  117.562218] Loading firmware: dvb_driver_si2157_rom50.fw
[  117.686111] Loading firmware: dvb-tuner-si2157-a30-01.fw
[ 1240.684637] Loading firmware: dvb_driver_si2157_rom50.fw
[ 1240.684652] Loading firmware: dvb-tuner-si2157-a30-01.fw
[ 1240.897878] Loading firmware: dvb_driver_si2157_rom50.fw
[ 1240.897894] Loading firmware: dvb-tuner-si2157-a30-01.fw

Ideas? I can reboot to the old kernel and it works, so I think it's still a problem in my kernel config.

RayDude · Post by **RayDude** » Sat Mar 14, 2026 2:10 pm

First, check to make sure you have the correct version of linux-firmware installed for your new kernel.

Then, are you copying your kernel config from old kernel to new kernel? I do my kernel the old fashioned way to ensure that the .config file is properly copied.

If you run make manually, do you type 'make -j[n]' in the new kernel folder and answer each question it asks one at a time to ensure you enable the new modules you need?

If you use an automated kernel manager, I can't help. I've never even tried one.