Collecting QAM data to supplement listing information - scan

I've created a perl scanner which leverages the information we can obtain from a HDHR-CC device to create an accurate call sign to QAM mapping. This will help end the issue of not knowing which QAM frequencies have what content on them (without watching each channel to figure it out).
Tribune's systems (the source of the data for Schedules Direct) are not programmed to support QAM because the cable companies don't want to distribute QAM data, so Tribune isn't going to do the R&D to support QAM if there's no "market" for it. Since the cable companies are the ones that would need to request the requirement, (and they're not), Tribune isn’t going to implement something which won’t be used, and which the cable companies won’t supply data for in the first place. We've asked Tribune, and for whatever reason, the cable companies seem to consider QAM tuning information as proprietary.
When the scan is complete the result will be a {headend}.qam.conf file. If you have a HDHR-CC and at least one HDHR-atsc then the script will use the HDHR-atsc device to create .mpg files which you can watch with mplayer or vlc if you'd like to confirm what the scanner found and that the QAM information obtained from the -CC is valid. If you don't have an ATSC HDHR, you can still help, but the script won't create the MPG files.
After running the scan, please send the .conf file to qam-info@schedulesdirect.org
Schedules Direct will manage the collection of QAM files and make them available to other users in the same headend, allowing those of you that don't have a HDHR-CC to still have accurate lineups based on the scans of subscribers that do.
So, if you're reasonably proficient on the Linux command line, and have a HDHR-CC, please go to
https://github.com/rkulagowski/qamscanner
and download qamscanner.pl
The source code should be pretty self-documenting. It works on my Ubuntu 11.10 system.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for helping the Schedules Direct community.
Tribune's systems (the source of the data for Schedules Direct) are not programmed to support QAM because the cable companies don't want to distribute QAM data, so Tribune isn't going to do the R&D to support QAM if there's no "market" for it. Since the cable companies are the ones that would need to request the requirement, (and they're not), Tribune isn’t going to implement something which won’t be used, and which the cable companies won’t supply data for in the first place. We've asked Tribune, and for whatever reason, the cable companies seem to consider QAM tuning information as proprietary.
When the scan is complete the result will be a {headend}.qam.conf file. If you have a HDHR-CC and at least one HDHR-atsc then the script will use the HDHR-atsc device to create .mpg files which you can watch with mplayer or vlc if you'd like to confirm what the scanner found and that the QAM information obtained from the -CC is valid. If you don't have an ATSC HDHR, you can still help, but the script won't create the MPG files.
After running the scan, please send the .conf file to qam-info@schedulesdirect.org
Schedules Direct will manage the collection of QAM files and make them available to other users in the same headend, allowing those of you that don't have a HDHR-CC to still have accurate lineups based on the scans of subscribers that do.
So, if you're reasonably proficient on the Linux command line, and have a HDHR-CC, please go to
https://github.com/rkulagowski/qamscanner
and download qamscanner.pl
The source code should be pretty self-documenting. It works on my Ubuntu 11.10 system.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for helping the Schedules Direct community.