This tab is split in two panes. To the left is a tree which, at root level, contains all DVB adapters found by Tvheadend during startup.

Step by step configuration of DVB
The DVB configuration is perhaps the most tricky part to configure in Tvheadend. Therefore, this section begins with a step-by-step guide.
  • Click on an adapter in the left pane.
  • Click on 'Add mux(es)'. A popup window will appear:

    For DVB-T and DVB-C adapters, expand appropriate country. DVB-S adapters only have one folder to expand called 'Geosynchronous Orbit'. In these folders you find a list of available networks. Select the appropriate network and press the 'Add' button.
  • Tvheadend will now immediately start to probe each mux for available services. Expand the DVB adapter in the tree and wait until all muxes has been visisted at least once (Status of all multiplexes should change from 'Unknown' when a mux has been visited).
  • You can now, if you want, verify that the mux scanner has found services by expanding the mux nodes.
  • Select the adapters again and press 'Probe services'. A popup will ask you to confirm this action. Press 'Yes'. The Service probe will scan through all services on all muxes on the adapter and map them to channels with the corresponding name. Progress and result for each service is displayed in the 'System Log' at the bottom of the application. Wait until the probing is completed.
  • Done! You can click over to the 'Channels' configuration tab and inspect all working channels.
DVB Adapters
A DVB adapter represents a piece of hardware attached to the system. DVB receivers with dual tuners will present themself as two adapters to the Tvheadend application. Tvheadend support DVB-T, DVB-C and DVB-S adapters.

When an adapter is selected, the right pane displays configurable items for the adapter. Also available in the right toolbar is a set of operations that can be performed on the adapter.

Underneath each adapter in the tree is a list of DVB muxes. For more information about muxes, see further down.

There is currently no way of adding a new adapter to Tvheadend when running. If a new adapter is plugged into the system Tvheadend needs to be restarted in order to detect it.

If Tvheadend has configuration for an adapter and the adapter is missing upon startup the configuration will be left untouched in case the adapter will be back in the future. There is currently no way to remove configuration for a no longer present adapter.

Warning: Unplugging an DVB adapter (USB, etc) during operation (i.e when Tvheadend is running) can result in deadlocking the kernel USB subsystem, most likely requiring a system restart.

Warning2: Suspending a system is (from a USB driver perspective) equivalent to a unplug/insert event. Thus, suspending a system running Tvheadend with USB adapters is not recommented at the moment.

DVB Multiplexes
To put it simply, a DVB multiplex is a digital signal modulated at a specific frequency that carries a number of servies (where a service could be, but is not limited to, a TV channel).

There are currently no operations that can be performed on a single mux.

DVB Services
A service is equivivalent to a TV channel.

There are currently no operations that can be performed on a single service.