Dvbv5scan Initial File |top| Jun 2026

Example custom file for an unknown DVB-T frequency:

sudo apt-get install w-scan # Debian/Ubuntu sudo dnf install w_scan # Fedora

Inside that directory, files are organized by broadcast standard: (Terrestrial / Antenna) (Satellite) (North American Terrestrial) dvbv5scan initial file

: They are organized by delivery type and location:

dvb-fe-tool -a 0 -f 0

tool to perform a "blind scan" which does not require an initial file. It can output a DVBv5-compatible file: w_scan2 -ft -L > initial_file.conf Convert an old one: If you have an old (v3) file, you can convert it using dvb-format-convert

When you run dvbv5-scan , the utility does not blindly search every possible frequency. Instead, it reads this file, tunes to the specified frequencies, and extracts the Network Information Table (NIT) from the broadcast stream. The NIT contains the data for all other active transponders on that network, allowing the scanner to automatically discover the rest of the channel lineup. DVBv3 vs. DVBv5 File Formats Example custom file for an unknown DVB-T frequency:

: The center frequency of the transponder in Hertz.

Once you have a working initial file, you can script channel scans via cron. For example, to rescan every Sunday at 3 AM: The NIT contains the data for all other

Once you have your initial file, the standard scanning command becomes: