Dvbv5scan Initial File May 2026

The initial file is a plain text file. It defines the delivery system (e.g., terrestrial, cable, satellite) and lists specific frequencies or transponders to probe.

The file typically consists of two parts:

dvbv5-scan is a command-line utility that scans for digital TV channels (DVB-T, DVB-C, DVB-S, ATSC, ISDB-T, etc.). Unlike a full scan that tries every possible frequency, dvbv5-scan uses an initial file as a starting point. This file contains a list of known transmission parameters for your broadcaster and region, such as:

The initial file tells the scanner where to listen. It does not contain the final channel list; instead, it helps the tool discover the actual services (TV/radio programs) and their details.

For terrestrial TV (antenna), you must define the center frequency and bandwidth. Below is a standard DVB-T initial file for a region using UHF frequencies with 8MHz bandwidth. dvbv5scan initial file

File: dvbt-initial.conf

# Delivery system definition
DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBT
Satellite (DVB-S2) example:
DVB-S2 11919000 27500 3/4 8PSK H
Notes: frequency in kHz (11919000 kHz = 11.919 GHz) or sometimes in Hz — check your dvbv5scan variant.
Cable (DVB-C) example:
DVB-C 306000000 AUTO 6900 2/3 64QAM
Notes: frequency in Hz commonly for cable; symbol rate 6900 kS/s.
Terrestrial (DVB-T) example:
DVB-T 474000000 AUTO 8MHz AUTO
Or using channel number:
DVB-T 21 AUTO 8MHz AUTO The initial file is a plain text file
ISDB-T example:
ISDB-T 473000000 AUTO 6MHz AUTO
ATSC example:
ATSC 539000000 AUTO 8MHz AUTO
The initial files are plain text files with a simple, human-readable structure. Example snippet for DVB-T (Europe):
# DVB-T Italy / Milan
[FREQUENCY]
FREQ = 498000000
BANDWIDTH_HZ = 8000000
DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBT
CODE_RATE_HP = AUTO
CODE_RATE_LP = AUTO
MODULATION = AUTO
TRANSMISSION_MODE = AUTO
GUARD_INTERVAL = AUTO
HIERARCHY = NONE
[FREQUENCY]
FREQ = 546000000
BANDWIDTH_HZ = 8000000
DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBT
...
 The initial file tells the scanner where to listen

For DVB-C (cable), entries may include SYMBOL_RATE and MODULATION (e.g., QAM256). For DVB-S/S2 satellite, you'll find SYMBOL_RATE, POLARIZATION, FREQ in MHz, etc.
10744000        H             22000000     AUTO
10815000        V             22000000     AUTO
10832000        H             22000000     AUTO

If your transmitter or cable network is missing, you can create a custom initial file:

Example custom file for an unknown DVB-T frequency:

[FREQUENCY]
FREQ = 514000000
BANDWIDTH_HZ = 8000000
DELIVERY_SYSTEM = DVBT
MODULATION = AUTO
INVERSION = AUTO