DVB-S recording problems with TBS 8920 (1 Viewer)

[SimonP]

MediaPortal 1.1.0_BETA-1_rev23491 on Windows Vista Ultimate
3xDVB-T tuners, 1xDVB-S2 tuner (TBS 8920)

My DVB-T recordings seem to work OK but more often than not a recording scheduled for the TBS 8920 DVB-S2 tuner fails with "No signal". This often happens when I want to watch a programme on this tuner as well. Stopping and starting the recording service usually fixes this temporarily.

Other than stopping and starting the service prior to using or making recordings on this tuner, does anyone have any ideas of what might be wrong? I'm guessing it's a problem with the tuner card drivers rather than MP so does anyone have any experience with this card?

 

[jonm]

Did you get anywhere with this? I've just bought one of these cards and I can't even tune any DVB-S2 channels with it, they report "no signal"

 

[SimonP]

I can't quite work out what's wrong as the problems are not consistent:

1) If I stop and restart the service it will record or let me watch TV (using the 8920) but after a while, even when not used, I get the dreaded "No signal" error. A restart of the service will get it working, but only temporarily.

2) When I start a recording while tuned to the channel I can continue to watch it but if I start it from the TV Guide, I sometimes cannot then watch it "live", only from the start of the recording.

You could try the latest Windows 7 driver, it works with Vista but sadly doesn't cure the problems.

http://www.buydvb.net/download2/tbs8920win7driver.rar

I am talking to the TBS people about this and will update this thread if/when I get any further news.

 

[jonm]

hi SimonP, thanks for the update. That sounds like very weird behaviour! I've tried the latest driver, no good. I've raised my issues on the TBS fourms too, and I got sent a new driver to test last night - it fixed the tuning issues but the channels aren't watchable due to breakup etc.

To be honest I'm getting so fed up of spending time trying to get flaky products to work, that I might just send the thing back under distance-selling or SOGA and try (yet) another one.

If I keep buying stuff surely I'm bound to get a card that works, eventually! I live in hope...

 

[slimbo51]

Hiya.

New to this forum but have good Electrical and Electronic knowledge.

Reading about this prob had a similar fault with a system I installed last week

Intermittent operation poor signal quality. when the unit worked picture was fine but kept dropping out with no signal or pixilation.

The solution was Ridiculous, the connenctor on the end of the cable going to the LNB was the wrong type i.e. it was for RG6 Cable rather than CT100 which is was using.

While the RG6 F-connector fitted and screwed on the cable it was loose and as such made poor ground connection. Soon as I fitted a correct fitting all was well excellent picture
and highly stable. I am informed this a very common mistake and it shows up much more on windy days as the movement of the cable makes and breaks more often.

I do not pretend that this will solve your prob but its something to consider.

 

[doogle]

I have the same issue - just got TBS 8920 card and it works fine for a short while, and invariably comes up with "No signal" or "unable to start graph", restarting TVservice gets it going again. The card is always recognised but just seems not to be initialised sometimes. Was this ever resolved for MP in XP?

PS, I downloaded the latest driver from TBS but behaviour is the same.