Pinnacle PCTV 110i - good video, no sound (1 Viewer)

[Darrarski]

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3.0
Windows Version: XP Pro SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800
Memory: 2GB DDR800
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3
Motherboard Chipset: AMD770
Video Card: Gainward NV8500GT
Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio
1. TV Card: Pinnacle PCTV 110i (Philips SAA7133)
1. TV Card Type: Software
1. TV Card Driver: Pinnacle PCTV 110i Capture Device
1. TV Card MPEG-2 Encoder: InterVideo
Remote: Pinnacle PCTV

According to this information:

This card is only supported with third-part MPEG-2 Encoders from either Cyberlink or ?InterVideo.
[source]

I've installed InterVideo WinDRV and set MPEG-2 Video decoder in MediaPortal Setup to "InterVideo Video Decoder" and I'm getting good quality video from my tuner, but without sound (interface sounds are playing well, but I don't hear television audio). I tried to set various audio decoders, but with no result.

I found a couple of threads about my tv tuner on this forum, but no solution for my problem. I would really like to use MediaPortal. Please, help me choosing and setting up correct audio decoder for my tv tuner.

I'm attaching log from my MediaPortal, maybe it'll be helpful for someone.

EDIT

My problem is very similar to this one (link):

I don't get any sound from my TV tuner (Pinnacle 110i). The channels are correctly scanned, video is great, but there is no sound.
My tuner is connected with internal audio cable to my sound card's AUX connection. I get sound from stand-alone TV programs like DScaler in windows, without any problems.
I don't know which audio decoder to select in MP Setup for my tuner. But any audio decoder I select, the result is the same - no sound.

Fixed!
I've installed WinDVD 7 codecs and it works like a charm.

After installing WinDVD 7 I still don't know which audio decoder I should select to get a sound from my tv tuner. I have channels correctly scanned, video has good quality, but there is still no sound from tv.

Is there any solution for me?

 

[resa]

try to check wich audio-level is controlled in MP when using the volume-buttons in there

if you use the internal audio-jack on your pinnacle, you may have to set cd-in or aux in the MP-configs for volume-control, instead of wave... try also master...

however, not using the internal audio-jack results in asynchronous audio and there is no way to solve that issue, taking the sound over PCI was always a mess and dosent worked properly in many ways.... so once upon a time, i have to change volume on an misteryous "Mixing Device" and give a option checked in the preferences to show in volume-control-panel and so on...

i really really really really REALLY understand, why you try to change to MP.... cause i know this dammend net-framework and MS-SQL mess-around that happend to your computer with the install of the pinnacle-bundled software very very hardly well.... ;-( i tried so many softwares and so many hardwares to get this pinnacle-fallout to run properly... there was no way!

i get a 310i preinstalled and preconfigured in a Fujitsu-Siemens PC ... it never works, it crashed from the first start... i tried a 110i too and it was the same mess.... wasted so many hours on both of them for nothing.... shoot-em-out on ebay and replaced with hauppauge....this was my solution...

so belive in my words: there is _NOT_ only the software lames you down... the hardware is designed to works with trashcan too...

best regards,
resa

 

[Darrarski]

There so some important audio issue that should be noticed. Pinnacle PCTV 110i can send audio by PCI or by additional internal cable connected to tv tuner and sound card. When you using this additional internal cable, you can control volume in system audio mixer, but THERE IS NO WAY to use time shifting feature that way. Internal cable always sending live tv sound to sound card, so it won't be synchronous with video when using time shift.

Anyway, I have my PCTV tuner connected via this internal cable with my sound card, and I can control live tv (not time-shifted) sound volume in system mixer, by changing CD-line volume value. But when using MediaPortal, there is no sound at all from tv tuner, not only from PCI, but from CD-line too.

At the moment I think the best software to watch tv from Pinnacle PCTV 110i card is (unfortunately) Windows Media Center application (included in Windows XP Media Center or Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate). Both video and sound working well on WMC with no lag, even timeshifting works good, with good quality. I hope there is some way to use Pinnacle PCTV 110i on Media Portal (as some people reported).

I'm still don't know which audio codec I should use to get sound form Pinnacle PCTV 110i (saa7133) in Media Portal :-(

 

[resa]

anyway, i know that there are many efforts when using sound over pci, but it doesnt works well under almost every condition

it is about 2 jears ago, as i given up with this issues... and it seems no changes happens to the drivers and software until now...

as i told you, you can set the volume-control used by MP in the MP-Config to master under general->volume-settings, if you set the CD-Volume manual to maximum and then control the master, instead wave-volume in MP you controls the cd-in too - trough the backdoor... this was the way i get sound out of the pinnacle under MP... and yes, it results in recordings without sound, sure, you can toggle some hours in your system until your fingertips bleeding...., but all you get is an asychronus audio for your records... paired with still pictures every few seconds, every time the player tries to sync a+v

i am with your opinion, that WIN MCE serves best for the pinnacle... but be sure, there _WILL_ come up problems too one day...

and when you say "with good quality" or "no lag" you maybe never used a hauppauge from within the same price-range ... or a low-cost asus tv-card... even a super-low-cost terratec or alike will works nearly without problems instead a pinnacle...

best regards,
resa

 

[Darrarski]

I've noticed that there are two different drivers for Pinnacle PCTV 110i. First is the older one, driver version 1.3.3.0 - this driver works fine with Pinnacle Media Center app and causing no-sound issue on Media Portal and other tv programs such Windows Media Center. Pinnacle upgraded their Media Center to TV Center Pro application, including new driver version: 1.3.3.5 - with this driver I can use Windows Media Center, and (probably with no problems) Media Portal too. Unfortunately, new driver doesn't work with old PCTV Remote Control app (and new version of this app is useless if I want to use third party program, other than Pinnacle TV Center). So I can't use my remote control after updating tv tuner driver.

@resa: I used to watch tv from hauppauge cards, and I can tell you that my PCTV tuner provide better video quality, and that's the reason I didn't give up so far.