Tuning DVB-T in UK: Inconsistency between Programs (1 Viewer)

XRaySpeX

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Hi I'm new here.

I have an HP PC with an ASUSTeK LNA Tiger Hybrid Capture Device built in, using a weakish indoor aerial pointing at UK Hannington transmitter.

Previously, I had tried 3 other TV Tuner Viewer type programs (e.g. AVS TV Box & ProgDVB) and consistently only been able to tune to the 6 BBC stations of Multiplex 1 on digital channel 50, on all of these programs. I originally thought that there was something wrong with my TV Tuner card; perhaps not appropriate for the UK.

However, I recently saw that HP recommended MediaPortal so I came here and installed it. I was overjoyed to see that it was able to tune to 54 digital TV stations and 23 digital Radio stations; that just 14 less in total than my main TV on an outdoor aerial.

I am curious to understand what is preventing these other programs from tuning all the digital stations that MediaPortal finds? They seem only to concentrate on digital channel 50 altho' I tell them to scan from 22 to 68.

I originally installed the TV-Server version of MediaPortal but found that the Client-Server structure was too complicated and awkward for my standalone PC, so I reverted to the Built-in Engine version.

I find that altho' it recognises the Analogue half of the TV card as a separate entity, it cannot tune to any stations, reporting "Unable to create graph for this device!".

I presume this is because the Built-in Engine version is unable to handle both sides of a hybrid device?
 

Owlsroost

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    paddy01

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    I'd agree you should look again at using Tv-Server.

    It may not be related but bear in mind that UK transmitters are slowly changing as the analogue signal is turned off and in conjunction frequencies for freeview (DVB-T) are changing.

    If the old tv engine is no longer being updated then it's config for what frequencies to scan for your transmitter could be out of date.
     

    XRaySpeX

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    I fear that you may have misunderstood my Qs.

    I have no problem with the Built-in Engine; it tuned well to many UK digital stations, unlike all other programs I had tried. I was only after a simple TV Tuner viewer program.

    All I wanted to know was :
    1. Why other TV Tuner programs seem unable to tune anything other than UK Multiplex 1?
    2. Am I not able to tune the analogue half of a hybrid device because I'm using the Built-in Engine?
     

    Paranoid Delusion

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    # Why other TV Tuner programs seem unable to tune anything other than UK Multiplex 1?

    Signal strength I assume, just because you can tune a channel does not mean its watchable, the other thing you may notice a difference with, is MP's ability to tune shared channels, ie bbc3 and cbeebies, mosy other programs cannot do this and need to be tuned day\night, gbpvr is one such.

    # Am I not able to tune the analogue half of a hybrid device because I'm using the Built-in Engine?

    No hybrid support on the built in TVEngine, which will not exist shortly, as its unmaintainable with M$ changes for future operating systems.
     

    XRaySpeX

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    Signal strength I assume, just because you can tune a channel does not mean its watchable.
    Signal strength was sufficient for MP. When I said I could tune, I meant I could tune and watch, neither of which was true for the other programs outside UK Multiplex 1.

    No hybrid support on the built in TVEngine.
    No hybrid support at all? Or do you mean partial hybrid support?

    I found that the Built-in Engine would recognise my hybrid TV Tuner but would only tune the DVB-T side of it.
    I'd call that partial support.
     

    Owlsroost

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    No hybrid support on the built in TVEngine.
    No hybrid support at all? Or do you mean partial hybrid support?

    I found that the Built-in Engine would recognise my hybrid TV Tuner but would only tune the DVB-T side of it.
    I'd call that partial support.

    Well, you could say that since only the digital part is available it isn't a hybrid tuner....so it doesn't support them ;)

    # Why other TV Tuner programs seem unable to tune anything other than UK Multiplex 1?

    Maybe MP spends longer doing the scan - i.e. waits longer for the tuner to sort itself out - than the other software apps you've tried.

    All that said, if you intend to use MP in the long term, you ought to move to TV-server since eventually the other TV-engine will be removed (I assume). Also TV-server does support hybrid tuners.

    Tony
     

    XRaySpeX

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    :DThanks, Owlsroost, you've now answered my Qs.
    Well, you could say that since only the digital part is available it isn't a hybrid tuner....so it doesn't support them ;)
    OK, in that sense, yes. As a tyro :) to MP, I just wanted clarification that what I experienced was what was to be expected.

    All that said, if you intend to use MP in the long term, you ought to move to TV-server since eventually the other TV-engine will be removed (I assume). Also TV-server does support hybrid tuners.
    I'm more than happy with the Built-in Engine; I found the TV-Server complicated, cumbersome, profligate and slow for my simple requirements. Also analogue signal will disappear by 2012 and in the meantime I can tune to them in other ways. I don't need my PC as a full-blown Media Centre, but just as fallback from my main TV, just as I use it for BBC iPlayer and other TV on demand.
     

    XRaySpeX

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    Why other TV Tuner programs seem unable to tune anything other than UK Multiplex 1?

    :DWell, I think I've now worked this out for myself, alto' Owlsroost here was perhaps hinting at the reason
    Maybe MP spends longer doing the scan - i.e. waits longer for the tuner to sort itself out - than the other software apps you've tried.
    :D

    I've watched MP do its AutoScan. As well as the nominal frequencies for the digital channels at the transmitter, it also tries +/- 0.17 MHz if it fails to get a signal spot on. Unlike all the other programs which only seem to try the exact frequencies. Hence MP is much more likely to tune to stations that are not at the exact nominal frequencies. As it happens only UK Multiplex 1 was spot on @ 706 Mhz (out of 6 Multiplexes).
     

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